Six steps from the bottom, the whole thing gives out. Bruno lands, with a crash, on his back. The flashlight skitters across the floor, and for a minute, he doesn’t move. His hulking figure lies on the hard floor with the flashlight spinning in circles, before I reach down and pick it up. Grace rushes over to him.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” she asks. He groans. “Move your toes.” In the dim light, I watch him wiggle his toes. “Did you hit your head?”
He mumbles.
“What?” she asks in a panicked voice.
“No, but your shirt’s in my face,” he says as he pushes her back an inch. “Not that I’m complaining about your boobs but … ”
“You’re such an apple,” she says, a chuckle coming out of her. Bruno laughs weakly and rolls onto his knees.
“First cracker … now apple?” Cole asks. “Grace, we’re starving, and you’re cursing with food?”
“I know, sorry. But it’s a habit.”
“Now I know how the giant felt when he came down the beanstalk.” Bruno laughs at himself. I can’t stop myself from snorting. Grace takes Bruno’s hand and hugs him close, then she shoves him away and frowns at him.
“Guess we’re not getting out the way we came in,” she muses over the broken ladder.
I flick the light down the tunnel, eyeing the weeping ceiling, the bars lining the walls, and the black hole at the end. This time, no firelight welcomes us. In fact, all you hear is the dripping of water and the echo of our voices against the pitch black.
“Where’s Steven when we need him?” I ask, remembering the first time we arrived, when Steven escorted us underground. Now, it’s Cole’s turn to chuckle.
“I wonder if he got out,” he says.
“He did,” Bruno says. “He was in my group, remember?”
“Say, where’s the dripping coming from? I’m about to start licking the walls,” Grace says. She looks at Bruno, and the flashlight casts weird shadows beneath her eyes.
Zeus takes off ahead of us. He stops to whizz a few times, but nothing’s coming out, and he raises his head to look at us while making a snuffing noise. In the darkness, his eyes shine an eerie green.
“Oh, don’t worry … we see you, doofus,” Cole says. “Your hose ran dry. It happens.”
I shine the flashlight ahead, occasionally flicking it to our feet to make sure there’s nothing for us to trip over. I still feel weak, but the drop in temperature wakes me up. My head’s clearer. Or maybe I just have hope.
“Keegan lived down here, right?” Grace asks, lowering her voice into a whisper as we walk.
“Yes, he did.” My voice trails off.
We enter the space where my brother Keegan and I reunited around the fire for the first time in years. I was so happy to see him. God, how I miss him. A charred, black spot stains the floor where the fire had been. Blackened wooden planks used for seating look abandoned and sad. The heaviness in the air settles in. Zeus sniffs around and finally settles on an old t-shirt lying on the floor in front of him, dirty and forgotten. My feet freeze in place.
It’s just … empty, a disturbing reminder of what used to be. A hand touches the back of my neck and squeezes. It’s Cole, of course. If only Keegan were here now. He’d know what to do. He’d have an answer, even if it wasn’t the right one. He was passionate about what he believed and never backed down from anything or anyone. My brother had a heart of gold. I loved him. I love him still. And someday, I’ll bury him like he deserves.
Zeus’s head perks up. His ears stand up straight as he woofs at something.
“Zeus, what’s there?” I ask as we all turn toward the hallway.
I point the flashlight down in the direction he’s looking. Was that a face I just saw? I squint and step in that direction. By now, Cole’s next to me, hand on his gun.
“Come out with your hands over your head,” Bruno says in a firm voice. It echoes into nothingness.
Zeus continues to growl, each one getting louder. But no one answers, and the shadows play with my mind. If I think too hard, I see bodies moving in the darkness. The flashlight feels slick in my sweaty palms. I stop moving and listen intently for noise. Zeus’s whole body points in the direction of whatever is out there. The drip, drip, dripping of water sliding off the pipes overhead makes the only identifiable noise.
“Show yourself,” Cole says. I hear nothing in response. Cole doesn’t lower his gun. He’s focused on the energy of his dog. He knows Zeus would not be acting this way if there wasn’t anybody out there.
Zeus barks louder, making me jump in my own skin. His fur stands straight up on his back, and his tail moves in a measured manner, all while his posture remains tight. He cocks his head to the left.
“What the hell is his deal? He looks confused,” Bruno says, sweat glistening as it rolls down his biceps.
“He’s trying to get a sense of what he’s hearing,” I say.
“You’re kidding, right?” Bruno asks.
“Nope. Zeus has the best intuition, especially when it comes to people we don’t know. If he trusts them, Cole does. So that’s enough proof for me.”