The Canyon_A Novella by Dyer Wilk

Author:Dyer Wilk [Wilk, Dyer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Twisted Publishing
Published: 2018-08-01T04:00:00+00:00

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When Bill returned to the cave, something about him had changed.

As he set himself down beside the fire, he didn’t say a word. He stared into the flames, his eyes lost, his body slumped and thin like a newborn foal.

The silence smothered them all, overtaking the sound of the water and the crackling of the fire.

Bill kept staring.

Staring.

In time, he looked up and blinked.

“Why didn’t you bring the rope?”

Sam lifted his head. “Bill, I’m sorry about Jimmy…”

Bill’s voice was flat: “The rope. Why didn’t you bring it?”

“I…I did. You were far down the shore by the time I could get it. And Jimmy…the water was too fast. You know that. We all saw it.”

Bill looked at him, through him, the light of the fire and pure hatred burning in his eyes. “You killed that boy.”

Sam’s mouth fell open, wordless for a moment as a lump in his throat moved. “What are you saying that for? I didn’t do a thing to him.”

“You told him to go walking in the water. You didn’t bring the rope.”

“Now hold on. You hold on. I told you, I did. I can’t much run with my ankle twisted, but I brought it fast as I could. And I can’t be blamed for the kid walking out too far. He was sick. You saw he wasn’t right. I offered to fill his canteen. He wanted to do it on his own.”

Bill’s lips pulled back from his teeth, sneering as he spoke: “It should have been you.”

Sam’s jaw clenched. “If you were so concerned with that boy, why didn’t you jump in and grab him then? You can swim.”

Bill hesitated, the anger conflicting with the undeniable truth that the rest of them knew.

“You know why,” he said. “You know why I couldn’t go out there.”

Sam frowned, looking disappointed. “And yet you blame me? You blame a cripple for being crippled, when you were but fifty feet from him. And all you had to do was swim to him and pull him ashore. Seems to me, if you had done that, he’d be sitting here right now, drying himself by the fire. Instead of dead.”

Bill’s eyes filled with tears. “I couldn’t. You know I couldn’t! You know he’s up there. He could’ve shot the kid if he wanted, and if I’d have swam further out, he could have shot me, too! We step out in the open and that’s how it’ll be. He’s got us all trapped and there’s not a damn thing we can do about it!”

Gordon put a hand on his shoulder.

He spoke softly. “That’s enough now. Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow we’ll try to find a way out of here.”

Bill wiped his eyes and nodded.

They all lied before the fire in an imitation of slumber, their heads cushioned by folded arms, their eyes closed. Gordon pretended like the rest of them, but sleep didn’t come. His mind wouldn’t cease thinking. He saw Jimmy in the water, thrashing and screaming. He saw Tom falling from his horse, a look in his eyes like he’d seen death carrying away everything he held dear.

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