The Lesbian Gene (Lesbian, Gay, GirlxGirl)

Chapter 17: Challenge

Chapter 17: Challenge

For a second there, he almost got me. I mean, he was good. Godly. What a comic, this guy. Introducing, Dante.

Yet the more I looked onto his face, the more I saw his reaction, the more I realized that he was, in fact, not kidding me at all.

Balking, I took a step back. What the heck did he want me to do again?

Dante pressed on as if I didn't pause. "Swim from this point until the other end of the lake, and I will take you to our Elder," he said.

"But—"

There was that word again. My life, it seemed, had consisted of hesitancy, ridiculousness, and it was only the beginning.

Dante, who had never let his gaze off the water, shook his head at my response. "No buts," he said. "You might have gotten away with that on the surface. Back from where you came from. But down here the laws are strict."

Stricter than being chased by men with guns?

The water rippled from the middle, as if a cauldron that was beginning to boil.

"Or perhaps you want to find Audra by yourself?" Dante got my attention back to him. "In which case, we'll return you to the sewers, exactly where I found you days before this."

I bit my lip. He was really good at convincing people, wasn't he? "So. . ." I said, "Nothing else? Just cross the lake, and I pass your little challenge?"

"Just cross the lake, yes," he said.

I began to remove my Converse, then the other one with just a budge of my foot. Without looking down, I could feel the coldness of the ground, the rough rocks underneath my socks, saying that all of this was real and I should take it seriously.

And so was me being away from my group. There was no other option. I had to do this for them.

Dante, without a word, placed a hand on my back.

I took a big, deep breath. Then jumped.

Splash!

The water was cold. Freezing. I resurfaced with a gulp, trying not to let the pins and needles wrapping me all over bother me at all. But still I quivered. It was like being stabbed with a knife.

Above me on the surface, Dante started to move to the left, his face betraying how pleased he was. "You've made your choice, Pax. Now you can't go back up if you need to. The only way is out."

I kicked my legs, simultaneously, wiping the wet and heavy hair plastered on my face. He was right, though, I thought as I gazed around. I didn't notice it before, but the land that encircled the lake was way up high, so unless Dante threw a rope, or extended a ladder down to me, I wouldn't be able to get up by myself.

Unless. . .

I twisted myself around, squinted at the exit.

My goal; my end point for this challenge was so much farther, yet I could see that there was hope there. The land I had to reach was touching the water. If I swim up to that point, I would manage to haul myself out.

So that was his plan?

Dante continued moving to the left, then to a corner where he could go nearer to the exit himself.

"Swim, Pax! Go!" he yelled.

"I'm on it!" I said. "There's no need to rush."

My arms started moving. This was a pretty easy challenge. Not as hard as I thought when I first got in. To be honest, I didn't know why anyone would bother.