Episode 44

Connor groaned.  “We can’t.  There’s no way.”

“Surely there must be some way—”  Gail protested.

“We’re trapped on this side!  It’s impossible.”

“We could try to find a log that spans the gap,” Ben spoke out.  “We could drag it over and push it onto the other side, or find a dead tree close to the edge that we could push over.  It'd be easy; even a kid could do it.”

“It wouldn't be easy, there's no trees around here.  They thin out in the valley.  We'd have to drag it from way up there,” Connor pointed back to the mountain, thick with pines.

“No,” Ben continued, shifting his feet, “but if we went along the fault here we could find a tree closer to it, see?”  Ben raised an eyebrow at Connor, sure that he wasn't understanding.

Connor huffed, “We can’t.  It's not possible.  We need to figure something else out, Ben.”

Ben illustrated his statements with big arm movements, overexaggerating his facial expressions.  “There are trees near the fault, though, because how would ones have fallen in?  Just find a tree next to it!  Gosh!”

“Where would we find one of those?”  Connor demanded, hands on his hips and temper officially lost.  “I’ve had enough of your smart comments.  Stop talking to me like I was stupid enough to be responsible for this whole mess.”

Ben clenched his teeth and turned to the fault, staring down into its depths. “This is not my fault.”

“Yes, it is, Ben!  If you hadn’t insisted on seeing Miah, she never would have gotten sucked into this, and our cover wouldn’t have been blown.  It’s your own selfish fault for not thinking that they would target her, too!  You never think about anyone but yourself!” he shouted, pulling Ben to face him.

“That’s a lie!” he yelled into Connor's face.

Gail’s hesitant voice sliced into the tension. “Guys—”

“You had to drag her along with you, bringing her even deeper into trouble everywhere you went!”

“You let yourself get caught, and wrecked the car, twice!  You never think before you do things!”

“Guys!!” Gail shouted, “Where’s Miah?” Suddenly everyone panicked.

Ben froze.  Connor gasped, looking around.  “She’s not here!”

Ben grabbed Gail’s arm.  “Did you see her? Where is she?”

“I—I helped her over to the edge where we all were, and I don’t know what happened—we have to find her!!”

Connor ran to where she had been standing, looking down into the ravine.  Ben ran to his side and looked over.  “This is all your fault!!” Connor hissed, clenching his fist.

Ben bit his tongue and looked over the edge.

“Oh my gosh—oh—oh, I can see her!” Gail cried, pointing down at something in the clods of dirt below where they stood.  They could barely make it out, but it was Miah: unmoving, white as a ghost.