Dave knew, with a grim sort of sureness, that swimming across meant certain doom. His gaze fixed on the still water as possibilities flickered then vanished from his thoughts. Getting across felt impossible. Not a trail in sight - not even something concealed. Trying to walk through meant vanishing, becoming like that branch snatched by shadows already there.
He glanced upward, his gaze sweeping across the cavern ceiling. Fingers followed the rock formations - a hunt for holds, anything where a rope might catch, or some sign left by whoever designed this challenge. Something was hidden here. He should have known something was up. Lost in thought, staring at the plaster above, he nearly didn't notice what shifted before his eyes.
"Dave," Violet breathed, her voice barely audible, "notice how the water glows?"
He looked down - just like that. Everything shifted. The deep darkness pulled back, dissolving as if it hadn't even happened. Now the water glowed, pure as glass. Looking down, he made out a flat, light-colored stone base. Whatever had been twisting below vanished. The deadly fumes were gone. Now it seemed harmless - even pleasant, like water bubbling from a rock.
A flicker of hope sparked inside Dave, though he quickly squashed it - likely a lure. Trust was a luxury he couldn't indulge here; everything felt deceptive. He didn't say anything, just pulled back his arm, launching the flaming torch. It arced onward, splashing into the water where it hissed.
The fire vanished at once, yet the twig stayed solid. Dropping to the rock floor, it settled - simply damp timber. Like water, it simply existed.
He murmured, "Safe enough, I guess." Though a shadow of doubt lingered - how could it stay that way?
"Are we there yet?" Violet wondered, glancing up, a flicker of hopeful blue in her gaze.
Dave glanced at her and shook his head. "I'm not very sure, but… Let's wait for a moment. It might be a set of intervals, and we don't know how long it'll last. It may just switch back to being dangerous again."
A fast, shaky nod from Violet ended her speech. They simply observed the water. Time seemed to slow; moments dragged on. Dave's worry proved right - the water lost its clarity. Light faded within, darkness crept back, while small, threatening bubbles resurfaced. It was a shallow, dangerous trap again.
A long-held breath escaped Dave, surprising even himself. Coldness bloomed across his skin. Thankfully, he'd listened to his gut instead of acting first - a decision he didn't regret.
"We just have to wait until it becomes bright again," he stated, the plan forming as he spoke. "But we'll have to hurry. I didn't calculate how long the safe period lasted."
"I did," Violet offered, speaking rapidly yet gently.
She found Dave looking at her, a puzzled crease between his eyebrows.
He looked stunned, so she blurted out, "What I figured was - how long we could actually stay in the safe zone." A shaky inhale steadied her somewhat. "Forty-eight seconds, that's all."
He studied her face, noticing beyond the shyness a core of resilience - she'd even tracked time while chaos unfolded. "Appreciate it," Dave offered.
A quick nod from Violet; color rose slightly on her face. "You're welcome."
The quiet descended, punctuated by little sucking sounds from the dangerous water. Time crawled, a challenge to their courage. It started again - the change. Darkness dissolved into a gentle glow from within. Water cleared, showing the stones below weren't dangerous.
A faint smirk played on Dave's face when he noticed something. His gaze remained fixed on the water while addressing Violet - "Time to move." Then, without another thought, he walked right in. A shock of cold hit him - orange fabric clinging, legs numbing. As soon as his feet found rock below, he began counting. Forty-eight seconds felt like everything.
A few quick steps sent ripples out from underfoot. He halted, listening. No one followed. Spinning around, he searched.
Frozen, Violet remained on the brink. Fists tight, she stared - eyes huge with fright - at the waves below.
He nearly missed it - the recollection of what she'd told him, the way worry made her ill, flooded his thoughts unexpectedly.
He gauged time standing there - thirty-eight ticks passed.
He didn't bother trying to persuade her; moments mattered too much. Instead, he plunged back through the shallows, arriving where she stood to simply lift her up. Honestly, she barely weighed anything. A little puff of breath - a surprise - left her mouth while color bloomed on her face from what happened so quickly.
Dave felt it too - a sudden jolt. His heart did a weird flip, like he needed to rush somewhere mixed with a totally new feeling. He'd never held a woman like this before - the idea struck him as strange, unwelcome. It didn't matter; time slipped through his fingers.
Stepping forward, he went on - the water tugged, making each stride a struggle. Her pulse hammered near him - or perhaps within him. He stared toward the opposite bank, fixed on the shadowed entrance to the subsequent passage.
The far bank received him with rough stone underfoot; a final splash marked where the water had been. He lowered Violet carefully, swiftly. A warm color lingered on her cheeks, though she looked away from him.
A blush crept up her neck as she barely breathed, "Thanks.".
A quietness settled, lasting perhaps two heartbeats. They both felt it - what happened just now.
"Right," Dave offered, easing the quiet.
A swift nod from Violet - her eyes glued to the dirt. The final flare passed from her hand to his; consequently, he spun around, heading into the fresh opening.
The pool water shifted, growing murky while they didn't look. Light faded there, replaced by a heavier dark - a darker shade than had been present moments ago. Now it appeared like solid night, an emptiness drinking in everything nearby.
A lone hand, white as bone, surfaced. It gripped at air - or tried to haul itself from somewhere impossibly far down.
A tune floated into the cave - a child's voice, delicate yet strangely cold. It wasn't comforting; rather, it felt distant.
"Don't let me find you, find you, find you…
Don't let me find you, or you're nothing good but…
Dead!!"