by M S C Barnes
“Flamers,” Seb said. Still none appeared.
There was another sob.
“Who is that?” Aiden whispered, terrified.
“Seb,” Alice murmured to him, “I was talking silently to you. Did you not hear me?”
“No,” Seb replied. “Are you okay?”.
“Dierne was calling, just before I went through the door. But I can’t hear him now. I don’t know what he wanted,” Alice said. “I can’t communicate.”
“Okay, no pretty lights and no mind-speaking. Aiden, over to you,” Zach said, groping in the darkness and pulling him forward. “Where are we and where is what we are here for?”
Aiden clicked open his tin. Instantly, his freckles reflected the pink light from it, casting sparkles around them, and now Seb could make out chalky walls and a moist, gravelly floor.
“We’re in West Wycombe,” Aiden whispered what Seb already knew. “A place called The Hellfire Caves.”
“Mm — descriptive,” Zach mumbled, as the sobbing started again. “And with atmospheric sound effects. Yay,” he added.
The throbbing in Seb’s palm was much stronger and he worried that he would suddenly see a wispy trail of white mist charging towards him or that, if he delayed, the soul would be able to attack whoever was making the sobbing sound. He looked left and right, searching the darkness. The light from Aiden’s freckles reached a few feet in each direction and Seb jumped as he saw several dark shapes nearby, to his right. Aiden, noticing them too, cowered behind Zach.
“Aiden, don’t go back, bring the light forward!” Zach tugged him out and pushed him towards the shapes, and then they all relaxed.
“Waxworks. They’re just waxwork models,” Aiden said, relieved.
They were actually standing in a small cave which was already occupied by seven gaudily dressed wax models positioned in various poses around a little table on which was some fake fruit, a bottle and a couple of glasses. Two of the wax figures were female, both with flowing locks and wearing masquerade masks. Two of the male figures wore turbans and all the men wore long jackets in shining silk.
“Some sort of a display then,” Zach said, lifting the mask of the nearest female.
“The Inner Temple,” Aiden read the plaque which leant against the table.
“I can’t see where the soul is; can you Aiden?” Seb asked, worrying he was missing something and wondering why the door had led them here.
Aiden shook his head, staring into his tin. “I can’t see anything,” he said.
Hearing another sob, they all turned. Opposite the waxwork group was a tunnel and the sobbing reached them from that direction. Unfortunately, a gate made of metal bars blocked the tunnel opening.
“I think we need to find whoever is crying,” Seb whispered. “The trespassing soul might be going after them.”
“Seb,” Alice said cautiously, “Why would a person be in here at this hour of the night?”
“Maybe they got lost,” Zach suggested. “That’s why they’re crying.” He walked over to the gate and peered along the tunnel.
There was another mournful sob.
“I still can’t see anything,” Aiden squeaked, and the trembling of his hands made the pink light from his tin dance around them. “I can’t even see the layout of the caves. I know where we are,” he dropped his voice to a whisper, “but that is all. The map isn’t working.” He tapped the inside of the tin then looked at Seb. “I don’t know what’s wrong with it.”
“Alice, can’t you go and look?” Zach suggested. “Just zip along the tunnel a bit and check it out.”
“No,” Alice answered, shaking his head. “Aelfric ordered me to stay with Seb at all times.”
“Well you won’t have to go far. Just along the tunnel a short way. See if anything’s there,” Zach spoke a bit louder. “Or are you scared?”
“No,” Alice said emphatically. “I am not scared. And I am not going.” He crossed his arms and frowned at Zach. “I promised I would stay with Seb unless he or Aelfric tell me to do otherwise. And, I can’t communicate with any of you silently, so if something happens and Seb needs me, I won’t know.”
“Al, we can’t get through this gate and you can,” Zach said, tugging on the bars. “And even if we could get through —” The gate fell inwards and he had to prop it up to prevent it falling on him.
“Now you can,” Alice chuckled.
“Well, even so,” Zach frowned, leaning the gate against the wall, “We can’t walk through that tunnel blind; we have no idea what’s along there. Seb?” Zach urged him in a whispered voice.
