East Seven
Tunnels of the Heart
She is life. . . for me. . .
We hoped that Saleeni had truly remained undiscovered, but this dire situation had both Styx and me on edge.
We worked endlessly, barely taking time to sleep or eat.
We kept digging and finishing walls with either concrete or the river rock.
One to support, one to create the best setting for Saleeni.
When I explained what was happening underground to connect us, she nodded a lot. I think she was confuse, but she was getting the gist.
While hand-gesturing, I said, “You’ll be able to swim until inside.”
“W-With Mad-G?”
I can’t wait. “Yes, with me. Mad-G.”
Because we couldn’t get concrete to harden once submerged in water, the last part of the tunnel would be a pre-fabricated concrete tube, slightly smaller than the tunnel so it could slide in.
On one end, there was metal, like the end of the tunnel, so we could weld them together like an underwater oil pipe.
Being so close to the final breakthrough, we were down to using buckets.
Pushing the wheelbarrow up was becoming dangerous, slipping and sliding over the outside seawall that was ten feet deep before reaching water.
Therefore, our tunnel gradually descended the height of almost two stories.
Styx didn’t want her entrance to be easily seen from the surface.
It was time for a test. Outside at the seawall, I dropped a weighted string down the predicted measured amount. Saleeni followed it down the wall, then swam back up to me. She nodded, then pointed to her ear.
“You’ve heard me coming to you?”
“Y-Yes,” she said, mostly in the water. Her smile made every damn blister and cut so damn worth it. “Mad-G c-coming.”
It was against Styx’s new rules, him preferring Saleeni hidden, but I lay on my stomach, my chest at the wall. I reached over, waving her to me. “Kiss me, Saleeni.”
Not wasting a single moment, her fin propelled her out of the water.
The kiss was to be short and sweet, but my hands suddenly seized the back of her head and neck and refused to let her go. She hung in the air as my tongue possessed her mouth, so fucking hungry for more.
As if I were now the siren, her arms floated to her sides in surrender, letting me fully support her.
An impossibility for a human who would have ended up with a broken neck.
For a magical being? It was sensational.
We drank in each other’s desires, desperate for the day we could see them through to a whole new level.
Slowly pulling my mouth from hers, I didn’t sound like myself when I threatened, “Soon, I won’t stop.” I didn’t want to, but my hand softened to release her because I needed to keep her safe.
Her drugged eyes opened. “Want… it all,” she vowed, right before dropping back toward the ocean in slow motion.
Her eyes drifted back shut, and her proud smile said, “Stronger.” I suddenly understood I had controlled her speed.
Wow. I didn’t understand this ability, nor how to control it, but the young man inside my ego was stoked. Too fucking cool.
Saleeni winked before disappearing completely.
That sexy wink had me hard, instantly. “Never wanted anyone more.”
Back underground, we maneuvered the heavy tube through the tunnel. It wasn’t as hard as I first thought it would be. Gravity helped lots.
Once the tube was snug against the remaining dirt, I crawled in.
Every time I’d make some headway with the dirt, I’d crawl out, and Styx and I would push the tube deeper in, preparing it for me to dig out more dirt, slowly making room each time.
It was slightly grueling, but we lacked the knowledge of how else to manage this incredible feat.
We even strapped two handheld mini air tanks to each of us for when we reached the water.
We weren’t sure of the physics. Styx was concerned the pressure of the water wouldn’t create a slow enough leak.
And because he was extra paranoid now, he refused to use the internet or search Google on his cell phone for answers.
He said a few local searches, if anybody was spying, could lead whatever enemy Saleeni had straight to her location.
“Put this on.” Styx handed me a headlamp.
“What about the lights already down there?”
“I removed them. If water comes in, no need to electrocute our asses.”
“Good point.” I placed the light on my head and secured it. Then I blew out a breath. “Think today is the day?”
He didn’t look happy. “According to measurements, I do.”
“Hey.” I grabbed his shoulder. “We’ll be alright.” All I wanted was Saleeni. To make this tunnel work and bring her close. Anything to protect her.
From inside the waterless pool that now had beautiful rock walls, he said, “Water is powerful, Silly Rabbit.”
I teased, “Need a beer first?”
He shoved me toward the tunnel. “Stop trying to cheer me up.”
You didn’t have to be gifted to sense him wishing he could do this on his own, but we didn’t have any alternatives. I didn’t exactly want him down there in danger by himself.
