Chapter XXXII

TOSSING AND TURNING, DAVID knew he wasn't going to find the sleep his body desperately needed. The ground was rough, bumpy, and prodded his back, causing his healing wounds to experience unexpected discomfort.

With a huff, he twirled from his side to his back, nearly rolling on top of Ella as he hadn't realized how close she was, and glared up at the ceiling sparkling with its blue and purple hues. He couldn't turn his mind off. Thinking of Lucinda and how she had tricked him made his blood boil. A sudden shiver from Ella made him realize how much condensation his anger created and he calmed himself down.

Sighing, he sat up straight with a grimace. His left hand slowly made his way to his aching tricep where a bandage had been wrapped around the small lacerations. He rotated his shoulder and glanced at the matching bandage on the opposite arm. A bitter sadness pinged his chest. He hated himself for ever believing Lucinda. He knew that Joey wasn't in control of herself, and yet he trusted a witch over his best friend? His gaze slowly ventured towards her. She looked so peaceful in her unconscious state, but knew that there was nothing peaceful going on inside her body.

Looking to Joey's left, he found Lucinda lying in the dirt asleep close to the edge of the lake. He arched a brow, and glanced from left to right to make sure everyone was fast asleep before crawling his way over to the redhead. He scanned her body, noticing how much paler she looked than earlier. Kneeing beside her, he gently touched her shoulder and gave her a soft push. "Lucinda," he whispered. She didn't move, and so he shook her again. Still nothing. He gave her shoulder a once-over before letting out a barely audible sigh. Her bandaged was soaked through, and he imagined that the woman had probably passed out from blood loss and exhaustion.

Leaning back on his heels, his back to the lake, his eyes found their way to Thomas who laid leaning against the boulder beside Joey, his head dipped forward signaling he was fast asleep.

Averting his gaze, David shifted to his rear and pulled his legs up to his chest. He rotated in a half-circle on his bottom until he was facing the lake. Staring out into the gentle waters, the colors reflected off the surface and danced on the walls and ceiling. It was truly the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. There was nothing of such vibrate colors in the Slums, and Ignisha had long wiped out anything bright.

As he stared at the rippling motions on the wall, a sudden fear entered the forefront of his mind, and his heartbeat quicken. He swallowed a lump in his throat remembering clearly the Nokida's face and how it would forever haunt his nightmares, the agonizing pain of the claws along his skin, and the very feeling of poison coursing through his blood. A drop of sweat dripped from his brow, and he recognized that his fear had gotten the best of him. He lowered his legs, his boots on the very edge of the water, and wiped his clammy hands on his pants. He pushed the thought away and let his ice form return.

David knew he wouldn't find sleep tonight. He needed to walk away, find some peace and quiet, but ... a smirk tugged at the corner of his lip. He knew how dangerous it was outside and quickly dismissed the idea, but he couldn't just sit here. Not around Joey, Thomas, Lucinda, or even Michelle. He needed to get away from the people who brought intrusive thoughts to mind merely from glancing at their faces.

Quietly standing to his feet, he turned around and looked up the incline to find it pitch black. It was well lit down here from the glow casted by the lake, but up there ... he wouldn't be able to see anything. He didn't have an ability like Alex where he could just open the palm of his hand and have immediate light. Even if he didn't leave the cave, there still wouldn't be enough light just a few feet up the hill. A light bulb went off in his head and his eyes shifted down towards Michelle as he recalled the box of matches.

He let out a slow breath of air through his nose and tip-toed her direction with determination. Even if she woke up, she couldn't keep him here unless she detained him. He stepped over a few sleeping bodies until he found Michelle resting on her side using her arm as a pillow and her jacket as a blanket—much like many of the others. He knelt down and clenched his jaw, cautiously wiggling his fingers into her jackets pocket hoping he had picked the right side. His fingertips met a rough piece of paper and he slowly wrapped his hand around the box-shaped item. He withdrew his hand, the match box lying in his closed fist, and grinned in success.

He shot one last quick glance at Michelle and noticed she was fast asleep. He thought it was crazy seeing how he figured she would've been a light sleeper. Back at the cave, she had heard Joey's screams from miles away, but now she couldn't hear, or even feel, someone rummaging through her pockets?

Beside Michelle, off in the right hand corner, David's eye caught sight of the ripped materials that his sister had found earlier. He glanced from the matchbox to the fabric, and grinned. He crawled on his tip-toes and fingertips to grab a good length of the material.

