Ellen leaned her head back against the rotten wood. “Sorry,” she whispered.
After a moment, Mark sighed. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be short with you. I’m worried about you and the baby in the cold weather. You’ve been here in the mud longer than I have, and you said your feet are numb. I’m terrified if I don’t get us out of here soon enough, I’ll lose you.”
“You won’t lose me,” she said breathlessly, hope stirring in her heart. “Never, Mark.”
“When we get out of here I’m going to pick you up, get you in a warm bath, and kiss you senseless.” Now his growl sounded far more arousing than annoyed. “I love you, Ellen Hanson Glenfall. My only agenda is to love you and be by your side. I swear it.”
Ellen sniffled.
“Are you crying?” he asked desperately. “Ellen, my love, hold on. Don’t despair. I’ll get us out of here.”
“I’m crying at your speech,” she squeaked. “I’ll never let you out of my sight either.”
By the squelching noise, Mark rolled on the ground to reach the door. “I need you in my arms, under me, surrounding me,” he told her, and kicked the door with both his tied feet. “I’ll get us out.” He slammed into the wood again. Unfortunately, the door was of newer, better quality than the walls. It held against his assault.
The roof, however, shook each time he rammed his heels into the door.
Ellen glanced up, nervous. “Mark?”
He grunted, pounding again and again.
Something creaked above her. The wood at her back shuddered. “I think we need to be careful,” she began. And then it happened. There was a great, cracking noise above them and wooden beams, shingles, and clapboard collapsed on top of them, followed by great rivers of water.
Ellen ducked her head, curling into as tight a ball as she could, and coughed at the pungent smell of mold and rot. Woodenfragments covered her legs, and the rain slammed into the mud beside her. Shingles lay scattered about. Ellen breathed slowly, checking herself mentally. Her legs were numb, which wasn’t good, but wasn’t all that terrible. She was still tied in the corner, and grateful for the support the stronger corner walls had given her. A mound of rubble separated her from Mark.
“Mark?Mark!” she screamed. “Mark, are you there?”
Most of the four walls still stood, but the roof had fallen and cut her off from any means of escape, if she ever could get the ropes undone. Ellen writhed against her bonds, beyond caring about the pain. She shrieked in rage and desperation, kicking at the weight on her feet.
“Ellen,” he gasped, barely heard over the pounding rain.
“Oh, Mark,” she sobbed. “Mark, you’re alive.”
“Yes,” he wheezed. “Did anything fall on you?”
“Yes, my feet, but I’ll survive,” she told him. “I was in the corner, and it protected me. What about you?”
“Probably a cracked rib or two,” Mark got out, pain threading through his voice.
“What are we going to do?” Ellen fought to take deep, slow breaths, to still her body and not panic.
“Well...if I can get these beams off my chest, there’s a hole in the wall beside me.”
Ellen perked up. “Is it big enough to climb through?”
“Yes. The blasted door is still up, but I can get through the hole.”
“Do it!” Elation surged through her veins. “Can you get the beams off?”
“I think so.” Mark’s voice was muffled, and he hissed and groaned. Wood slapped against the mud. Rain poured through the massive hole in the roof, making everything slick and fused together.
Ellen wrapped her hands around the metal stake and pulled with all her might, but the water made her hands slip right off, and she only managed to break two more fingernails and pop herknuckles. Those would bruise tomorrow. If she survived until tomorrow.
Think positively,she told herself.Mark’s here, he’s alive, and he can get out. He can find us help.
“I’m up,” Mark called. He limped through the thick mud, making squelching noises. “There are exposed nails everywhere. Don’t move.”
“Go get help,” she told him. “Find a watchman.” Her elation fizzled in the silence after he left, after she realized she was alone in this cold, cruel darkness, and she’d have to wait for his return.