Deptheless: Under the Library

by Tiffany Tay

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  ~Tffany 

  Chapter Seventeen// David

  David’s POV

  The moment Skye disappeared down the chasm, an astonished silence settled upon the thick crowd present, gathered at the edge of the death pit. The moment passed, and I hear a high-pitched shriek from somewhere in the crowd. The people shifts, and a dark skinned girl pushes her way through the sea of people.

  Nikki’s usual preppy, twinkly almond eyes now brim with tears. “Skye!” She wails.

  Seeing her cryng for her best friend, the dread I had felt is now washed away by grim determination. Gripping myself in one shape, I stagger towards the the opening. This time, it’s Stella who pulls me back. “No, don’t stand. Don’t look down.”

  She’s staring down as she speaks. My eyes trail towards the pit, and I see what she is talking about. About fifty feet wide in diameter, standing atop the opening of the chasm, I feel suspended, as if with the slightest push, I’d plunge straight into its pits. From this high, the void looks dark, stretching with a giddying jaggedness of rocks, leaving me with a light-headed feeling. The feeling is similar to being hypnotized, well, I’d never been into hypnotism, but this is the feeling I’d imagine it to be.

  My stomach churns, gazing down into the bizarre emptiness, the dark pit, so absurd, so gigantic, leading to the depths of the Earth. Suddenly, my lunch is threatening to make a reappearance. I gulp. “What are we going to do?” I whisper, struck with fear.

  To my surprise, Stella remains a calm attitude. She lowers herself onto the ground, and lies on her stomach. Motioning me to follow suit, she wriggles towards the opening of the chasm. I had no choice but to drop to my stomach, however awkward that position seems to be. With some difficulty, I wriggle to the edge of the opening.

  “It’s easier to lay on our side and gaze down.” Stella informs me, her voice lone and lost in the extreme vastness of the space stretching downwards from where we lay, on our bellies.

  I find that what she said is actually true. In this position, I could gaze into the pit without feeling that I’m going to topple over with the slightest gust of wind. My sense of balance is improved, I’m more stable laying like this. Gingerly, I creep to the edge and look down, unsure of what I was going to see.

  As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I mentally prepare myself for a grotesque scene, involving smashed bodies and tons of blood.

  “I can’t see anything.” Stella’s voice strains. She crawls to the other side of the chasm, straining her neck into the dark void.

  “Niko!” I call out, as loud as I could. We waited. And waited. It was a tense situation.

  All of a sudden, I hear a whimpering noise, barely audible.

  “Over there!” Stella points to the left. “Niko! Are you alright?”

  A small, strained voice wafts upwards, one word, ringing clear in everyone’s mind:

  “Help.”

  My gut feeling told me something is wrong, terribly wrong with Niko. My stomach twists at the thought of crawling in there and hoisting the injured boy up. God only knows what happened to Skye.

  I throw Stella a desperate glance. She returns with a determined expression. Her eyes shone fiercely, and she gripped the edge of the chasm tightly. “We need to get there. Reach him.” She says.

  Dumbfounded, I respond, “And how are we going to do that?” It seemed impossible. For all we know, Niko is hanging suspended, holding onto some lucky weed at the side of the pit. Skye… she could be anything from unconscious to… I don’t want to think about the possibilities.

  Shuddering, I stand and turn to face the crowd. “Someone, get me some rope!” I order. Looking at Stella, I say, “Can you see exactly where he is?”

  “I’m trying.” She cranes her neck and gazes into the darkness. “Niko? Where are you?”

  A weak voice struggles to respond: “I’m not far from you.”

  Suddenly, Stella shouts: “I see him!” I rush to her side and press my body to the ground. “Where?”

  “There.” She points to the right. “He’s caught onto something, just hanging there.”

  My stomach twists into a knot. “Hurry!” I scream. “The rope!” There is no knowing how long he’ll be able to dangle over the abyss before loosing his grip and falling from a brutal height.

  “Skye? Are you there?” Stella calls. Her voice echoes down the abyss, bouncing off the walls. Minutes pass, but there’s no answer. My worry churned inside my stomach. My hands feel clammy, but I continue to desperately search, however useless I felt.

