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I wait for him to turn backthe wall,me feel a bit abandoned, and then quite asha so much how he behaves in the first place He is notmy brain

I getthe cave’s ris htens unexpectedly How can we be trapped here, with no one having come for us? How is that possible?

As if he hears me, Declan looks over his shoulder I set my rock down before my tears spill over and walk quickly to the streaed with my hands over my shameful, hot face

Crying is useless Sure, it can be clarifying, but it’sover of emotions best left in their own allotted cup I take a few fortifying breaths and tell myself I’ve endured worse

We’ll keep chipping at the cave’s le on the stone that’s blocked us in, and at that ti I do believe in: believing Outlook cannot be overrated

More tears leak fro I hurry to wipe them as I hear him approach

Not your friend, I tell myself

I’htened and out of sorts, but he is not one soon There’s no point inany headith him The fact that his presence makes me stupid is even more reason to put distance between us

I wipe htenbesidedown at my lap I feel his hesitation, and I hate that I enjoy it I enjoy his eyes on ment…beyond pathetic

“I think if we hit this hard—if we both do,” he starts— “if we go harder than we have so far, I can shift that stone enough to getmore nohen I push a certain way Trust o a little harder for a little longer What do you say, Siren?”

It’s Finley, I want to scream Instead I snip, “Of course”

I let him help me up, and alk toward the cave’s or We work the entirefrequent breaks to splash hi my stone so hard, my shoulders feel as if they’re broken

Every so often, he stops and shoves upward against the boulder, and I holdwith hope and dread and fear—but nothing happens We press on We work until sweat drips off his hair and soaks his shirt, and spots are dancing in ain He’s correct: we can feel a ee bit of breeze, so we can’t be far fro free, but he can’t lift the boulder

I can tell it’s driving hi his hammer Then he drops it—more like tosses it across the way Fro, hear hi as he strains beneath the boulder

Stubborn ether