by RD Hale
'Cari, come and have a go. They're obviously totally harmless and it's fun!' Mila reaches for another fruit.
'Don't come crying to us when you get bitten by those huge fangs!' I remark and the lads leave the lasses behind to discover what secrets these ruins have in store. We shimmy along the remnants of the broken floor and peer down incomplete storeys to the bed of weeds which would not be sufficient to break our fall. Leaping a perilous gap, we climb a near-intact watchtower and break through an entanglement of branches to gaze over battlements.
'You know what this means? There was no jungle when this was built. Think about it, why would you bother with a looking tower if you can't see a thing in any direction?' I say.
'Hold on a sec, I can see something from this side. Looks like we can go for a swim later,' Killow replies.
Silver light slivers through slits in the scenery as my eyes adjust to make out a lake, which I intend to visit after uncovering every secret our present site has to offer. Without wasting a second I turn around and spiral downstairs as the girls' giggling echoes around ivy-covered walls.
The lads split up to explore the ruins but Killow follows me down a flight of stairs into darkened depths where I activate my holowatch. Meagre light struggles to pervade the chilled air, but glimpses of dungeons are unveiled as chains glimmer on moist stone walls.
Startled eyes fix on a severed skeletal hand and I redirect the light to identify a broken arm-bone poking out of rusty bars. Killow and I peer into the cell and whimper as a human skull gawps despairingly at us. Torn clothes and small pieces of rotten flesh cling to a partially-skeletonised torso which appears to have been crawling when it met its grisly fate.
Hurried footsteps are followed by screams in my ears and I glance over my shoulder to be greeted by the whites of the girls' eyes. Mila clings to my upper arm, but I shrug her off and creep into the horror scene to pick a piece of coiled paper from the skeleton's hand. Inhaling a whiff of decay I recoil from the close-up view of its ribcage, revealed by a rip in a garment.
The lads gather around as I unroll the tatty document which displays a blueprint of the castle with a set of corridors leading to a large room marked X. Below are small symbols representing a dragon, eagle, elephant, wolf and fish.
'It looks like we're here, but what's strange is the corridor seems to... hang on.'
Heavy breathing is the only clue to the continuing presence of invisible friends as I walk to an apparent dead end. At the last possible moment noticeably deeper blackness at my feet becomes identifiable as a hole which is jagged and odd-shaped as though someone smashed their way through. My shining holowatch highlights a puddle as I reach my hand into the rupture for a clearer view, verifying this corridor does indeed continue.
'Look at this, guys.'
Unwilling to wait for my comrades I dangle from jagged stone and drop into chambers where spirits are rumoured to roam. Landing safely I kick a few hazardous stones out the way as a circle of noses poke over the unreachable ledge. Clumsy figures plunge, each barely giving the next opportunity to move to safety as they bash, tumble and grunt.
'There is no way I'm going down there. How are we gonna get back up?' Emmi asks.
'You guys can either follow us or walk back through the woods by yourselves. Your choice!' I laugh mockingly.
'We better make it out of here,' Emmi sulks.
The Tomb
Although incapable of not kicking up a fuss the girls comply with my brilliantly devised plan, huffing and puffing as they drop through the hole. We step forward but our treasure hunt is disrupted by a rumbling in the tunnel. A slab of stone smashes down behind us, destabilising my equilibrium as the already inaccessible exit is blocked, exacerbating the sense of isolation. Squeaking noises in close proximity add to our discomposure as I spot cat-sized rats scurrying in the light of my holowatch and hands cling to my shirt in search of protection.
'No need to panic,' I mutter, because the light is just sufficient to identify each fretful face, confirming no-one has been cut off or crushed by the booby trap, including Mila's friend whose bottom lip is shaking uncontrollably. This is hardly our first tight spot, but near-blindness worsens our subterranean quandary and I can only hope the tatty old map is accurate enough to help us avoid the deadfalls.
'H-how are we gonna get out of here?' Cari whimpers.
