• Two dark figures pressed themselves against the slimy wall. Their hands gripping the slippery surface. Suddenly one of the figures reached forward, and grabbed the hand of the one in front. The figure - a girl, with long dark hair - glanced back, surprised, and lost her footing. As she plummeted the boy shouted out, and jumped after her. Cold air rushed past them, catching on their jackets as they sped down. They plunged through the darkness, until...
    His head broke to surface of the rapid water, he swam to the side, pulled him self out.
    “Beth?” Silence.
    “Beth!” he couldn't hear anything above the roaring of The Killer... and the fabric of Silence suffocating him. Then he heard something that stole everything away, his heart, his mind, his soul - everything. He heard Beth screaming. He scanned dark cavern, but her voice was snuffed out so suddenly it was like it had never been. The Silence even killed the echoes.
    “BETH!?” He could see nothing, hear nothing. He could feel nothing, but the cold, lonely, darkness. And the guilt. This was his fault, his fault, he should have just left her alone…
    ***

    "Hey! Gary!" Whispered Beth, "check out Mr Michael!" Beth and Gary both looked over at the small, grey haired man standing by the open school doors. He was talking animatedly to Miss Greensdale - the biology teacher. It general knowledge that Mr Michael seriously liked Miss Greensdale - Everybody seriously liked Miss Greensdale, even Gary(though he would never admit it). Miss Greensdale was tall, and slim; she had short, blonde hair that she dyed purple, with dark red tips; She was petite on the waist with a nicely sized bust and a curvy figure. Mr Michael was old, well, not old old; he was 39, whereas Miss Greensdale was 28. Beth and Gary laughed at the spectacle. Mrs Harrison, came out, had a word with Miss Greensdale, and marched up to the gaggle of students.
    ***

    The floor was slippery underfoot. The walls wore wet and slimy coats of fungi. Only a few small pinpricks of light penetrated the icy darkness. Yet, the tunnel seemed alive. The Silence themselves seemed to whisper, they filled the tunnel like poison. They couldn't be heard, but felt. Along the tunnel, a figure, accompanied by a constant stream of condensed breath, stumbled along.
    Gary, the only form of life in sight, was angry. The only other things in this long, nothingness, where the darkness, and the Silence. This Silence was not simply the absence of any sound. It was the kind of Silence that you only found at the end, after sound. A Silence that that is the sound, that lives in nothing. All Gary could think about was how much he hated Beth, even her name made his blood boil, how could she abandon him like that?! Him?! She had just waltzed away with Mr I-Know-Everything-About-Thins-Place, Mr You-don't-Need-Him, Mr Know-It-All, Mr Sweet-Talk, Mr and Mrs Traitor, Frist David, now "him". She had betrayed him, just 'cos he's been here for a long time and "knows his way around". He sighed, he didn't hate her, he was so just angry, and he felt so betrayed. And confused. And frightened.
    ***

    "Alright - alight! Children, please! Daniel! Put that, down! No - Stacy! Leave Maranda alone!". Gary stuffed his fist into his mouth to try and stifle the fresh wave of
    mirth as Mrs Harrison tried to calm the students down.
    "Right" said Mrs Harrison, as the last few people stopped talking. "Now, I want you all to line up - Single file, Davis - and make your way to the bus"
    ***

    Someone screamed.


    Gary stopped dead. Beth. The sound pierced his heart, like a bullet it shattered the glassy Silence around him. I was pure terror; it curdled his blood, made him sweat the fear that had been in him ever since they had first set foot in this Godforsaken place. Coldness clouded his mind like crimson smoke, it sped through him and intoxicated the blood that pumped through his veins. Beth was in trouble. She was part of him and he of her; he shared the pain, the panic. It was like wading through ice-cold, dagger-sharp, liquid pain, forever following the bright beckon of relief. It was inside of him, it penetrated his soul like a knife of terror. He spun around. Thought he shouted as loud as he could, almost no sound escaped him. It was as if the Silence seemed to take on form, it became a twist of cord that rapped itself around his throat.
    "BETH?!"
    He lost his footing. He hit the ground hard and felt a hot pain spread through his leg.
    "BETH!"
    His leg was agony, but the only thing he could feel was that something was wrong and that Beth needed him, he needed her.
    “BETH!! BETH!!!” He screamed until his chest hurt. He felt his heart rate slow, his blood seemed to run to a stop, he felt cold sweat on his face. He was breathing fast. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he could see Silence that was forever stalking them.
    His heart stopped beating.
    “Beth…” Another voice, a voice that was so weak, that Gary hardly recognised it, but recognise it he did, and anger seeped into his body as fast as the sweat that was seeping out. His was not the only voice yelling, somewhere down the dark, shadow infested passage. Was another voice, quiet, but at the same time screaming. A dark silhouette.
    “Beth?”
    A dark silhouette stumbling along the passage.
    "Beth?"
    A dark, swaying figure staggered into his line of vision. Gary stared, fury re-ignite in his heart.
    ***

