They Stood at the Base of the Ladder...

His right hand rested gingerly upon the rung near her left, fingertips almost touching hers. They chatted and giggled and chatted some more, recalling memories of childhood and how they met.

At last, a chill ran over them both. It was dark, and they had completely lost track of how long they'd been standing there. She looked up into his malachite eyes and slid her wrist across the rung, intertwining their fingers with a smile. In this sweet moment, an exchange of words and feelings brought them close. He pulled her to his chest and kissed the top of her head. She caressed his back with her free hand as tears formed beneath her lids.

"I'm scared," she cried, making one last attempt to yank free from the restraint as water rose rapidly all around them.

"Don't worry," he whispered, holding her tighter, "Everything will be okay."