'Hey don't worry, Cari. We always get ourselves in scrapes and we always get out of them. I know what I'm doing. The map will lead us to safety, just follow me. Okay, there's a red mark here - where we are and there are various other marks around the map. If we follow the route detailed by these black dots it leads to this large room. I think this'll be our way out. If we cross these red marks we may trigger further traps so tread carefully. There's another red mark next to us. Do not step on these b-'
'Oh no! The sthtone just ssthunk beneath my foot,' Scoop gasps.
A trickle is followed by gushing through endless rows of holes in the masonry. Fidgety feet splosh as the rising depth confirms this conduit is impermeable and determined to entomb us in an aquatic grave.
'Shit hurry... This way... Er, left... Left again... Right... Straight on...'
Knee-trembling water deepens until every step becomes a real exertion, but we wade onwards in a life or death procession. Such laboured progress can be ill-afforded but as our effort intensifies our sluggishness conversely increases. The onset of hypothermia makes it difficult to interpret directions but I dare not admit to losing my bearings.
'Arturo, which way? I can't swim,' Emmi shrieks.
'Follow me... This way... This way...'
Body heat is sucked from my gasping torso as we hopelessly navigate the flooded network. I halt my drifting with numbed legs to confirm the next direction, but these unresponsive fingers struggle to unfold the soggy paper. If I have followed the intended route we are supposedly nearing the exit, but there is no hint of light at the end of this inundated tunnel.
'We're going to have to swim for it. It's a left, right, right. Em, hold onto me.'
My throat is constricted by Emmi's forearms during my attempt to breast stroke but our legs tangle and we continuously sink. Propelling from the bottom with feet, I try to sustain the momentum with a breast stroke but the youngster's puny frame places enormous strain on my shoulders. Tears pour from burning eyes as I spit foul tasting fluid and each breath becomes progressively harder to attain. I am slowly drowning.
'Emmi, kick your legs,' I gasp.
The others have left us behind and if they have not chosen the correct route they will drown but I reserve my bleak concern to slosh onwards. Emmi squeezes my neck tighter and coughs into my hair as I stop at a junction, holding my chin aloft in a dwindling air pocket. Our one hope flops and folds and when I manage to stretch the map open, the smudged ink is unreadable and the paper rips.
'I can't remember which way to go!' I shriek.
The water level reaches nose height and we desperately battle to stay afloat as a muffled bellowing offers a straw to clutch. 'This way... This way...' Writhing and thrashing, we propel towards the safety of wailing voices but every stroke is agonisingly limited and I am unsure how much further we can go as I feel a thud.
'Ouch, my head!' Emmi coughs.
'Hold tight, Em.'
Holding my breath I dive under water for a last gasp attempt at liberation. These stinging eyes see a vague glimmer of blueness so I swim with all of my rage as turbulence rushes past my ears. Lungs are about to explode and I battle the deadly urge to inhale as the additional strain of my sibling causes muscles to fail. All I can think about is taking that one fatal breath and I become motionless, unsure of how my body is supposed to respond as a shadow slithers.
Floppy limbs sway as hands cling to my saturated straight jacket and endorphins flood my brain. Delirium intensifies as I drift towards a brilliant light but I am cruelly stolen from soothing aquatic nirvana.
My spine thuds on a solid surface as lungs expand painfully, due to t
he frantic effort of my diaphragm. Blinking to clear my eyes I look past familiar faces at miniature crabs somehow scurrying on gooey stalactites. Skinny white vines are disturbed by water cascading through fissures into an enormous pool filled with bioluminescent algae. Sitting up, I see the water is crossed by a meandering stone bridge with animals carved into mossy slabs.
'We're all accounted for, Arturo and Emmi were the last. It's a bloody miracle. Okay, it looks like we're crossing that thing,' Killow says.
'Great,' they grumble.
The dazzling pool sporadically bubbles as drowned street-rats march across the slippery causeway which leads to a mysterious X. Glimpses of forest are revealed by natural skylights as animal cries provide a running commentary of the out of reach world above. The cave narrows into a tunnel of rippling rock where the light level plummets and we follow the cramped conduit, unsure if we are heading towards a dead end.
