Scenes and Sequels: How to Write Page-Turning Fiction by Mike Klaassen

Author:Mike Klaassen [Michael John Klaassen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: -
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2016-03-23T00:00:00+00:00

O’Brian woke to another tremor, his head throbbing. He coughed at the stink of sulfur. He ached all over, but nothing seemed broken. Remembering the fall, he staggered to his feet.

Broken rocks lay in a pile against the wall, and he figured he could climb out easily. His hand brushed against the climbing line. “Gruden! You all right?”

The steaming pool of black water rumbled as it boiled.

O’Brian tugged on the line, and it yielded without resistance. He pulled again until he saw that the line led into the dark pool.

“No!” he screamed, his mind nearly exploding. He planted his boots on solid rock and pulled hard. Several feet of line drew close, but then it drew tight.

He pulled with all his strength. The line wouldn’t budge.

Recalling how he could unsnag a fishing line, he sidled a few feet to the left, then pulled again. Still nothing.

He raced to the right and tried again. The line held tight.

Releasing some slack, he ran to the other side of the pool. He yanked on the line, then let out some rope. The line pulled taut then drew away from him, as if it was weighted. O’Brian pulled hard, hand over hand, hauling the line in as fast as he could.

Finally, out of the black, boiling water bobbed the body of the biologist. With a burst of strength, O’Brian heaved the line back, dragging the body onto the rocky edge of the pool.

O’Brian paused, staring at the biologist’s back as the body lay on its side. The skin on Gruden’s arm bubbled with blisters. For a moment O’Brian imagined being boiled alive. He hoped Gruden had drowned quickly.

Once the initial shock wore off, O’Brian wondered what he should do next. There was no way that the biologist could still be alive, but he felt he should check for vital signs. That would be the professional thing to do.

He gently clutched Gruden’s wrist, but then recoiled at the heat radiating from the steaming flesh. He took a breath, then eased his hand around the wrist to see if he could detect a pulse.

As his hand closed around the wrist, another tremor rocked the ledge, and O’Brian lost his balance. Reflexively, he tightened his grip to keep from falling over the body. As he did, the flesh of Gruden’s lower arm slid away from the underlying bone.

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