Seb was about to agree and ask Alice to go, when Aiden made a new suggestion.
“Why don’t you bring Scarlet here? She might be able to see something,” he whispered.
“Yeah,” Zach muttered quietly. “Good idea Aiden. Bet she’s desperate to see me anyway.”
“But we can’t tell her we need her,” Seb said. “Alice can’t communicate.”
“Just open the door anyway, Seb. She’ll be ready,” Zach said, impatiently.
Using the light from Aiden’s tin, Seb reflected it onto the cave wall behind them. The door materialised and Zach ran over, opened it and disappeared through it. In a few seconds he reappeared, dragging a willing Scarlet with him. She was grinning.
“I thought you’d make me stay there all night! Lily’s watching over Mum and The Taz,” she said in a loud voice which echoed down the tunnel.
“Shh!” they all hissed at her as the door disappeared.
“What?” she whispered back, staring around. “Eiou. Mank dummies. Mank cave. Where are we?” She pulled her mobile phone from her back pocket and tapped the screen; it remained blank. “What? My phone doesn’t work. I was going to use the torch…” She tutted. “Why isn’t it working? It had full charge before I left.”
“We’re in the Hellfire Caves,” Aiden said, shuffling closer to Zach. “And nothing seems to work properly here.”
“So? What are we here for?” She stuffed her phone back in her pocket. There was another loud sob and she turned towards the tunnel. “Who was that?”
“We don’t know,” Aiden said. “Zach thinks someone got lost in the caves.”
“I don’t think that, Aiden,” Zach corrected him. “I just suggested it as a possibility. I actually think,” he grinned, “it’s a ghost.” He made a spooky “Ooooh” sound and laughed at the terrified look on Aiden’s face until Scarlet rebuked him.
“Don’t tease him Zach. He looks scared enough already. We all know that ghosts don’t exist, they’re just host-less souls —” A further sob stopped her and she glanced along the tunnel again.
“Can you see anything Scarlet? That’s what we brought you here for,” Seb said. “I can’t get the flamers to appear and Aiden’s tin isn’t working properly, so we need you to tell us what you can see.” His palm was now extremely painful and he knew they couldn’t waste any more time.
Scarlet stared into the opening.
“Nothing,” she said after a moment. “Just a tunnel.”
“Pointless bringing you here then,” Zach said. “You’re supposed to be able to see what we can’t.”
“Only if there’s something to see,” she snapped. “I can see a tunnel. Don’t know what else you expected.”
Zach gave her a nudge, pushing her to the opening. “Go further forward then. See if you can ‘seer’ anything,” he said with a quiet laugh.
She tutted at him but stepped into the passageway, her feet crunching on the gravel.
Alice, watching her, spoke quietly, “Seb, the flamers won’t come, Aiden’s tin doesn’t work, I can’t communicate; there is something really not right here —”
Scarlet’s voice broke in, “There are two openings, one right and one left, a few metres further down and then…” she called back, “yes, then a wider opening ahead, like it leads into another cave. Can’t see anything else though. No people and certainly,” she stepped back into their cave and glared at Zach,
“no ghosts.”
As she said the words, a loud, terrified scream ripped through the air. Aiden began blubbing and clung to Zach’s arm. Zach shrugged him off.
“Let go Aiden, I need my arms free.” He stared fixedly along the tunnel, holding his staff in both hands. “Scarlet, we have to go forward. I need you to tell me what’s ahead. Come on,” he whispered and tugged her with one hand.
They took a few steps into the tunnel and were swallowed by darkness as they wandered beyond the reach of the light from Aiden’s tin.
Zach suddenly reappeared and grabbed Aiden’s arm, trying to drag him into the passageway. Aiden pulled back.
“Come on Aiden, don’t be a fraidy cat,” Zach muttered. “We need the light. Hey, Scarlet, not so fast,” he hissed and disappeared into the tunnel, taking a protesting Aiden with him. All Seb could see was a faint, bobbing pink glow which quickly shrank away, leaving him standing in the dark with Alice.
“I’ve tried calling Dierne again,” Alice said, “But I can’t get a response from him, or from Nat, or any Dryad, Seb.”
