Page 123 of Between Soul and Vessel
He was silent for a moment before he said, “If that is what you wish, I will.”
“Good.” Another yawn passed my lips. “I’ll see you in the morning,” I mumbled as my mind closed up shop and I handed myself over to the night.
I kept low to the ground, my sister’s trusted bow in one hand, an arrow in the other. I had been tracking this buck for the better half of the morning, but every time I got within range, his ears would flip back, and he’d startle into a run.
I took a deep breath, reminding myself I had nothing but time. And if there was one thing that I wasn’t doing, it was going back to camp empty-handed.
Through the trees, I spotted him—
A nice-sized mule deer with four beautiful points. It had a strange white mark along the side of its neck—it almost looked like a stroke of lightning.
Without a whisper of sound, I nocked my arrow andprepared to take the shot.
I held my breath, steadied my hand, and released.
Thwishhhhh.It whistled through the air.
Just as the deer started to run, the arrow found purchase, but not where I had wanted it to hit. Because the deer had moved, the arrow bit into its hindquarter. It wasn’t enough to kill it, but it did injure it, which to me, was worse. Guilt swept over me as I cursed myself for not being quick enough. I hated when an animal needlessly suffered.
I chased after it, knowing that if the animal went down, there was a good chance I wouldn’t find it in the bush—I needed to keep up with it.
Lungs heaving, legs aching, I chased it for what had to be three miles—perhaps even more. My body strained from the exertion of running through the uneven, wicked terrain. My ankles cried out the most.
The deer stopped, and I was granted another shot.
I reached back, plucking an arrow from my quiver. When I went to take it, my footing gave way, and the ground caved underneath me.
I screamed as I slid through a tunnel-like structure. It was like a massive badger had burrowed his way into the ground, digging dozens and dozens of feet below, and now, I was falling through it—
A never-ending hole.
The ends of my fingernails snapped off as I clawed at the dirt, clay, and rocks, trying to fight against gravity’s greedy pull.
I was spewed out of the tunnel, and for a brief moment,I was airborne, like a bird in the sky. The only problem? I didn’t have wings.
My body crashed into the harsh ground, and I came to a rolling stop, lying on my back.
It knocked the wind out of me.
Slowly, I moved onto my side, lungs wheezing for air, bones aching. I laid like that for a minute, maybe two, before I started to get my wits about me—recalling I had just fallen down a very long tunnel, to Creator only knew where.
I propped a hand against the ground and slowly lifted myself up, spitting dirt and saliva out. When I was done, I wiped my mouth with the back of my wrist.
Neck lengthening, I looked up, and up, and up.
I must have fallen at least a mile. It was a wonder I was still alive. The tunnel must have been at just the right angle, preventing me from falling too fast—although, at the time, it had felt like I was flying.
It was a long way back to the top, and the steepness of the canyon-like walls was not something I’d be able to climb. Gigantic trees, hundreds of feet tall, spread out before me. It was as if they were trying to grow their way out of this monstrous sinkhole.
Trickling water rivered down the steeply sloped sides that surrounded me. One stream led to a lake, not far from me. Out of it leapt a sparkling silver fish. It plunked back into the water below.
What is this place?I wondered to myself.
A low growl rumbled from the trees, the hairs on the back of my neck standing.
I patted the ground, searching for my bow.
Dammit.I must have dropped it when I fell.
