THE CHASM 

By Tessa Harvey

    Dylan was sinking very slowly in a nightmare of thick sludge. He remembered reading accounts of the terrible mud in WW1 and how it sucked everything down. France or Belgium? Maybe he had fallen through a break in a fence. Surely a swamp like this would be securely sighnposted. But it had rained almost incessantly for at least a week.....

    The mud was slowly creeping up his legs. Someone once told him if you get stuck in quicksand, try and swim slowly to spread your weight. No-one can swim in smelly mud like loose cement. Panic was building. It was really dark. Was Sandra getting help? The cold was gripping him as tightly as the swamp. He didn't want to die. "God, help," he cried, screaming in his heart. The life was being sucked from him. He thought he heard Ariella's voice, then she appeared , flashing a tiny torch. The light dazzled him. He felt a squishy lump under one foot and tried to slow his descent.

    "Ari," he said, questioningly. "I wanted to show you the sunset, but another girl came instead. Now it's too dark." And too late, he thought. Everything was just a cold, dark void.

    He was tired. "Dylan! Wake up! Don't quit! I've pulled out some wire and a fence post." Her hands were sore and bleeding. The young woman pushed the wire towards Dylan and the fence hit his face. "Ouch," he flinched and felt his foot slip. But the blow had roused him and he grabbed for the wire. "Put it under your arms," Ariella called. Just then the darkness was lit by two huge searchlights and paramedics were moving cautiously the two young people.

    State Rescue had also turned out with special ladders and ropes. Carefully they eased Dylan free, wrapping him in a foil blanket and checking his vital signs. Rescuers told Ariella what hospital and helped her out.