Page 62 of Julian's Curse

“We’re in a shaft below the earth.” She read my mind.

“Is it part of a house? Do you know if there is a structure above?” In that case, Amanda would have a solid chance at finding us, especially with Julian’s help.

“No, Lucie.” She sighed. “If you really want to know, the entrance of it is hardly noticeable. Jess made sure I knew this as she locked us in here. It’s hidden with overgrown vines, in the middle of a forest. And there’s no structure above it, nothing that would indicate there’s anything beneath.”

I searched her eyes, now filled with intense fear.

“She’s wrong,” I retorted. “We’ll both find a way out. We could try to dig our way out of here,” I contemplated, the words, however, feeling desperate as they left my lips. What if the walls collapsed on us? Tree roots snaked their way into the shaft, their gnarled fingers reaching through the earth. Maybe it was better to conserve our energy, wait for rescue, and hope we weren’t too far gone.

She seemed to agree, her face etched with the same grim reality. “The chances of it working are extremely low, Lucie. And I honestly don’t have the strength anyway.” She seemed too weak to sit up now, her body slumped against the cold, stanchingwalls. I could see the exhaustion etched on her face, the toll this place was taking on her. I couldn’t let her fade away, not like this—not when there was still a chance.

My eyes moistened as the words slipped out. “You’re going to be standing next to me at my wedding... and then I’ll be there for yours.” It was as if I could already hear Mark’s voice, filled with desperation, fighting to save the love of his life, to keep her by his side.

“We’re not going to die here.” I grabbed the sharpest rock I could find and began digging into the dry earth, desperate to create something—anything—Sophie could drink from. I only needed to get her a little bit of time, till they’d find us.

“I’ll try to keep it as clean from blood as possible, I am really sorry.” At this point, disgust didn’t matter when she’d had no water in two days.

“Blood?” She frowned, her brow furrowing with concern. “You’re bleeding?”

I took a shaky breath, my words tumbling out in a quiet confession. First, I didn’t want to tell her, but maybe I too, needed the warmth and comfort of her words. “Sophie, I started miscarrying a few days ago. At least, it seems like it.”

She blinked rapidly, clearly now sharing my sorrow. “I am so sorry, Lucie. Sometimes God makes decisions we don’t agree with, but we have to accept them.” I couldn’t help but think she was also trying to make peace with our situation. “I used to resist so hard, you know, my fate. I was so angry that I couldn’t just be like everyone else.”

I assumed she was now speaking about her heart issues.

“But at one point, I surrendered. It made everything easier.”

I nodded. “You’re right, I think there’s a good chance that our baby would have had many risks because of Julian’s addiction,” I squeezed her hand back. “Still, I think I was ready to be a mom, you know. I started picturing Julian holding the baby, andI think my abortion then also became impossible because it was his child.”

“You’ll be one, someday.” She comforted me. Was it a true prediction? Would I ever feel Julian’s touch again, his warmth, his presence? I remembered how he’d told me so boldly that he’d gotten sober because of me, and for a brief moment, it made me worry that he’d go down a dark path if I didn’t return.

“Has he sobered out in the rehab?” She asked.

“Yeah, he’s come back, Sophie. He seems to be in a better place.”

She seemed content with that, not having energy for more.

Silence fell between us. I tried to shake off the iron grip of fear, but the reality of our situation pressed down on me like a weight I couldn’t escape. The fact that we were trapped underground, hidden away and so hard to find, only deepened the sense of dread that clawed at my chest.

“Let’s pray,” she suggested gently. “Prayer’s helped me survive quite a few dark moments.” She looked like she might collapse at any moment, her exhaustion evident. We sat in silence, speaking with an unknown higher power, until a sense of relief slowly washed over us. “Lucie, please tell Mark that I love him. But he’s going to have to find someone else, I want that for him.”

I wanted to stop her and tell her not to think this way, but I let her continue. If this was important to her, I’d hear her out.

“Tell my parents they did a great job with raising me. My life was a dream, and it’s only fair it didn’t last forever. My two dogs, they’re my babies, so Mom has to take care of them.”

I blinked hard to stop my tears from flowing uncontrollably.

“Jess will get hers eventually, but tell her I forgive her. Deep down, she’s also human,” she added graciously.

I couldn’t breathe through my tears now, the weight of it all settling in. Even in the middle of her worst nightmare, sheremained generous, and kind—her spirit untouched by the evil surrounding us. However, I knew Jess wouldn’t face forgiveness in the aftermath. No, she’d face Julian’s wrath—he wouldn’t stop until she was dead.

“Know that being here with you is all I could have wished for,” her voice was now barely above a whisper. “When you get out, please don’t carry any guilt. Don’t weaken yourself with crying, either.”

“No, Sophie,” I wailed, the pain in my chest rising, raw and uncontrollable. “I love you. We’ll be alright, I promise.” By convincing her, I could also convince myself.

“Julian’s going to find you,” she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.

Amidst the horror of it all, I let her fall asleep because it seemed like the best decision medically. I left my hand on her wrist, trying to feel her pulse, as if the simple act of touching her might anchor her to this world. Her skin felt cold under my fingers, and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat—slow, but steady—was the only thing reassuring me that she was still with me. The silence between us was suffocating, but I couldn’t tear myself away.

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