    Beth fought her way through the mass of bodies to the seat Gary had saved for them both.
    "What ya get?" asked Gary as she sat down. She sat the bag of sweets on his lap and said
    "They were out of cola strings so I got strawberry, hey, did you hear what happened to Maranda last week?"
    ***

    “You!” Spat Gary, how dare he come back, how dare he after -
    “Where’s Beth?” Gary's voice was sharp, as sharp as a pin. The figure just stood there, swaying slightly.
    “What’s wrong?” Asked Farid. His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, his eyes wandered around the darkness, as though lost.
    “Where’s Beth?” Gary was forcing his speech to remain level, stopping the waver entering his voice. He tried to keep away the thought that he dreaded the most, but it crept back, until it slithered like a snake to his vocal cords.
    “She’s not… she hasn’t…?”
    Farid didn’t need to say it, his eyes did it for him. He looked like a ghost; he was paper white, his dark hair plastered to his head, he was soaking wet and shivering. He reached out and laid his hand on Gary’s leg, it was swollen and sticking out at an odd angle. Only now did Gary let himself start to feel the pain.
    ***

    As the bus pulled up at "Aberdeen Aquariums", Miss Greensdale made her way to the front of the bus.
    "Right, now as you all should have been told, the way you act today will reflect on Banff Academy, so behave. Ask interesting question - about the exhibitions Davis, I do not want a repeat of the wildlife centre last year. and... have a good time". The bus stopped, the doors opened and the bus was filled with the sounds of seat belts clicking, excited chattering, and Davis making stupid animal sounds for the benefit of the giggling girls gathered around him like a gaggle of geese. Beth and Gary made their way off the bus and followed the mob of people into through the aquarium doors.
    ***

    “AH!” yelped Gary as Farid tapped his leg. He gritted his teeth, trying to stop the flood of tears that leaked, unwelcome, into his eyes. The two of them sat in Silence, nther of them wanted to be the first to talk about "That".
    “We need to get you back to the Hold.” Said Farid, “I might have something there, at least some painkillers”
    It’s funny, when two people hate each other with all their might, how easily they can suddenly see they others view. Once the thing they were fighting over, or about - even if they didn't realise they were fighting for it - is gone.
    "So, what happened?" Asked Farid. Half supporting Gary, half carrying him, they started back to the Hold.
    "Fell" replied Gary shortly "I heard Be-, a scream." Gary tryed to controle his breathing, he looked away from Farid, hoping he wouldn't notice, "I must have turned too quickly, and, well, I was on the ground with a broken leg"
    "You must have landed awkwardly" Said Farid.
    "Look..." Gary hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Sorry about all the stuff I said, its just-" But Farid cut him off.
    "Leave it, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have been so-"
    "No, it was me, I've just always felt protective of…her" Gary's voice wavered, his eyes stung, he glanced at Farid, hoping he hadn't heard the shakiness in his voice.
    "I don't know what happened" Farids voice was calm, but Gary could hear how hard he was breathing, and feel his chest heaving. "We were trying to edge around the killed, and, she slipped, I jumped after her, but - I managed to swim the side, but Beth..." he broke off. After a while, he started again, his voice calm once more.
    "I'm going to go down there, she must be somewhere."
    "What can I do?" He looked at Farid. "I can't go with you, but I can't just sit by! What can I... " his voice was quiet, he already knew what he could do. Farid looked at him, his eyes shone.
    "Nothing"
    ***

    "Hey, Beth!" Beth turned around to find David Davis smiling at her, "you... er, wanna-get-out-of-here?" he blurted out.
    "Er" Beth was taken aback, she had never really thought about David, it had always been her and Gary, she supposed he was her friend. "Yeah, sure. Let me just find Gar-"
    "No. Erm, I mean, just us..." David's face went red. Beth opened her mouth, and then realised what he was saying.
    "Hey, Beth" Gary appeared at David's shoulder, grinning "you have got to see this octopus, its huge!" He looked from Beth to David, his simile slipping.
    ***

