Round 83

Merrin clung to the stone ledge above the rushing water below, her fingers digging into cracks and crevices as the current swirled around her ankles. The cold spray was biting against her skin; she could feel the pull of the water trying to drag her down into the darkness. She couldn't see anything below the surface, but the sound of Varikka's muffled cries echoed up through the churning foam.

She knew she had mere seconds before the current swept her away completely. Her mind raced, searching for any solution, any way to reach her friend without joining her in the depths. The ledge was too narrow to crawl across safely; the stone felt slick and unstable under her hands. She could try to jump down into the water, but that would just ensure she joined Varikka at the bottom of this hellhole.

The?. She strained her eyes, trying to spot any change in the?. She saw no obvious way through or around it. The?. She gritted her teeth, knowing she had to make a decision now or they'd both be washed away by the rising waters. She couldn't abandon Varikka, but she also couldn't just leap blindly into that?. She needed more?. She needed to?.