At first, the swing felt right. The air rushed past his ears. The vine held.
But just as he reached the center, right above the deepest part of the quicksand, there was a snap.
A small one.
It wasn't the vine.... yet
It was the branch it was tied to.
It cracked.
Then groaned.
Ekene's hands slipped a little as the vine groaned under his weight.
"Wait" he gasped.
The thick vine holding him began to fray at the middle, the fibers visibly unraveling, strands tearing one by one like snapping violin strings.
Panic flooded his face as the realization hit him, if this vine gave way, he would plummet straight into the quicksand, and the speed of the fall would sink him instantly, like a stone crashing into a swamp.
"Ekene hold on!" Nnenna shouted, already scanning the trees.
"I can't! I'm slipping!" His voice cracked, the fear raw and human.
Abuchi reached out, instinctively grabbing her arm. "Nnenna, don't—!"
But she was already moving.
