The Darkdeep

by Ally Condie

  “Crap,” Opal said. To no one. The others had slunk off in various directions.

  Cowards.

  “Hi, Mrs. Nantes!” Opal called, as Logan’s mother climbed out and shut the door. Opal’s cheery voice sounded false even to her own ears.

  Logan stayed in the car, staring straight ahead.

  “Hello, Opal. Logan’s not feeling well, so I’m letting the pageant director know he’ll miss rehearsal. We’re headed to the doctor.” Mrs. Nantes sounded worried.

  As soon as Mrs. Nantes stepped inside the school, Opal hurried down and knocked on the car window. Logan ignored her at first, so she pounded harder. I’m not going away. With a grimace, he finally lowered it. “What?” he said in a flat voice.

  “I want to make sure you’re okay.” She tried to catch his eye, but he kept staring straight ahead through the windshield. “Please don’t say anything about the houseboat, or what happened. Not before we can explain.”

  “About what happened.”

  “Yeah.”

  “We both know what happened, Opal.” He looked at her then, eyes cold and scary. Haunted. “You and Nico tried to drown me. Then I had a mental breakdown.”

  “No. Logan, listen. You guys fell. After—”

  “Look, I get it, okay? You got me back for the drone.” Logan put his head down against the dashboard. “With your sick, creepy pool. I hope you’re both proud. Something’s wrong with me now. I … I thought … the worst things inside me keep …” He shuddered. “Leave me alone.”

  Logan rolled the window up in Opal’s face.

  She stood there, stunned. The glass between them felt a mile thick. Feeling awkward and upset, Opal hurried back to the school.

  Logan didn’t know it, but he’d pinpointed what frightened her about the Darkdeep.

  Did the pool know who you really were? Your darkest thoughts, deep down inside?

  Can it see what’s wrong with me?

  21

  NICO

  It looked like weather for the underworld.

  Still Cove was usually just that—windless and dank—but frigid gusts that afternoon had Nico jamming his hands into his pockets. The fog swirled and danced rather than hanging like a wet sock.

  Emma shivered as she exited the tunnel. “It’s like an old black-and-white detective movie out here. Very film noir.”

  Tyler shot her an anxious look. “Don’t those usually end badly?”

  “Almost always.”

  “Great.”

  Opal emerged last and the group started up the rocky incline.

  “Let’s not waste time.” Tyler blew into a fist as he climbed. “This gone-every-day stuff is getting on my parents’ last nerves. If they weren’t busy repainting the pier for the radish madness, I’d have been busted already.”

  “We sold out of camping chairs at the store,” Emma said. “Even though Mom stocked way more than usual. Air horns, too. This could be the most obnoxious parade in history.”

  “Wonderful,” Nico muttered. “I’ll be dressed like a radish when my eardrums rupture.”

  Opal sniffed. “At least you don’t have to dance like one.”

  The tunnel exit wasn’t far from the pond, but on the opposite side, near the northern tip of the island. They could usually see the houseboat from the ridgetop, but a heavy mist was rising off the water like steam from a coffee mug. Opal hugged herself for warmth. “Do you think the showroom has a fireplace?”

  Nico shrugged, zipping his jacket all the way. “Maybe there’s an HVAC system. I’ll look for the thermostat next time I’m in the laundry room.”

  Opal blinked at him, then barked a laugh. “Right. Check beside the vending machines.”

  Nico grinned, pleased he’d made Opal smile. He felt terrible about blaming her for Logan showing up. He’d apologized while they waited for the robot ogre to disappear, but hadn’t been totally sure she’d accepted it.

  They were a team now. Turning on each other was no longer an option. He’d forgotten that in the heat of the moment, but Nico didn’t think Opal would have done the same. He vowed to never make that mistake again.

  “What’s so funny?” Tyler asked.

  Opal glanced at Nico, still giggling, then waved the question away. “We’re just trying to figure out the houseboat’s Wi-Fi password.”

  Tyler’s brow furrowed. “Darkdeep1234. Duh.”

  He laughed, and the others joined in. The group cracked up for a few moments, outside in the windy gloom. Whatever else, we’ve got each other, Nico thought. A small thing, but a big one, too.