    Nearly as soon as Beth hit the water, she felt relief; she had survived - relief that all too suddenly turned to panic.
    The Killer pulled her along in its watery wake like a leaf in the wind, so fast she hardly had time to scream. And as if to stop her from being rescued, she was dragged under. It spun her around, flipped her, squeezed her, stretched her, dragged her around with such force, that the only way she could tell which way was up was by the torrent of bubbles that escaped her. The water was so cold it felt like fire. Watery flames licked her, almost letting her reach the edge then drag her back under, like a cat playing with a mouse before killing it. The roaring of The Killer made her deaf, the darkness of the cavern made her blind, the cold of the Silence made her numb.
    She tried to fight the weariness, but it seeped into her like poison from a spider bite. And, once bitten by a spider, the poison starts to spread, and it is very hard to stop. Like a blanket of dark covering her mind, Beth lost consciousness.
    When she came round, she was gently bumping against a rocked damn. Knowing what lived in the water in this infernal place, Beth quickly climbed out.
    "Farid?" Beth knew it was false hope.
    "Gary?" but false hope, was better than no hope. She dragged her self to a bigger rock, and collapsed onto it. She started to sob quietly.
    "Stop it!" She told herself out loud, this place could drive you mad. She took a few deep breaths and thought about what to do. She was shivering, she had to find some dry clothes or she would die of hypothermia. If she could find her way back to the Hold she could find dry clothes and... and what then? She sat there for another five minutes to get her breath back, then stood up, she made the precautions journey to the edge of the damn. She slipped a couple of times on the uneven slippery surface, but made it to the other side in relatively one piece. This place could drive you mad, but only if the Silence didn't get you first.
    "Well Beth?" she muttered to her self as she looked around for a way out, "You always wanted an adventure, is this good enough for you?". With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she looked around. The only way to go was up.
    ***

    Gary hadn't talked to her since the David thing. So what? she told herself not to care, why can't I have other friends? but inside she knew she could just lie down and die if Gary didn't talk to her soon.
    "Gary?" she ran up to him, he turned his back to her. "Gary!" she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him round, "come with me" she grasped his arm and pulled his outside.
    "What's the matter with you? So what if I like David? You like Miss Greensdale!" Gary just looked at her don't laugh, he forced his mouth not to curl. A similar battle was going on inside Beth. She bit her lip, Gary looked away. A snigger escaped Beth, then both sides collapsed in a outburst of hysteria.
    " "So what if I like David?" " mocked David, through hoots of laughter.
    "Shut up!" Beth kicked him.
    "Hey!"
    "Oh Em Gee, turn around! Turn around! Lets go into those caves! Come on!"
    ***

    I pull my leg up and feel for a foot hold, then I reach out with my hand, and pull myself up another inch. I pull my leg up and feel for a foot hold, then I reach out with my hand, and pull myself up another inch. Beth's head was ringing, Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall. I pull my leg up and feel for a foot hole, then I reach out with my hand, and pull myself up another inch. I pull my leg up and feel for a foot hole, then I reach out with my hand, and pull myself up another inch. Her fingers are red, sore, and bleeding, rubbed raw by the rough stone, she was reminded of the many times she and Gary had gone rock climbing, Gary had always beaten her to the top, but this time she had to reach the top. Every time her fingers slid, or her foot slipped, or the rocks moved under her grip, she clung to the rock surface, her heart in her throat, her head screaming. She's covered in bruises and scrapes, and her whole body aches, but she can't stop, not now.
    Beth reaches up for a hand hole, and her fingers find the ledge! Her heart leapt. She grips the rock-strewn lip and pulls her body upwards, her foot slides as the weight is lifted upwards her head starts to scream, her breath stops, she throws her torso over the edge and clutches at the rocky surface, her nails and finger tips are cut, and bleeding. She pulls the rest of her body over the top and collapse. As she lies there, feeling the pain in her fingers, the ache in her limps, the fear of falling plunging back down into the darkness retreats. Leaving a deeper, harder fear, a feeling of dread. I survived the fall, the river, and the climb. What if Farid didn't? She felt her stomach contract what if Gary hasn't survived? Just as she had hit the water she had heard something, a cry. But.. no, she hadn't heard it, she had felt it. She had heard Farid calling, but above that, or beneath it. She hadn't heard it, she had, just, known, she had known that Gary had heard her, and she knew he had replied. The Silence pressed in on her, she pressed her hands to her ears in an attempt the block out the deathly Silence, so she almost, missed it.
    ***

