Beneath This Lonely Ground [ ONC2020 ]

xi. when she fell

Taylor sighed softly. Elias knew how to hold a grudge. She turned to follow him, only to feel a jerk as the ground beneath her gave way. She let out a sharp cry and reached for something, anything. Her hand met empty air.

"Taylor!" Elias's shout came from behind.

She went down onto the gravelly surface, her pack managing to cushion the fall somewhat. She bounced onto her side, knees hitting the rocks and dirt, and then she was sliding, frantically reaching for a handhold and finding none.

Her hand caught on something—a root, maybe. Taylor wrapped her fingers around it and felt her entire body lurch, her shoulder nearly popping. Panting, she stayed there, hanging on.

More loose rocks and dirt came raining down as Elias scrambled over, careful not to get too close to the loose dirt on the edge. After assessing the situation, he retrieved a broken tree branch and held it out to her. "Grab it. I'll pull you up."

Taylor reached for it. Elias hauled her up while her feet scrabbled against the hillside. She was almost there when the ground beneath Elias's feet broke away. They both went tumbling down, falling, landing at the bottom with the air knocked out of their lungs and likely fresh bruises on their bodies.

Finally, once she'd regained her senses, Taylor rolled over, dragging in a huge breath. "You okay?"

Elias coughed. "Yeah."

She pushed herself up and stood, then examined the cliff face. There were roots and a few branches here and there, but getting up would likely be difficult. Further exploration revealed their little beach was blocked off on each end by rocky cliffs, with their only escape being the ocean or up the way they came down.

And she wasn't about to attempt climbing the hill she'd just fallen down. Especially not in this visibility. It wasn't dark out, per se, but neither was she willing to attempt scaling the cliff. No, there was no getting out tonight.

Remembering the radio Sierra had forced her to take, Taylor pulled it from her pack and attempted to reach her cousin. Nothing but static. She tried again and was unsuccessful. "Signal's blocked. Must be too far. We'll find a way out in the morning."

"In the morning." By Elias's tone she could tell he was not happy. A glance over at him revealed her was, in fact, rather grumpy, either with their circumstances or with her. Probably both.

Elias dropped his pack off at the uppermost portion of the beach, against a rock face, and began to dig through it. "I've got matches here somewhere."

"I'll find some wood." She clicked on her flashlight and searched the small beach for something burnable. Fifteen minutes later they had a fire going with some driftwood. They'd built it beneath one of the outcropping rock faces, hoping it would provide some shelter during the night. She was glad they carried the survival kits, which contained emergency blankets and ready-to-eat meals, as well as other tools and supplies that might prove to be useful.

Elias didn't speak to her as they settled in for the night, and she wondered what was going on in that head of his. This trip wasn't supposed to cause this distinct divide between them that she felt so keenly now more than ever. They had always been close. Now he was pulling away.

Taylor glanced over at Elias. He was leaning against the rock, his mouth set in a frown. She pulled the emergency blanket closer around her, trying to ignore the loud crinkling sound that broke the heavy silence between them.

Never mind him. She'd deal with it in the morning. For now she just wanted to sleep.

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