Beneath This Lonely Ground [ ONC2020 ]

iii. what she found

The moment the trowel pierced the ground, it felt like Taylor had been stabbed in the heart. Sierra had sent two of the college kids back to camp to get some tools, and they'd returned with two trowels and a shovel. Taylor was surprised no one had brooked an argument about potentially ruining an archeological sight. There could be more World War II artifacts buried here, not bones—Taylor knew that was what Sierra was thinking, but her cousin kept her mouth shut and offered the tools.

Not wanting to disturb Riyad's resting place more than necessary, Taylor opted for the trowel and began the laborious task of clearing away dirt. Sierra dismissed her students, seeming to understand Taylor's reluctance to have strangers intruding on such a private and...unorthodox moment.

Every thunk in the dirt was a reminder that she was essentially desecrating a grave with full knowledge of what was buried there.

"Taylor," Sierra said, voice wavering. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Taylor kept her focus on scooping dirt. The bones were barely a foot and a half down, scattered. Her knees tingled with the knowledge, pressed against the moist dirt. The feeling grew stronger as she went deeper. She sensed something else...

The metal of the trowel hit something. She heard Elias shift beside her. Setting the trowel off to the side, she brushed away the dirt. White bone poked out, unmistakable against the dark background. Further digging revealed the rest of it. The radius of the arm, by the looks of it.

Taylor paused, feeling sick. The others stared at the jarring sight, their faces pale. It was obvious what the bone meant.

But Taylor wasn't done yet; something else was buried here too. Taking a slow, measured breath, she continued scooping dirt away until her finger caught on a black object. She picked it up with trembling hands.

"Taylor?" Sierra leaned over her, a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Riyad's watch. The one she'd gotten him for Christmas, the one he never took off. The watch face was blank, green-tinted, and when she pressed the buttons it didn't respond. But it was unmistakably Riyad's.

Elias held out a hand. Taylor placed it in his open palm, watching him, waiting for him to crumple. For a long, tense moment, where she could hear nothing but her breathing and the beating of her own heart, Elias stared at the watch, then down at the bone. He dropped Riyad's watch, a muffled sob escaping his lips.

"I have to go." He backed away, eyes glistening with unshed tears. Taylor didn't reach for him, didn't call for him to stop when he turned and disappeared into the woods. She let him go, sinking back onto her haunches and trying to comprehend what had happened.

Sierra picked up the watch Elias had discarded and handed it back to Taylor, her sympathy palpable. Taylor squeezed Riyad's treasured possession into her palm, letting it dig deep and bite.

"Is there anything else we should look for?" Sierra murmured.

Taylor tilted her head back and glimpsed the gray sky through the tops of the trees. The calm sounds of nature washed over her, at odds with the storm raging inside. She blinked. "I'll keep digging. Look around a little more—the bones aren't all here." She almost choked over the words. "But I won't do it now. Not...not now."

Standing, she pushed past Sierra. She needed to get away from the campsite. Away from the grave. She found herself going to the beach, where there was space to think and not a forest of memories pressing in around her.

After what seemed like hours, she finally broke free of the trees. At that moment it was like a cool wave of relief sweeping over her skin. She was at the same beach where they'd first arrived, the long stretch of shore meeting a gentle tide that led to the turbulent waters beyond.