“I’m awake, Josh. I’m sorry,” she whispered. She was exhausted and almost too weak to stand. The light hurt her eyes, and the salt water was chafing her skin. Taking a deep breath, she lifted Joshua into her arms in an attempt to protect him from the rising sea.
There was no way she could possibly hold him for long, but the feel of him next to her brought them both a measure of comfort. Something large bumped her leg, brought in on a wave. She shuddered and held her brother tighter.
“It’s so cold.” Joshua was shaking, every bit as drenched as she was.
“I know, little buddy. Try to go to sleep.”
“It hurts, doesn’t it?”
“What?” A wave slammed her backward into the wall, and she almost lost her grip on Joshua.
“Where he bit you. You were moaning while you were sleeping.”
“It hurts a little bit, Josh. I’m going to try to lift you to my shoulders. You might have to climb up by yourself, okay?”
“I can do it, Alex.”
She was so weak, the waves were bouncing her into the rock wall behind her, but somehow Joshua managed to make it onto her shoulders. His weight nearly sent her to her knees, and her hair, long since down from its chignon, was trapped under his legs, hurting her. But she didn’t protest. She just held on for dear life. The water was rising steadily, up to her waist now, a relentless assault. Her wrists burned from the salt water, the wound in her neck was raw, and her insides ached. She could feel things brushing against her legs, nibbling at her skin. It was all too horrifying, but Alexandria was determined to keep her will strong for her brother.
“We can do this, can’t we, Josh?” she said.
He leaned his weight against the wall and wrapped an arm through the thick chain to help steady them from the constant buffeting of the sea.
“Yes, we can, Alex. Don’t worry. I’ll save us.” He was very determined about it, very firm.
“I knew you would.” She closed her eyes again and tried to rest.
Alexandria slept on and off, a few snatched moments here and there. The salt spraying over her was pitiless, flaying the skin from her body. She was thirsty, and blisters were forming on her swollen lips.
At last the water began to recede, and the endless battering slackened. Joshua had to climb down by himself; Alex was no longer able to lift her arms. As she had suggested earlier, he made his way out of the cave to explore their prison. Alexandria usually had a million safety rules for him to follow, but this time she just watched him with glassy eyes.
He studied the cliff walls to find a place he could climb up, but they were too steep and slick. He was very thirsty, so he looked for a place where fresh water might run down the wall of rock, but he couldn’t see anything. The sun felt good on his cold, wet skin, and he lay down on the sand to dry his clothes and warm up.
Alexandria slumped over and struck her head against the rock wall. All at once she jerked awake, staring wildly around her. Joshua! He was gone! She had fallen asleep, and the waves had carried him off! She struggled to her feet, fighting the manacles on her wrists, and screamed for her brother.
Her voice was hoarse, nearly nonexistent, and refused to carry beyond the mouth of the cave. The meager sunlight filtering in burned her eyes, burned her skin, but she pulled and tugged at the chains, calling out again and again for Joshua.
By the time Joshua ran into the cave, and to her side, she was huddled against the wall sobbing. “What is it, Alex? Did that man come back and hurt you again?”
Alexandria lifted her head slowly. Joshua touched her bleeding wrists. “He did come back, and I wasn’t here to protect you.”
She stared up at him through her tears, unable to believe it was really her brother and not some figment of her imagination. She caught at him, hugged him tightly, and ran her hands over him to assure herself he was unharmed. “No, the man didn’t come back. I don’t think he can, with the sun up.”