Pearl Valley

by Felicia Rogers

  They needed to get out of here. Logic had lost all meaning. From manmade mountain to real, from still water to water with a current, from bleakness to life, he felt like he’d entered some alternate reality.

  Staring over Janie’s prone form, he noted a curve to the walls. Literally, it appeared as if they were in an actual dome. From the base to the ceiling, the walls curved upward in an arc. Tiny cracks offered light. A look at his watch showed the time as two o’clock. The afternoon sun was at its peak. When it started to lower, what would happen to the light?

  They had to find a way out and soon. Then he was going to contact every marine biologist he knew and encourage them to investigate this place.

  “Trevor?”

  “Yes, darling?”

  “What are we going to do now?”

  Trevor sat up, opened his pack, and removed the wrapped prosthesis. “Well, honey, we are going to explore and find a way out of this place.”

  “Good. I’m tired of being lost.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  His earlier confidence might have been a little premature. After investigating the dome, Trevor found no means of escape. The walls appeared solid, except for the miniscule slits that offered light.

  Janie sat on the ground and waited for his report. What would he tell her? Would he tell her that he’d found no way out? That they might be there for a long time?

  He lowered himself next to her. The pain from forming blisters grated, and he almost sighed as he relieved pressure on his leg.

  “You didn’t find a way out, did you?” she asked as she busily wound reeds together.

  “I’m afraid not.”

  “Guess you can’t lie either.” She sighed.

  “I find it best not to,” he said, studying her busy gloved hands. No sooner had he put on his leg than she was covering up her scars as well.

  “I didn’t tell anyone that we were coming out here.”

  Trevor figured that was the case.

  “I didn’t want anyone to follow us. Like Telah, for instance. She would have come up here just so she could give you a tour and do a better job than me. She’s always stealing my boyfriends. Of course I didn’t have many after the accident, but still she has always been jealous of me.”

  “Look—“ He tried to speak, but she interrupted.

  “At the prom, she told everyone the only reason I had a date was because of pity. Let me just tell you, Martin Wooding didn’t take me to the prom because he pitied me. He took me because his girlfriend lived in another state, and he just wanted to go with a friend.”

  Trevor pursed his lips and nodded.

  “It wasn’t that I couldn’t get a date. I just didn’t want one. Every girl knows that after prom, boys want to rent a hotel room, and I wasn’t that kind of girl. I was saving myself.” She spread her hands wide. “Now look where I am.”

  Tears coursed along her cheeks and dropped off her chin. “I always thought I might get married someday. At least I did before the accident.” She sniffed. “Do you know I prayed that the oyster farm would shut down?” He shook his head. “Well, I did. This one guide who worked here tormented me. He would come to town and point and laugh. People largely ignored him but still it hurt.

  “I went to his supervisor, and they said they couldn’t fire him because his father owned the place. So I went to his father! The jerk looked at me and told me to grow a spine and get over it.” She snorted. “So I looked at him and told him to take a giant flying leap off a short pier.” She laughed under her breath. “Of course, my dad got a call over that one. The oyster farm was big business for the people in Pearl Valley, and I was threatening their existence.”

  She sighed. “So at night I would pray that the place would shut down. Then one day it just up and dried up. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  “Did you tell anyone you wanted this to happen?”

  “Sure. I told everyone! I told all my friends at school, my father, the Doc. I made it known that I wouldn’t mind one bit if the place dried up.

  “’Course when it happened the owner came straight to me and accused me of doing something. I was eighteen! I looked at him like he was crazy and told him I had no idea what he was talking about. Which of course I didn’t. I hadn’t been in the oyster farm since his twit of a son started working here.

  “Anyway, for a long time the people blamed me. The town kind of thinned out, and only the old-timers remained behind. Tourism dried up, and a couple of the town businesses failed and left.” She studied her hands. “Seems kind of odd that after all this time this would be the place that got me.”

  Trevor placed his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t give up yet. Just when things look the bleakest, the light shines the brightest.”

  She nodded and stood. “I think I’ll walk around and see if I see anything. Who knows, maybe I’ll fall into a hole and find another cave. One with a tunnel that will lead us out of here.”

  Trevor watched her walk away. Something about her story struck a chord. He knew there was something there, but he couldn’t place his finger on it. Maybe, when they got out of this situation, he would investigate and see what he could find. However, right now he needed to keep his mind focused on discovering a way out of this place.

  ****

  Janie walked in a grid pattern over the entire dome. Finished, she collapsed beside of Trevor. “It’s no use. I’ve been over every inch of this place. There is nothing here. No openings, no holes, no tunnels, nothing. I just don’t get it.”

  Trevor handed her a bottle of water and a granola bar. “Eat this and rest.”

  She obliged. The light from the cracks dimmed, and she knew the sun must be setting. Without asking, she reached over and hit the button on Trevor’s watch. She pulled his arm close and read the time. “Seven o’clock.”

  He took his arm back and finished eating his own granola bar.

  “The sun is setting. We’ll have to use the lights soon.”

  “I thought we might start a fire. There seems to be plenty of wood here, and with the cracks in the rock, the smoke has a place to vent.”

