The Easy Part of Impossible - Sarah Tomp Page 0,52

her clothes in a pile. The cool cave air felt good against her skin. She felt instantly more vulnerable as she took her helmet off and carefully set it on the edge. It would still light up the space, even as she went down below. Fear, quick and surprising, skittered across her skin.

“I don’t know,” Cotton said, his back to her. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

She couldn’t be sure, but it felt important to try. She slid over the curve of rock and let herself drop into darkness.

Cotton and Leo met her at the edge as she surfaced. She gasped, bobbing up and down, holding the side while she tried to catch her breath.

“Damn. So. Cold.”

“Let me help you out.”

“Not yet. I want to see how deep it goes.” She was already feeling better. Not quite so shocked and pained. Or maybe she was numb enough not to care. She pressed her toes against the rock. “I’m going down.”

“Go slow. The ground might be closer than you think.”

It was strange to sink into darkness. Her skin felt cold and tingling. The weight of the water pressed against her, held her tight. She drifted down, her legs loose and ready to hit the bottom. Until she didn’t. She buoyed up again, rising above the water’s surface to breathe. “It feels really deep,” she said, her voice full of air and shivers. “Shine your lights into the water.”

Using the wall for leverage, she sank deep enough to feel it in her ears, but her feet dangled free and loose, hitting nothing. Looking up, she could see two circles of light shining down on her, the water holding the beams in tight orbs. She reached out, swam her way back to the surface.

Again and again she tried, all along the wall, to reach the bottom. She even climbed out, then jumped in to gain more momentum. Each time, she sank into nothingness. There was no bottom.

When she finally climbed out, ready to call it quits, a great wild shivering hit her, hard. Her shoulders shook, her teeth chattered. Her hands felt stiff and close to useless as she tried to pull her T-shirt over her head and down over her wet body. She missed her shammy desperately.

From a couple of feet away, Leo said, “I see where the stream enters. I think it must be behind this rock face. We need to keep going.”

“N-n-n-n-not today,” Ria said, her teeth colliding between each word.

“No. We need more time. And more supplies. Food. Matches. A scale.” Cotton’s robotic list was laced with enthusiasm.

Her clothes clung to her wet skin, deep, racking shivers making it hard to think.

“You’re too cold,” said Cotton, sitting across from her.

“My feet are the worst.”

She sat to put her shoes on, but her hands shook wildly, like her nerve endings had become disconnected.

“Skin-to-skin contact works best for warming up,” said Leo.

She had no idea what he meant, but then, without a word, Cotton took her feet in his hands. Rubbed them thoroughly. A sound, way too close to a moan, slipped out between her lips. It was clear it had started somewhere in her middle. She couldn’t tell if she was still shivering or not. Her body was doing its own thing.

At first, the heat from his hands was more thought than feeling. It was as if she was watching someone else’s feet being massaged. Then she felt the rhythm of his fingers in time with his breathing. The inner vibration of him. It almost tickled. All of a sudden, the numb broke and she felt pain, like needles, but quickly they melted into a warmth that felt like something to crawl into. Except this was Cotton. It made no sense that he didn’t like being touched, not when he had the power to melt her feet this way.

“Do you think you can move yet?” asked Leo. “We’ve been here a long time.”

“I’m good. Let’s go.” She sat up, pulled her feet back and stuffed them into her socks and shoes.

At the rope, they all looked up the wall. It was much steeper-looking from below.

“Go ahead, Cotton,” said Leo. “We’ll catch you if you fall. But try not to.”

“I’m counting on the rope to catch me.”

Ria knew Cotton was nervous. Maybe even self-conscious to have them watch him adjust himself into the harness. But once he got started, he was fine.

“Why couldn’t I climb the rope in gym class?” he asked once he reached the top. “I must