by S. E. Akers
“But I didn’t see him there,” I countered.
Tanner let out a sarcastic laugh. “You didn’t see me there either, now did you?”
Instantly, my stomach dropped.
“He probably followed you here! He could be waiting outside the cave, this very second!” Tanner grumbled.
I wallowed in my own stupidity while I watched a very frantic Tanner Grey climbing the walls as he tried to figure out “what to do”. He stopped and turned to look at the wand, staring at it fiercely. The next thing I knew, Tanner had snatched my arm and was dragging me up the formation of rocks.
“Wrap your hands around it,” Tanner ordered impatiently. “Try to dislodge the wand.”
“Tanner, I tried when I got back here last night, and it wouldn’t budge.”
“Try it again!” he demanded.
I carefully wrapped my hands around the wand and did as Tanner requested. As I’d predicted, it didn’t move an inch. I stood over the diamond disheartened, once again. This unfortunate turn of events was entirely my fault — every stupid, naïve percent of it. I had no one to blame but myself for the regrettable predicament I was now in. I’d not only disappointed myself, but Tanner as well.
He picked up on my feelings and turned me around to face him. Tanner was still wrought with anger, but he calmed down as he attempted to console me.
“Shiloh, I think I know what your problem is. You have to want to accept this as your destiny. You are a Talisman, but the stone will not force itself upon you. That’s why the transition of its powers won’t be complete until the wand is in your hand. You have to be absolved of any reservations and right now, I think you still have some. With Ferrol sniffing around and my suspicion that Lazarus has the hilt, we don’t have the luxury of time. Lazarus could use the hilt to find the wand, and though he couldn’t possess its powers because they belong to you, he would take the opportunity to claim them — by killing you. Then the diamond’s powers would rightfully belong to him.” Tanner looked up towards the top of the rocky staircase. “Wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back.”
I listened to the sound of his footsteps echoing around the hollowed-out cave while I stood there alone in front of the wand, left to consider Tanner’s theory. I’d known all along that my own doubts were keeping me from claiming it. I’d come to terms with everything about the nature of possessing the wand with the exception of one thing — death. “Death” was an inescapable consequence of its ownership. Having to “do the deed” to someone who wanted to claim the wand from me, or my own death that could result from trying to keep it from falling into their hands, and not to forget, the inevitable tragic outcome for the people I cared about if they found themselves in harm’s way because I possessed the diamond wand. That’s what it boiled down to — plain and simple — death. It was the only obstacle standing in the way of my future, my destiny. That was the barrier I needed to break through, once and for all.
“There’s no one outside,” Tanner announced as he hurried back down the rocky staircase. “Our plans have changed. I’ve got to tie up a few things today, but most important, I have to find out if Lazarus has the hilt. You’ll have to leave town with Bea, just for a little while. Once you two are safe, I’ll return and guard the wand. I just put a temporary enchantment on the entrance. It will only last until the sun sets this evening. Lazarus and Ferrol won’t be able to get in here before I return, hopefully before dusk. During that time, I’ll be the only one who can open or close it.”
“Why’s that?” I inquired.
Tanner gave me a playful smack on the side of my head. “Because I’m the only one who knows the magic words — that’s why. Don’t worry. You’ll be safe down here all day.”
My eyes widened. “You’re kidding, right? All day?”
Tanner’s face was stone-cold serious. “Yes, all day. You spent all last night down here. What’s a few more hours?”
Starting to feel slightly claustrophobic, I looked around the dimly lit cave that was to be my prison for the day and thought, Well that sucks. I’ll be trapped down here.
“Don’t you think you need to fill me in on what the magic words are, exactly?” I posed anxiously.
Tanner paused to contemplate my request. After a few seconds, he smiled and replied with a curt, “No.”
“But what if I get hungry?” I reasoned.
“I don’t think you’ll starve to death,” Tanner scoffed.
“What if I have to…use the little girls room?” I challenged.
“You’re a mountain girl. Don’t tell me you’ve never been camping,” he countered bluntly and pointed to an area behind a large boulder.
My mind rallied to come up with a convincing plea. Suddenly, my worst fear came to mind.
