I glance at her. Because I don’t... That doesn’t matter to me... but then, that’s another layer of the respect I wanted to give to them. The respect they weren’t given when they left this earth. The respect I’m expecting to not have when we leave it too.
“Wait, I did bring something.” Haley scurries down the side of the hill to the beach.
“You doing okay, Green?” Rockwell doesn’t turn when he talks to me. He’s watching Haley reappear into view on the beach, grabbing her backpack. She’s trying to entice a mostly feral cat to take some fish jerky from her hand.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”
“You haven’t seemed fine in a long time.”
Now I’m giving him the look. I know it well—it’s a family look. Furrows between the eyes, a cocked smile, one that says you’re wrong and you’re nuts.
“I’m right as rain,” I say.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“I have no damn idea. It’s something my grandfather used to say. I’m good. Don’t worry about me. I’m worried about whatthis is going to do to her. She holds it together during the day. But...”
“Yeah, she has nightmares,” he says.
“She thinks we don’t notice.”
Easton turns sideways. We’ve both taken our shirts off in the heat. There’s a set of bruises along his back that he points to. “From when she woke up a few nights ago.”
“Damn.”
“Damn, what?” Haley says. She’s already crested the hill.
“Damn, you’re fast,” Easton replies.
She scoffs, not believing him, but doesn’t press further. “I brought flowers.” From her pack, she pulls a few birds of paradise. “I don’t like picking them. But this is different.” She places the first couple, pausing to pluck a spent flower off and toss it to the side before putting the rest down. “Do you mind if I say a few words?”
“That would be nice,” Easton answers for both of us.
“I’ve thought about all of you for a while. Actually, I think I kind of knew you were here before.” Her eyes flick to mine. “That’s kind of woo-woo, but this place has almost always felt safe. What would it have been like if you were all alive when we arrived? Would we have been friends? Would you have gotten us help? I’d like to think the answer is yes. But we’ll never know. But in my imagination, you’re all happy. You’re happy that we’re here and that we’re trying to be as respectful of your home as possible. Our home. I’m sorry we didn’t do this sooner. I hope you can forgive me for being cautious.” She squeezes my hand. I’m not sure if she’s talking to them or me now.
Easton glances at me and then starts singing. I have no idea what he’s singing, but Haley knows it and she sings along while I stare at the flowers in the dirt. I don’t know what I thought I would feel when we finally finished, but this isn’t it.
I lie on the edge of the platform, floating outside the cave. I’ve lost track of how many times Easton and I have come here. We’ve cut through two ropes. That’s it. We’re no closer to opening the lid. When the ropes are gone, we’ll have to figure out how to pry the top off. Whatever’s in there is heavy. Not even Easton, Sam, and I together could budge it.
Easton’s still down there. I’ll give it to him—he really can hold his breath a hell of a lot longer than the rest of us. Everyone’s been out here at least once. But we only stop by after we’ve made a fruit run. About once every two weeks.
I’m staring at the stalagmites on the ceiling of the cave, catching my breath, thinking about everything and nothing, when I realize that next week is my birthday. I’m fucking hoping that Haley’s forgotten. But I know she won’t have.
Easton bursts to the surface and tosses a two-foot length of rope onto the raft. “Three pieces down. A million more to go. I’m ready to go back. You?”
“Yeah, let’s call it.”
We’re halfway past the bluff when I see a flicker of a glint on the horizon.
“Watch where you’re going,” Easton calls out into the wind.
The glint distracts me, and I turn the machine into the current. The waves crash hard against the sides of our legs.
“Out there.” I incline my head. “Is that something?” I yell into the wind.
Rockwell’s body shifts. “Yeah, it’s something. With the waves, I can’t get a handle on it, though.” I’m already turning into our camp beach when he answers.
I race the WaveRunner up onto its sled. Easton jumps off as I lash it down, and then we yank it up to its blind. “Fuck.” I scan the beach. It screams we’re here. But there’s nothing I can do about it now. “Get things secure,” I say to Dante and Zane as I head straight up the ladder.