David quietly scurried up the incline, hoping the steady flow of water from the stream would keep his footsteps silent. He neared the exit and felt around the wall. It was so dark that not even the moonlight was sparkling off the snow and half frozen stream. He arched a brow staring out at the snow covered ground and trees. It had been so warm inside the cave that he had almost forgotten how cold it got at night—not that it bothered him.

Letting out a sigh, his breath creating a cloud in the atmosphere, he took a step forward, and his boot met the moist rocks. His feet slid out from underneath him, and he flipped to his back landing with a grimace. He bit his tongue to keep from yelping. Lying on the ground, he clenched his jaw in aggravating. He waited and listen for the sound of others, but when no footsteps approached he slowly rolled himself into a sitting position. With a cringe, he ran his fingers along the wall until they met a decent crack in the wall he used to hoist himself up.

When he regained his feet, he looked down at the matchbox and slid the inside out to the side. It was too dark to see the minuscule sticks inside, but as he fingered around for one, he could feel that only a few matches remained. He pulled one out and slid the box inside his pant pocket before trying to searching the ground for something that could hold the flame. He squatted and felt around. At first, his fingers only brushed over rocks, but after a minute, he found a rather small but thick stick on the threshold of the cave. He stood up and gripped the branch in a sturdy hand, testing its strength, before wrapping the piece of fabric around the branch and tying it off in a knot.

He held the match between his thumb and index finger and swiped it swiftly against the side of the box. A spark flew, but it did not ignite. He struck the box again, and this time the match burst to life in a bright flame lighting up his surroundings. The flame quickly climbed the thin wood, and he felt the sting on his fingertips. Wincing, he threw the match onto the shirt material around the stick to keep it from burning him. Surprisingly, the shirt lit quickly and David stomped quietly on the match as it hit the ground. The darkness vanished as the light engulfed part of the cave and trees. Glancing back down at the bottom of the incline, he was happy to notice everyone still out cold.

Releasing a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment to feel the cold wind, blowing into the cave, brushing against his skin and through his hair. He relaxed his shoulders and cleared his mind to relieve the tension, but as he opened his eyes something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Twisting to the left, he discovered an archway in the wall across the stream. He raised the torch higher and extended his arm to get a better view. It appeared to be a corridor. He was perplexed, curious as to how they had missed it on the way in.

David looked down at the stream and took a wide step over the water to reach the other side of the pathway. He now stood directly in front of the corridor and stared down the black hole. His heartbeat quicken with adrenaline and told him to press on, but his feet told him to stay put. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Straightening his back, he raised his torch and ventured into the corridor.

Glancing back and forth between the walls he found nothing unusual. It was just another piece of the cave. He didn't know what he was expecting to find down here, but he thought there would be something that made it different. Something out of the ordinary. He continued down the corridor for another few minutes and stopped. He didn't know how far the corridor went, but there wasn't anything down here worth staying for. Turning around, something on the left side of the wall caught his attention.

A large portion of the rock looked to be a different shade then the rest of the wall; a tad bit darker. He squinted and stepped closer to examine it. He raised the torch higher, learning that the darker rock only went up another foot above his head. He lowered the torch to his knees to get a clearer look at the floor, and discovered that the dirt made a sweeping motion in a ninety degree angle with an abrupt stop.

He raised a brow, leaned forward, and dug his fingers into a small trench in the wall. He traced his fingers up until they stopped where the dark rock met the light, and he swept his hand a few feet across before coming back down to meet the floor. His eyes popped open as he backed away in shock. "A door!" he whispered dumbfounded, scanning the rock up and down.

By the looks of how the dirt was parted, the door had to have been opened recently, leaving the perfect outline. Without a light, this door would've never been found, meaning it probably wasn't meant to be found, and either Agcorp had planted it as another trap, or ... A smile grew on his face from ear to ear. This was the way out.

His heart lurched, his ice form instantly returning with his fear, as his head jerked down the corridor in the direction he had come as the sound of screaming bounced off the walls.

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THOMAS SPRANG UPRIGHT AS a soft splash peeked his ears and yanked him from his slumber. His sleepy eyes scanned the surface of the lakes gentle water, but found nothing disturbed it. The surrounding atmosphere was silent until he recognized an unsettling low brewing. He leaned forward an inch to glance over Lucinda's body into the water, but didn't see anything. Nothing had changed except the neon colors. They had dimmed and left just enough light to see just a few of the others around him, but the cave wasn't beaming its usual bright colors on the walls.