“But what if something happens to you?” I blurted. “I might be in danger and have to get out of here.” That was something I didn’t even want to think about, let alone say out loud. I could tell Tanner was wrestling with my point. The thought of such a scenario actually occurring was a remote possibility, but a chance nonetheless. I thought I’d take his doubts a step further.
“What if Bea is in trouble?”
I watched Tanner’s shoulders sink down as his head tilted back in defeat.
“Do you know any Latin?” Tanner sighed reluctantly.
I shot him a blank stare. You’ve got to be kidding, I thought as I postured my hands on my hips. What kind of public school system does Mr. Ivy League Professor think we’ve got around here?
“Pig Latin,” I cracked.
Tanner raked his hand through his hair and let out a grunt. “Listen closely, wise-ass. The entrance can only be opened by saying, ostendo sum porta, and closed by saying, occulto porta. Now, I’m trusting you… You’re only to leave the cave in an emergency. Not to grab a bite to eat or anything else trivial. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I vowed wholeheartedly. “Only in an emergency. I promise.”
He quickly headed back up the stairs. As Tanner ascended the cave, he called down, “I’m serious, Shiloh. ONLY IN AN EMERGENGY!” I watched as he threw his hands up in the air and shook his head repeatedly the entire way up the winding staircase. He managed to yell down another gruff, “Stay Put, little girl!” before I heard him say the magical phrase that opened the door. Not a second later, I heard the faint rumbling of earth being shifted around, concealing the cave’s secret entrance and entombing me inside.
Deep inside the dimly lit cave and well out of his earshot, I stomped my foot on the floor and yelled out, “Asshole!”
Regrettably, I had nothing to do down here but think. Alone with my thoughts was not the best way to pass the time, especially when all I could think about were the two Talismans who were hot on my trail. My own paranoia was the only thing I had to keep me company while I waited for Tanner to return.
Now I know what a deer feels like during open season. The only thing I’m missing is a big red target on my back! I checked my watch. It wasn’t even six o’clock yet. This is going to be long day, I sulked as I plopped down onto the ground.
Attempting to head off any signs of boredom, I decided to count all the rock formations that randomly adorned the interior of the cave. I started by adding up all the large stalactites hanging down like icicles from the jagged ceiling. There were hundreds, but I just counted the larger ones. Three-hundred twelve. I still found it odd that these wonders weren’t naturally formed from calcium deposits, but from dark bituminous coal. I got the feeling that their “creation” may not have been an entirely “natural” occurrence. Next, I tallied the stalagmites rising from the floor like columns. I grabbed hold of one of the smaller ones nearby and gently ran my fingers around its groves. Bituminous coal was relatively soft, so I had to be very careful not to accidentally break it, especially with my newfound strength.
As hard as I tried to keep myself distracted, I still found my thoughts drifting back to Ty. Even caressing a rock formation made thoughts of running my fingers along
the curves of his handsome face pop into my mind. If I managed to survive all of this, I still had a lot of explaining left to do.
My mind began to wander. A question rang through my head like an alarm. What happens to me “after” I claim the wand? Lazarus and Ferrol won’t just disappear. They’ll still be after me, and the wand. What happens THEN?
The ugly truth of the situation had surfaced. I had an idea that my departure with Bea was going to be for longer than “just a little while”. My mind swirled with thoughts of constantly being on the run or in hiding. My life (as I’d known it) would be nothing more than a memory.
I won’t graduate, that’s for sure! Who knows when I’ll get to see Katie? We hadn’t officially made-up, but she was still my best friend, and I would miss her dearly. Then there was Ty. My absence would certainly put a damper on our feelings blossoming into anything. A pain swelled in the pit of my stomach. Yeah…This sucks!
As far as my family went, Charlotte and Chloe wouldn’t skip a beat in my absence. I was certain of that. But then there was Samuel, and I would miss him something awful too. He’d been a part of my life since I was born. In some small way, he made me feel like Daddy was still with me, which I found comforting (and needed). Just like Daddy, Samuel would be ripped from my life unexpectedly as well.