  Then a howl cut through the fog, killing the vibe.

  Nico tensed like a hunted animal. “What’s that?”

  “Dunno,” Tyler whispered, eyes roving. “Wolf?”

  Opal shook her head. “If a wolf pack was living on the island, we’d know. They’d have introduced themselves by now.”

  “I think it came from downwind.” Nico pointed in the direction of the pond, which was where they wanted to go. A second bloodcurdling wail echoed over the ridge.

  “Okay, new plan.” Tyler began backing toward the tunnel. “We run away and don’t die.”

  Nico was about to agree when two scarlet circles appeared in the mist, freezing his blood and pinning his sneakers to the ground. “Uh-oh,” Opal whispered, extending a shaky finger.

  “Eyes,” Emma whimpered. “Those are very unfriendly looking eyes.”

  The orbs regarded them silently for a moment, then floated closer. A gust swept the ridge, parting the fog to reveal a four-legged creature shaped like a rhinoceros but covered in spiky red fur. Two wicked horns protruded from its head.

  Nico swallowed. “That’s a figment. Who called it up?” When no one spoke, he shot an exasperated glance at the others. “We’re through pointing fingers, but we need to know what this thing can do. Fess up, whoever made it.”

  The creature stamped a massive foot. Steam poured from its nostrils.

  Still no one answered. Nico was about to repeat his question when the beast growled, swaying its head from side to side. “That’s not good,” Tyler whispered. “I watch a lot of Animal Planet. I think it’s abo—”

  The creature charged, closing the gap in an instant. Nico dove sideways and it pounded past him, horns thrust forward like deadly spikes. It skidded into the gully.

  Nico scrambled back up, frantically searching for his friends. Opal had disappeared. Tyler and Emma were sprinting toward the pond. The creature was awkwardly turning around. Its roar shook the island.

  Nico took off after Tyler and Emma.

  He caught them on the field by the water. Glanced back. The enraged rhino had picked its way downslope and was thundering in pursuit. Nico realized they’d never reach the entry stones before it caught up.

  “Into the woods!” he shouted. The trio hooked into the forest and raced for cover. The figment stampeded after them, snapping branches and ripping bushes apart as it battered a path through the trees. “Keep going!” Nico yelled. “That thing’s a tank—it’ll get stuck!” But from the sounds of destruction behind them, the trees weren’t slowing it much.

  “Where’s Opal?” Emma yelled.

  “I don’t know! She must’ve gotten away. It’s only after us!”

  Nico desperately hoped that was true, but there was no time to investigate. The noise was getting closer. As they ran into the heart of the woods, Nico lost all sense of where they were. He worried they might accidentally run off a cliff.

  They reached a hidden meadow. Nico led Emma and Tyler across as fast as he could, but the creature crashed from the trees a moment later, tossing its head and growling. Too late, Nico realized his mistake—he’d chosen open ground. They were sitting ducks.

  Suddenly, Opal appeared at the opposite end of the field, waving her hands wildly. “Over here! Hurry!” Nico, Tyler, and Emma sprinted toward her.

  The red rhino roared after them, tearing up the grass.

  Then Opal did a crazy thing. She sprinted left, fl
apping her arms and screaming.

  Nico nearly tripped in surprise. He and Tyler stumbled over a slight rise and abruptly felt air beneath their feet. They tumbled headfirst into a creek. A moment later Emma landed on top of them with a painful thud.

  “Ugh,” Nico groaned.

  “I’m dead,” Tyler wheezed. “You deaded me.”

  “Sorry!” Emma whispered.

  Sucking wind, Nico watched Opal sprint along the rise shielding the creek from view. He couldn’t see the enraged rhino, but Nico heard it—the creature slammed on the brakes not ten feet from where they crouched. With a roar it turned and shot after Opal, who’d stopped running and was fumbling with something on the ground. Then she started jumping up and down.

  The monster charged directly at her.

  She stopped jumping and went statue-still.

  “Opal, no.” Nico murmured, but the scene was out of his control.

  The monster closed. Opal stood firm.

  Right when it looked certain she’d be impaled and trampled, the figment disappeared.

