Above our heads, the cracks appear. Daylight seeps in, turning the water smoky grey. Kit looks up. The light is on his face. I still can’t believe he’s not an angel.
A sudden light startles us. Trees and blue sky loom above us. The ice has splintered, the sun pours in. I start laughing out loud. I can’t help it. I’m brimming over with joy.
I start to swim upwards. But something isn’t right. Kit’s not beside me. I look round and see him bewildered, some feet below. He can’t move. He reaches out for my hand, starts shaking his head. This is as far as he can go.
I take his outstretched fingers. They feel colder than ever. I start to shake. Ever so slowly, we sink back down to the darker water. The chill of it hits my feet, my legs, my waist. I don’t understand what’s happening. I thought we were nearly free of this place. But as he turns to me, his eyes are full of something I can’t quite read.