Beatrice Santello Part 2 - #8

Story by bluedraggy on SoFurry

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#24 of Beatrice

A little shorter than most chapters, but I felt it was a good place to end it and there's quite a bit packed into it.

Image by Teckworks. Not really related to the chapter, just a very pretty Bea.


"Bea," Gregg said from behind her, his voice uncommonly soft. "We should go."

Bea looked up at him, her eyes streaked with tears and saw that he too had been crying, reminding her that he had been very close to Casey as well. She stood and gave him a sincere hug which he accepted and returned.

"Wait. Let's take his skateboard back."

The two tied the broken and splintered remains to the rope and called for it to be brought up. Germ attached it to Mae's rope and she managed to get it through to where she waited while Gregg tied off the flamethrower and Germ did the same with it. However they had only one flashlight and they decided Gregg should take it up with him before lowering it back down, which would leave Bea alone in the dark.

Bea helped Gregg get into the harness and he began to climb. The ascent was much slower, but Gregg was the most physically fit of them all and once he got up to Mae's rope she was able to help.

Though Bea wasn't prone to fear of the dark, watching the bobbing light slowly fade above her as the shadows gathered around her with nothing but corpses to keep her company did cause her heart to beat a little faster. She tried not to think about it, but the minutes dragged on and it was the silence that really began to gnaw at her.

She began to sing quietly.

"I just want to die anywhere else..."

She wondered if Casey would have preferred this dark pit to Possum Springs.

"If only I could die anywhere else..."

Why had she been so mean to him? She could have just gotten angry and demanded he stop the drugs - or at least keep them out of her store. She didn't have to end their relationship so abruptly.

"So come with me, let's die anywhere else..."

The tears started again as Gregg disappeared from view and she was left in total darkness, deep underground with the bones of her former boyfriend. She felt dizzy and moved closer to Casey. She touched his hoodie, now dry and brittle, like the rest of him.

"Anywhere..."

She gathered the folds in her hands and felt the bones within. "I'm sorry, Casey," she thought through blind, wet eyes. "I hope you forgive me. Wherever you are."

"Just not here..."

Her voice cracked at the words.

Then she let the silence wash over her, and for a moment dreamed that she was alone with Casey, and he hugged her back, assuring her that all was forgiven.

"You okay down there?" came Germ's voice from far above her. It bothered her. It threatened to take her away from Casey and she didn't want to go. Not yet.

"Bea?" came the voice again.

She didn't want to hear it. But Gregg's voice followed.

"Bea, I'm sending the flashlight back down."

She kissed Casey in the dark and whispered to him. And he whispered back.

"I've got to go," she said as the light slowly returned.

"I know. But it's okay Bea. I'm okay where I am."

"I don't want to leave you," she whispered.

"You're not leaving me, Bea. I'm not here. That's just my body. I'm not in there anymore. You take me with you."

"Am I just talking to myself?"

The flashlight came into view. For a second, she saw Casey standing in front of her. Not an incorporeal wisp, but as she had seen him long ago in the Grant house.

"No," he said and smiled, then faded as the light came to a stop, resting on the floor.

"BEA!" called Gregg from above, and she opened her eyes.

She stood up and walked to the flashlight and harness, strapping herself into the harness and putting the flashlight around her head. She looked back - not at the body, but at the place where he had been. She smiled, and realized it didn't matter if it had been real or not. It was real to her. Casey had absolved her of her guilt, and she felt better than she had for a long time.

"Goodbye Casey Hartley. I loved you," she whispered. Then she looked up.

"I'm coming, Gregg!" she called up. "Just had to say goodbye."

Then she began to climb. It was awkward, and more than once she had to pull the rope up, using the friction from the loops around the carabiner to rest, but slowly she rose out of the pit, getting help from Mae, Gregg and Germ as they helped pull the ropes up as best they could.

Finally she saw Germ and Gregg above her, and they scrambled to catch her hands and pull her back up to the ledge where she stopped to rest.

"Are you okay Bea?" Mae's voice asked from the other side of the little tunnel.

"Yeah. I think I am," Bea replied, though she was still breathing hard from the final effort. Mae's voice sounded strained too, though, and she realized how hard her friends had also worked to get her back up.

"Thanks, guys," she said, feeling like the words were inadequate but hoping they understood.

It took another hour to get everyone completely out of the pit, and plenty of scrapes and bruises were had in the end, but they managed it.

Mae hugged her tightly when finally she emerged from the tunnel underneath the slab, and she returned the hug.

"I'm okay, Mae."

"I know. But I was worried when you didn't answer them back!"

"Sorry. I was... I don't know. I was somewhere else. Let's get back to Angus."

"Yes, please!" said the staticy voice over the walkie-talkie.