  Nico shot to his feet. “How did she know?”

  A howl rattled his eardrums. Nico flinched, even more confused. Opal was standing right where she had been, hands on her knees as she took deep breaths. She was mumbling something with her eyes closed.

  Nico helped Tyler and Emma out of the creek. “Come on!”

  They raced over to Opal. She straightened and held up her hands. “Stop!”

  Nico stumbled to a halt, throwing his arms out to stop his friends’ momentum.

  Then he saw it, and everything made sense.

  A narrow trench split the ground. Opal was on the other side of it. The rhino had fallen into the ravine and was not happy about it. It bucked furiously, unable to climb out.

  Opal gave a shaky grin. “I didn’t want you to fall in, too. That would defeat the purpose.”

  Tyler stared at Opal in awe. “How did …?”

  Opal kicked a thick wooden board at her feet. “This was lying across the gap. When I got separated from you guys, I ran this direction, and then spotted Nico in the field.” She flapped an aimless hand. “It just kinda came together.”

  “I’ll say.” Emma seemed starstruck. “You’re like Lara Croft.”

  Opal snorted unsteadily. “I just about wet my pants.”

  Nico glanced down at the snarling figment. “Whose is this one, anyway? Did someone go through the Darkdeep after Logan and me? Or right before?”

  The others shook their heads. Nico felt a moment’s suspicion, but crushed it. They were done turning on each other. He trusted everyone in the group. Especially Opal, who’d just risked her life for them.

  But then … where did the figment come from?

  An answer came to him like a spear through the gut. “Logan.”

  “Impossible,” Opal replied immediately. “I talked to him. He wouldn’t come back. He’s totally freaked out.”

  Nico scowled in disgust. “Who else, Opal? He’s the only other person who knows about the Darkdeep, and he was AWOL all morning while we were at school.”

  Opal opened her mouth, then closed it. A look of concern crossed her face.

  Emma spoke in a small voice. “What if it came on its own?”

  Nico frowned. “That’s impossible. Figments appear after someone goes in the whirlpool. That’s how it works.”

  “Do we know that?” Emma regarded him with serious eyes. “We’re guessing, about this whole thing.”

  “We need answers.” Tyler pounded a fist into his palm. “For real this time. No more games, no playing around. Someone built the houseboat, which means they knew about the pool. They had to have left a record behind.”

  Opal nodded from across the gap. “I’m worried we started something we can’t stop.”

  A popping sound made Nico jump. The figment had vanished. Tyler sighed in relief, but then froze mid-exhale, squinting into the ravine. “Guys? There’s something else down there.”

  Nico leaned over the edge. “Ty’s right. I think maybe it’s a … jacket?”

  “More than that.” Emma’s voice caught. “I see a person. Or what’s left of one.”

  Opal looked down, then slid the board over the ravine and quickly walked across, releasing a pent-up breath when she reached them. Nico tapped his chin a moment, then pulled the board farther back until its far end dropped into the hole. Before anyone could protest, Nico angled the plank against the side of the ravine and scrambled down it like a ramp.

  “Nico, come on,” Tyler whined. “Haven’t we had enough fun for today?”

  Nico ignored him, heart pounding. “It’s a skeleton,” he finally managed.

  The bones were still in proper arrangement, held together by a zipped-up canvas uniform and heavy men’s winter jacket. It was a miracle the figment hadn’t trampled them. A worn baseball cap sat beside the skeleton. Nico recognized its logo immediately, and his stomach sank. “This guy worked for Nantes Timber Company.”

  “Can you tell who it is?” Opal asked. “Like, is there a wallet or something?”

  She wants me to touch it. But Nico knew he didn’t have a choice. He reached into the jacket pockets. Nothing. So he swallowed and pulled on the uniform’s zipper. It slid a few inches and got stuck. Nico stepped back, hastily wiping his hands on his jeans. “I didn’t find anything.”

  “That’s okay.” Opal strangled her braid with both hands. “Nico, just come out of there. We shouldn’t disturb the dead.” Emma and Tyler nodded solemnly.

