A letter to the post man

I walked slowly into the dark, damp cave, signaling Geynie to stay still as I carefully approached her. The cold, stale air wrapped around me, and the faint, rhythmic dripping of water echoed from the jagged walls. My heart pounded in my chest as I inched closer, my eyes locking on the source of the sound—a bomb strapped tightly around Geynie's waist, its faint beeping growing louder in my ears.

Panic bubbled up inside me, threatening to paralyze my movements. How on earth was I supposed to help her?

"I know how this works. Just untie me," Geynie said, her voice steady despite the terror reflected in her wide eyes.

I hesitated, glancing at the frayed rope binding her hands. My fingers trembled as I worked to loosen the knots, each moment feeling like an eternity. Finally, the rope fell to the ground, but the bomb remained fixed to her.

"It's still strapped on," I muttered, feeling the weight of the situation crush me.

Geynie carefully stood, wincing from the pressure on her legs but quickly composed herself. "Come on," she said, gesturing for me to follow.

"Damian said it will blow if we try to escape," I reminded her, my voice cracking as fear crept in.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, determination flashing in her eyes. "Damian wasn't telling the truth. It works with a remote. We just have to find it—or get help to deactivate it once we're outside."

I stared at her, stunned by her courage. Geynie, injured and strapped with a bomb, held herself with a calm resolve that I could barely fathom. In that moment, I realized she was the bravest person I had ever known.

She reached for my hand, her grip firm and reassuring, as though I was the one who needed saving.

"It's a long way to get help," I said, my doubt slipping through despite my efforts to sound confident.

"Don't worry. We just have to be fast," she replied with a small smile.

"Where's your phone?" I asked, suddenly remembering that it could be our lifeline.

Geynie glanced around before tiptoeing toward a rickety table in the corner. She stretched out her arm, her fingertips brushing against the edge of her phone, and finally snatched it up.

My chest filled with a flicker of hope. With the phone in hand, we stepped out of the cave, our movements slow and deliberate to avoid alerting Damian.

The air outside felt sharper, almost electrified with the tension of the moment. Shadows of trees stretched like claws across the forest floor, and every rustle of leaves made my heart skip a beat.

I took the phone from Geynie and frantically dialed for help, but the screen displayed the cruel message I dreaded—No Signal.

My stomach sank, and I handed the phone back, feeling the weight of our predicament. "There's no signal," I said quietly, trying to hide my frustration.

"Then we keep moving," Geynie said, her voice unwavering.

Despite her injuries and the weight of the bomb strapped to her, Geynie moved forward with determined strides. Her limp was noticeable, but she didn't falter. I followed close behind, casting nervous glances over my shoulder, half-expecting Damian to emerge from the shadows at any moment.

Our pace was slow, the tension between us palpable. Every crack of a twig or rustle in the underbrush sent my heart racing. I kept checking the phone obsessively, praying for a signal. Finally, just as we reached a small clearing, a single bar flickered to life on the screen.

"It's back!" I whispered, relief washing over me as I quickly dialed. The call went through, and the sound of my dad's voice on the other end nearly brought me to tears.

"Dad, please help us… we're in danger," I said, my voice trembling.

"What's going on?" he asked urgently, but I couldn't explain everything.

"Just send help to the resort—we're close by," I pleaded before the call cut off.

I turned to Geynie. "Help is on the way. We just have to keep moving."

But luck wasn't on our side. Geynie stumbled over a tree root, falling to the ground with a sharp cry of pain. I rushed to her side and saw that her ankle was twisted at an unnatural angle.

"It's okay," she said through gritted teeth, trying to push herself up. "We can't stop now."

Her resilience amazed me, but I could see the pain etched on her face. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, helping her limp forward.

Then I heard it—a low, menacing voice that made my blood run cold.

"Where do you think you're going?"

I turned, and there he was—Damian, standing just a few feet away. His face was twisted with fury, his eyes burning with a dangerous intensity. In his hand was a small device, and I instantly knew it was the remote for the bomb.

"Damian, stop this!" I shouted, my voice shaking. "You don't have to do this!"

He smirked, his lips curling into a cruel grin. "Oh, but I do. You think you can just walk away? That's not how this works."

Geynie clutched my arm tightly, her breathing quick and shallow. I could feel her trembling, but she didn't back down.

"Leave her alone," I said, stepping in front of her protectively.

Damian's grin faltered as the distant wail of police sirens reached our ears. His eyes darted toward the sound, panic flickering across his face.

"You think they'll save you?" he sneered, raising the remote.

Before I could react, Geynie grabbed a heavy branch from the ground and swung it with all her strength, striking Damian across the arm. The remote flew from his grasp, landing several feet away in the dirt.

"Run!" she screamed, shoving me forward.