Cursed to the Bone

15. Staying Alive

A tiny part of me hoped being buried alive was a part of initiation, but seeing as I was unceremoniously tossed into the coffin at the risk of broken bones? Unlikely. In the silent dark, and with my hands bound together, my anxiety made my breaths ragged. The broken bones, too, made the situation doubly uncomfortable.

Moaning pathetically, I turned onto my back to test the lid. It didn't budge. The coffin was pretty bare-bones, like pine. I wasn't expecting a deluxe coffin, or anything, but the simplicity of it made escape a possibility. The pain, I told myself while moving, was temporary. Death was forever. I brought my hands higher up until they were above my face and cupped my palms the best I could with them bound. It was risky, and I knew it well, but I conjured fire. The boards needed to be weakened before I could break them, after all.

The boards didn't take to fire as easily as I hoped, and I realized I was burning what oxygen I had left. I never claimed to be a genius. My coughs came in bursts that made me knock my head on the wood. Goddess, I was dumb.

Scrapping that plan, I put my brain to work. Wind was the only solution that came to mind. I craned my head to the side, hoping I wouldn't get splinters lodged in my eyes, and conjured wind. Not just a little bit, but a lot. I put so much magic into my hand that the wood blasted apart. As I pushed the boards out and up, using my hands to catch what I could, the stuff I missed sprinkled over me. Some of it fell into my mouth. Yuck. Turning my head to the side, I blew the dirt out of my mouth and pushed again until I could fit both hands through.

Focusing my magic in a direct line, I cast Push. The dirt flew up in a tunnel the width of my hands, all the way up until I saw freedom. My celebration cut short, though, as the walls came crumbling in.

"No!" I said, shoving my hands further through the hole. My arms shook as I willed the earth on one wall to condense. It was a far stretch from perfect. A lot of it crumbled, still, but it was decent enough that I could crawl out. Making a mental note to thank Rhett if I made it out alive, I wiggled myself through the hole while muttering obscenities between agonized gasps. By the time I was sitting nearly free of the coffin, my width pressed into the dirt, my hold on the wall broke.

It didn't matter, though, because I was free enough and it seemed that my grave was only about three-feet high. That was nothing. With my head down, I dug my hands into the dirt and stood on one foot. After a deep breath, I hopped off my good foot and threw my arms on the grassy ground above. Using the dirt that closed in around me, I kicked, wiggled, and dragged myself free. A delirious bout of laughter escaped me as cool air washed over my filthy, sweat-soaked robe. I did it. I was going to live, and thank the Goddess for that.

Panting, I raised myself onto a knee and examined the area where I'd been buried. The only sign I'd been there at all was the hole I carved out. Otherwise, the earth was undisturbed and covered in grass. This meant that my assailant, whoever they were, had a decent handle on Elemental magic. Scary.

As much as I wanted to pass out right there, I had no way of knowing if they'd come back. Struggling to my feet, I squinted into the dark forests. I couldn't see much of anything. My best bet was to hide. My only bet, actually. Favoring my unharmed leg, I hobbled to the tree line, each step bringing dizzying pain. Once I was close enough, I used a tree for support and hopped to the other side where I slid down for a sit.

A distant hollering echoed in the woods. I couldn't tell what they were shouting, or if they were searching for me, but I wasn't coming out for anybody.

I closed my eyes for what felt like minutes.

A twig snapped.

My eyes cracked open and I gasped for breath, filling my lungs with the frosty, morning air. The forest was lighter, the sun high enough that I could see. I'd certainly been asleep for more than a few minutes and the aching of my bones was a good indicator that my shock had worn off.