Page 66 of Totally Wrecked
This is paradise, Leander?
I wish I had his optimism.
KILLIAN
We walk along the cliff face for what seems like a long time. The pace is slow because poor Gray is obviously hurting and trying not to show it.
“I think the ridge is finally lowering,” I say. That might be wishful thinking, because the rain is starting to hurl down on us.
“We should find somewhere to wait this out,” yells Gray.
I agree completely. This is ridiculous. There isn’t much choice as to where to shelter—we’ll have to head back down into the jungle and under the canopy. I point to an area ahead of us which looked reasonably easy walking. Making my way around a huge boulder, I suddenly stop. Dead ahead is a cave.
“Thank feck!”
Gray and I looked at each other, then hurry inside. It’s an instant relief to be out of the worst of the storm, and although it’s dark, there is enough light to see. While Gray leans against a rocky wall, I keep exploring, hoping to find somewhere more comfortable to rest.
As I go further into the cavern, I’m surprised it isn’t pitch black. That’s when I realize there must be more daylight coming from somewhere further into the tunnel.
There is also a really weird smell.
“Hey!” I call to Gray, moving back to the mouth of the cave.
Gray is looking out onto the storming weather, and battered jungle. “It’s nasty out there.”
“Don’t despair, there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
“Figuratively or literally?”
“Come see.”
We pick our way through the rocks and along the cavern floor. The smell gets more intense, like rotten eggs.
Rounding a corner we are brought up short. There is still just enough light to see a soft glow of steam coming off a pool of water.
“Whoa.”
“Hot springs,” whispers Gray. “The fucking jackpot.”
“If only we could fecking drink it.”
Gray moves forward, kicks off a flip flop and puts a foot in the water. “That’s got to be 100 degrees at least, so yeah, drinkable. This is fucking gold—the water will be full of minerals.”
He pulls his shirt over his head, wincing a little, then steps out of his shorts and underwear. Looking over his shoulder at me, he says, “You coming?”
I wish.
I tear my eyes away from his impossibly perfect muscular ass, and strip off my own clothes, glad that the dim light hides my semi.
“I’m going to boil my fecking balls!” I yell, as the hot water hits my nutsack. Gray laughs, then plunges straight in, letting the water rush over his head.
“Holy shit, that’s hot.”
There is a ledge at the far side of the pool, so he makes his way over and heaves himself onto the flat rock. A minute later I follow. The hot water on my skin is amazing, and makes my intense exhaustion wash away. After lying on the ledge and cupping our hands to drink the water, Gray lies back down and gives a contented sigh.
“Fuck, this is so good.”
“And to think, if you’d never been bitten on the shoulder, we’d have never found this place.”
