The water began to cover my ankles as it rose. I looked around and realized that the walls of the well were much closer together than before. If I had stretched my arms out, I could almost have reached both sides at that point.
I had made it over three quarters of the way when my limbs began to give up. My feet slipped on the rope, and the weight of the two remaining orbs tugged at my skin, beginning to rip the flesh.
I set my face against the rope to take a moment to rest, to attempt to regain my strength; but, every moment I rested, the water only rose more. It was covering my knees now. And, every moment I rested, the walls closed in more too. I raised my hand to continue climbing, but I could not find the strength and pulled my arm back down. I reached once more and my hand slipped.
My body slid down deeper into the water. Now only my arms, shoulders, neck, and head remained unsubmerged. As the water covered my chest, a force began to push against my body so that it felt as if I were being crushed. I tried to pull myself back above the water.
“Time’s running out, Dani,” Franklin called several feet above me.
I reached down and grabbed one of the final orbs.
“I’m sorry for what I did to Nathan. I swear to God it will never –” I dropped the orb back in the water, drowning out Christian’s voice.
“Not willing to let that one go, huh?” Franklin called with a laugh.
I pulled the other one up.
“I’ve done some terrible things, I’m not sure I’m the person you think I am,” came my own voice from inside the orb. I held it for a moment, thinking of my future, my will to survive.
I ripped the orb from my chest, not even bothering to unhook it.
“Someday you will be,” I said, letting it fall.
I grabbed the rope with both hands and forced myself upward with every last ounce of strength that I had. The walls had continued to close. I was less than a foot away as it rose above my shoulders. The pressure of being crushed by the weight of the water was unbearable. I could feel my organs displacing with the force, I could feel my bones cracking and splintering with the pressure.
“Let me help you,” came a voice, with a hand reaching out to pull me up from the well.
I looked up to see the figure of Christian, standing there with his hand out.
“You just have to let that go,” he said, pleadingly, “Let me help you. You don’t have to end like this. All you have to do is forgive me. Don’t do it for me, do it to save yourself, Danielle.”
I looked up at Christian, hopelessly.
“Arghhhh,” I cried out, as I felt my ribs crack. The final orb had begun to separate from me as the skin ripped under its weight. I felt it slipping off. Just as the skin peeled back and detached from my body, I reached down into the water and barely grasped the end of the chain.
“Just let it go,” Christian said with his hand still extended. I looked at the orb.
“It’s not mine to forgive.” With my remaining strength, I tossed the orb over my head into the well opening.
I pushed my hands and feet against the sides of the well, abandoning the rope, pushing myself up, and lunged for the top ledge of the well. I gripped the edge and pulled my chin up over the top, then I inched my foot along the wall until I could sling it over the side and transfer my weight, slinging myself out of the well and onto the dirt below.
I laid there on my back, panting, still trying to catch my breath. I noticed a dark cloud forming above me, with the sun barely peeking out in a single ray of light. A figure appeared above my face, blocking out the light.
“Oh, you’ve done it now. Why do you continue to torture yourself, Danielle? Do you really think it is worth all this trouble? That the world needs you so much?” Franklin asked.
I rose to my feet. The well had transported me into a graveyard. Several headstones stood scattered throughout the grounds in a nonsensical fashion. Many of them appeared extremely old and several were broken. The single ray of light had expired behind the clouds, creating an ominous atmosphere. Everything was still and exceedingly quiet. The large, dark, dead trees did not sway in the wind and the grass that covered the grounds was black, like it had once been set ablaze.
“Why is everything here so dark?” I asked.
“You have one of the darkest minds in existence, what did you expect?”
I felt a slight tremble beneath my feet.
“What is that?”
“That is all those things you’ve kept hidden. All those things that make you feel guilt and shame. Everything that you’ve repressed and tried to forget. Well, those things can only be hidden so long. Surely you can’t pretend like they never happened, can you?”
I stepped away from Franklin and began pacing around the grounds, trying to find an exit.
“Hey, over here,” came a voice to my left, near a massive black tree. I glanced over and stumbled back in horror.
“It’s not so bad,” said the voice of Abel, as his hand clutched the key to the wooden door, now attached to a giant black tree.
“Abel?” I said.
“That’s right. You remember what you did to me, Danielle? Do you?” he asked.
“Of course I do,” I said, stepping backward.
“Do you? Do you remember what
