Catching Hope by Kathy Cassel

Author:Kathy Cassel [Cassel, Kathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Haven Point Publishing
Published: 2022-03-22T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

As Levi and I hiked along, I tried to convince myself this would work out, and later we’d look back and remember how we’d all worked together to survive. But I was having a hard time convincing myself now. Little did I know what still lay ahead.

I strained to hear anything sounding like a river or even the trickle of a stream. But it was quiet. Too quiet. Only the sound of my breathing and an occasional comment from Levi broke the stillness, a sharp contrast from the noise of things falling during the earthquake.

After walking on fairly flat ground for a while, we headed down the side of the mountain again. I stopped short when I caught sight of a huge crack in the earth in front of us. I could guess this too was from the earthquake as it looked like the one where we hid from the kidnappers. This one was far deeper—deep enough the crevice floor was lost in the dark shadows.

Beside me, Levi was studying the depths calmly. “At least the crevice is narrow enough to jump. No more than three or four feet.”

“Jump?” I felt lightheaded thinking about a jump. “What if we slip and fall? We can’t even see how far down it is—maybe all the way to China!”

“Not possible. China isn’t opposite Haiti on the globe.” Levi was always logical. “Besides, we don’t have a choice if we’re going to get water for Chad. Listen!”

Following the direction of Levi’s turned head, I strained to hear anything. A distant rushing sound somewhere beyond the crevice could be wind in the trees, but it could also be water.

Swallowing down my fear the best I could, I lectured myself sternly as I took a step forward. Don’t be a wimp! Levi’s right. I can make it.

But I stopped again on the edge of the crevice, dizziness making my head spin. I swayed and would have pitched forward if Levi hadn’t reached out and pulled me back from the rim. My fingers felt icy cold against his warm hands. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said gently. “I’ll go, and you can wait here for me. It can’t be far if we can hear the water.”

I looked at him in surprise, unused to my twin comforting me instead of the other way around. “No way! We go, we go together! We had to leave Chad and Jen behind, which was bad enough.”

Again, I stepped forward. I had to do this, if not for me, then for Chad and for Levi. But I couldn’t force myself across the gap. Thrusting my hands into my jean pockets, I looked over at Levi and burst out, “Why does all this have to happen now when we finally got a family? It doesn’t seem fair.”

Levi let out a sigh and dropped into a sitting position on the ground. “Let’s rest a few minutes.”

After a moment, I dropped down beside him. I felt something knobby and hard between me and the ground and reached into a pocket.

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