Lantash

Alone Together

-Lantash-

The next day we begin our search. Samantha and I head back to the river. I speak quietly to her as we walk. "Elliot and I thought once we could try to escape through the river. The water has to be coming from somewhere. So we went in, and took a swim. We came across a couple problems. The first is the entire area in the wall was filled with water. We nearly drowned ourselves in attempt to escape. After several attempts we discovered a second problem. There is a forcefield. It allows the water down, but wouldn't let us up, and believe me, it was painful."

We reach the area which smells worse than it did yesterday. It was expected, which is why Narim insisted I be the one in control. We approach the water which smells worse than anything else. Swelled bodies float on top. The water is dark, thick, has developed a layer of skin on top, and we have to go in it.

Samantha looks to me. "After you."

To think I felt filthy yesterday.

I head over to the wall, and then step into the river. It reaches to my waist, and I'm glad I didn't eat anything that morning. I feel the wall, and find where the entrance to the tunnel is. "We'll have to submerge. If this works I want to drain the river."

"Right now the river is hiding this possible escape route from the other prisoners."

"At this point, I don't care." I look towards her.

She gestures towards the hole and repeats. "After you."

I nod, close my eyes and mouth tightly, and go under. I move through the cave which goes straight for about half of a minute of swimming, and then starts to slope up. As soon as it does I find air. When I am able to be on my knees and "walk" up I stop to wait for Samantha. I continue when I see her. "I must say, this is disgusting."

Samantha nods in agreement.

As we continue, we are soon completely out of the water, and can stand.

"We must have already passed where the forcefield was," I say. I look up, and realize we must climb. For this, I give Narim control.

He puts his back against the wall with his hands pointed downward, pressing against the same wall. He presses his foot on the opposite side, and when feeling stable, brings his other foot to do the same. He glances up. "This is going to be a long climb." He slides his back up while pressing with feet and hands. Then brings up one foot, and then the other. Slowly, this is how we make our climb.

I can't do this, Narim thinks after about an hour of climbing. He's covered in sweat, which is making his hands slip at times. He rests to dry them off. He has head and muscle aches, and is just plain tired.

You can do this.

I'm tired. I'm sore. I feel like I am going to fall.

If you fall, we'll be taking Samantha with us.

That seemed to encourage him not to fall.

He slowly pressed on, inch by inch, until hitting a grate.

Damn!

"Samantha," Narim calls out. He's out of breath.

"Yeah."

"We hit...hit a grate."

"Would a cut spinner help?"

"You have one?"

"I brought two in case we'd need it."

The cut spinner is the most advanced device us prisoners had. Samantha said it looked like a motorized pizza cutter.

I hear her climbing up, and she hands Narim the device.