Page 2 of Irreversible

He lowers so slowly, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold my bladder long enough to get to the top. But then he’s here, in front of me, his feet flat on the ground. If I weren’t afraid of the box crumbling if I jostle it too much, I’d throw myself at him in gratitude.

“Well, it’s nice to finally see you up close, Aiden. Your family’s been telling me all about you. Gonna be real happy to have you back where you belong.”

“Yeah. Thanks, sir. I…” My mind goes blank. I’m nodding and shaking, my eyes wet and blurry, and—and I can’t think of anything else to say. “Thanks.”

“How’s the arm?” He gestures at the wrist I landed on when I hit the bottom, but I’m too relieved to care about that now.

“I’ll live.” I shrug. Despite the bruises, I know I got lucky.

“You’re a brave kid, that’s for sure. We’ve got some medics up there to look you over, and if all’s well, you’ll be home real soon. Bet you can’t wait to hug your mama.”

“Yes, sir.” Dad, too. I’ll even hug Kaylee. If she hadn’t been spying and saw me head this way, I might have died down here.

He swings his light in an arc. Up, down, and all around. “So, they tell me this was a cellar.” He shines it right into the cavern, where it only reaches a few feet before the dark swallows it up. “Pretty shitty job they did filling it in. ‘Scuse my French.”

I watch as he drops a curious glance at the box sandwiched under my good arm.

“What you got there?”

I don’t know why, but I pull back when he reaches for it. “Just a box. It’s old. I’m going to give it to my dad to clean up so we can open it safely.”

“Ah, good idea. I’ve been talking to your dad. Cool job he’s got. I hear you want to follow in his footsteps some day?”

I nod. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.

“Well then, how about we get this harness on you and get you back to your family, huh?” He holds out a hand. “I’ll hang onto your treasure on the way up.”

His hand hovers there, like we aren’t leaving until I hand it over, so reluctantly, I do.

Stepping into the harness, I look back at Drew just as he wipes a hand over the lid.

“Wait. Be care?—”

“There’s something carved here, did you see?”

I shake my head. I’d planned to examine it better at home.

“Hold that flashlight up, will you?”

I bring the light closer.

Then, at just the right angle, the faint impression of letters become visible:

FOREVER.

1

Itry not to squint through the myriad of flashing lights.

Cameras snap and click, only giving me seconds to conjure up new poses. Hair touch. Hip twist. Pageant pose. Model walk. My chin is elevated, my smile only hinting.

Posture, posture, posture.

This isn’t my first rodeo, but my body still itches to slouch like I’m permanently hunched over my too-short computer desk, researching the kleptoparasitic behavior of a cuckoo bee.

As I nod my thanks to the swarm of photographers and step away, my attention latches onto two jade-green eyes fixed in my direction. Heat radiates from his gaze, firing straight into my core.

Buzz.

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