James didn't move and looked even paler than he had a moment ago. Layla on the other hand took off her pack and was already re-tying back her own hair into a rushed ponytail.
"You can't be serious," James' voice quivered.
"James, it's just a quick dip to cool off, and then we'll all climb out together, and head back," Layla reassured him, "you don't have to jump, too. Just... stay up here, and keep an eye out for Ruiz, okay?" She didn't wait for a response. Instead, taking a moment to channel her nerves, she exhaled deeply and took a running leap into the abyss.
After more air time than she was expecting, Layla finally splashed down into the crystal blue water. She pulled her head up, and looked over in cheerful reunion at the other two girls, treading water a couple of meters away.
The sunlight cast wavy silver shadows on the walls where the beams reflected off the now rippling surface. The water was crystal clear, and Layla thought perhaps she would have been able to see all the way to the bottom if it weren't for the darkness and the fact that there was probably no way of knowing how deep it indeed went. And all around, the sound of water dripping off of the vines and roots, which hung down into the pit could be heard echoing rhythmically, adding to the overall cavernous atmosphere. It was the only other sound present, apart from the girls' periodic fits of carefree laughter.
Layla looked over and saw that Becca was already turning her little accident into as close to a full trip to the spa as this blisteringly hot and miserable jungle would allow. She'd quickly stripped down to just her gray striped cotton panties and cream-colored bra and was floating on her back, thoroughly enjoying herself. The rest of her clothes and shoes were laid out to dry over a rock at the edge of the pool. Trying to fit in, Lanie had already begun to do the same, but very clearly appeared to be much more modest about covering up, as she pulled her ribbed maroon tank over her head, trying not to jostle her glasses as she did.
Layla's eyes caught with Becca's, before immediately blushing and averting her gaze, for fear that she might be judged for lingering her gaze too long. Becca just smiled, seeming to care very little about being watched. "Might as well relax a bit, loves. What's Ruiz gonna do? We earned this!"
Layla quickly decided to follow suit. After stripping down as well, she carefully found a spot on the edge of the pool for her wet clothes and shoes as well. On the top of the pile, she gently draped the silver Saint Christopher medallion, before finally kicking back off into the center of the cenote with the other two girls.
Layla smirked and splashed a wave of water in Becca's direction, who shook her hair out from the surprise assault. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be?!" She laughed, before jumping on Layla's back and pushing her under, playfully. As she popped back to the surface, Becca turned her impish attention to Lanie. "Don't think you're getting out of this, Miss Chatterbox!" She warned, before lunging through the water in her direction, sending her beneath the surface as well. Her glasses knocked off, bobbed lazily at the surface.
Layla laughed along as well, finally enjoying some much needed, and long overdue fun. "Ahhh... I needed something like this!" Layla sighed, floating on her back now as well, "just one thing though. You lied."
"Lied?" Becca responded, puzzled, "Lied about what?"
"The water. Before, when you said it was cold."
Becca's puzzled look persisted, "it... is cold. It's bloody freezing!"
Layla started laughing, nervously, "come on, quit joking! I feel like I'm in a hot tub over here!"
But Becca wasn't laughing anymore. And as her perplexed gaze met with Layla's, she knew she wasn't joking. And that's when another unsettling realization slowly crept over the both of them. Something that made the color instantly drain out of both of their faces. Lanie hadn't come back up from underneath the water.
Layla panned the now near placid pool, nervously stammering, "maybe... maybe she's just really good at holding her breath?"
"Oh get real, Layla! You know that's total bullshit!" Becca shouted, perhaps feeling a bit guilty, "Dammit! Where is she?!"
The two of them took turns diving below the surface and scanning the dark waters, but the poor visibility and their increasingly frantic nerves made searching the cenote's depths next to impossible. Then, Layla finally caught sight of something, deep below the surface. A glint of light! Dim and yellow.
Layla surfaced just long enough to call out to Becca, "I think I see her!" Before getting a full breath of air, and diving under, briskly swimming her way towards the yellow light, hoping it might be a reflection of Lanie's glasses or something.
As she dove deeper and deeper, the warm temperature of the water became almost overwhelming, and more than once threatened to take her breath away, if it weren't for her laser focus on reaching the glint of light up ahead. Of reaching Lanie. However, as she drew nearer, she could now see that it wasn't one point of light at all, but two, and as she advanced closer, they were beginning to brighten to almost a brilliant intensity. Too intense to be cast from a pair of glasses. And all of a sudden, Layla's vision cleared, and she could make out the flailing silhouette of Lanie, attempting frantically to free herself from something. Something that was casting the lights. Something with sinister, glowing yellow eyes.
Layla grappled at the floor for something, anything to aid in her rescue attempt. She grasped her hand around a rock among the sediment and, with impressive force, brought it down squarely between the yellow eyes,
