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I gazed into the still, dark pool as we stepped onto the ra?"

"Nope Can’t Toominerals saturated the water, it’s full of alkali"

I glanced at him curiously "Alkali?"

He nodded "You know, the stuff that goes into batteries Nothing can live in this pit because of the alkaliwhich "

I shivered "Wouldn’t swirinned as if ed "Never made me sick before It stains my clothes an awful ht at the thought of hi around in this very pit "Soyou’ve swum here before?"

He see "Every su as I can remember" Even his voice was quieter Deeper I couldn’t breathe so well

Turning my attention to the water, I cleared my throat "Did you build this dock?"

"No That must’ve been your father, or one of your brothers"

"Garrett, probably," I mused more to myself "He’s handy like that"

He didn’t answer Instead, he toed off his shoes and sat on the edge As soon as he swung his legs over the side and let his feet dangle into the water below, he eased out a big sigh

Then he grinned up at me "If you hand me your shoe, I can rinse it off in the water for you"

I made a face "And let you stain it with battery acid water?"

He rolled his eyes "I think the shoe’s already ruined I was just offering you a less ood point "In that case, I can do it" I slipped off both shoes and took theover the dock and out into the water

"Careful," he cautioned, grasping my hip "Don’t fall in"

I hadn’t been in any danger of falling at all until he went and touched hten his grip and yank ainst him to save me from a strip pit full of battery acid