Page 78 of Diamond

I climb onto it and stretch my hand down to pull her up.

"This makes me think ofTitanicand how Jack could have just freaking gotten on the door with Rose," she says and I look at herin confusion. "You haven't seenTitanic? Oh my God, have you been living under a rock?"

Her ease with laughter makes me start to chuckle as I realize that she uses humor to cope. It must be much better than overanalyzing everything like I do. "I have not seen it but once I can, I will," I assure her and she nods her head. I feel the continual growth of our silent kinship. I hope the feeling is mutual.

We sit there in silence, the noise from above sending fear deeper into my heart, and I am torn—part of me wants to stay here with Olivia, but the other part is screaming to rush back and help Kuret.

Olivia picks up a dark gray rock and starts to fiddle with it, her face an impenetrable mask with only a small smile attached.

A part of me wants to ask her to talk to me and tell me how she's feeling about waking up on a new planet, but I decide against it.

This is not the time or place for something like that. Anything could happen, and either of us could be dead in minutes. I wouldn't want her fear or sadness to be the last thing she speaks of, or the last thing I hear. Besides, we will have all the time to properly get to know each other once we have gotten to safety. If we don't, then the time spent together will be enough.

I don't realize that I am staring at her until I hear her softly call my name and place a hand on my knee. "Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts," I say.

She smiles stiffly and goes back to fiddling with her rock. "I understand. I don't mean to pull you from it."

I shake my head. "No, don't be sorry. I finally have an actual human being to talk to and I should take advantage of that."

Her face morphs into one of concern. "Am I the first human you have come across?" I nod my head and she lets out a short sound. "So you haven't seen Ree?"

The name strikes a chord in my brain as I recall all the times Kuret has mentioned her. It must be the same person that we are supposed to go to. My eyes widen as I realize that this must not be Olivia's first time out of the chamber. Probably she has information that can help us get to Ree faster.

I open my mouth to ask all the questions in my head, but I hear a concerning crack from underneath us. We scramble to move, but it's too late. The ground splits opens like a gaping maw.

My hands reach out to grab both of hers as a human-sized sinkhole opens beneath us. The only thing keeping her with me is my desperate, slipping grip.

"Rin!" she yells, her eyes wide with fear.

I push myself back against a bush and pull against her. "Can you get your feet on anything?" I ask her as I struggle to support her weight, still not sure how I can even manage it.

I've never been strong, and there is a searing pain in my side yelling at me to let go, but I just tighten my grip.

She looks down and then back up at me. "I can't see anything. It's all dark."

I attempt to adjust myself, but I start sliding down with Liv as more of the bushes give way, as if they have been cut from underneath. Our hands are forced apart and I swallow down the scream as I search for something to hold on to.

A sharp squeal comes from underneath me, followed by a thud. I look into the dark cavern that has formed in the ground and see some rapid movement, surprised I can even make anything out. But whatever is there disappears before I can catch a glimpse.

I take a deep breath to motivate myself to jump into the hole, but the ground shifts and it starts to fill it, soon far too small for me to fit into. Before the big pieces completely fall in, I see a hint of green and other glowing colors. It's moving and I can see the outline of something large.

"Hey, you there! I know you can hear me. Help her up!" I scream at whatever it is that is down there with her but I don't get a response.

Ya Allah, what if it is a predator that thinks it has found its next meal? I can't let her die.

"Olivia! Olivia, are you there? Please say something!" I yell into the darkness, my heart somewhere between my toes and directly pounding over my brain.

A muffled cough comes from the hole and I reach forward to start digging but soon realize it is futile. I try to call for her again. "Olivia, if you're there, please let me know."

Another cough follows. "Nasrin, I'm okay. There's someone else here," she informs me and relief pours over me like cold water.

I adjust myself so that my eye and mouth are directly above the hole. "Please give my friend back. Please," I beg.

A gruff voice starts speaking, and it takes my brain a second to realize that it is not English. "This one… belongs to you?"

I'm not sure if I should say yes, hoping it'll give her back, but I don't get a chance to decide.

"Zha is part of my hoard now. Go away."

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