  Nico removed his phone and took a couple of pics, just in case. He did not want to come down there again. He was about to climb back up the board—and shake out a serious case of the heebie-jeebies—when something around the skeleton’s neck caught his eye.

  Almost against his will, Nico knelt. The skeleton wore an ornament on a cord. It rested against a collarbone slashed by a puckered brown line, as if the bone had been broken once but never properly set. He took one last photo.

  Something stirred the leaves at his feet and Nico lost his nerve. He leaped onto the board and darted up out of the ravine like something was chasing him. The others patted his back until the shivers subsided.

  “What’d you see?” Emma asked.

  “Necklace.” Nico’s mouth was dry. “I left it alone.”

  “Like the ones in those houseboat pictures?” Opal asked.

  Nico blinked, then pulled up the image on his phone. “Yeah, actually.” He showed it to Opal. “Like the carving in the tunnel, too. But there was nothing useful down there.”

  “Not nothing,” Tyler countered. “You said the skeleton wore a Nantes Timber uniform?”

  Nico nodded, his Logan suspicions flaring anew. Tyler rubbed his chin. “If this poor guy worked at the mill, there should be documentation.”

  Emma arched an eyebrow. “I bet we could find it.”

  “Not us,” Opal said, her eyes finding Nico’s. “But we know who could.”

  There was a strained beat, then everyone spoke at once.

  “Logan.”

  22

  OPAL

  Opal knocked on Logan’s front door.

  She heard a thump and glanced back over her shoulder. Tyler’s head ducked behind the garbage cans where he, Nico, and Emma were hiding. “Real subtle,” Opal muttered. The sun dipped behind the oak trees lining Overlook Row, flashing pink and red and gold.

  No one answered.

  Opal pressed the bell, examining the ornate paint job on Logan’s house. Her mother was obsessed with repainting their new place in a “historically accurate” way, so the outside was currently a patchwork of different yellows as she hunted for the perfect shade. One more thing Opal didn’t understand.

  She touched the colorful siding, thinking of all the people who’d lived there. People who lived until they died, and became skeletons. Opal shivered. She had to find out what happened to that man. Her conscience was eating at her for not calling the sheriff, but there was too much at stake. Reportin
g the skeleton would reveal the Darkdeep to everyone.

  “I guess he’s not home,” Nico whisper-shouted from the sidewalk. But at that very moment, the door opened and Opal found herself face-to-face with Sylvain Nantes.

  “Oh, hi.” She’d been hoping for Logan or his mom. “Um, is Logan around?”

  “Hi, Opal.” Logan’s father wore a button-down shirt and dress pants, not his usual flannel and jeans. “Lori and I are on our way to a festival board dinner, but Logan and Lily are inside.” He held the door open for her.

  “Thanks.” Opal prayed her friends would stay hidden.

  “They’re in the kitchen. Go on back.” He called up the stairs. “Honey? It’s time to go!”

  “Almost ready,” answered Mrs. Nantes.

  Logan and his younger sister were eating dinner and watching an iPad propped between them. “Hey, Opal,” Lily greeted her cheerfully.

  “Hi, Lily.” Opal saw Logan close his eyes briefly before turning to look at her.

  “What do you want?” he said.

  “Logan!” Lily looked shocked. “That’s rude.”

  They heard footsteps on the stairs. A moment later Logan’s mom stuck her head into the room. “Nice to see you, Opal,” she said warmly. “We’ll be gone a couple of hours, kids. Finish your homework.”

  Logan waited until his parents bustled out the door. “What do you want?” he repeated.

  “Can I talk to you in private?”

  “Oooh.” Lily grinned as if witnessing something important. “I’ll leave you two alone.” She wandered from the room, shooting Opal a backward glance that turned into a wink.

  “We have a problem,” Opal said once Lily was out of earshot.

  “You have a problem.”

  “No, it’s a we thing.” Opal pulled out her phone and showed him the skeleton, zooming in on the Nantes Timber Company logo. Logan stared at the picture, then shrugged. “So what?”

  “So what?” Opal’s eyes narrowed. “That’s a human skeleton in a ditch wearing a Nantes company uniform. Aren’t you curious about it?”

  Logan finally looked at her. His eyes were shadowed, tormented.