Seb knew, from the intense pain in his palm, that they urgently needed to find the soul that was causing it. But the fact that Alice was unable to even communicate with other Dryads was really disturbing.
“Okay, let’s stop them,” he said. “Zach, Aiden, come back,” he called, trying not to raise his voice too loud. “We need to think about this.” He dashed into the tunnel, Alice beside him.
They caught up with the others where the gravelled path crossed over a little underground river. A plaque on the wall informed visitors that this was The River Styx and though he could hear the water trickling in the darkness, Seb couldn’t see it. Scarlet was peering through an iron grid on one side that spanned a gap between the low tunnel wall and the roof. Zach was doing the same through the gap on the other side.
“Can you see anything?” he asked, turning.
Seb, joining Scarlet, jumped as he glimpsed some eerie shapes a few feet upriver. He bumped into Aiden, who squealed with fright.
“What, Seb?” he asked, nervously.
“Someone’s down there!” Seb hissed.
“No Seb, they’re just stalactites and stalagmites. I can’t see anyone at all, and nor can I see anything unusual,” Scarlet mumbled to him, turning to look further along the tunnel.
“Well, wait a minute anyway,” Seb whispered. “We need to think about this, not go rushing in. It is worrying that we can’t call for flamers and that Aiden’s tin isn’t working and —”
“There Seb, there!” Scarlet suddenly whispered. Everyone looked where she was pointing. Further up the tunnel a dark shape, surrounded by a bright pink aura, moved towards them. “It’s a woman,” Scarlet said, even more quietly.
Seb could hear the terrified woman’s heavy footfalls on the gravel and her panicked breathing. She stopped abruptly, as if sensing there was something else in the tunnel ahead of her, and let out a sob. The light from Aiden’s tin was not visible to those outside the groups and so this woman couldn’t see them, Seb was sure. But maybe she had heard Scarlet? Whatever it was that had alerted her, she stopped in her tracks and dithered for a moment before she turned and, pressing her back against the wall, let out an ear-piercing scream.
As she moved to the side, Seb was afforded a view past her along the passageway and approaching, at speed through the darkness, he could see two red eyes. His heart leapt and instantly he raised his hand. Confident he couldn’t be seen, without thinking, he reflected light from Aiden’s tin and shone it onto the enormous black shape that was tearing down the tunnel towards them. He didn’t have time to work out what manner of animal this gytrash was before the soul was ripped from its shell and slammed into his chest.
He gasped at the impact and called for Alice who instantly began weaving the memories of this soul into a more balanced depiction of its numerous lives. Many of the visions were dreadful and they were worsened by the fact that they were accompanied by feelings of satisfaction and happiness. Seb was witnessing the thoughts and acts of a despicable, self serving, arrogant and greedy soul. The happy memories all involved some sort of suffering for others and the kindness which the soul had experienced it saw as its due. Even with Alice’s help he could not reconcile the good with the bad. The awful scenes playing out in his mind wounded his own heart and as he viewed the last sanctioned visitation of this soul he was sickened by what it had done. Finally, he saw the events that led this trespassing soul here. First, there was an image of a meeting, so fuzzy and hazy Seb struggled to comprehend it, and then he saw the soul take over the host of a stray dog and watched its journey across night-cloaked fields to Hellfire Caves. Already feeling heartsick from the visions, nausea and exhaustion suddenly muddled his brain preventing him from understanding what he saw next. It appeared that someone, dressed in a hooded Parka jacket, had let this gytrash dog into the caves, unlocking the entrance and then sealing it behind the animal. Before he could make sense of what he had seen, the soul left his body and he fell to the floor. Scarlet tutted and the woman, feet from them, hearing the sound, screamed again.
Alice lifted Seb and spoke quickly, “Nearly done, Seb. Decide and deal.”
Seb lifted his head and gazed absently at his twin. Fighting the urge to vomit he followed Alice’s pointing finger. The mist trail, like those before, was now fleeing from Seb. Gritting his teeth he somehow mustered the strength to lift his arm. Shining the light from the tin at the soul he uttered one word, “Banished.”
