“Amazing, isn’t it?” Jack asked. All the bunch of kids could do was nod. “But we have to get across. That looks like the only way out.”
After a moment they managed to gather themselves, and they began to search for a way across.
“Wait a second! Can’t we just fly over?” Nicole asked.
“No. I recognize this cavern from somewhere. I don’t know where, but I do. I have a feeling we shouldn’t use our powers here,” said Jack as he shook his head. Reluctantly, Nicole went back to work, in search of something to aid them in their escape.
“Hey! I think I found something!” David shouted from behind a boulder. Jack, Mark, and Alex rushed over while Nicole and Brooke continued to search. Behind the boulder was a boat with two paddles inside. The wood around the edge was banged up and the paint was nearly gone, but the sides remained intact.
“Just our luck! It doesn’t even seem to have any holes in it!” Mark pointed out. “Hey guys! We found a boat!” Mark shouted over to the girls and they ran over. With everyone’s help they managed to haul the boat over the sandy beach and into the strange blue water. Water rippled around the boat. Beneath the boat the water turned black and, like paint, seeped beyond the boat before disappearing. Alex looked to the others for an explanation but no one seemed to notice.
Alex opened his mouth to ask Jack, but he was cut off when he was pushed into the boat and they began to row farther out into the lake. Jack and Nicole manned the paddles, while Brooke, Mark, and David sat behind them, awaiting their turn. Alex sat at the stern and peered over the edge, watching the clear luminescent water. Although it may have been the clearest water he had ever seen, he was still unable to see the bottom.
Alex’s eyes traveled to the water surrounding the paddles and watched as it turned pitch black with every contact before disappearing and returning to its original clear blue state. Alex’s brow furrowed in confusion and concern. Something wasn’t right. Alex’s head shot up from the water as he felt the air pressure change.
“Alex? Is something wrong?” Brooke asked as they switched positions.
“Whatever you do, don’t stop rowing,” said Alex as he waved Brooke off and sniffed the air. Something definitely wasn’t right. Alex looked back at the water and out of the corner of his eye, the water rippled and turned black behind them. Alex spun around to see waves beginning to form from the beach and come closer. As the waves neared them, even more began to form. Through it all, his companions didn’t seem to take notice, for the strange phenomenon was too far away for them to see.
A gust of wind whipped past them, ruffling the sand out of their hair. Wind? There shouldn’t have been any wind. They were in a cave! That’s when all of the puzzles inside Alex’s head clicked and fear filled his eyes. Alex whipped his head back to the others.
“Go faster! We need to get out of here! Now!” Alex shouted. The sudden urgency in his voice startled them and they stopped rowing. “What did I tell you? Don’t stop rowing!” Brooke and David immediately began to row again at Alex’s command.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked. Alex grabbed his arm and pulled him to the back. Alex pointed toward the beach they had left, and Jack followed his gaze. When he saw it, his expression stayed the same but Alex could see the concern in his eyes. Jack turned around and stood in the boat. The boat rocked and Alex grabbed onto the edge to keep from falling.
“What are you doing? You’re going to tip the boat!” Nicole snapped. Jack ignored her and tilted his head to stare at the ceiling. Jack squinted his eyes and watched to see if he could detect movement. After a moment one of the stalagmites above them wobbled slightly. It looked as though its sole purpose was to fall.
Jack sat down, his eyes full of understanding. Jack waved Brooke and David out of their seats and gestured to Alex.
“Come. Help me move this boat. We have to get moving as fast as we can,” Jack said as he pointed to the empty seat next to him and the paddle. Alex sat down and began to row the boat. With both of them paddling, they managed to go faster than the others had.
“What is going on? Why are you guys acting so on edge?” David asked. He and the others were still clueless.
