Excerpt from We All Fall Down

Digging is hard work. The ground is dry and tough to break apart, but powdery and easy to move once you got the first few steps. My dress and brand new leggings are soiled with coarse dirt. “No Fira, you dig a grave sideways, not straight down!”

“It’s easier to start off with a deeper end though. I’ll fill it back in later.” I keep shoveling. I dig for a long time, minutes — it could be hours? I’m In The Zone.

Nikolas breaks into my thoughts. “My God, you’re going to tear a muscle!”

“I can keep digging.”

“Hmm… no, you’re good. That’s waaay more than six feet deep,” he observes. I set the shovel down and take a look all around me. It’s as though I dug more of a ditch than a grave. “Anyway, now I’m going to roll him in face up. Ready?”

“Ready.” Huh? “It occurs to me he doesn’t have a coffin.”

“Coffin? Hah. This man was a basket maker, you think what’s left of his family could just buy one?” The veins on his arms stand out as he shoves the corpse into the hole.

“Oh. yeah.” I catch the falling body with a quiet *flump* and lay it out flat. “I guess not.”

“I’ll be back in a sec, you start filling it up.” He leaves me.

Filling it up will be easy. I can see the large pile of dirt I made looming just above the rim of the hole, blocking part of the dim sunlight far above. If only I was tall enough to climb out. I dug too deep. Even past six feet on all dimensions, it crosses my mind how very small my hole is. I plant the shovel underneath me and stand on the edge to boost myself up, but I lose balance. I fall on top of the corpse and the shovel falls on me. I get back on my feet. There’s a ringing, rushing sound in my ears, and I feel a little light-headed. I ignore it and focus on digging myself out of the hole.

I dig the shovel into the side, forming a wedge between opposite walls I can lift myself on top of. When testing it, however, it doesn’t support my weight and claws down a chunk of the wall. I fall back down once more, now up to my waist in cold, loose dirt. The corpse is no longer visible under all of it. Good job me, successfully burying it. Now I have to get out. I squeeze some grit out of my eyes and dig around for the shovel. It is entirely buried, save for a little gleam of metal I use to locate it. I retrieve it, and the motion sends another shower of it pattering on my shoulders.

My breathing is hot and heavy. It’s starting to spit rain. “Hey. I’m stuck in the hole.” Nikolas doesn’t hear. “I am stuck,” I call, a little louder. Nothing. He’s long been out of sight.

Last try. I lift myself on top of the dirt and stamp it down for stability, then scrape an indent off the side of the hole. Only a few rounds of that are needed before I’m finally able to reach the top. I pull myself out and run after the direction Nikolas went. A quarter of the way down the road to town I spot him. “Wait for me.”

He notices, thank goodness, and slows his pace so I can catch up. “Where did you go?”

“I fell in the hole and couldn’t get out. I called your name but you didn’t reply.” I should not have gotten this job.

“Already tired? You should take tomorrow off, I can handle the rest. You do good work, but a woman needs her rest. I don’t want you straining yourself.” He digs five coppers out of his pocket. “See you later.”For pity’s sake. I’ll be taking off forever then. Not with this pay. Not with his expectations. I make a nasty face behind his back and head back to my tent.