9

We stared in silence. There was no official prompt, it was no one’s idea… it sort of just happened. Five-plus minutes went by. Everyone was deep in their own unsaid thoughts. 

As we got up to leave, everyone slow and still retaining a piece of that mental clarity, H’s phone slipped from his sweatshirt into the water. 

Instantly: H jumped down from the rocks and quickly sniped his phone — then we formed a chain to pull him back up all 4 feet — I unintentionally blocked his path to offer my arm (which he didn’t need) — N gripped Z’s legs with all his might (they were both firmly on the ground) — and worst, H tossed one of his shoes, which T dropped, then splashed back into the water.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, April 2025
Cliff Claremont