“This cavern is a death trap for any unlucky travelers. Any who have stumbled into this place are doomed. They are so awestruck with the beauty of it they would never come to the conclusion that this place would be their grave. Look down at the water,” said Jack as he paused to catch his breath and allowed them time to look down. “You can’t see the bottom but it’s clear. No one knows how deep it goes but one thing is for sure. All of the missing unfortunate souls that have come here are now lost in that infinite abyss.”
Suddenly the cavern shook and the water wasn’t as glass-like anymore. Fierce wind barreled through, and above them the rocks that hung loosely from the ceiling came cascading down. The sharp stalagmites pounded into the water, causing tsunamis to form.
“Ah, forget it!” Jack jumped up and turned toward the back of the boat. Jack thrust his hands forward and multiple Shadows shot out and latched onto the back of the boat. “Everyone hold on! Things are about to get bumpy.” The Shadows shot forward and the boat took off. They were only a few yards away when waves crashed down on the back end of the boat, washing away the Shadows with the light that illuminated from it. The wave sent the boat flying, and they all landed on the rocky surface just outside of the staircase.
“Run! Up the staircase!” Jack shouted. The six of them scrambled to their feet and dashed up the steps. The steps went a long way, but they could see at the very end the bright yellow light of the afternoon sun.
The water behind them began to rise, and before they knew it the water was climbing the stairs only a few steps behind them. Suddenly a scream filled the air and they stopped to turn behind them. At the very back of the line, David lay sprawled across the stairs. A large hand formed out of water was clamped firmly around his leg. David barely had enough time to make eye contact with them before the hand dragged him into the water and to his doom.
THIRTY-FOUR
David stole one last look at his friends’ horror-filled expressions before the water yanked him into the lake. He sucked in air just before his head disappeared beneath the surface. His arms trailed above and behind him as he was dragged farther and farther down. His eyes widened as the water formed in front of him once again, into a gigantic bald head. The head opened its mouth and seemed to scream. A rush of water flew past him, causing his torso to tilt backwards, his vision blurred. He was dazed into helplessness.
When he finally righted himself, the head was gone but the hand continued to drag him under at an even faster pace. He looked up and watched as the surface stretched farther away from his reach. The water above exploded multiple times as he saw five figures jump into the water. He recognized who it was immediately and turned his attention to the situation at hand. He had to get out of there before he drowned. He could feel his lungs begin to burn but he held fast. David swung wildly at the watery fist but it did nothing to help him. Was he really going to die here?
Before they could think, the five of them were diving into the water and to the rescue. Oddly enough, the water was warm and welcoming. But they weren’t going to be fooled by the water’s calm. They held their breath as they plunged deeper into the clear water. In seconds, they spotted the speeding shape of a hand dragging David deeper into the water. David was swiping aimlessly at the hand that continued to drag him under as he struggled to hold his breath.
If they kept going at this pace, they would never reach David in time. Alex lunged forward and swam as fast as he could, finding it much easier to maneuver in the water if his muscles were relaxed. His friends noticed Alex’s ease and did the same as he had.
Once they caught up to David and the hand, they latched onto David’s arms and began to pull him out. The hand pulled back in an effort to keep its hold on David, turning it into a ga
me of tug-of-war. Brooke held up a hand and began to count down from five with her fingers. When she reached one, they all pulled at the same time and the hand released David.
The six of them flew backwards and were flung to the surface. They quickly swam to the stairs and dashed as fast as they could to the top. Each of them refused to look behind them or stop running.
The bright yellow light blinded them as they charged through the opening into the heat of the afternoon sun. They landed in the soft green grass, out of breath. A cool breeze soared past them, causing their wet bodies to shiver. Alex’s chest heaved up and down as he sucked in the fresh air. Suddenly David began to laugh and after a few seconds everyone else joined in. They didn’t know why and they didn’t need to. They had gotten out and they were safe. For the moment.
Alex lay there completely still, allowing the summer sun to soak up the water from his wet clothes. He sat up and looked at Jack who sat across from him with his elbow resting on his knee and his head tilted up, staring at the clouds in a peaceful and relaxed manner.
