«Until the flooding of the cave system remains: thirty minutes»
The main thing is not to think about anything! Continue to crawl and in no case be silent…
«Once the Bunny met the Fox. «I’ll eat you,» she said. «No, you won’t,» the Bunny replied insolently. You see, he was also very cocky. «The Bear, the Wolf and the wild Bear are my close friends and told me in all details about your intimate relations with them (in my mother’s version, these were always more harmless options like «stealing food», but in this place I already, as a rule, laugh and am fooling around with her). The Fox blushed all over with shame. And yet she ate the Bunny. But the redness has not completely disappeared, since then Fox has been walking red».
At this moment, someone’s hands grab Yu by the shoulders and pull first her, and then me, out of the hated manhole.
«What a stupid fairy tale», says Yu, smiling weakly.
«You are welcome», I smile in response, «by the way, it’s called «Why the Fox is red.»
Barely catching my breath, I look around and see the worried faces of the participants. The cause for alarm is obvious: we are in a dead-end light grotto. Its walls are significantly lower than the previous ones, but still smooth, without a single ledge. Angel and Blonda are palpating them, while the others are sitting in the center and discussing something violently. We join this company at a merciless voice:
«Until the flooding of the cave system remains: twenty minutes.»
«We have no choice… will try to rise to the surface as the grotto is flooded, like corks… If we made a mistake… we will pay dearly for it», Planck offers, breathing heavily. One can see how difficult our expedition was for him. From time to time, the elderly man pauses to clear his throat and catch his breath, «be prepared for the fact that the water level may be insufficient to get out of here… The walls in the grotto are no more than 10 meters high. But even if there is only one meter left to the brim, we are lost. Besides, no one knows the landscape on the surface»…
«We are in the right place!» Angel rejoices, «Look what I found!» he holds out his open palm, on which lies a stone, exactly the same as we found in the dugout with food yesterday. Only with a 1/2 fraction carved on it.
«Great job Angel!» Alex grabs a stone and shoves it in his bosom, «Now there is no doubt that these things will be useful to us in the finale».
«And you decided that this stone will be more comfortable with you?» Runner asks hostilely.
«Guys, no time to quarrel», BeBe interrupts him angrily «look!»
We watch in horror as water pours out in a thin stream from the manhole from which we have just come.
«The narrow tunnel will create a pressure as soon as the water accumulates in sufficient volume in the grotto, where this very tunnel begins», Planck announces, «We’d better move to the opposite wall and get ready».
«And what about Martha?» BeBe exclaims with horror.
Our eyes turn to her. Martha sits calmly on the floor, and only her pale face betrays her inner state. There is a painful silence.
«Until the flooding of the cave system remains: ten minutes.»
«We all go to the back wall and hold on until the water reaches the neck. After that, we sail calmly, slowly, waiting for the water level to rise. Save your energy! Martha, listen carefully! Me, Joleo and Runner will take turns keeping you afloat. Most importantly, you must relax and in no case resist, no matter how scary and uncomfortable it may be. Clear?» Alex commands an orderly tone.
«If you start to panic, I’ll have to let you go,» Runner threatens. Alex gives him a warning look.
«Martha, this could mean death for both the drowning man and the rescuer. We are already too exhausted, running along the grottoes».
Martha just nods, unable to utter a word.
«I’ll take care about Martha myself,» Angel’s gentle voice sounds.
The players all, as one, turn their heads in surprise in his direction. Confused, the guy continues:
«I’m a professional swimmer and as a swimming instructor I had to take a course on rescuing drowning people. Besides, unlike you, I still feel a little bit of energy in me».
«Because you sat on your ass in safety while we were trying to find our way out!»
«Runner, shut up!» Alex turns to Angel. «Okay, so we’ll do it.»
«Well, finally „Baby“ will be good for something», Runner throws angrily, but no one argues. It won’t be easy to get out on your own, let alone help someone who can’t swim.
I catch a glimpse of Blonda’s proud, admiring gaze directed at Angel. Her eyes literally glow with happiness. Well, it’s already clear to me that I know absolutely nothing about human relations. Now Angel, so handsome and cowardly, became a hero for Blonda and Martha. I don’t have time to finish thinking this thought, as a female metallic voice announces for the last time:
«Until the flooding of the cave system remains: zero-zero minutes.»
At this moment the water from the tunnel bursts into our grotto with a terrible roar.
Despite all the fatigue, adrenaline is pouring through my veins. Like all other players, I hold myself firmly against the wall.
Leeloo is standing next to me:
«Don’t worry, remember, I’m a great swimmer. Save energy, we’ll need it,» I hear through the deafening roar of a powerful jet of water.
The water hits my heels, ankles and knees, but I try my best to keep the balance. Gradually, its level rises and when it reaches the neck, I break away from the wall and start paddling. Under normal conditions, this would not be that difficult. But now, exhausted, scared to death, I can hardly move my legs and arms. Even a wetsuit doesn’t help. Out of the corner of my eye I see Angel, who is confidently floating on the water, holding Martha by the armpits. She hardly moves, but horror is imprinted on her thin face. There are still a few meters to the surface. Two meters. One meter. The water arrives now much more slowly. I don’t know how long we have been paddling on the surface, but for me these minutes drag on endlessly. The hands refuse to obey when the water finally reaches the surface. Someone’s faces, hands, bodies flicker before my eyes. I can only hope that the rest of the players will win in their own struggle for life.
I grab the edge of the grotto, try to pull myself up, but my fingers slip, so I go under the water. I frantically float to the surface, try to make a second attempt, but again I break down and plunge into the water. How I want to surrender, just relax, let go… The third time I appear on the surface, I stretch out my hand on fumes, when suddenly someone’s fingers grip my wrist and pull me out of the grotto. The last thing I see before passing out is Alex’s worried face.
When I come to life, all the players are lying safe and sound on the rocks of the cliff, which seems to be the largest part of the cave system. A significant part falls on the ocean floor, judging by the appearance of the relief that opens from the hill. Aggressive waves are splashing around, now and then covering stones that serve as a refuge for players soaked to the skin. An uneven path of rocky boulders of various shapes and sizes leads to the coast. I can’t wait to get out of here as soon as possible!
I don’t know how long I spent unconscious. The sun is leaning towards the horizon. Some of the participants are still lying down, but most have already got to their feet and are actively discussing something. I find Leeloo with my eyes and exhale with relief. As usual, she keeps aloof and does not take part in the general discussion.
«Thank you,» Yu sits on a stone next to me and looks at me, «I’ll never forget that».
«You’re