AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Without thinking, I did it. It helped. What helped more was as I pulled on Cage’s body and dragged myself up. It was then that I realized that the flatter my body was, the more I ascended when I kicked.
Grabbing Cage’s arm, then side, then pants, my body left the freezing water. Settling on the ice next to my rescuer, I was exhausted and traumatized, but I was alive and seemingly safe.
“Cage, crawl back. Quin, you have to roll away from the hole,” Titus instructed us from a distance.
We both did what we were told and were eventually on what felt like solid ice. Getting up, I just wanted to get off the lake. Crawling on my hands and knees, this time I looked down at every step.
When we were nearing the edge and my pulse no longer thumped in my ears, I stood up. Moving slowly and steadily I made it back to shore. I was relieved and rattled. I looked around to gain my bearing and found Cage rushing towards me. Looking down at me, he gripped my arms.
“Are you okay? You hurt?”
That was a good question. Was I hurt? The sound of the crack as I hit the ice flashed through my mind. There was an ache in the back of my head where it had made contact.
“I think so,” I said touching my head where it hit.
“Let me see. Are you bleeding?”
I removed my hand and looked at it. Cage moved around me to see for himself.
“I don’t think so. I think I’m good.”
“Jesus, Quin,” he said again looking me in the eyes and throwing his arms around me.
“I’m okay,” I assured him not convinced that I was.
“Fuck, Titus, what the hell were you doing taking us on thin ice?” Cage yelled turning to him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it was thin. It’s been frozen all winter. Didn’t I tell you not to walk in a line?” He said yelling at me.
“Don’t blame him.”
“I’m just sayin’, if he would have followed my instructions, nothing would have happened.”
“I’m okay, Cage. It’s not his fault. He’s right. He told me not to walk behind people and I did. But, everything ended okay. I just want to go.”
“Can we go?” Cage asked Titus angrily.
“Of course. Just follow me.”
Titus led the way and we were all quiet on the way back. The further we walked, the more I questioned if I was alright. I stopped to re-center myself.
“What’s the matter?”
“My head hurts,” I admitted.
Cage looked at the back of my head again.
“You might have a concussion. Your head hit the ice pretty hard.”
“I can take you to Dr. Tom and have you checked if you want.”
“Yeah, that’s probably best,” Cage conceded.
“Dr. Tom? That’s Glen’s husband, right?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Titus confirmed.
“We should see him,” I said thinking less about me and more about the reason we had come to Snow Tip Falls.