The lights above, which I’d set to blue, guided us for some time. Once we got closer to the exposed dirt we were almost done with, I clicked on my headlamp. It worked perfectly, lighting up all I needed to see. “Handy, Gramps!” I crawled into the tube.
This time, Styx was practically up my ass, his headlight glowing over my shoulder. “Slow. Examine for water. Then proceed.”
He had already explained this several times. “Got it.”
“If any water appears, stop.” He grumbled behind me. “My smarts say this is stupid.”
I lifted the ax into the air. “Not exactly brimming with an abundance of solutions.” I struck the dirt. “Got to see it through.” I pushed the fallen dirt aside.
Styx scooped everything I kept passing to him into buckets. “Your speed isn’t slow and steady, kid.”
I lifted the ax and struck. “Stop worrying!” After pushing away dirt, I lifted the ax but stopped when I saw a slight dribble. “Hey, I think we have water—”
I didn’t even have a chance to finish my sentence before I was being yanked out of the tube. “Take the buckets up. My turn to dig.”
Pissed and wanting to be the one to break through, I grabbed the buckets. “Bullshit.”
Hunched over, I took only one step forward to head up the tunnel before I heard, “Oh shit.”
I turned back to see Styx yell, “Run!” Buckets were knocked from my hands, and he shoved me forward. “As fast as you can—”
I felt a gust of wind.
After that, the water reached us so fast I now understood his worst tunnel fear had come true.
The pressure of all the water weight was so intense, circling us as if it was being shot in from below by a fire hose. Our bodies now drifted out of control, at the mercy of the rush of seawater pushing under and around us through the tunnel. None of my gifts were present—only panic.
Fighting a stunning force of power, Styx fought to stay next to me, struggling to push a handheld tank into my mouth, but it was useless. We weren’t strong enough. The tanks were ripped from us as water covered our heads. Then the headlights slipped off.
Being slammed against the concrete walls in this tight space, with wide shoulders fighting for room, we were at nature’s mercy. Being sucked into an abyss. Every kick, every swipe of an arm seemed to get us nowhere. The overhead waterproof blue lights shone on us the whole time.
Even green ones.
Green? I dared to look behind me. There she was, my beautiful siren, eyes beaming, gaining on us.
Moving through and past two out-of-control bodies, I felt her grab my hand.
My arm almost dislocated during the initial pull, but I was thrilled to see Styx being dragged with me.
A tail propelled us up through the tunnel built for its owner.
When seeing different lights ahead, in the empty pool now filling with water, I begged my lungs to hold out for a few more seconds.
Hands releasing us, Styx and I broke the surface, gasping and elated to be alive.
“Holy shit.” Head leaned back to breathe freely, Styx joked, “I remember the warning now about water pressure.”
Ready to celebrate our success, and with grateful lungs, I smiled. “Ya think?”
He chuckled. “Damn, drowning sucks!”
Since I knew this firsthand, a few times over, I wanted to dunk him—drown him myself—but then remembered who was in this water with me. Who this was all for.
Treading water, I slowly turned to face eyes I never had to be far from again. I sighed, pure relief. “We did it, Styx.”
Emotionally, he kissed two fingers, then held them up to the ceiling. “Lennox, I hope you’re seeing this.”
Then I waited for Saleeni to be just as elated as me.
That moment never came. Not in the form I had imagined. I had expected this epic union; Saleeni rushing to be in my arms. Instead, only her eyes showing above the water, she circled in place, studying everything around her.
Including a man she had only seen on shore. Now he was floating in the same body of water.
Styx waved, a little reserved. “Hi.” He smacked his forehead. “Fuck. I did it again.”
Saleeni tried to smile back, but trembling lips seemed to make it impossible.
Watching her, Gramps grabbed his chest. “Ah, shit. Poor thing.” Then he took a deep breath, treading water to face me. “Nothing is impossible.” He swam to the stairs, quietly telling me, “I’m going to go shower.” AKA, give us time alone.
Before he left the lagoon to slip into his room next to mine, he slid shut a gate at the beginning of the tunnel.
Saleeni jerked, causing ripples in the water.
Styx grimaced, apologizing. “We don’t know what kind of big fish will make their way in here.”
I knew this. We had tried to talk about all the possible scenarios we could think of, including sharks.
Next, Styx dimmed the overhead lights, then continued into his room, shutting the door.
Saleeni’s eyes stopped squinting with the calmer lights. This beautiful creature was used to sunlight, not manmade bright LEDs.