“Why didn’t you let us fly? We could have gotten out much faster if we had. We might have even avoided that whole incident if we did,” Alex pointed out.
“I understand why you think that but that would have had the opposite effect,” said Jack as his light brown hair whipped around in the wind, coming out of its usual slicked-back hair-do. “That cavern runs on the energy of power anything or anyone tries to use. If you tried to fly, the water would have just become stronger. I was stupid and reckless and used my shadow power. That hand formed because I used it. The cavern grew stronger because of me. But we still managed to make it out of there.” Jack righted his head and looked to Alex for a response.
“You did it to get us out of there and you did. It’ll just suck for anyone else who stumbles on that place. Should we block off those stairs?” Alex asked.
“No. If we do that, we have to block off the other entrance. In order to do that, we’d have to go back in. We were lucky enough to escape from that place,” noted Jack with a small and warm smile before returning his gaze to the clouds. Unfortunately, the peace that had come onto them did not last long.
A loud roar burst through the air, shaking the trees. The group jumped to their feet. Startled, they searched their surroundings. One thought raced through their heads. They were foolish to let their guard down for even a second. The clearing they had fallen in was small and closed off. On one side of the clearing was the mountain that they had escaped from. On all of the other sides was never-ending forest. In front of them, the trees shook and they positioned themselves, ready for whatever it was to emerge from the branches and attack.
A black shape whizzed past the trees before disappearing. Alex looked to the others, sure that they had to see at least that, but they did not. The trees parted and a black figure stepped out, covered in the shadow of the canopy. Everyone stood still and silent, waiting for the figure to show itself. The figure began to growl and everyone tensed. Except for Alex.
He didn’t know why but the sound of the growl caused him to relax. For some odd reason he even found it calming. Why was he finding comfort in this? Whatever that thing was it had to be something dangerous. But why did he feel as if that wasn’t true? A wave of dizziness shot over him and he clutched his head. Alex looked up and just before his vision went black, he caught a glimpse of silver within the shadowed figure.
Everything was black. There was nothing but silence. He was alone. He was afraid. Alex opened his mouth to call out but his voice was lost to him. Where was everyone? A white light appeared in the darkness far away. Alex began to walk toward it, but something grabbed him and jerked him backwards. He tried to move his feet, but they were stuck to the ground. The light grew smaller until it was nothing but a tiny speck. Then it was gone.
He wanted to leave. It’s not like he hated being alone. It was the place itself. The air was thick and suffocating, like smoke. Gravity pushed down on him, crushing his lungs. He couldn’t breathe. Alex fell to his knees and clutched his chest. Then, as quickly as it had come, all of the pain vanished. In the darkness a silhouetted figure emerged. Alex stood as the figure walked toward him, stopping right in front of him. Understanding, Alex bowed his head and closed his eyes as the world around him spun and the darkness vanished.
Alex opened his eyes to the real world once again. His friends were still standing at the ready, waiting for the figure in the shadows to make its move. Everything was just as it was before, as if none of it had happened. Alex’s vision was still blurry and the wave of nausea had not passed, so he was unable to see and hear clearly. Alex turned back to the shadowed figure, but it was no longer there. Alex sighed and walked over to Jack. “It’s gone. What do you want to do now?” Alex’s tone was impatient but unusually calm. Jack turned back to where the shadowed figure once stood to find an empty space.
“That’s strange. It was sitting in a shadow for pete’s sake! Why couldn’t I tell what it was?” Jack asked rhetorically, throwing his hands in the air. Jack looked at the questioning faces around him, sighed, and visibly relaxed, but everyone could tell that, underneath, he was still on edge. Jack stopped moving and looked around as though he had only just realized something.
“What’s wrong?” David asked.
“I think I know where we are!” Excitement shot through his eyes as the cogs in his brain began to turn again. “We are close! That mountain just saved us weeks of travel!”