  “Skye! Answer me!” Nikki’s beside us, tears on full flow. “Skye!” she sobs, and pulls back, huddling in a tight ball, completely unable to keep her emotions in check. I flinch, feeling terrible. Remorse weighed me down. I feel so furious with myself. There I was, right next to Skye. I’d seen her fall, but caught completely off-guard, I did not so much as respond with a strangled gasp. What kind of friend am I, if I let her fall down the pit right before my sight?

  After what seemed like centuries, the rope finally came. “Good.” I accept it, untangling it and hoisting it downwards, to where I assume Niko is. The rope is strong, with many smaller strands woven into one. “Niko! Catch the rope!” I yell.

  For a sickening moment, all was silent. Finally, a weak voice answered. “Got it.”

  Shakily, I stand. Now what are we going to do? We can’t hoist a wounded guy up the rope--- strong as it is, it’ll bound to snag against some rock, or break in half even before we begin.

  All of a sudden, Stella stood and rushed to my side. “I know. I’ll score down the rope and secure him. You guys just keep passing the rope. I think we’ll have to tie him up good and proper… that way, we’ll ensure he doesn’t break away mid-air.

  I blink. “You’re suggesting that you--- you! go down? By yourself?” I pronounce each word slowly, in disbelief. How--- what did she mean?

  “I’m not suggesting.” She said simply, sweat beading from her forehead. “I’m volunteering.”

  “No!” I stood up so fast, the rope almost gave way. Hastily, I tied the rope to a solid piece of rock, securing it tight. Standing up, I wipe my hands on my shirt and fix Stella with a stare.

  “There is no way you’re going down that.” I say in a tight voice.

  She stares me back. “David, you’ll have to let me. I--- I can do this.” Mustering up her courage, she inhales and lets it our in one long breath.

  I reach out and close my hand around her arm. “No.” I insist. “We’ll find another way… something. I’m not going to risk you going down there! For all we know, there is no space for you to stand…”

  Stella shakes her head, almost too confidently. “David, I know what I’m doing. I have to save him! We can’t wait any longer!”

  As if to confirm her statement, right below us, something shifted. A rolling noise echoed down the pit. A long moan followed. I bite my lip, frustration coursing throughout my entire body, making me want to let loose a scream.

  I had only so much time. I had to think straight. I close my eyes, blocking out my vision. I had to think. When I opened my eyes, I fixed Stella with a determined stare.

  “No way I’m letting you climb in there! I’m going.” I inform her.

  She shakes her head, being so stubborn. “Nope. You can’t do that. I---I’ve had practice. I did something like this before. Just let me!” The last part came out as an order. Surprisingly, I feel myself relent a little under her assurance. But a part of me tightened. I knew the right thing to do is to forbid her to carry out her treatcherous plan. I don’t want to lose my new friend. I can’t let her risk herself in attempt of saving someone I could save too. But, as I look at her, into her brown eyes, grim determination etched deep in them, her jaw set, looking, if possible, like her beauty had magnified a thousand times in this one incident.

  After a minute, I sigh. “Fine.” I grit my teeth. I knew I�
�m going to regret my actions, I knew I’m not going to be able to relax for the next few minutes. But Niko needs our help.

  Stella doesn’t smile. Instead, she inches over to the extreme edge of thechasm, and pulls on the rope, feeling her weight on it. “Wish me luck.” She says. I have a feeling that girl would carry out her plan, with or without my approval. I realize with a start, that this is one of the reasons I like Stella Starre so much. Her courage, valour… it all adds up to a strong personality.

  Slowly, she edges her way over the edge, handing onto the rope with nothing but her two hands, carefully lowering herself. On impulse, I reach out and grab her hand as she went over. Stunned she glances up at me. I manage a smile. “You are one stubborn star. Come back alive.” I half-joke.

  “I’ll live.” And down she shinnied.

  Chapter Eighteen// Stella

  Stella's POV

  I know what I'm doing. I will get myself down there, save Niko, and hopefully Skye, or die trying to be a heroine. No big deal.

