yumko0509

@@@@@ I had one vivid flash of Kyle finding me here alone, and was after Jeb before a second passed, scrambling awkwardly through the opening and then hobbling along on my stiff legs as fast as I could to catch upIt felt both horrible and wonderful to stand straight again?the pain was sharp, but the relief was greater I was close behind him when we reached the end of the hall; darkness loomed through the tall broken oval of the exitI hesitated, looking back at the small lamp he'd left on the floorIt was the only light in the dark caveWas I supposed to bring it? He heard me stop and turned to peer at me over his shoulderI nodded toward the light, then looked back at him He held out his free hand to me I stared at the hand for a long moment, and then, feeling the urgency in my bladder, I slowly put my hand on his palm, barely touching it?the way I would have touched a snake if for some reason I was ever forced to Jeb led me through the blackness with sure, quick stepsThe long tunnel was followed by a series of bewildering twists in opposing directionsAs we rounded yet another sharp V in the path, I knew I was hopelessly turned aroundI was sure this was on purpose, and the reason Jeb had left the lamp behindHe wouldn't want me knowing too much about how to find my way out of this labyrinth I was curious as to how this place had come to be, how Jeb had found it, and how the others had wound up hereBut I forced my lips tightly togetherIt seemed to me that keeping silent was my best bet nowWhat I was hoping for, I wasn't sureA few more days of life? Just a cessation of pain? Was there anything else left? All I knew was that I wasn't ready to die, as I'd told Melanie before; my survival instinct was every bit as developed as the average human's We turned another corner, and the first light reached usAhead, a tall, narrow crevice glowed with light from another roomThis light was not artificial like the little lamp by my caveIt was too white, too pure We couldn't move through the narrow fracture in the rock side by sideJeb went first, towing me close behind