Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Ahead, the tunnel tightens into the most difficult part of the entire trip and it takes all my concentration to keep from hitting harder than a gentle scrape. The side of the boat’s mottled with scratches and gouges from this section, like a map of all my mistakes, like the scars on my back are a map of my pain, and my jaw clatters until the tunnel widens again twenty yards deeper into a vast, open space. The water remains deep, but there’s a shelf across the way, a natural dock that leads up into the higher tunnel. Below, down in the black water, the caves stretch deep into the earth, and I wonder if they used to be dry thousands of years ago, and what we’d find if we went down there.
Cave diving is the easiest way to die, and I very much like being alive.
“There he is!” Nathan and Dom are standing on the dock and wave their lights. I motor closer, toss over a rope, and the boys get to work. They tie me off and get the boat anchored and secured before I hop onto the slick rocks and let them start unloading.
“How was it?” Lesley stands off to the side, watching as the society members shuffle onto the boat, one after the other, grab boxes, and haul them off. I remember the early days when there were only a few of us. Lesley’s been with me since the start, and back then she’d carry just as much as I ever did, and sometimes even more.
Now she stays out of the fray and makes sure everything’s on track. She earned that right through blood and sweat and tears. I know she’s difficult to deal with and isn’t the most popular member, but none of them understand the depths of her loyalty and just how useful that can be.
“Not bad. Seas were rough near the coast but I got everything on the list.”
“Students will be happy.”
“Teachers will be happier.”
She cracks a slight smile, but it quickly disappears. “We need to talk about the new girl.”
Kaye shuffles past, lingering behind Paola. The taller, darker girl is telling Kaye how things go, and my little pet listens with an intense if extremely wary look on her face. Coming down into this cave for the first time must be nerve-racking, and even though we’ve taken steps to make it safer—more lights, some handrails, minor bracing, shit like that—it’s still always a risk. Walls collapse, people get lost, air runs out, sea levels rise. Risk is inherent in everything we do.
“What about her?”
“She was asking about Lucy yesterday.”
I let that sink in. I need to act surprised, even if I’m not in the slightest. Lesley hasn’t figured out who Kaye is yet, but she’s going to flip shit when she finally does. Lesley and Lucy were close—they bonded over their shared love of trying to make me feel like an asshole, and the whole school started calling them the Ls. But Lucy was notoriously quiet about her past and she never mentioned her little sister, not even once, let alone shared pictures.
I only know because I research every new student that comes to this island, and little Kaye didn’t bother to hide her last name on her official documents.
“What brought that up?”
“She says she heard the rumor and wanted to know if it was true.” Lesley scowls, shaking her head. “I don’t trust that girl one bit and I don’t like her asking about Lucy.”
“What am I supposed to do about it?”
Her eyes narrow. “You, of all people, should be most worried about some girl poking around Lucy’s death.”
“What happened to Lucy was a tragic accident,” I say very slowly as our society members move around us, carrying things out from the boat and back up the path toward the waiting Jeeps. “And you need to remember that.”
Lesley rolls her eyes. “Don’t give me that crap. Look, I’m just saying, you don’t want people talking about Lucy, especially not people in your own stupid little society. You’d better make sure she stops poking around.”
“It was salacious. A girl died. Everyone’s still talking about it. Should I stomp around campus breaking skulls and fucking up anyone that mentions the most notorious event of last year?”
“Just take care of the girl.” She scowls at me then spots Dirk balancing too much weight on his shoulders. “Hey! Idiot! Easy with that shit, you’re not fucking Terrence.” She stomps off to take care of another crisis.
I stand there watching her, trying to remain calm and measured. Her reaction is interesting. I don’t know what she thinks happened to Lucy, but ever since the girl died, my name’s been attached to the situation, and for good reason. There was the article she wrote before she died, and there’s the fact that I’m the only one who saw what happened.