"You hear it too?" Thomas lurched, startled, and swung his neck around to find Michelle sitting up on the boulders directly above Bellamy's sleeping form. She glared into the water, her voice soft and mysterious. "The bubbling?"

He swallowed and nodded slowly. "What is it?"

Michelle's eyes slid his way. "Nothing good." She looked back at the water as the light faded in and out in a flicker. "We need to move quickly." She stood and grabbed her belongings—her jacket, quiver, and bow. "On your feet!" she shouted to the others who were resting peacefully, kicking gently at a few of their legs. "Time to move!"

Michelle's friends immediately sprang up and frantically grabbed their jackets throwing them on.

"What is it, Michelle?" Ella asked, yawning. "I thought we were staying here a while?"

The bubbling grew louder and Thomas flung his head towards the water as Lucinda sluggishly scooted away. He shifted forward onto his knees closer to Joey, and the water in the middle of the lake boiled like an underground geyser about to blow.

"Change of plans. Let's move!" Michelle shouted, kicking people a little harder to get them up. She shoved those who were already on their feet up the incline.

"Where's David?" Bellamy asked pulling his arm through his jacket sleeve as he glanced around.

Ella perked up at his question and frantically looked around for her older brother. "David? David!"

"Uh, Michelle? What is that?" Alex jabbed a finger towards the lake. Three sharp, pointed fins protruded from the water for a split second before sinking back down. It bobbed up and out of the water about five times, but that's when Thomas realized it wasn't the same creature. Each of the five fins were different in color and sizes.

"Go! Now! We need to get out!" Michelle pushed on the backs and chests of people, but several of them stared at the fins in the water and someone even let out a piercing scream.

"Guys! What about Joey?" Thomas shouted. He turned his head and his eyes caught sight of Lucinda's unconscious form. He looked back to find Michelle, and when her eyes contacted his, he screamed, "I need help over here!"

"Leave the witch!" Nathan shouted. "She's dead weight anyway."

"No, we need her!" Thomas argued. "She's the only one who can save Joey."

Nathan rolled his eyes, but Jacob shoved past him and stumbled down to the incline to reach Lucinda.

David suddenly appeared at the front of the crowd with a torch in hand. He stared down into the water in shock and confusion. "Whoa! What is that?"

"Popsicle!" Alex shouted, smothering the flames on his sleeve which David's torch had caught on fire. He grunted. "You're lucky I

don't burn!"

"Sorry, Pyro," David apologized, throwing the torch into the rumbling stream. "Michelle!" He raised a hand trying to get her attention. "Michelle, I found something!"

Suddenly, the ground quaked and the others shouted as a giant fish-like-creature leaped out of the water. The front half of its body landed on the ground inches in front of Thomas and he collapsed back onto his rear as he scooted away. Its jaw opened wide revealing jagged three-feet-tall sharp teeth, its fins were nothing but razor blades, its eyes were huge and gray, and its scales a dark orange.

Thomas shouted as two more jumped onto land, a shade of deep green and purple. The fish stayed for only a few seconds before sliding back into the water, but each time one popped up, it showered them in a mist and pounded the ground. He looked up at the others ascending the incline as they stumbled from the earthquake.

"Pikulo!" Brianna yelled up to Michelle from the bottom of the hill, trying to help the others to safety. "They're invisible in the water!"

"I know!" Michelle shouted back. "Get these people out of here!"

The others sprinted up the slippery slope towards the exit in chaos, tripping over each other as they ran.

Thomas's heart pounded as a Pikulo sat inches from him separating him from his exit. The dirt turned to slop and he slid around as he helplessly tried standing. The ground beneath their feet began to crack and break, and it slanted downward into the lake with the monsters causing many of them to lose their footing.

Thomas's eyes popped open and he shouted as Joey's body rolled off the ledge and plummeted into the water. "Bellamy!" He looked up to find Bellamy rushing his way. "Quick, get these off!"

Bellamy glanced around for something on the ground. He bent over and grabbed a broken, jagged rock and used it to slice the vines as Thomas pulled them apart. Seconds later, they snapped.

Just as he was about to dive into the water, another Pikulo pounced from the water onto the ground, knocking Thomas off his feet. He landed sideways on top of his wrist and screamed in pain as he felt a bone shift. A few seconds later, the Pikulo disappeared beneath the water, and Bellamy was at his side.

