First Soul

Chapter Nineteen

My fingers gripped solid rock. How I'd managed to grasp anything in the aftermath of that was beyond my understanding. The burning bridge had crumbled with the yelping dogs still on it. I didn't dare move, one small, incorrect shift in my weight and I was going to fall through the darkness. Trying not to think about whether this was hell or not, I focused on keeping my fingers firmly dug into the edge of this cliff.

I would not die this way.

Deyna was hanging rather precariously next to me. Surprisingly, she wasn't screaming. For once I believed she feared the energy it took to scream may take away the energy she would need to hold onto something that would save her life.

We weren't dead.

That was positive thinking at its best.

The next problem was getting onto the flat part. I didn't have the upper body strength as my shoulder was singing, the ripped, damaged muscle strained to keep me there.

Lester's face appeared over the cliff edge, grim determination set in his features. I could feel it, and knew the exact moment Lester blew his energy into that one touch. His hand wrapped around Deyna's arms and he began pulling her up. His internal light flickered with the effort to touch something that was unreachable in his spirit world. I knew that Lester wouldn't have the energy to pull me up.

A hand reached for mine, and I took a deep breath. I kicked my trainers into the cliff. It wouldn't even chip, it was like impenetrable rock or something. I looked down at my feet trying to find a ledge to push off, but Lester's light was dimming, making it difficult to see. I looked back at the hand that grasped mine and willed them to keep going.

The weight lifted off my shoulders when the hand dragged me over the edge. I lay on my chest, panting. I looked up and grinned.

"Thanks!"

"No problem." Phillip grinned back. "Although I should have let you fall just to see the look on your face."

Phillip punched me on my good arm but couldn't do anything further as Deyna flew at him enveloping him in a snot filled, teary hug. Phillip's soft reassuring murmurs to Deyna made me feel somewhat guilty. I'd done what I'd had to to save Phillip.

Phillip continued whispering, telling her that it was all part of a plan. That was good of Phillip because I'd failed to tell him the details of the plan.

A shimmering hand reached for mine. I stood, nodding in response to Lester's expression which held one question. I instantly felt my own supply of energy leak out of me, like my batteries had run instantly flat. Before my legs crumbled, Phillip was there to help me back to the floor.

"I'm hungry," Deyna moaned.

"You're hungry after what we've just been through? How can you even think about food?" Phillip spluttered.

"I don't know," she said, shrugging. "Stress makes me eat."

"We haven't got any more food, maybe we should have saved one of the furless dogs as we seem to like eating the things that have attacked us."

Deyna looked at me, a scowl placed firmly on her face. I grinned. Deyna's mood swings could be judged on how hungry she was. That scowl was a definite nine out of ten.

"Well, we have nothing to eat so we will have to keep moving and see what we find."

"I will see what I can do," Lester whispered before turning and floating into the darkness.

I sensed he was going somewhere and nearly stopped him. But we needed food. I was torn.

Lester wasn't risking something.

And I was starting to feel guilty about it.