  Sweat soaking my clothes from sheer exertion, I grasp firmly onto the rope, my life's temporary anchor. With steady movements, I lower myself down, bit by bit, only hoping the rope won't snag on my weight. The last time I checked, I'd almost fallen while doing this. Almost. But I can't let David know, or Niko can't be rescued.

  Breathing heavily, I shout up, "Shine a torch down here, please! I need to see where he is!" I tug on the rope, dread settling over me, coating me, suffocatingly so. I tug again, my heart a jackhammer in my chest. There it goes. Snap! A horrible sound, as the rope threatenes to break. I feel the thin pieces snap, and soon, the whole rope would be torn in half.

  My heart sinking, I call out, fear rippling through my voice: “Can you toss some more ropes down? I think this one won’t hold any longer.”

  I try to steady my breathing About ten feet above, I hear bustling as the people gathered proceeded to carry out my commands. A hollow voice echoed down the chasm: “Catch it!” The next thing I knew, a light is switched on and focused onto me. I crane my neck upwards, “I’m ready!”

  A slithering sound was heard, and I feel another rope sliding down the opening. I fumble with my rope, extend a hand, and in one swift movement, I caught the other. “Okay, now tie it to something!” I order.

  I have to look away. The light is blinding as to look at. Instead, I play with the ropes, trying my weight against both ropes. When I finally feel the second rope secured, I continue shinning down, groping the rope with my hands, finding footholes on the rocky walls to stablise myself. Grunting, I look over my shoulder and a wave of terror washes over me. I know you aren’t supposed to look down, when you climb down, but I had to.

  “Niko! Where are you?” I screech.

  “I’m here.” I hear him groan, about a few feet diagonally below me. Slowly, I inch my way across. “Here, catch this other rope!” Without waiting for his response, I threw the second rope, praying that he’ll catch it, and not let it slip downwards, into… I shudder once more. Never before, had I went on such a treacherous rescue mission. So much for my vow to never go near this place. Now I’m actually climbing down it, through a makeshift rope, relying on nothing else but helpful footholds.

  As I neared the place where Niko is, I can hear him make small moaning noises, and my heart just flips over. Is he badly injured? Could he manage to climb up the rope? I bite my lip and push the haunting questions out of my mind. Right now, the important thing is to reach him safely. I can’t afford to lose concentration and plunge headfirst into who knows what deadly horrors await down below.

  In seconds, my blouse is completely soaked through. The dampness and the darkness of the cave is unnerving enough for me to call it quits, but determination to save Niko plus the adrenaline from my sudden physical exertion eggs me on, and I scurry down as carefully as I could manage, escaping with as few scrapes and bruises as I could manage. Jagged rocks and out-juttiing pieces of the rocky walls leave scratches on my bare arms. I feel my jeans tear a little (on the knee, thankfully) but still I continue. On and on, I lower myself, grasping onto the ropes, watching where I place my footing…

  Climbing really takes one’s full concentration. Relax your grip on the rope, kick your legs off the walls… you might lose hold altogether.

  “Are you alright down there?” A hollow, barely recognizable voice floats downwards. It’s David, his voice weird and amplified by the echoes.

  “Yeah… I’m almost there.” I grunt. The light plays over me, and I’m glad to be able to see my footing. Without the light… I’m pretty sure I’d have impaled myself in a sharp rock or knocked myself out.

  I glance down once more, groping with walls while still holding onto the rope. This time, I’m rewarded with Niko’s pale, sweaty face staring stricken up at me. Relief flooded throughout my veins. He’s alright! Little birds of giddying happiness chirp in my head, and I tell them to get lost. I still have a few more steps downward to reach him safely, and I need all the concentration I could muster up.

  Sucking in my breath. I survey the situation. Niko’s struggling to stand on his feet, but I could tell just that simple action is as exerting as climbing is for me. Maybe more, in whatever condition he’s in. He’s standing on a rough, narrow ledge made of rocks. The space is too cramped, and even Nikolay has to press his body tightly against the walls to prevent from falling over. A glance upwards shows where he caught his clothes on a thin branch. A piece of dark green cloth flutters weakly on the branch. My heart drops.

