THE ABYSS

Lena's POV Adrenaline is pumping through me as the tumult of the confrontation whirls around. I never felt this afraid, or alive. Daniel is by my side, a consistent presence among the upheaval, but I could see the strain in his shoulders as he confronts Adam, who seems more frightening than ever. "Lena, keep alert!" Daniel yells as he races forward, snatching my arm and dragging me back just before one of Adam's friends throws a fist toward me. My heart is pounding, I stumble but recover. "We must stick together!" I call, looking for Nyla and Elias. Though they are engrossed in their own problems, I know we cannot lose concentration. "Lena!," Adam snurses, approaching closely with hostile glistening eyes. Did you honestly believe you could beat me? This is territory for me! His comments cut like a razor, and I am enraged. "You don't own this, Adam. You are simply a bully covering behind threats! I am ahead with it, a fresh confidence driving me. Though I am afraid, I will not allow him to terrify me. This is not only his war; ours is also. "Get her!," Adam barks; his friends look at us with determined eyes. "Stay nearby!" Daniel yells, and we arrange ourselves defensively, supporting one another. A sudden harsh crack sounds, and I turn just in time to see Nyla dragging one of Adam's friends down to the ground. Though Nyla's strong attitude rekindles a hope spark inside me, the sound of struggle permeates all around. "We can do this!" I yell, and Daniel nods, resolve written on his face. I sense the force of every movement as we fight. Feeling the gratification of connecting, I avoid a punch meant for my stomach and respond with a kick. My work with Daniel has paid off; I am not the same person I was at the start of this. But the fight is unrelenting; I hear Elias cry from behind me as I toss another blow. "Lena, The bait! My heart drops as I turn to see where we planned to ambush. One of Adam's friends is charging directly for the mess of the ropes. "No!" I yell, but too late. The man is caught and sent flying to the ground as the trap goes off with a flash. A fleeting edge, but I can see Adam reorganizing, his eyes closing to evaluate the circumstances. "Fall back!" he orders, and his surviving friends begin to flee before I can see anything in Adam's eyes—a flutter of anxiety? Maybe fury as well? "Don't let them disappear!" Daniel yells, and we advance, resolved to take advantage of our surprising upper hand. But I start to hesitate as we dash ahead. Suppose we are entering a trap of our own? Adam stares straight at me suddenly, his face changing. His voice low and menacing, he says, "You think this is over, Lena?" "You are getting yourself into nothing at all." "What do you mean?" My heart pounding, I back off. "Just wait," he says, then he and his surviving friends vanish into the woods, leaving startled quiet behind. "What the hell was that about?" Rising, Nyla asks and brushes dirt off her clothes. "He won't be content to let this go." "We have to regroup," Daniel adds, his brow wrinkled with consideration. We cannot afford to treat this lightly. He has to have a reason if he is threatening us. "Let's get somewhere safe," I say, looking about tensely. "I want to leave this place no later than absolutely required." Moving slowly as the sun starts to drop and creates long shadows across the woods, we head back to the clearing we utilized earlier. The silence seems forever, and my heart thumps in my chest as I mentally go over the interaction. My breath comes in short gasps as I drop onto a fallen log as we get to the clearing. What now? I look at Daniel and ask. "What would he like from us?" Daniel says, raking a hand through his hair and clearly expressing his own annoyance: "I don't know." "But I believe he is engaged in more than just what we are aware of. Without a cause, he wouldn't have threatened you like this. "Maybe he believes he can control us," Nyla says in a firm voice. He is aware of our fragility. "We can't let him do that," I replied, suddenly driven. "I won't let him run our lives." Sitting next to me, Elias says, "That's the spirit." But we have to be clever about this. Adam is risky; we have to predict his future action. "Agreed," Daniel adds, staring sharply. "We have to figure out how to offset whatever he has scheduled." As we go over our next actions, I feel responsibility weighing on my shoulders. The stakes are never lower than they are now, hence I understand we cannot afford to make mistakes. "What if we learn more about his group?" I imply. "We might have an advantage knowing who we are up against." Nyla gives a slow, contemplative nod. "That's possible. We have to compile data. Should we be able to identify his supporters, we should be able to expose him. Then it settles, Daniel adds, his eyes shining with will. "We will break up and compile as much data as we can. Keep in touch and meet back here in the evening. I am both excited and nervous as we get ready to split. We are entering unexplored ground, and I cannot get rid of the impression that we are headed straight into danger. Deeply yet, I know we cannot turn back. Not at the moment. Daniel advises caution, his voice low as he grabs my hands in his. "Promise me you'll remain safe." Looking directly into his eyes, I say, "I promise." Right now, the link between us—created by our shared hardships—seems to be getting stronger. "We are in this together". He says, "together," grasping my hands then releasing them. The woodland appears to press in around me as we separate, shadows hiding at the margins of my view. My heart thumps in my chest as I negotiate the underbrush, each sound enhanced in the stillness. I am quite conscious of how precarious our circumstances are, and the weight of my choices loads greatly on me. Moving gently and silently, I headed toward the spot where I last saw Adam's group. Every sound of leaves causes me great worry, yet I keep on since I have a goal. If I can get data, perhaps I could guard the people I love. Abruptly, a man shows up in the distance out of the woods. I stop; my breath stitches in my throat. Dressed in black, this woman is looking about as if she were searching for something. Heart pounding, I stood behind a bush to evaluate the circumstances. She seems not to see me, but I cannot let my guard down. Should she be in Adam's gang, what then? Hoping to learn more about her, I choose to hide. Pulling out a tiny gadget, the woman uses rapid, practiced motions to press buttons. Is she trying to get in touch? She looks in my direction just then, and I hold my breath, asking she not notice me. She squints, her face turning to one of uncertainty before she turns back to her gadget, apparently not noticing me. I approach, hoping to hear what she is saying. Her voice was quiet but firm, "Adam, it's me." "I believe I have found her. We have to get ahead of her warning to the others. Knowing she is referring to me makes my heart fall. Though I force myself to remain cool, panic starts in my chest. I cannot tell her I am here. "Just keep an eye on her," Adam's voice crackles across the device, loaded with threat. "We cannot let her meddle with our preparations." I strain to hear more, but the words go to static. I realize I have to act quickly as adrenaline surges over me. I cannot let Daniel and the others—or any other person—find me. I back away silently, trying to move without making noise. I feel a branch shatter underfoot as I turn to slip back into the forest. NO! I gasp and the sound echoes in the still air. The woman whirls around, her eyes fixed on mine, and I bolt— Adrenaline drives my flight. Her footsteps pound behind me, but I resist looking back. As I negotiate the trees, my heart races as branches reach at my arms as I go. Pursuit sounds close, and I cannot afford to be captured. The woman yells, "Lena!" and I get chills running down my spine. "You cannot run indefinitely!" I broke into a little clearing and looked for cover. Though I can't stop now, my breaths come in brief bursts. Desperate, I rush behind a big tree and push my back against the hard bark. Her footsteps are getting louder, and I hold my breath praying she won't find me.