“This,” Rye says.
He pushes his hand into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. He takes out his money and cards and puts them back into his pocket. The rest of us look at each other with confused expressions. Rye throws his wallet towards the column. It bounces off it, and I realize what he’s doing. Searching for booby traps. The others seem to understand at the same moment as I do, and we all tense up, our hands on our weapons, waiting. Nothing happens.
“See? You’re paranoid,” Ya-Ya says.
“Yeah. It looks like it.” He reluctantly agrees but something in his tone tells me he doesn’t believe that for a second.
He still thinks there’s going to be an unpleasant surprise. He’s probably right, but we can take it. Whatever creature springs out of the walls or whatever, we can fight it and win. The longer we stand here, the more I feel like we’re almost inviting an attack. Like we’re giving any creatures lurking around plenty of time to discover our presence and get to us.
“Cover me,” I say. “I’m going to go and grab the box.”
Rye looks ready to argue for a moment, and I subtly slip my hand into his and squeeze it. He looks at me and I nod reassuringly. He sighs, but he nods back. He knows as well as I do that we have no other choice here. We can’t come this far and go home empty-handed because we’re afraid we’ll get hurt. And it has to be me that gets the weapon. I am the Paradox, and only I can release the weapon.
“Everyone be ready for an attack,” Rye says. He nods to me. “Go.”
I start to move forward, taking it inch by careful inch. I remember how the bridge crumbled away beneath me when we went for the dagger, and I don’t intend to be caught unawares by the floor dropping out from beneath me again.
I edge forward, testing each piece of ground before I put my full weight on it. Each step I take is as solid as the last one, and I’m starting to think I’m just wasting time, that maybe I’m being too careful. The bridge didn’t crumble away until after I had the dagger, and maybe this cavern will work the same. Maybe the danger won’t be unleashed until after I have the weapon.
I am still cautious as I move, but I start to go a little faster, each safe step I take making me a little bit more confident. Maybe this weapon didn’t need so much of a guard because of its remote location. I mean it’s not like it’s somewhere anyone could accidentally stumble across it.
I can hear the team shuffling along behind me and I glance back over my shoulder. The team has spread out into a loose circle and they’re facing in all directions, so at least nothing can surprise us. Rye is facing me, his eyes flitting all over, searching for even the smallest sign of danger. I know the rest of the team is doing the same, and I feel a rush of warmth inside of myself. They are all risking their lives to be here even though I am the one who has to get the weapon, and this notion cements my earlier promise. I will not let one of them die due to being possessed, something not their fault. I will take the risk of separating their soul from the Horseman, and I will be successful.
Rye gives me an encouraging smile and I return it and then I turn back to face where I am going. I am three-quarters of the way across the cavern now. Another ten normal steps or twenty of these little nervous steps and I will be able to grab the spear. I feel my stomach roll, a mixture of nerves and excitement at the thought of being so close to getting the spear.
I take another step and I freeze as the cavern begins to shake. I have just enough time to turn back to look at the team and I see my horror reflected on Rye’s face before the first wave of sand washes over us. I cough and splutter as I breathe it in, blinking furiously as it gets in my eyes.
The dust settles, and through stinging tears, I can see the team still in place around me.
“What happened?” Ya-Ya asks.
I go to take a step forward and my lower legs won’t move. I almost topple over, but I save myself. I look down and see sand holding me in place. The cavern has filled with sand from the ceiling to just past my knee.
I try to pull myself free and the others do the same, but the movement causes another flurry of sand from the ceiling, and when I blink away the sandy particles this time, I’m buried to my waist.
“Someone open a portal,” I shout.
“It’s too late. We won’t be able to get through it,” Mel says. “We’re stuck.”
Another shake and another flurry and now, I’m neck deep in sand and the tears that flood down my face aren’t just because of the sand stinging my eyes anymore. I still have one arm free and I reach out to Rye with it. He reaches back for me, but we’re too far apart to touch and it hits me that I’m going to die here. Inches from Rye and yet unable to touch him.
“I love you,” I mouth through my tears.
“I love you too,” he mouths back.
“What the fuck happened?” Ya-Ya asks again.
“Our weight was too much for the cavern. We collapsed it,” Mel says sadly.
No one has time to respond. The next wave of sand is falling, and I know we’re dead this time. It’s going to cover our heads, force us to breathe it in until we drown in it. Can you drown in something that’s not liquid? I don’t know, and now isn’t the time to debate semantics. It’s the time to
