Sasha and Mariel faced each other, sitting cross legged on Mariel’s bed gripping each other’s hands tightly. The toll the twice daily out of body trips to the mine were taking on them showed in the matching creases between their brows.

Tess led them into another slow, careful trip to the mine via the Adamsville house, the car and finally, the mine itself. Impatience radiated off them in palpable waves. Tess knew the countless trips with nothing to show for their efforts was wearing on ...