  “Sounds like a good idea. Too bad there aren’t any animals here.”

  “Wanting to pull out the manly knife and hunt, are you?”

  “I have this wild craving for fresh meat.”

  Trevor rolled his eyes and said, “I think we should find a flat spot and rest.”

  “Sleep? You think I can sleep?”

  He placed his hand on her arm. “If you fall out from exhaustion, it won’t help either of us. I’m going to gather the wood. Keep your knife sheathed and get ready to rest, little hunter.”

  Janie bristled under his commanding tone. Bossy men, why did they always think they knew everything? Determined to be mad, she crossed her arms over her chest and covertly glanced through her lashes.

  Trevor returned with several sticks. He dug out the waterproof matches and tried to start a fire. Unfortunately, the moisture in the air made the act almost impossible. He muttered curses under his breath, and she arched a brow. He looked over his shoulder and said, “Sorry,” before turning and working again at the fire.

  After ten minutes and half a box of matches, Trevor plopped onto his bottom, slapped his hands on his thighs, and sighed. “It can’t be done.”

  “Do you feel better since you announced it?”

  “Hmm, a little.” A smile split his face, and he handed her the matches. “Why don’t you try?”

  “I don’t think so. I think I’ll just dig out the emergency blanket and curl up with it. Besides I’m not that cold… or sleepy.”

  “Look, I know you don’t want to rest but you need to. Swimming through the tunnel three times had to be hard on you.”

  She jumped to her feet and placed her hands on her hips in what she hoped was a haughty fashion. “I’ll have you know that I run through town on a regular basis, and I’m in excellent physical shape.”

  He arched a brow and stared at her feet.
Inch by inch he lifted his chin, perusing her body as he went. When he finished, he was gazing at her face and had a cocky look on his face. “I noticed.”

  She blinked, sat, and punched him in the arm like he was the big brother she’d never had. He rubbed his arm and quirked his brow. Covering her mouth, she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. She rocked backward, the laughter spilling from her like a wild hyena.

  “Am I missing the joke?”

  She shook her head but couldn’t stop laughing.

  “Maybe you need to walk it off.”

  She held her hand out and waved it. Gasping for air, she said, “I’ll be fine. Just give me a minute.”

  Trevor tapped his fingers against his leg and hummed under his breath. Janie placed her hand over her heart and breathed deeply one time. “I’m okay. I’m better now. I really am.”

  “That was one of those hysterical laughter things, wasn’t it?”

  “I think it was more like an I-can-laugh-or-I-can-cry kind of thing.”

  He dropped beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She laid her head on his chest, and the tears fell.

  Chapter Twenty

  Crying women had always made him a little nervous. As a child, when his mother cried, he would run and hide until her mood passed.

  Janie’s weeping tore at his heart. He wanted to make everything better. He wanted to scoop her into his arms and carry her out of this place. He wanted to take every worry about not surviving this ordeal and erase it from her mind. But no matter how much he wanted these things, he couldn’t make them happen.

  She wept softly against his chest, and he stroked her drying hair. Chestnut strands curled and tangled around his fingers. When she stopped crying, she lifted the tail of his shirt and wiped her face.

  “Don’t look at me like that. Your shirt has more material than mine.”

  He shook his head and kept his arm around her. Grabbing her pack, he pulled out an emergency blanket and wrapped it around them. He leaned against the tree and tucked her to his side. She complied and laid her head against his chest. Her eyelashes fluttered closed.

  “This is nice,” she said.

  “Hmm.”

  She snuggled closer, and his lips touched her forehead. She parted her lips and sighed. The tiny sound was more than he could handle. He lifted her chin and placed his lips over hers. He didn’t lean in and kiss her, he just breathed. She squirmed beside him, and he took her lip between his teeth. A moan started in the back of her throat, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  Trevor held back, only brushing his lips across hers. She tightened her arms around his neck, but he moved his mouth and planted a kiss on her cheek. Next he placed kisses along her jawline toward her ear and down her neck. He kissed her collarbone, and she shuddered.

  He cradled her face in his hands and ran his tongue over her lips. She seemed unable to keep still, and he placed his hands on either side of her face and gently, like the feeling of a cool breeze, rubbed his lips across hers.

  “Wh-what are you trying to do to me?” she asked.

  With his lips to her ear, he whispered, “I’m trying to make you feel better.”

  “Hmm… well, it is working. Can you keep it up?”

  His chest shook with unrestrained laughter. He twisted her around, spread his legs, and pulled her back against his chest. Moving her hair aside, he blew on her neck.

  Squealing, she squirmed in his grasp, and he pulled her back into position and planted a kiss against the back of her ear. He kissed her earlobe and then leaned his head back against the tree trunk and pulled her with him.

  “Now go to sleep,” he said in a husky voice.

  Janie tried to turn around, but he wouldn’t let her. Eventually she relaxed and emitted a soft snore.

  While she rested, he tried to think of a way to save them. His search around the perimeter hadn’t revealed any obvious exits, but he had an idea. If the cracks truly led to the outside, then perhaps they could sharpen a stick and wedge it into one. With persistence, perhaps he could create a large enough hole for her to escape through.