"Thomas!" Bellamy placed a hand on Thomas's shoulder. Thomas cradled his wrist and cringed. "Let me see that."

"Later! There's no time!" Thomas shoved Bellamy away, and peered down into the waters over the ledge. Sucking in a deep breath, he scooted off the edge and dove into the lake. Bellamy shouted his name, but his voice was drowned out by the splash of the water. He panically glanced around, squinting through the waves that blurred his vision to find any sign of something dark amongst all the flashing colors. He flipped his head from left to right, his hair swooshing in front of his eyes from the water weighing it down, and then he saw her. A little further down sinking to the bottom fast.

He used his hands to maneuver his body downward and kicked with his legs to reach her before he ran out of air, but his heavy boots weren't doing him any favors. He descended quickly from the weight of his shoes, but swimming sideways to reach for Joey was nearly impossible. He swam into the depths of the lake, his heart racing as the thought of a Pikulo swallowing him whole plagued his mind. He couldn't see them, but he hoped they were too busy to notice him.

Finally, he reached Joey and gripped her tightly in one arm around the chest while he used his free arm to halt them from sinking any further. Kicking wildly and using his free arm, he tried to quickly swim his way back to the surface. His wrist ached as he desperately tried to hold onto Joey and carry both of their weights while his lungs begged for oxygen. He had never been good at holding his breath for any long period of time.

He neared the surface, but his vision began to darken and his lungs felt like they would burst. A quick thought of this being the end flashed through his mind before am arm dipped into the water inches from his fingertips. Time was up, and he was out of air. He gritted his teeth and gave one final push, but his fingers brushed the very tips of the other hand. Hopelessness fluttered through his heart when the hand unexpectedly grasped his. He tightened his grip and road the pull to the surface.

His eyes met Bellamy's as he was hoisted into the mud, Joey still tightly in his grip. "What were you thinking?" Bellamy shouted, but his voice could barely be heard over the crumbling cave and screams.

Thomas couldn't reply. He was too busy hacking and coughing and allowing his lungs the air they needed. As he laid on his side panting, he watched Bellamy preform CPR on Joey. His heart told him that she was going to be fine, but his head argued thinking the worst. He wanted to get up and help, but he had yet to find the strength return. "Come on, Joey," he whispered through his panting.

Suddenly, Bellamy leaned back as Joey began vomiting up water. He rolled her onto her side and patted her shoulder. "That a girl!" He glanced between Thomas and the Pikulo who sprouted beside him, showering him with lake water. "We have to go!"

Thomas jumped as a rock crumbled to the ground just barely missing his head. He looked at Bellamy, his eyes wide, and nodded. He climb to his feet, and Bellamy lifted Joey in his arms as the two made their way towards the exit where the others were still fighting to escape as rocks rained from the ceiling and made it almost too slick to climb.

Unexpectedly, Chase slipped on some of the rocks in the stream and the flow of water, mixed with the new steeper slant and earthquake, pushed him downwards. Downward towards the Pikulo, and he released a horrified scream.

"Chase!" Brianna pushed against the fleeing people as she tried to reach her cousin. "Chase!" She crouched down, nearly falling to her stomach, and grabbed his hand tightly in hers as he continued on his descend, but his wet hands caused his fingers to slip from her grasp. "Reach!"

Brianna sprang to her feet and looked like she was about to take off in a sprint to save him, but Nathan grabbed her by the waist and held her back. "No!" she screamed, kicking to get away. "Let me go! Chase!"

"Brianna!" Chase shouted, his hand outstretched. He tried to stand and run, but his foot slipping in the stream and the pounding of the Pikulo only made him tumble quicker. He frantically tried grasping anything in reach, anything to keep him from falling, but everything was too wet. He finally gripped hold of a rock, but its jagged edge cut the middle of his palm and he cried out.

Thomas watched in terror, frozen in fear. Not even Bellamy trying to pull him along would snap his gaze from the scene.

"Brianna!" Chase cried louder as he slithered down further in the stream until he slid directly into the jaws of the Pikulo, and its mouth closed around him before sinking back down into the water.

"Thomas, we have to go!" Bellamy pulled on his shoulder, and Thomas finally swung around. His heart pounded wildly at what he had just witnessed, and Brianna's cries were the only thing he could hear.