A lambent chamber emerges with minerals glistening in smoothened walls and our convoluted bridge continues to a man-made island. As droplets splat from bedraggled hair I notice an indistinct form slinking through the cistern, which is impractically large given the meagre scraps available for a cave dweller to feed upon. Opting to not point this out, I tactfully quicken the pace and the unwitting bunch follow suit.
'What is this place?' Mila asks.
'Ankan - last night I read some of these ruins contain secret passages leading to royal tombs and buried treasure. They've all been looted now though so nobody is interested. One ruin tends to be the same as the next, but this is a big one,' I explain.
'Wh-what was that?' Emmi points as a spined hump breaches the shimmering surface and the far from cuddlesome creature resubmerges as we dash to the man-made island. Our gang huddle in the middle of solid ground, scanning for the predator which we can only hope is unadapted for land dwelling because we have reached the feared dead end. Ignoring concern I focus on a stone block with animal carvings on protruding circular bricks.
'I believe the X represented this island. The map had five images. I think it was a code. The first was a dragon.'
I push the dragon stone which sinks into the sloping tablet with surprising ease, but another scaly hump generates ripples at the far side of the island. Either we are being encircled by an indomitable monster or worse still we have attracted the attention of multiple aberrations.
'H-hurry up!' Oscar shrieks.
'Okay... Eagle... Elephant... Wolf... Fish...'
Moments later, a quaking prompts our faction to bound to safety as solid ground divides below feet, exposing a ramp leading to whatever our skeletal friend gave his life for. And further descent may equate to further adversity but we are left with no other choice.
'This just keeps getting better and better. Arturo, remind me never to go anywhere with you again,' Mila complains.
'You're welcome to take your chances with the monster!'
Heading deeper underground we descend a slope where figures painted on walls are swallowed by darkness so I activate my holowatch light. The passage twists and turns until we reach level ground and unless my imagination is deceptive, we have ventured into some sort of burial chamber. Scanning for any sign of monsters I approach a sarcophagus with the long dead inhabitant carved on the lid.
'Come on guys, give me a hand, this thing's ridiculously heavy,' I request and the combined effort of the gang forces the lid half-open to reveal a wooden crate.
A fierce smell paralyses my respiratory system as I reach inside to collect my prize, unburdening a bandaged head so a king can once again rest peacefully. Despite not uncovering any gruesome details, I find the idea of human flesh preserved under layers of cloth disquieting as I place the crate on the ground.
Respectfulness does not stop me attempting to take a picture of the mummy for posterity value, but frustratingly my holowatch does not respond to the taps of my finger.
Forcing the wooden crate open, I pull out a small cardboard box which is plain apart from the letter X. I tear off the protective wrapping to discover a small plastic unit and an egg-like pebble which makes my fingers tingle on contact. The strange feeling creeps through my arm into my brain and vision blurs for a moment so I squeeze eyes, squirming my head.
'What is it? What's inside, Arturo?' Emmi asks.
'I think it's a CUS cartridge. Must've been down here a few years, they don't produce them anymore.'
'What the hell is it doing down here?'
'A hiding place. Must be valuable if someone's gone to all this trouble.'
'But that dead person, what happened to him? How would someone get themselves killed trying to get to their own hiding place?'
'Maybe this place is more dangerous than he realised. Maybe the animals got him. Maybe he had a heart attack and keeled over. Maybe he was murdered. Who knows? We may as well head up the other ramp and see what other surprises this place has in store.'
Shoving souvenirs into my pocket, I struggle to see what was worth risking flesh and sentience for. And we are left with no choice but to ascend the other ramp into monster territory so we tiptoe in quietude. We emerge on another causeway which extends across water to a glimmer of daylight coming through a breach in the cavern wall. This looks like our escape route but I notice a jagged hump and to our unanimous horror a teratoid head reveals rows of flesh-tearing teeth.
'Oh my goddess. Run!' I yell.
Sprinting along the damp causeway, I am overtaken by most of the gang as my slipping leg splashes into the infested water. And I am grateful to see my foot has not been bitten off as I pull it free but diabolical bulges breach the surface on either side, ready to play tug of war with our limbs.