  He closed his eyes and attempted to run over possible scenarios, but the woman in his arms distracted him, and he couldn’t think. To divert his attraction, he repeated Bible verses. He muttered all of I Corinthians 13. By the time he finished, his eyelids had grown heavy.

  ****

  Janie knelt and removed her gloves. Soft flaxen hair curled on Trevor’s forehead, and she smoothed it away, enjoying how his face crinkled at her touch.

  The time spent with Trevor was the first tender moment she’d shared with a man. Memories of his kisses made heat flush her cheeks and warmth spread throughout her body.

  Boldly, she reached out to touch him again. With his eyes still closed, he cradled her hand and raised it to his lips. She tried to pull away, but he held firm.

  She raised her voice. “What are you doing?”

  He planted a moist kiss on her palm before releasing her. She tumbled backward. Quickly, he clutched her upper arms, spun her around, and set her sideways on his lap. A deep furrow lined his brow as he lifted her ungloved hand.

  “Did I hurt you?” His voice was hoarse.

  Hair swathed her face as she shook her head.

  “You shouldn’t sneak up on a vulnerable man.”

  “I wasn’t sneaking.”

  “Then what were you doing?”

  Embarrassed, she said, “Nothing.”

  One hand continued to hold hers as he used the other hand to gently stroke her forehead. Overcome by shyness, she jerked her hand back and pulled on her glove. She moved away. On her haunches, she said, “So what now? We’ve rested.”

  He studied his fingertips, and she imagined he missed the feeling of her skin. Just as hers tingled from his touch, perhaps his tingled from hers. Even though intent on her fantasies, she felt the earth shift beneath her.

  ****

  One minute Janie had stared at him like the cat that had swallowed the canary, and the next minute her arms were flying over her head as she disappeared into the ground.

  He jumped to his knees and stared at the perfectly round hole that had just swallowed Janie. He yelled her name but received no answer. He secured both packs to his body and sat on the edge of the dirt hole. Once more he called her name. When she didn’t answer, he yelled, “I’m coming!”

  Instead of falling straight down, the hole dropped him onto an angled dirt track. The angle created a natural slide. The farther he went, the faster he went. He continued calling to Janie, hoping she would be out of his way when he was ready to stop.

  His ears popped. He clung to the packs, his grip almost failing. A hump in the grooved slide pushed his head into the ceiling, and stars swam in his vision.

  The slide flattened, and he bumped to a stop. Several feet in front of him, Janie wobbled and cradled her head.

  He flipped over, crawled toward her and touched her back.

  “Don’t move,” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have held your hand like that. I—“

  “Shut up and scoot back.”

  “Look, I apologized—“

  “Shh, listen. Don’t you hear that?”

  “Hear what?”

  “The rattling.”

  A snake’s rattle sent fear thought his heart. “I’m going to wrap my arms around you—“

  “No, you can’t. Just back up.”

  Not heeding her warning, he wrapped his arms around her waist and heaved. She landed in his lap, and he pushed them farther back on the slide. The rattling increased like metal beads shaking in a tin can. His prosthesis jerked as the rattler struck. Janie screamed as the snake released and fell beside them.

  “Come on, we have to get out of here!”

  Janie flipped onto all fours and crawled. The tunnel opened up on the right hand side. They stood up, and Trevor stumbled trying to keep up with her.

  “I see a light
,” she yelled over her shoulder.

  “Slow down, Janie. We don’t know what’s out there.”

  She reached the end before him. “Trevor!” she screamed.

  He ran faster and reached the entrance. Janie was nowhere to be seen.

  “Down here!”

  He looked at his feet. Janie hung by the tips of her fingers. Kneeling down, he clasped her hand. His shoulder felt like it was dislocating. Her glove slipped.

  “I’m going to grab your arm.”

  “J-just do it quick. I’m slipping.”

  He clutched her forearm and hoisted her onto the rock shelf beside him. He held her and patted her back.

  “You really need to stop running into trouble.”

  She hiccupped and buried her head into his shoulder. He scooted them away from the ledge. At least they were on the outside. Night had fully descended, and the quarter moon shed the only light.

  “Janie, are you all right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you think you can take a look around, and see if you know where we are?”

  She twisted her neck but didn’t move out of his grasp. He took out a flashlight and shined it forward. Treetops swayed, and lights winked in the distance.

  “I believe we’re on the side of the mountain.”

  “Have you ever been here before?”

  “No. It is a sheer cliff face. What possible reason would I have for coming here to visit?”

  He ignored the sarcasm and said, “Maybe we should try the cell phone.”

  He released her and dug for the phone. Parts of the now-broken device fell before them, and he furrowed his brow. “Guess we need another plan.”

  They couldn’t stay on the ledge, and the possibility of more snakes kept him from reentering the mountain tunnels.

  He dug out parachute cord from his own pack then looked for a place to tie it. A rock jutted from the opening, and he wrapped the string around it and tied it in a knot. “I’ll walk down first to make sure it is secure.”