There was a wail, like a banshee’s cry, which drowned out the sobbing of the woman and then the mist trail froze before floating away in the direction of the Inner Temple cave.
Leaning against Alice, Seb vomited.
Abandon and Rescue
“Well that is simply nasty!” Zach said aloud and the woman, still standing by the damp wall nearby, screamed again. “Will you stop doing that!” Zach shouted at her and she stifled the scream.
“Who’s there? Who are you? Are you a ghost?” she asked tearfully. She had the slightest French accent.
“Mmm, ghosts that puke. Unlikely,” Zach sneered.
“Zach, stop it. She’s terrified poor woman. She can’t see a thing.” Scarlet marched over to her. “It’s okay. We are —we’re just —” She stopped, unsure what to say next.
“School kids who got left behind on our trip?” Zach offered for her.
“Oh thank goodness,” the woman said, accepting the explanation. “I came here on my own and I think the staff didn’t realise I was still in here when they closed up. The lights suddenly went out and I couldn’t find my way back to the entrance. My mobile phone won’t work and I’ve been wandering these tunnels for — well it must be hours now,” she sobbed. “And my mind has played all sorts of tricks on me. I thought I saw a, well a — well never mind. It’s nice to have company — No I don’t mean it like that; I don’t mean I am glad you are stuck in here too, but I am just so relieved not to be on my own.” She was rambling nervously now. “It’s horrifying what your mind can do in a place like this, especially as I have heard it’s haunted, and my mind played such tricks on me —”
“Well, you are with us now,” Scarlet said kindly and the woman burst into tears.
“That helped,” Zach laughed. “Well done Scarlet.”
“Shut up Zach,” Scarlet snapped.
“I’m sorry,” the woman said. “I am just so relieved. How many of you are there? I can’t see it’s so dark in here. Weren’t you scared too? How old are you?”
Seb was hardly listening to the conversation. He felt so ill he couldn’t have cared what was said. Alice was beside him, propping him up. Aiden knelt next to them.
“Are you okay Seb?” he asked.
Seb couldn’t answer. His mind kept wandering back to the visions from that soul, and to the hazy image of the recent meeting. And as he relived those events another wave of nausea hit him. He felt completely drained, his body leaden, his heart weary.
“We need to get him out of here,” Alice said to Aiden. “I still think something is very wrong. I can’t contact Dierne. Is your map working yet?”
Holding the tin open on his palm, Aiden shook his head and whispered, “Nothing. It just shows where we — oh? Actually …” His voice drifted off as he stared into it.
“What?” Alice asked.
“Well, it’s like there’s a big circle of darkness, just off centre, covering the map. Before I couldn’t see anything but now I can see a few things to the right of it. It’s like a shadow has been thrown over the map and we’ve moved out of it a little. I wish I could show you. It is a perfect circle and then I can see parts of the tunnels running beyond it. I couldn’t see them before. Really strange.”
“You know we can all hear you right, Aiden?” Zach called across. “And guys, we need to move. Sorry Seb, but me and the smell of puke don’t go together at all.”
“How many of you are there?” the woman asked. “How many?”
“There are four of us,” Scarlet answered.
“I think we should move further down this tunnel,” Aiden said. “It looks like the shadow is mainly over the cave we have just come from. If we move that way,” he pointed past the woman, “the map may work better.”
“I’m game on,” Zach said. “Let’s get away from this bit at least. I pity the first person to come down here in the morning. Eiou!”
“I’m not sure Seb can walk,” Alice said.
“Come on Seb, get up.” Zach moved across to him and, putting a hand under his armpit, pulled him to his feet.
“What’s wrong with him?” Scarlet asked, sounding annoyed, not concerned.
“Whenever he deals…” Zach checked himself, as if realising the woman was still listening to everything they were saying. “It’s all that reading,” he mumbled.
“Oh!” Scarlet caught on.
“Is there something wrong with your friend?” the woman asked.
“He’s read too many horror books; gets panicky in the dark,” Zach told her. “He’s so faint he can barely walk now.”
“I can understand that.” The woman gave a small chuckle. “So there are four of you, you said? Not five?” she asked.
