Helen Dunmore - The Deep

Clack. Clack. Clack .

It’s coming closer. Frantically I scrabble at the curtain of weed, trying to find an opening. The weed resists, then suddenly it parts and I fall through it.

It’s dark in here, a shadowy greenish murk. I blink, and slowly my eyes adjust. There’s Faro, about a hundred metres ahead. The rock face curves inward at the bottom, and the weed hangs down, creating a secret space.

“Quick, Sapphire! Here!”

I swim forward, and see a narrow hole in the rock. It must be the opening of the passage Faro wants us to go through. It’s just wide enough for our bodies, but we won’t be able to swim. We’ll have to use our hands to pull ourselves through. But it’s so narrow – what if we get stuck?

“Hurry!” says Faro in an urgent whisper. “They’ll scout up and down the weed, searching for us. They’re stupid, so they probably won’t find us. But you can never be sure. Come on. I’ll go first.”

“But, Faro—”

“It’s the only way. Come on . They can’t come into the tunnel because their claws get jammed.”

His eyes are bright in the gloom as he squeezes my hand. “It takes us to the Assembly chamber. I know it does. Trust me, Sapphire.”

He swims down to the hole and grips both sides with his hands. With a sinuous, supple movement he squeezes his body in, and disappears.

It’s all right for you , I think angrily. You’ve done this before. And besides, you’re Mer .

My heart is beating fast again. I’m frightened but I push the fear down. In a place like this it’s not safe to show weakness. That creature with the claw can’t get into the passage; Faro said it couldn’t—

Clack. Clack. Clack .

Am I really hearing it?

Stop it, Sapphire. Don’t think about the claw .

Faro’s tail has vanished. I’ve got to follow him.

I swim down to the tunnel entrance and scull the water as I try to peer inside. It’s very narrow. I can only just fit in. There’s hardly any light at all. My fingers look ghostly.

Do it, Sapphire. You’ve got to go in .

I reach for the entrance of the tunnel. My hair floats around my face, blinding me for a second. What if my hair gets caught and I’m trapped?

I shut my mind, swim down, feel for the sides of the tunnel, and haul myself in.

I can’t see anything. My body blocks out the light behind, and Faro must be blocking the light ahead.

“Faro?” I whisper. I don’t dare call out. Anything might be listening. A conger eel would love to coil itself away here, and wait for its prey. Maybe there’s a labyrinth of tunnels leading away from this one. Tunnels full of hidden creatures. Octopuses, giant squid, crabs and eels—

“Faro!”

I’m not making a sound. I’m trying to reach Faro with my mind. Where is he?

Hurry up, Sapphire. Human toes are a rare treat for conger eels down here .

He’s heard my thoughts. I’ve never been so glad to be teased in my life. Somehow Faro turns the conger eels into cartoon creatures. But under the teasing, I sense that Faro’s afraid too. Not of eels or octopuses, but of something deeper. Something formless, shadowy. A flicker of his fear brushes over my mind and I shudder.

I’m not going to let fear win. I’m going to fight back, like Faro.

Those conger eels don’t care about toes, they’re after your tail , I shape my thoughts to tell him. I know how proud Faro is of his strong, supple tail.

I’d like to see them try. One blow from my tail and they’d never move again. Feel your way along the rock with your hands, Sapphire. If you find a hold you can pull yourself along .

He shows me a mental image of what he is doing. His strong hands grasp the sides of the rock and propel him forwards.

I reach out cautiously, but the sides of the tunnel aren’t slimy, as I feared. They’re just smooth, and hard, and unforgiving. My nails scrape for a hold. I pull myself forward a little, then my hold breaks. There’s just enough room to put my hands down by my sides. Palm outwards, my hands push and propel me forward.

But now the tunnel’s getting narrower. If I’m not careful I’ll get stuck with my hands wedged by my sides. I won’t be able to bring them up to protect my face.

Don’t panic, Sapphire. If you panic in here you’re in real trouble .

Very cautiously I roll on to my side, and push backwards until I’m pressed against the tunnel wall. Carefully, I work my right elbow loose underneath me until my right arm comes free, and then I roll and do the same for my left.

You’ve done it , I tell myself. You kept calm and worked it out. That’s what you’ve got to do if you’re going to get through the passage .

It feels safer with my hands stretched in front of me. I can’t move as quickly, but I can shield my face. Faro’s quite a way ahead now. He must be moving more easily than me, with the force of his tail to push him on. My head knocks against the roof. Slow down, Sapphire. Take it easy. Faro’s bigger than you and he didn’t get stuck .

My foot catches on an outcrop of rock on the tunnel roof. For a desperate moment I struggle to pull it free, but it won’t go the right way. The rock’s holding on to me. It won’t release me.

I’ve got to think. Think. Use your mind instead of going into a blind, blank panic. You won’t ever get free if you struggle; it’s like pulling a knot tighter . Maybe if I push backwards a little, it’ll take some pressure off my foot.

Very gently I push back against the sides of the tunnel until the grip on my foot eases. I wriggle my foot sideways, and the rock lets me go.

I mustn’t let it catch me again. I scull hard with my hands to bring my body down as close to the floor of the tunnel as possible, and then I edge forwards with my feet together. I won’t kick any more, in case I get trapped again.

It works. I’m moving, slowly and steadily. But there’s no time for relief. I’ve got to catch up with Faro. If I lose him—

What if the tunnel divides and I don’t know which way to go?

It’s cold as well as dark. It feels as if the tunnel walls are breathing out a dead, freezing mist. Every time my fingers touch the rock they get more numb. Got to keep moving. Faro’s up ahead; I know he is even though I can’t see him. I can’t even find him with my mind. Keep going, Sapphire. Pull yourself along. One handhold. Another handhold . Keep going. The water feels cold and lifeless, but it isn’t really. You’re still in Ingo .

My worst fear is that the tunnel’s going to squeeze shut, closing me in. I could never find my way backwards, all the way to the entrance. I’d get stuck, and then I’d be trapped in the tunnel for ever.

As if the tunnel senses my panic, it starts to crowd me. My hands scrabble for space. My feet kick against the tunnel roof.

Faro!

There’s no reply. My thoughts bounce emptily around my mind. Faro has left me. I’m alone.

A wave of panic wipes me out. The rock bulges, crushing me. My fingers scrape at the surface but this time I can’t move. The tunnel has got me and it’s never going to let me escape.

But as the tide of panic roars, a small, quiet voice speaks deep inside me. I don’t know if it’s my voice, or Faro’s. Think, Sapphire. Use your brain. You’re not trapped as long as you think .

I remember how I freed my foot. Ease backwards. Don’t struggle, because it only ties the knot tighter .

It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. When you’re trapped, every cell of your body screams for you to fight free. But I’ve got to do it, because even Faro can’t help me now. He’s up ahead, waiting for me, I’m sure he’s there, but the tunnel’s too narrow for him to turn and pull me free.