21All the Fragile ThingsThe sand rips at my skin as we slide down the vertical drop. It fills my mouth the instant I cry out. My free hand curls to a claw and struggles to find any kind of solid hold, but the clusters dissolve each time I make contact.
The ground rushes up, gaining speed. Lucas wraps his arm around my back and yanks my torso to his, dropping his body beneath mine the second before we break through shallow water and slam into the cold, damp sand underneath.
My ribs throb, the breath within them driven out by the impact. I roll over, squeezing my sides with my hands.
Lucas struggles to his knees and crawls several feet away. He grimaces, pushing himself upright, and scans the lip of the hill.
I follow him with my eyes, my body not yet willing to support its own weight.
