The Destined Protector (The Chronicles of Mistar - Book 1)

Twenty-Two · · · Mell (.2)

With three bags packed full of food, extra clothes for Mell, since owned the only clothes that actually fit one of them, and medical supplies Mell, Kast, and Ryn headed up the ladder with Ossian in his arms. When they got to the top, they opened the trap door and stepped out on to a constant metal platform. It was crowded with all their bags on, so they gripped each other's hands, not wanting to fall into the salty water.

"There must be some remote to get a platform from this side to the other," Ryn growled.

Mell then asked, "How will we get across?"

"How about jumping?" Kast suggested. "We'll throw our bags over and then we can jump. It's not that far of a distance."

Ryn shrugged his shoulders. Mell couldn't believe he was thinking about doing it. Just thinking about jumping across made Mell's heart race and squeeze Kast's hand even harder. Then a thought popped into Mell's head that made her smile.

"Shouldn't only one person have to jump across? If there is a lever on the other side from the moving platform we won't have to jump across," Mell said, almost laughing in relief.

Ryn nodded. "Mell is right. I'll jump." He then threw it bag across the water and jumped with no effort, still holding Ossian tightly. To Mell, it looked almost impossible when she imagined herself jumping. Ryn's feet landed with a thud on the edge of the rocky surface in a room that looked almost exactly like the room they found the submarine in.

Mell watched Ryn take a quick breather and set Ossian down to roam before he walked over to the control panel in the center of the room. Next to the panel was a lever. Ryn then cracked his knuckles and slid his hands over the grip on the lever. He pulled it back. Mell beamed with joy when she heard the sound of it working beneath the vibrating floor. Her heart dropped though when the sound stopped and no moving platform erupted from the floor. Mell's face turned sour when she realized that Kast and herself would have to jump too.

"Just a second!" Ryn called with a confused look on his face. He walked over to the control panel about to randomly press buttons but then looked to the huge door that probably led out into the underwater tunnels of Transport Harbor. "I shouldn't touch this," Ryn said looking at Kast and Mell. "You guys will just have to jump."

Mell almost felt like crying. She couldn't jump that far, even if her life was on the line. Mell then turned to Kast and tugged on his arm. "I can't do this," she said as she desperately looked into his eyes.

Kast turned to Mell smiling warmly. "You can if you believe. You just have to confident. If you believe in yourself, you'll go a lot farther than you think. Would you rather I throw you?"

Mell winced as she answered with a questionable, "Yes?"

Throwing his head back, Kast laughed. "I'm not going to throw you, Mell. You'll just have to jump. I'll let you go first, making sure you actually go."

Feeling like she was going to cry, Mell let Kast take her bag from her. He threw it over the small waterway in between the boat and the rocky floor on the other side. Her whole body shook, letting loose the tears that welled up into her eyes. When Kast saw a sparkling tear roll down her cheek, she gently put his hand under her chin and wiped the tear away with his thumb.

"You're strong," he whispered so only she could hear. "If you're brave enough to race then you're brave enough to jump. Doesn't seem silly to be scared of something like this when you look at it that way?"

"Maybe," Mell squeaked a reply as another tear fell from her other eye. His hand was warm as he put his other hand on the other side of her face. The tear absorbed into the silk cloth as it rolled fast down the top of her cheek so he had no need to wipe it away.