Blurred Horizons

Ben knelt next to Scarlett's limp form, panic making it difficult for him to breathe. She was incredibly pale and still and he feared the worst. But then her eyes flew open, some of her strength seeming to return for a moment.

"We have to get out of here," she said urgently.

"I think we'd kind of deduced that," Doc muttered dryly and Ben shot him a glower. Scarlett struggled to her feet, staving off Ben's attempts to help her.

"We don't have a lot of time," Scarlett said. She looked around wildly. "We need to find that stream and then get out of here."

She was still wobbly on her feet, but there was a determined look in her eyes. Ben saw movement out of the corner of his eye and was surprised to see the amulet hovering in midair. It flared brightly once more, the beam aimed against the far wall opposite of where they had come in. Then it went cold and dark once again, looking exactly as it had the day they first found it. Another loud rumble shook the ground below their feet, nearly knocking them all down. The cavern from which they had entered collapsed, the column-like stalactites breaking free of the ceiling and barring the exit route completely. Ben glanced back at the wall where the beam of light had gone as the other three argued about how they could possibly get out of the cave now.

Ben went to the far wall, examining it carefully. If he squinted just so, it almost appeared as though there were a seam in the rock. Straight and even, like the frame of a door. Ben dug his fingers into the seam, first pulling and then pushing as hard as he could. The rock budged, swinging away from him to reveal an opening.

"If I may interrupt your lovely banter," he called, "I think ice found a way out."

"We have no idea where that leads," Doc pointed out as they joined him. A chunk of ceiling fell from above, landing where Doc had been standing just moments before.

"Well, into another tunnel then, shall we?" Doc said. Ben went first, Scarlett quickly following him and taking his hand.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked her.

"For the moment. I can promise you it won't last if we don't hurry. It's a long story. I'll explain if we get out of here."

"When," Ben corrected firmly. "When we get out of here."

The tunnel was not as pitch black as the last had been, and there seemed to be no sign of horrible nightmare creatures in this one either, for which Ben was immensely grateful. They couldn't afford any more delays. They could still feel the rumbling in the walls, and soon the entrance to the tunnel collapsed on itself too. There was no way to go but forward and hope the cavern held long enough for them to find an escape. The violent trembling had grown so bad they were all walking as clumsily as newborn foals when Ben spotted faint light and a patch of green ahead.

He frowned and squinted, sure he was seeing things. There couldn't possibly be grass inside this cave. But as they drew nearer he saw that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. There was a small grassy hill riding up from the cave floor, and sunlight seemed to fill the small cavern, though it was impossible to tell where it was coming from. Scarlett swooned again, and Ben caught her, carrying her over the hill. Doc and Thomas quickened their pace to follow.

"The stream," Thomas said, grinning as they created the hill. Ben was already at the bottom, lowering Scarlett to the ground beside the water, so clear and clean it looked almost like glass. Scarlett cupped her hands in the water, taking two deep gulps. Ben waited with baited breath, terrified that it wouldn't work. But some color returned to Scarlett's face and when Ben looked at the scratches on her back, while they still looked painful the dark coloring that had surrounded them from the poison had vanished.

"Can you walk all right now?" he asked. Scarlett stood up, testing her limbs. She beamed, launching herself into his arms.

"I'm glad that Scarlett isn't dead, truly I am, but we'll all end up that way soon if we don't find a way out of here," Doc said. Scarlett flinched at his words.

"The way we came in is blocked by stone and there doesn't seem to be another way out," Thomas said. Over the hill from where they'd come, they could hear more collapsing rock. Ben cast around for an idea, his eyes going back to the stream. It stretched away further into the cavern and out of sight.

"We'll follow the stream out," he declared. Doc looked skeptical.

"Do you have any other suggestions?" Ben asked. "If you do is love to hear them."

Doc sighed and rolled his eyes. All four of them followed along the stream's edge, stepping into the water and wading when the cavern walls grew narrow. The light grew dimmer and the water deeper. Ben knew there could be any manner of nasty creatures in the water, but the amulet was already back where it belonged and the cave was collapsing. Maybe the island wouldn't care if they left. Soon their wading had turned to swimming. They could hear and feel chunks of stone raining down around them, occasionally sending through a small tidal wave that carried them further into the water.

"Look!" Ben shouted over the noise. "The water is flowing out of the cave up ahead!"

He slipped his arms around Scarlett to tow her along because her corset and skirts were weighing her down. The water was rough and choppy as they neared the exit. Stone was now falling around them in a steady rain. Ben saw a rock strike Thomas in the head and he briefly slipped under the water. Scarlett gasped. Doc was the closest and dove under, resurfacing dragging and unconscious Thomas with him. They had nearly made it, all half blind and choking on water, when the archway the water was pouring through shuddered, preparing to collapse.

"We won't make it!" Doc shouted.

"Have a little faith, Doctor!" Ben reached it first, clinging tightly to Scarlett.

"If we die, just know that I love you more than anything in this or any other world," he murmured to her.

"I love you too."

Doc reached them then, still holding Thomas's head above water. Ben grabbed onto his arm and swam forward. All four of them tumbled out of the cave and plummeted toward the ocean below as the archway gave way where they had been floating mere seconds before. Everything was disoriented for a moment as Ben tried to figure out which way was up and which way was down. Finally his head broke the surface and he sputtered, wiping water out of his eyes. He spun frantically, relieved to see Scarlett. Soon Doc surfaced too.

"Where's Thomas?" Ben demanded.

"I lost my grip in the fall."

Ben dove back under the water, but he couldn't see anything. He resurfaced.

"I warn you Doc, if my father is dead because you let go of him I'll-"

"You've never called me that before."

Ben and Scarlett twisted in the water, finding Thomas bobbing in the water a few feet away. His head was bleeding slightly but he seemed to be all right. He was staring at Ben with a half grin, looking surprised but pleased.

"We're all alive," Scarlett said excitedly. She splashed them all in the face. "We're alive!"

"Yes we've established that," Doc said. "Now can we please get back to the ship and find clothes that are not saturated in salt water?"

"Doc," Ben said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I think that's the best idea you have ever had."