the back wall that meant slow trickling seeps, imagined taking turns with Pete licking dirty water from the wall, each of them fighting not to gag or puke. Could she even do it? Could Pete? How thirsty would they have to be first? And would the seeps be enough? No water pooled below them, so the flow could only be agonizing slow.
Pete interrupted her speculations —I’m thinkin’ if this thing outside isn’t gone in half an hour, I’m goin’ out anyway, gonna try to sneak past it, over it, under it, whatever. She saw the faint illumination of the glowstick brush his face. —I don’t think it’s even. . .
He broke off and slid to his knees then drooped as if deflating till his forehead touched the pebbly floor, groaning a low pained groan all the way down. Sue-Min rose and stepped toward him, closed the gap by near half, but went no closer. He might be feigning only to fool her —Pete? Pete, are you all right?
He took a long time to respond, groaning again before he half-rose and spoke. —My watch. Please tell me it’s fucked up. It only says 9:15. It’s been way more than three minutes since I checked it. What the hell? What’s going on?
—Either way shouldn’t the sun be up?
—That’s what I mean. We should have sun but we don’t. It’s like time is speedin’ up and slowin’ down.
—Now you’re talking crazy.
—Am I? Then you explain this shit. First it’s four in the morning, then all of a sudden it’s nine . Then half an hour, maybe an hour passes, but it’s only three minutes on my watch. What’s causin’ that? That thing might be weavin’ a web out of time . . . or maybe it just inhabits some kind of time vortex it found, and it sits like an ant lion in its pit, waitin’ for its next victim. Which tonight just happens to be us. Or this morning, whichever it really is. . .
—The sun’s got to come up sometime. I mean, we are in a cave, in a canyon. It’s going to take a while longer here, that’s all. Don’t you think the sky looks lighter outside now? I think it does, a little. Most likely your watch is screwed up. Maybe you bumped it climbing up here.
—I didn’t bump it. And it was workin’ fine before.
—Well whatever. Maybe these rocks have a high magnetic content, maybe they’re messing with your watch. I’ve heard of caves in El Malpais like that, where a compass doesn’t work. Whatever it is, there has to be a natural explanation.
—Oh yeah? Does that thing outside have a natural explanation?
—Maybe. Maybe we just don’t know the explanation yet.
—Bull- shit! That thing is a demon or an alien or something from another dimension. There’s nothing rational or natural about it!
—Come on Pete. I’m scared as you are, but we’ve got to keep it together. Talking about demons isn’t doing either of us any good. We should be talking about how we’re going to get out of here.
—Okay, fine. Hey Sue- Min , do you know how we’re gonna get out of here?
—I still think your idea of waiting till sunrise was a good one.
—Except maybe there isn’t going to be any sunrise. Not for us.
—There has to be. It’s just late because of our location, the canyon, the cave. . .
Pete rested hunched now, haunches on calves, knuckles of his clenched fists jammed down amidst the pebbles.
—What if the sun never rises? What if we’re caught in this monster’s vortex forever?
—What if we wait just a little longer and see if the sun comes up and the monster goes away? Isn’t that worth waiting for, when we can walk right out of here, maybe even find Ron? It was your idea anyway.
Pete just shook his head and groaned some more. For several reasons she was trying to keep up a tough front but his apparent collapse wasn’t helping. Not one bit. The truth was his comments had begun to get to her, especially his forecast of unending darkness. Shivering, she hugged herself, hoped he didn’t see.
Sue-Min told herself Pete’s watch was just bumped or broken. It
Pete interrupted her speculations —I’m thinkin’ if this thing outside isn’t gone in half an hour, I’m goin’ out anyway, gonna try to sneak past it, over it, under it, whatever. She saw the faint illumination of the glowstick brush his face. —I don’t think it’s even. . .
He broke off and slid to his knees then drooped as if deflating till his forehead touched the pebbly floor, groaning a low pained groan all the way down. Sue-Min rose and stepped toward him, closed the gap by near half, but went no closer. He might be feigning only to fool her —Pete? Pete, are you all right?
He took a long time to respond, groaning again before he half-rose and spoke. —My watch. Please tell me it’s fucked up. It only says 9:15. It’s been way more than three minutes since I checked it. What the hell? What’s going on?
—Either way shouldn’t the sun be up?
—That’s what I mean. We should have sun but we don’t. It’s like time is speedin’ up and slowin’ down.
—Now you’re talking crazy.
—Am I? Then you explain this shit. First it’s four in the morning, then all of a sudden it’s nine . Then half an hour, maybe an hour passes, but it’s only three minutes on my watch. What’s causin’ that? That thing might be weavin’ a web out of time . . . or maybe it just inhabits some kind of time vortex it found, and it sits like an ant lion in its pit, waitin’ for its next victim. Which tonight just happens to be us. Or this morning, whichever it really is. . .
—The sun’s got to come up sometime. I mean, we are in a cave, in a canyon. It’s going to take a while longer here, that’s all. Don’t you think the sky looks lighter outside now? I think it does, a little. Most likely your watch is screwed up. Maybe you bumped it climbing up here.
—I didn’t bump it. And it was workin’ fine before.
—Well whatever. Maybe these rocks have a high magnetic content, maybe they’re messing with your watch. I’ve heard of caves in El Malpais like that, where a compass doesn’t work. Whatever it is, there has to be a natural explanation.
—Oh yeah? Does that thing outside have a natural explanation?
—Maybe. Maybe we just don’t know the explanation yet.
—Bull- shit! That thing is a demon or an alien or something from another dimension. There’s nothing rational or natural about it!
—Come on Pete. I’m scared as you are, but we’ve got to keep it together. Talking about demons isn’t doing either of us any good. We should be talking about how we’re going to get out of here.
—Okay, fine. Hey Sue- Min , do you know how we’re gonna get out of here?
—I still think your idea of waiting till sunrise was a good one.
—Except maybe there isn’t going to be any sunrise. Not for us.
—There has to be. It’s just late because of our location, the canyon, the cave. . .
Pete rested hunched now, haunches on calves, knuckles of his clenched fists jammed down amidst the pebbles.
—What if the sun never rises? What if we’re caught in this monster’s vortex forever?
—What if we wait just a little longer and see if the sun comes up and the monster goes away? Isn’t that worth waiting for, when we can walk right out of here, maybe even find Ron? It was your idea anyway.
Pete just shook his head and groaned some more. For several reasons she was trying to keep up a tough front but his apparent collapse wasn’t helping. Not one bit. The truth was his comments had begun to get to her, especially his forecast of unending darkness. Shivering, she hugged herself, hoped he didn’t see.
Sue-Min told herself Pete’s watch was just bumped or broken. It
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