And then, the ground beneath my right foot gave way.
It crumbled out of existence, and in a burst of instinct, I shot myself straight up, latching my arms around the thick trunk of the tree. The bush I'd just been behind quaked and tumbled out of view, falling down, down, down until it crashed in a violent death of flailing leaves and rotted roots.
Me. That would be me if I didn't get the fuck out of here now.
Cheek against the tree, my breathing was ragged as I gripped with all my might, fingertips biting into the bark. Splinters of wood dug underneath my nails as I buried myself into the too-thick trunk. Fuck, it was too big around to get a sturdy grasp on.
The earth disintegrated beneath my feet second by second, erasing my easy fate with death as I scrambled harder and harder to stay upright. I wanted to die, but not like this.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
In a quick-ditch decision, I scurried around the tree trunk, land disappearing beneath my feet as I went. Terror raced a fast line up my chest as I felt the ground split and cave in, turning to nothing but air under my heels as I clutched the side of the tree, chest heaving and mind-reeling. In the distance, I spotted Reyes’ retreating back with my wide-eyed vision.
And then, in a moment’s gasp, my foot slipped.
My heart lurched.
A scream cracked the air–
And then I fell.