“What are you going on about?” Nicole asked as she walked over from where she had been caught standing when the strange figure appeared.
“If I am right, there should be a town not more than an hour flight from here—three if we were to walk,” Jack explained. “There is no time to waste. I understand you are all tired; we will find some rooms when we get there. You aren’t all so tired that you are unable to fly, am I correct?”
They all nodded in response.
“Wonderful.” Before anyone could ask when they would leave, Jack shot into the sky. They jumped off the ground and into the air after Jack.
The air felt blissful against their skin as they flew. They hadn’t tasted the calm air since Winona showed up. It felt as though it had been an eternity, though it had only been two days. Alex’s hair whipped against his face and he brushed it back. The wind was cold against his damp body.
In front of Alex, Jack stopped short, and behind him, everyone else did too.
“What’s wrong?” Nicole asked. Jack spun around to face them and stared at their clothes.
“Your clothes,” Jack said bluntly.
“What about ‘em?” David crossed his arms and stared at Jack expectantly.
“They are still wet?” Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, they’re a little wet but we’ll live,” Brooke said as she held out the bottom of her shirt and it sagged.
“Maybe but you could still get a fever. If danger were to come knocking at our door you would not be ready to face it if you are sick with a fever,” said Jack as he brought his hand up and pointed at the group. Above them a flat, dark, purple square formed and slowly began to lower. They all looked up in surprise when they felt the strange presence and watched as it lowered onto their heads. As it lowered onto them, they all shuddered as they felt it drop through them. As it dropped, they felt the water disintegrate and disappear.
When the square passed through their feet and dissipated, their clothes were completely dry and even a bit soft. Alex reached up and ran his hand through his dry hair. Alex looked back at Jack to say his thanks but he was already flying farther away in the sky. Alex sped forward, slowing down once he was at Jack’s side. His friends followed and once they were all caught up they were flying in one straight line, side by side.
Alex turned his head and stared at Jack until he realized he was staring at him. When Jack met Alex’s gaze, Alex offered a smile of gra
titude before turning back toward the horizon.
Jack’s eyes caught on something in the distance, his face lighting up and he sped on. Alex struggled to keep up with the speeding adult, confused as to why he was so excited. Then Alex saw why. Just ahead of them was a town. Jack nose dived into the forest below and they followed. Once they were beneath the branches, they discovered Jack was nowhere to be seen. They spun around but he was no longer in the air. David looked down and found him walking in the direction of the town on the forest floor.
“Down there!” David pointed down at Jack and they flew down to him. Alex landed on the ground a few feet behind Jack. He stood and waited for him to stop walking but he didn’t stop. Alex ran up behind him and tugged his sleeve. His friends hovered over them as they walked.
“Why not try waiting for us, huh?” David asked. David floated on his back with his hands behind his head, merely inches from Jack’s head. When Jack didn’t answer, David flipped upside down and met Jack’s gaze. Jack stopped mid-step and stared at David in surprise as if he had forgotten he was there.
“I apologize. I seem to have spaced out for a moment. I was lost in thought,” Jack said as he bowed his head apologetically.
“Okay?” Brooke raised her eyebrow but shrugged it off. “Anyway, are we going to that city we saw on the way here?”
“First of all it’s a town not a city. Second of all yes, we are. You no longer have to fly. Please walk,” said Jack as he gestured with his hand to the ground.
“What if I don’t want to?” The corner of Brooke’s mouth rose in a smirk, her tone coated with defiance. Jack raised a stern eyebrow at Brooke which said it all. Brooke reluctantly floated back to the ground, followed by the others.
“When we step into that town, none of you will speak. I will do the talking. You will follow me and you will not stray. Do not fly or use any other powers unless there is a dire need for you to do so. One wrong move could cost us our lives,” said Jack as glared at them, hinting that they needed to etch this into their brains and not forget.
The Abnormals: Book One Page 23