    The caves were actually quite boring. The first two they tried weren't even proper caves, well, not by Gary's standard. The floors were littered with empty beer cans and crisp packets, and in one there were signs of an old campfire.
    "Gary! Gary, come here!" called Beth from further in.
    "What?" asked Gary, when he had found her. Beth was shining the torch(it wasn't a real torch, it was a key ring that came free with a Macdonald's meal) on a packet on the floor. Gary crouched down to see what it was.
    "Oh My God!" he roared with laughter. They had discussed condoms at school, and although in theory, Beth and Gary could keep a straight face during PSE, in practise they could help but snigger.
    They emerged from the cave still sniggering. They next cave, was the biggest they had seen, it seemed to go on for ever, it was the last one they entered.
    ***

    Beth looked up, she could hear voices, echoing through the tunnel. Gary? Farid?
    "Gary? Farid?" She hadn't spoken for over two hours, her very voice was hurt.
    "Gary! Farid!" She forced herself to her feet and stumbled backwards. She panicked as her left heel went over the edge and pushed herself back to the ground. She scrambled forward and skidded to her feet so fast her hands were still touching the ground. She propelled herself forward, yelling.
    "Gary! Farid! Gary!" But no matter where she went they just seemed to get further away. She stopped. The Silence seemed to be trying to stop her from hearing. She couldn't tell what they were saying. Then something Mrs Graway, their geography teacher, had told them before they went of in there groups, shot into her mind.
    "... don't ever be in a big cave by yourself, the tunnels distort sound waves so things sound closer than they actually are..."
    They'll be going back to the Hold she told herself. She listened to the voices retreating into The Silence, So close... Her eyes filled suddenly with tears, she turned her head away from the voices, as if Gary and Farid would be able to tell she was crying. Beth wasn't the sort to cry, at least, she didn't cry about big things, she cried when she was angry, and when she felt guilty, she cried over little, tiny things that she forgot about within hours. She had managed so far but eventually things build up too high. The Silence echoed her tears back to her, as if mocking her.
    A girl with long black hair, sat on the floor of a cavern, and sobbed and sobbed. It was her fault, it was her fault, she had nagged to Gary come here in the first place, it was her fault they had gotten lost, it was her fault... She didn't know how long she sat there, even after the tears had stopped, and the tunnel was once again too quiet, she sat.
    She had to find them, they were going to the hold, so she had to get to the hold. Eventually, she stood up, and started on her way. The Silence stalking her all the way.
    ***

    "God! This floors wet!" complained Beth,
    "well, its a big cave, its probably underwater during high tide" reasoned Beth.
    "It's all in my shoes through! Maybe we should go back, don't know 'bout you, but I don't want to get stranded here" Beth's voice was calm, but inside she was getting really scared.
    "Oh, don't be such a girl. It'll be fine, stop worrying! We'll get out before we get stuck" Gary's voice was confident, brave, but inside, he knew Beth was right. But he wanted to look good, to show her that he was better than David.
    ***

    "Thanks..." Said Gary awkwardly, Farid looked up and smiled, embarrassed.
    " It's fine, I don't think it's a very good job mind you but it'll do 'till you get back-"
    "No, I meant, thanks for all of it, I mean, the leg too but... thanks for... trying, to get... Beth out" Gary and Farid looked at each other, but nether of them was seeing the other, they were thinking of Beth. Gary glanced up at the sound of foot steps. No, he looked again I was thinking about her, so I'm imagining it, He closed his eyes, hard and opened them, trick of the light... He didn't know why he didn't believe it was really her, maybe it was a way of protecting himself, so he couldn't lose her again. Farid noticed him gazing out the mouth of the cave, and looked to see what he was staring at. The two of them thinking the exact same thought. They looked at each other, and each knew that the other could hear her too. They jumped up, or rather, Farid jumped up. Gary tried and fell over, Farid stopped and lifted him up, helping each other along the passageway. They ran, jumped, hopped and scampered to the source of the break in The Silence.
    ***

