Rough Road Ahead (In Progress)

Chapter 16

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            "Iris? Iris!" I heard Sam's voice sound from the top of the hole, I opened my tightly closed eyes and felt the air beneath my feet. I was hanging, suspended in the air, my hands clenched around the rope in a death grip. They hurt with the effort, and I could feel the rope-burn sensation on the palms of my hands, but I was alive, I hadn't fallen far, maybe a meter or two at most. I could still see Sam as he peaked his head over. I realized then that I had fallen through the floor as well, Brad's voice was calling up at me as well, but I couldn't make it out, the only thing I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears, "are you OK?" Sam asked, his worried voice sounded so far away.

            "Yeah." I replied breathlessly, "I'm ok."

            Sam sighed a sigh of relief, "I am going to start to lower you now, OK?" 

            "Ok." I said, hugging the rope as I started my decent. The air became colder as I went deeper, the smell of dirt filled my nostrils making it hard to breath. I coughed, rubbing my nose.

            Sam stopped the rope, "are you alright?" He asked.

            "I'm fine." I said hoarsely, "keep going." I coughed.

            He continued, the blue light was beginning to get bigger as I came closer to Brad, but I still couldn't see him.

            I realized that the air was foggy, like someone had been smoking and a metallic smell filled the air, mixed with the heavy dirt. "Brad?" I asked, my voice seemed distorted as I neared the bottom of the shaft. It seemed much deeper than I had anticipated by looking at the small blue light. It had to be more than ten feet, I questioned.

            "Yeah." Brads voice hit me like an elephant, he had been much closer than I thought.

            "I don't see anything." I said, my eyes feeling useless. My hands moved around the area, "am I at the bottom?"

            "Almost." Brad said, "I can barely see you." That was when I felt something wrap its way around my leg, I started to kick but then heard Brad's voice, "it's me!" He screamed, holding my leg tighter to stop it from hitting him.

            "Oh, sorry." I bit my lip, feeling his hand move to my knee, guiding me down to the ground. Finally, my foot touched it. It was hard, I had expected a soft dirt ground, but this felt flat and smooth, like it had been tiled. Was this the basement? No, it couldn't be, this farmhouse didn't have a basement.

            My two feet met the ground and I stood up, Brad helped me, making sure I didn't trip as I climbed from the rope, "I'm here." I called to Sam who then instructed me on helping Brad into the loop.

            "What is this place?" I asked, my eyes meeting the blackness. I could feel Brad's breath on my face, so I knew he was only a few inches away. Yet I still couldn't make him out.

            "Hell if I know." Brad said, but my eyes still couldn't make out his face.

            "I still can't see anything. I can't help him into the loop if I can't see it." I called to Sam.

            There was a hesitation, "one minute. Luck has something."

            "Ok." I hollered, my throat hurting. I rubbed it with my hand for a few moments, "how's the arm?" I questioned.

            "Just perfect, sweet cheeks. It feels better than it ever has." He said sarcastically.

            "I was just asking, no need to be a dick about it." I murmured, sitting on the hard ground.

            There was silence so I couldn't tell where Brad was in the small hole, then he coughed, letting me know he was still in the same spot, but lower, so presumably he had sat on the ground at the same time I had. He sighed, "It hurts." He said flatly, "it feels like the bone is sticking out the side, I must have landed on it when I feel. It was so fast, I don't even know what happened."

            My hand reached in his general direction, trying to place my hand on his shoulder, but I ended up with it on his leg. "Are you loosing blood?" I asked, suddenly worried.

            "I hope you don't mind." He said suddenly, "I felt like I was bleeding to death again, so I used your sweater. I could have used my own, but all I have on is a shirt and it's freezing down here." He murmured, but I could hear the apology in his voice. I guessed my white sweater would forever be red, but I really didn't mind.

            "Don't worry about it, I never liked that sweater anyways." I smiled in the dark, but knew he couldn't see it.

            "Iris?" Sam called and I stood up, looking up at him. I could see him just barely.

            "I'm here." I called.

            "Luck had a flashlight, I'm going to throw it down." He said. "It's heavy, so I'm going to tie it to the rope and lower it down." He said, then the rope pulled past my foot and started to climb the steep hole.

            "OK." I said, then sat back down beside Brad.

            "Iris?"

            "Yeah?"

            Brad paused before continuing, "never mind." He said.

            "What?"

            He stayed silent.

            "What? Come on, ask me." I smiled, wondering what the question was. Knowing Brad it was something witty.

            He sighed, "about last night..."

            Oh. No. Why had I pressured him? What did he want to know? Was it about the kiss? Fuck.

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