Chapter 21

SONG: HOLOCENE - BON IVER

"This has got to be 'water to stone.' Do you think we climb it?" Lily referred to what Trader Sam told her about the translation of the Arrowhead. As the boat arrived into an area with big, beautiful waterfalls and rocks emerging from the water.

"I don't think we're meant to go up." And before Lily knew two things were happening at once, Rose came out of her cave still not looking happy with her arms crossed and Frank had jumped in the water and began to swim down.

"So you going to talk to me?" Lily copied her daughters action, crossing her arms. "Rose? Sweetheart? Hunny? Petal?" Before Rose could answer Frank emerged from the water.

"We're in luck. There's a chamber down there with a lever in it. I think pulling it is the key." Frank climbed up on the boat as Lily handed him a towel as he dried himself off.

"That's wonderful!" Lily clapped excitedly.

"It's wonderful. It's fantastic. Only problem is that the ancients who built all of this were on average narrower." Lily's eyebrows furrowed in confusion but then her eyes widened at realisation. "Sooo, mini-Pants how are you up for some swimming?"

"Wo wo wo wo wo! No way in hell is my baby going down there?!" Lily stopped Frank approaching Rose as she stood up excitedly wanting to go.

"Mum-"

"NO! You don't get to speak to me only now! You are not going down there." she a walked up to Rose speaking in a stern torn pointing at her but Rose could see through her.

"Mum." Rose stopped her by placing each hand on both arms. "I'll be fine. It's okay."

"...... No! I'm going."

"Did you forget something?" Frank points out. "Pant's you can't swim."

"Well I guess you're coming down there with me." Lily raised her hands in frustration. "Now just turn around and look at the waterfall, Skippy. All right? Please?!" Lily begged before Frank turned around to face Rose whilst Lily undressed.

"How come the kid gets to watch."

"One I'm not watching that seems creepy I just don't have to look away. And 2 I'M 17!"

"And she's my daughter, I'm her mother, she can see me undressing because I pushed her out-"

"Okay okay okay okay! Too much information!" Frank cringed with Rose smirking. Frank then turned around when Lily was finished changing. "Are you wearing pants underneath your pants?!"

"Yes! Problem?" Lily shrugged as Frank jumped into the water, shaking his head, Lily soon following jumping in the water instantly wrapping her arms around Frank's neck but then suddenly trying to scramble out of the water. "Oh, my God! Frank!"

"It's okay. It's okay. Here we go." Frank tried to reassure her.

"I'm not... No, no! Wait a minute! Something just touched my foot, Frank!" Lily whined closing her eyes just wanting to get out.

"Mum just let me do it I'm fine it's okay, just let me go!"

"No, no, no I'm fine, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm fine." Lily nodded before Frank before submerged themselves into the water after Frank reassured Lily that the thing that touched her foot was only his foot.

After they were under the water for a few minutes Rose started panicking thinking they should be up and out of the water already. Rose started pacing along the boat chewing her nails which she only did when she was nervous. The sound of splashing water started Rose and stopped her from pacing as she approached Frank climbing back onto the boat. "Wh- wh- where is she? Is she still down there?!!"

"I'm sorry okay?! There were piranha's and.." Suddenly there was a sound of rumbling and the water started to part away as rocks emerged from the water. Frank spotted the chamber where Lily entered to pull the lever as there was Lily's body laying on the floor of the chamber.

"Mum!" Rose jumped into the water that was washing away, rushing to her her mum. "Mum? Mum can you hear me?" Rose cupped Lily's cheeks. "Frank! Frank help!"

"Oh shit!" Frank rushed to the two replacing Roses hands with his hand cupping Lily's face. "Come on let's get her to the boat." Frank lifted Lily's limp body and carried her to the jail placing her gently on the deck.

"Mum come on wake up please!" Rose chokes.

"Lily! Lily, come on, come on. Come on. Lily, come on. Come on. Come on, Lily." Frank continued to slap her face.

"Is that really going to help?!!" Then just like that Lily jolted up coughing and spluttering. And when she jolted up she instantly slapped Frank. "Ohh that's gotta hurt!" Rose winced as her mother scrambled to stand up.

"What is the matter with you, Frank?" Lily sighed as she reached for her shirt.

"You're alive!" Frank chuckles as Rose let out a sigh of relief.

"How could you leave me?!"

"Apparently there were piranhas." Rose crossed her arms.

"Yes there were!" Frank defended himself.

"Okay okay the good thing is that your alive Mum!" Rose tried to stop the squabbling.

"Oh so you're talking to me now?!"

"We'll you nearly just died." "She's gotta a point!" "I cannot believe this you're talking to me now, just because I nearly died that's all I have to do. "So sorry that I was scared I was going to lose you!" "She was very scared." Frank, Lily and Rose spoke over each other all at once.

"Guys wait... look!" Frank pointed to the stone. "'Water to stone.'l he mumbled to himself.  "After 400 years I found it." Rose cleared her throat. "We found it!" He corrected himself. Everybody cheered and laughed together hugging each other. "Now you can be the Darwin of flowers." Frank gestures to Lily. "And you..." then to Rose. "Well you, you can be - can be umm you can be what you want."

"The petal's right there, you can be free. You can... I mean, it's not like the river's not beautiful, but you can go anywhere and you can see the world. You can come to London. I'm from London. I could show it to you. I even have a motor car. I could be like your skipper, Skippy... If you want." Lily rambled.

"Lily, I would love to do all that with you. But I've made up my mind. There is no London for me after this. There's no motor car. I'm ready." Frank spoke sympathetically whilst Lily shook her head. "It's my time. It was my time long ago."

"No! No! Nope I don't accept it. You could have one more life."

"We'll it's funny cause, luckily for me it's my choice."

"Mmm but you do have poor judgement." Rose shrugged and Lily gestured to her daughter in agreement whereas Frank glared at her. "What?!"

"But you guys have your world to go back to." Frank sighed heavily at Lily. "You don't want me there. Rose certainly doesn't." It went quite and in the background Rose shrugged in uncertainty.

"But it could be yours, too. It could be that one person's world enough."

"Could be Lily. It's not a definite. I can't risk it. It's my time. I'm sorry." Lily was about to make another argument until she was interrupted my metal clanking and all three of them turned around to see something they'd never expect and hope to never expect.

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