Back to feet I grab Emmi's wrist and we flee at the maximum velocity allowed by our physiology but a monstrous mass leaps clean from water to intercept us. Unable to halt momentum, I fling my main priority to the ground whilst diving from danger. The scaly malformation mistimes its lunge and as I crash onto elbows its webbed limbs flounder just inches from my toes.
Springing up, I drag Emmi from gaping jaws which seem too wide for its eyeless, armour-plated face. The creature shuffles into water but is obviously reluctant to lose a human-sized meal.
'What the hell is that thing?' I ask, my expertise in both natural and unnatural wildlife short of answers. Scanning the beautiful death pool for any sign of movement, we run the length of a football pitch and the causeway abruptly ends, leaving two equally unpleasant options - swim for our lives or search the lair for another route.
'Wh-what now?' Bex thrusts her face in every direction.
'Over there is a way out, we have to go for it. Emmi, hold tight!'
I drag my shrieking sister into deadly water, pulling her arm over my shoulder to position the world's heaviest lightweight on my back. But Emmi has other ideas and she thrashes as we submerge, surely attracting predators. Sunlight streaks through the cavern's orifice and I struggle to swim with my one free hand as Emmi fails to appreciate this is for her own good.
'Emmi, kick your legs! You're really not getting the hang of this are you?'
'I am kicking.'
'Kick harder!'
Our short swim comes to an end and I flop onto the jagged ledge, choked by Emmi's illogically powerful grip as jittery legs clamber onto wet rock. The pink sky has never looked so wonderful and water trickles into a sparkling mere which should break our fall... but may also be infested.
Prising Emmi's hand from my shirt, I shove her out the monster-filled cavern and the pitch of her scream decreases during freefall until she splashes into the lake. As the non-swimmer flails her limbs I turn to pull escapees up one by one, flinging them to freedom before they have a chance to hesitate. When the last straggler is hauled from water I see a predator homing in.
Lel's foot struggles for grip and provides an inviting target as she gashes her shin but I am in no mood to eaten now. I ready my leg as a face bursts free of the surface, bearing slender teeth and a saliva-covered tongue. My foot connects
in an incisor-shattering impact and Lel and I shuffle away, belly flopping to potential safety. Submerged and winded, I flap arms until air cools the back of my head and I roll over to catch my breath.
'E-Emmi, y-you okay?' I splutter.
'Arturo, help! I-I can't swim, remember?' Emmi coughs, grabbing my neck and together we splash towards the shore, yet to master the art of tandem swimming. My submerging mouth swallows slimy algae until at last my soles meet the bed and we wade amongst lilies and carp to dry land.
'ARTURO! What the hell were you thinking?' Mila spins away in disgust.
'What? I got us out, didn't I? One of the poor buggers is nursing broken teeth right now!'
An Insignificant Discovery
Water dribbles from blue lips and the girls would be mortified if they could see their straggled hair in a mirror. Saturated clothing combined with near death exhaustion has effectively doubled my body weight. The blood in my veins has turned to slush and despite the sunshine my fingers tremble as I wring my t-shirt over the pebbled shore. Killow does the same with a delirious smile and I pour water from my boots as Oscar examines Lel's bleeding leg.
'It's not like I'll bleed to death.' Lel winces at the sight of her scraped, reddened flesh. 'It doesn't hurt.'
'Whoo, that was exciting!' Killow's grin prompts female snarls. 'Nothing can mess with us.'
'We need to g-get back. We're gonna c-c-catch hypothermia out here,' a trembling Mila says.
'It's not even cold, stop being soft,' I reply, fighting the chatter of my teeth.
'W-we're soaking wet because of you, Arturo. Look at the state of us. We're a mess!' Sylvie whines.
'Almost eaten and still concerned by the way you look, eh Sylvie! Don't worry the sun will dry you off soon enough,' Killow replies.
'Let's step further away from the bank. There may be more of those creatures in the lake,' Mila warns.
'What do you think they were?' Sylvie asks.
'Mutants,' we reply in unison.
