Not Long At All

Chapter Thirty One, Part One

Sarah's POV:

      I moved slowly, pushing my feet across the slick bottom of the cave. Trailing my hand along a wall, I'd felt my way in the darkness. The water was cold, pushing forcefully around my shins. Then, as I slid a foot in front of me, I felt it dip over an edge. My heart seized in fearful surprise at the lack of ground, and I'd pulled away, looking down despite the engulfing darkness. Staring into the black, I felt my foot along the edge of the sudden drop. I would have to swim. 

      I squatted into the water, goosebumps raising over my skin as I rested at the edge of the chasm. Giving a small bounce, I prepared to push off, my heart fluttering its beats. The darkness blinded me from anything that lurked below. It was impossible to tell if the tunnel continued, or if the stream would open into a caved lake. It was impossible to tell which way was forward. 

      Bracing a hand against the wall, I'd taken one last breath before pushing myself forcefully into the water, intending to use the stone as a guide. But as soon as my feet had left the ground, I was suddenly sucked below, as if a whirlpool had grabbed my leg, dragging me down. 

      Holding onto my breath, I'd kicked, desperately fighting the force that pulled me into complete darkness. The water around me fizzed with panicked bubbles, my arms clawing against the water. Suddenly a foot kicked out into air, and confusion stabbed at me- somehow, I had flipped around, and it was as if the water was trying to spit me out of it. I had just registered the sensation when I was shot up from the rushing stream, my arms raised above my head as I fell through the air.

      CUNCH!

      My feet hit the ground, but they crumpled beneath me, unprepared for the force, and I fell, landing onto my side. Pain knuckled through my body and I laid, unmoving, on the smooth, damp stone. From my side there was a scuttering of footsteps before a hand grabbed my shoulder, gently pulling me up.

       Looking to Ziggy, I let him sit me up. It wasn't until I watched his eyes ran over my body with concern that I realized I could see. From behind Ziggy's elbow, Sir Didymus stared out me, holding his sopping hat in his hands. I quickly looked around, a faint blue light flowing over the rippled stone walls of the tunnel. It reminded me of an aquarium, the way light cascades out onto the dark floor from within enclosed tanks.

      Looking upwards, I stared at the stream that rushed silently above us. Mesmerized, I watched the blue light shimmer off it and eventually gave way to the black depths of the water. Ziggy knelt beside me, his hand still on my shoulder as he joined my stare, "He should be coming down any minute now."

      I glanced my eyes down at him, watching as he craned his neck to look up at the water, his chin turning as he looked from side to side. Suddenly he looked down at me, his red hair still dripping from the fall. I realized I must have looked just as bad.

      Sniffing, Ziggy turned his gaze back up, "We should probably get out of the way, love. You got a lot farther than I did, but I don't know where he's gonna land."

      Sir Didymus looked up in agreement, "Indeed."

      Nodding, I reached out, grasping Ziggy's shoulder as he slid an arm around me, pulling me up. For a second I leaned on him, gingerly putting my weight onto one foot then the other. Letting go of me, he stepped back to let me I stand and I rolled out my back and shoulders. His eyes flitted across my body, checking for any damage. Uncomfortable with his concern, I gave a tight nod, "Thanks."

      Ziggy's eyes shot to mine, realizing his softness. Twisting his tongue behind his teeth, he shrugged a shoulder in forced apathy, "Yeah."

      A shout shot through the air behind us and we jumped, turning to see David as he fell from the stream above. There was a KRUNK and he landed, his back meeting the ground. Without hesitating, Ziggy, Didymus, and I rushed towards him as he coughed out a mouthful of water, gasping heavily for air as he slowly rolled to his side.