  “What happened? Are you injured?” I call out, worry causing my hands to tremble as I lower myself down a few more feet, find secure footholds in the rocks and suspend myself, my hands never letting go of the ropes.

  “Bruised myself while falling from up there. Cut my head a little as well.” He groans. My stomach lurches at the sight of his bloodied head. Scrapes lined his face and arms like battlescars, jagged and pronounced. As for his head wound…

  “Toss down a piece of cloth! Quick!” I shriek upwards. In a few seconds, a scarf flutters downward. Hastily I catch it, ball it into a crumpled wad with one hand, and somehow, get it down to Niko. “Press it onto your wound! You need to keep the presure!” I instruct him. “Staunch the bloodflow a little!”

  Under the torchlight, I see his stagger a little on his narrow ledge, cursing as the blood kept splurting out from the open wound on his head.

  “Niko… I’m coming down, okay?” I tell him, absolutely unready for what I’m preparing to do. “Just… just shift back a little, don’t lose hold of the walls, don’t remove the scarf!” I order.

  Injured grunts from below told me that Niko had obliged, somewhat painfully, and made space for me to land.

  “Great.” I mutter, my heart twisted into a ball. Now’s the time for a little acrobatic act. Gathering up my courage, I count silently to three.

  One… Don’t think about missing…

  Two… Don’t fall…

  Th---

  “Stella!” From above, a hyterical voice howls out. Startled, I momentarily lose what little courage I had, my concentration thrown off balance. At the back of my mind, I’m vaguely aware that I’d reached the count of three, and I should jump.

  Blindly, I let go of one rope, dangle off the other with one hand, a leg hovering off the air. My eyes are bleary as I try to focus on hitting the bullseye without a scrape. Come on, Stella, just make the jump! I’m so close…

  Closing my eyes, I breathe in, as sweat slid down my forehead and into my mouth, leaving a miserable, salty taste.

  “Stella, look out!” David screams.

  Stunned, I feel my grip on the one rope loosen considerably, as I try to grasp my mind around David’s warning. Small pebbles shift and roll down the sloping walls. My heartbeat quickened into an unsteady drilling as I feel myself sliding downwards, legs flailing helplessly through the void as I plunge steadily down.

  The wind whipped my hair into a frenzied tangle. My breaths became uneven with each wild gulp I
tried to take. My eyes widen in absolute horror as I realize, that, in mere seconds, I might either crash onto the hard ledge or miss terribly…

  Chapter Nineteen// Stella

  Stella’s POV

  With a wild cry, I kick my legs upwards and my body twists into a temporary U shape. Gasping for breath, I do a backflip in mid-air, pushing my self through the air, kicking off from the side of the wall. Throughout it all, I’m vaguely aware of horrified shrieks from above… and below?

  Niko. I needed to get to him.

  With a last ounce of strength, my body surges forward, one hand fumbling for the rope, sliding down until I begin to feel the effects of rope burn. Still, I persist in tightening my hold on the rope, anchoring myself, like pulling the brakes on a car to slow down the impact…

  Bracing myself for the fall, I jump, kicking off the sides of the caved in walls, lifting my right hand to steady myself against the wall, and stumble, breathless, onto the narrow ledge.

  “Oof!” I pant, dropping to my knees, one hand clutched to my chest, pressing down hard, as if that could lower the constant hammering of my heart.

  For a long moment, the silence spoke for itself. I caught my breath, my mind only wrapping itself around foggy thoughts. I’d gotten weaker. I used to be able to pull of stunts like this without much exertion, almost no side-effects. I cough, wheezing slightly.

  When the world finally stopped revolving around me, I pull myself up from the ground, one arm on the wall for support. Niko stares at me, blood rolling down his face, dripping off his chin onto the ground. His dark eyes were stricken with horrified terror, and he was looking as if I’d just jumped from Venus. No kidding.

  Niko makes a strangled sound, somewhere between a squeak and a gulp. “You---“

  Suddenly very self-conscious, I brush my burning hand on my blouse. “I know.” I said simply. There were other important matters at hand, and I needed to get Niko up there to the hospital… wherever that is. I hope the crew up above had at least sent for a rescue squad consisting of some first class medics.