The Clear

~ 1 ~ falling ~

"Do it."

Kes glared at the boy in front of her. "Why, Rich?"

"Look, little girl," he sneered, "if you want to join the big boys, you gotta do it."

Kes's gaze flicked to her friend, Matthias, standing on Rich's lawn with the crew. Lately, he had been sneaking out with a crew, and Kes managed to tag along while Terry, Rich's brother led the group in his brother's temporary absence. Now he was back, and he wasn't as tolerant to the tomboy as Terry was.

"Look, I can fight you and win," Kes replied coolly, "wouldn't that be good enough?"

Rich snorted. He turned around, and laid his gaze on each of the boy's behind him. "Do you want a girl to tag along with our operations? She'll only make things worse. The only way for her to prove herself is..." 

"...by getting each of us a drink from the wishing well."

Kes sighed. "Do you realize most of the people that tried died? What would my parents say? And what if I actually died? Would you take responsibility for it? Would-"

"Look," Rich cut in, "you're not going to die. You're going to bring back a drink for every one of us," he said, turning around and sweeping his finger in an arc at the four other members, including Matthias, "and then we'll accept a girl into our group."

He acted as if it was an unconceivable reality, and an act of utter shame. Kes scanned the faces of the other crew members. Matthias had his face turned away, not looking at her, and the other three were tensely shifting in their spots by Rich. "How do I know you will actually let me in?" she asked. "What if you are just deceiving me to get it for you? Like I'm some naive girl you can trick?"

Rich chuckled. He placed his palms together and began to pace. "You don't, but," he lifted his eyes to her face, "I am a man of my word, darling." He winked.

Kes wasn't daunted. "If you're not," she growled, "I'm going to beat you up so bad that you'll regret you ever crossed me."

"I'm sure." Rich chuckled. 

Thoughts flashed in Kes's mind. She could, potentially pretend that she had gone to the well, and present them with fake samples, but Kes was sure Rich would beat her up if she did that. Most people disappeared over the edge when they tried to collect the water, so she would have to devise another way. She hoped they were stupid enough to believe the fake ploy, but she doubted it would work.

Then what would work? She would probably hook up a bucket to a long rope, and toss it into the opening. Only, she didn't know how long it had to be, and she probably couldn't do it by herself.

"When do you need it?" 

"Now."

"What?" Kes said, alarmed. "Now?"

"Yes, now." Rich grinned. "I know your tricks, girl. You're smart, and if you manage to join our crew, I'll appreciate that."

Kes sighed slowly. "Well, I have a plan for getting it, but it will take me time to get all the materials."

"Mind if we tag along?"

Kes tried to hide her surprise in a dry laugh. "You? Tag along? It seems to me I'm already part of your crew."

"You wish."

                                                                   ✶✷✸✷✶

They walk together in tense silence, the boys behind Kes occasionally slipping each other whispers. As Kes gathered materials from various sheds scattered across town, she felt the unwavering gaze of Rich and his crew. It was eerie.

She made a final stop at her house. Kes burst in the door, carrying a box with her supplies. Her parents weren't home, or if they were, they wouldn't notice Kes anyway. She scaled the back staircase to the basement, with the boys following behind without incident. 

"And what would that be?" Rich asked seriously.

She had a bucket rigged up a rope. The rope was attached to a double pulley system, with loops in the rope where she would rig it up to stakes. "This," Kes replied, smiling, "is how I'm going to retrieve water from the well."

Rich looked somewhat impressed. "Well, it seems you are desperate to join," he said, sneering.

"Not desperate," corrected Kes, "just on the safe side."

                                                                   ✶✷✸✷✶

"Last one!"

Kes grunted as she drove the stake into the ground. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and examined her handiwork. The rope stretched across the three yard clearing to the well, and was rigged up to pulleys held up by the stakes. The bucket lingered in the opening of the well, waiting to be lowered. 

"Ready?" Kes called. "Ready!" came the chorus of replies from the crew, Rich including. As Kes watched them lower the bucket, she felt a feeling of exhilaration. She was going to do it! She was going to pull up some water from a well that no one else had ever succeeded in doing.

As they began pulling it up, things immediately went downhill. 

"Kes," Matthias called out, "it's stuck!"

"Stuck?" Kes felt a sick feeling in her heart. "Is that why you're stopped pulling? Pull harder, maybe it'll come free."

"All of us are tired, darling." Rich snapped. "Go get the bucket unstuck. You're the one who's done no work."

As she walked over the opening of the well and gently pulled on the rope, some invoked curiosity made her peek over the well. 

It was as if some force had pushed her. Before she hit the water, she was blissfully aware of Matthias calling her name, the bucket slipping from her fingers, and the chill of the musty air. As she felt the water filling her lungs, Kes reached out a limp hand for the bucket above her, a sense of resignation in her heart. 

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A/N

If you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to vote and give criticism. I appreciate all comments and helpful remarks!

Peace out,

C̴̱͎̝͔͗̆̃̉̅̑́̈́̽̊̋̚͝r̶̹̩̮̗̩̎͗͒̓͆̌̇͝͠ÿ̷̢̰͖̯̫̼̩͖̲̬̫̣͔́͂͛̉p̶̥̮̰͙̬̬͍̊̅̑͐̔͜t̵̡͚̯̫̤̤̖̹͕͔̝͕͉̆̿̃͗͑̀̅̏̓̃͜o̶̡͈̊̓͗̾́́́̕