Page 113 of The Lottery

We’re about to find him.

The cave is a short drive, less than fifteen minutes. Instead of driving uphill to the entrance where we last saw Marek, Declan takes a steeper path leading to the bottom of the cliff.

Where he fell.

“I went into the cave yesterday,” Declan says. “No bear in sight, so it didn’t take Marek back. That’s a good sign, to me.”

He’s trying to give me hope. I’ll take it.

At the bottom of the cliff, we park and get out, Lana still keeping her grip on my hand and arm.

I look up toward where he would have fallen—about twenty-five feet up.

It’s far.

It’s not too far.

“Maybe he fell on top of the bear…” I think out loud, searching for different ways he would have survived.

“More likely,” Declan says, walking down toward the rocky face at the base of the cliff. “He fell into this stream.”

At first I don’t see what stream he’s talking about, but when I move closer I can see water running beneath the snowfall. It travels down the slope of another hill and weaves into an opening below the cliff.

“Is he underground? The water took him into that cave?” I ask, starting toward the entrance where the water flows.

“Maybe,” Astrid answers, stepping in front of me. “Don’t go any closer, you’ll break through the ice.”

I look at my feet and realize I’m standing on the frozen stream. It’s about ten feet across with moving water only visible in one section in the center.

Where Marek and the bear fell.

“So he…” I start to say it, but the words won’t come.

“They fell and broke through the ice here,” Declan says, finishing my thought. “Then they either climbed out or got carried under. The snow makes it impossible to track, at least for now.”

“We need to go into that cave,” I say. Astrid wraps her arms around me as I try to move closer.

“Please, we at least need to look,” I say. “Tie a rope around me so you can pull me back up, but we have to look!”

I try to keep my voice calm, but the words come out frantic. I’m so desperate to see him, to find him alive, that I can’t control myself.

“We don’t know how fast that water is running, or how much of it is down there,” Declan says, stepping closer. “Trust me, I’ve thought about this for three sols. If we lower you blind, we might lose you and whoever is holding the rope.”

“We have to! It’s our only choice. If he’s down there, it’s the only way to find him.”

Declan puts a hand on my shoulder, and I see his chin quiver as he tries to fight back his own emotions. “I have worked in mines my whole life. I will risk everything to save Marek, but only when we can see where we’re going. We need the snow to melt.”

I know I won’t win this argument, but I still can’t bear it. I drop to my knees, burying my face into my gloves as my body shakes. “We can’t wait that long.”

Feet crunch in the snow as Lana walks over and kneels behind me. She leans against my back, putting her arms around my chest and bringing me into a tight hug. Her head rests on my shoulder, her mouth close to my ear so she can speak softly.

“We have to wait, my dear. If he is down there, he will live another day. We will know soon.”

The embrace helps. A little physical support makes it easier for me to suppress my sobs.

“In the meantime,” Lana starts, a more somber tone to her voice, “we have to prepare for the worst.”

“No,” I say, not ready to hear these words.

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