    "Come on, Gary! The waters nearly at your knees now!" Beth was getting annoyed now, what was he playing at?
    "Well, I'm short!" joked Gary.
    "Gary! What's goin on!? We need to get out, now!" Beths voice was rising with the water.
    "It's only up to out knees!" Gary's voice was clip, annoyed.
    "That's the -" There was a splash behind Gary, turning he found Beth sitting in the water.
    ***

    Beth looked up, she wanted to run, she didn't know why. Then she was off, sprinting down the passageway, slipping on the slimy surface underfoot. She didn't know why, but she had to. The Silence pursuing her, Beth darted down the passage.
    ***

    "Look!" shouted Beth, "if you want to drown fine, but I'm turning back!"
    The last hour the cave had been filled with yelling, and still Gary would see reason.
    "Fine! Go away, I'm going to have fun! You go and look at fish with "David" " Gary screeched back,
    "Is that what this is about! God, you are so... insecure, jealous and downright stupid!"
    "Oh! very nice! Very good comeback! Your the one who -"
    "Shut up!" Beth was suddenly tense,
    "Don't you tell me to shut -" Gary was livid. How dare she!
    "Shut up, and listen!" Beth was terrified, but Gary was so angry he didn't notice.
    "No! I'll shout if I -"
    "LOOK AT THE WATER!!" Screamed Beth. Gary looked down. Around them the water had risen, and from down the tunnel came to sound of rushing water.
    ***

    It was faster now, the sound of feet on the uneven cave base. Gary, pumped his leg faster. The Silence rushed ahead of them.
    ***

    She could hear them! They were sliding about just around the corner! The Silence was left behind as sheer joy forced her forward.
    ***

    He could see her! The Silence seemed to break into a million pieces as his heart swelled.
    ***

    There they were! The Silence seemed to break into a million pieces as her heart swelled.
    ***

    In a tunnel, inside a massive rock out to sea, three figures stood and stared at each other; one girl, and two boys, one supporting the other. Then they ran, so fast they fell, they hit the ground and crawled to each other. They sat, hugging and kissing and crying.

    20 years later

    "Babe! Can you get it!" Yelled Beth, she was busy trying to wash Gary, get Helen to give her back the soap and get Farid to let go of her leg. And it was now the phone started to ring.
    "FARID! THE PHONE!" There was a knock at the door, Beth turned her head and saw Gary waving at her from out side, he was drenched! She waved her arm, and he stepped inside, shaking his head like a dog and soaking them all.
    "You want me to get that?" He asked, indicating the phone.
    "Yes!" She replied, as Farid finally let go of her leg. He ran to Gary screeching:
    "UNCLEGARY-UNCLEGARY-UNCLEGARY!" He reached up with sticky fingers, and when Gary didn't pick him up settled for attaching himself to his leg instead.
    "Hello?!" Gary shouted down the phone, straining to be heard, and hear over all the screeching children, "yes? Ok, hold on!" He lowered to receiver "For you, where's Farid? - no" he said, as Farid's sticky fingers reached for the handset, "big Farid, daddy Farid".
    She reached for the phone and indicated he's in the other room, and as Gary passed her she whisperd,
    "He's not doing so well, I'm keeping the kids in here" He gave her a solemn nod, and de-tangled himself from the little boy.
    ***

    I step into the other room, and close the door quickly, sound is muffled immediately. As my eyes get used to the darkness, I can make out Farid, sitting in the corner. He has managed to collect more treasures since I was last here, and now has a flashlight, which is on his knee, he was replacing the batteries, but looked up as I entered.
    "Farid?" I manoeuvre my way through the clutter and sit down on a chair, it's the only one in here that he's kept, and only because Beth made him. He looks up at me and smiles weakly.
    "Hi" his voice is hoarse, but his eyes are warm.
    "Why didn't you answer the phone?" I study his face, "have you eaten recently?"
    "Did it ring?" His eyes shift over to a corner of the room, I sigh and go over to the phone, it's unplugged again.
    ***

    I never really got used to living in a house, or dealing with lots of people, or any of it really. I manage, I can deal with it in bits. I love Beth, and I love my children and Gary and that. But some times it builds up and I can't handle it, it's just too much. And... sometimes, when I'm in the other room, and I'm on my own... It's like I'm still there, and then I hear my children, running around and sometimes, I wish they had never found me. No, I wish they had found me, but we had stayed in the Hold, in The Rock. Once I actually crept out in the middle of the night, and just stood on the beach, looking out at The Rock.