Strangely, Mike even popped into my head. Forget about healing him, I thought. Just chalk up Welch’s undefeated record going up in flames to little ’ole me. Funny, I even found that disappointing. Nevertheless, Welch High hadn’t had an undefeated season in over twenty-three years. I sat on the ground with my head lowered into my hands, wishing for “a sign”. Any sign that would tell me that this was truly my destiny, and what I was meant to do. A week ago, all I could think about was doing everything within my power to get the Hell out of the coalfields of southern West Virginia. Now, I found myself desperately trying to find a way to stay.
In the midst of my wallowing, I felt a faint quivering sensation. Suspiciously, my eyes panned around the cave. What is that? Without warning, a jolting vibration rocked the cave violently. I looked up to discover that a few of the stalactites had broken off and were dropping to the ground. Alarmed, I quickly rolled out of their way and glanced back to see them smashing onto the exact spot where I’d been sitting.
I know I asked for “a sign”, but I could’ve stood for something a little more “subtle”. Not a second later, another tremor shook the cave. I immediately sprang to my feet and started running up the rocky staircase.
I paused at the closed entrance when I’d reached the top. Tanner had told me not to leave, to “stay put”. As I weighed the consequences of what opening the door of the cave would be, another tremor struck. This one was even more violent than the last. The jolt sent me stumbling backward, towards the edge of the staircase. I struggled to maintain my balance, so I wouldn’t fall to the ground. I was riddled with suspicion about what could be causing the cave to quake. There was no time to reason this one out. Impulsively, I chose to step outside to see what the heck was going on. After all, who doesn’t consider an earthquake an “EMERGENCY”?
I struggled with the magic words a couple of times (eleven, to be exact). I supposed my enunciation could’ve been more precise, but I finally delivered the words, “ostendo sum porta”, with a silver tongue and waited for all the earth to mystically shift away from the opening.
I stood inside the cave and took pause for safety’s sake. I didn’t see anyone else outside, so I thought, The coast seems clear. The cold morning air rushed over me as I edged out into the darkness. There was a faint trace of light illuminating the horizon that let me know the sun was about to make its scheduled rise.
I scanned the woods for any Talisman intruders. There wasn’t a soul to be found. Again, the ground shook violently without warning, but this time I could hear the sound of an explosion. The next thing I knew, a siren was blaring in the distance.
The mine! That’s their siren! The explosions must’ve occurred in one of the tunnels. The mine siren was something you never wanted to hear. Nothing good ever came from the sound of it roaring throughout the mountainside. Bad news was inevitable.
I looked at my watch and thought of Samuel. He would be getting off around this time. I became consumed with fear for my surrogate father, unaware if he was safe or not. And there lay my dilemma — Without my cell phone, I didn’t have any way to reach him.
What would be the harm in running down there to check for myself? I’ll be right back. Anyway, if my suspicions are correct, and I am leaving town for longer than “just a little while”, I have to say good-bye to Samuel. I can’t just run off and have him wrought with worry over “where I am” or “what happened to me”?
Unexpectedly, another blast rocked the mountainside. I stared off in the direction of the mine like I was locked in a magnetic trance, feeling the weight of its hold tugging me towards it. Without thinking about any of the negatives, I made another rash decision. Quickly, I waved my hand over the entrance of the cave and raced down the mountain en route to the mine. I had to make sure Samuel was okay. I couldn’t bear to lose two fathers in one week.
I scrambled through the thick brush and arrived at the bottom of the mountain within a few seconds. I remained hidden behind a large tree across from the mine while I watched a flood of coalminers pouring out of the front gates in accordance with their evacuation procedure. Everyone’s names had to be checked off a list, assuring that all the miners would be accounted for. In the midst of all the commotion, Lazarus and several of his entourage appeared and then swiftly loaded up in one of their black Chevy Suburbans. I spotted Ferrol running over to the SUV. As soon as he had climbed inside, they bolted out of the lot and took off down the road like a bat out Hell. I’d never seen so much dust kicked up in my life. It looked like a gray sandstorm.
They were good and gone in no time. Once I’d crossed the road, I rushed over to the main gate and flagged down Uriah Hatfield, who happened to be standing outside the security booth.
“Uriah, where’s Samuel? Is he okay?” I asked nervously.
“What ’n the heck ya doin’ down here? There’s enough trouble goin’ on ’round me. I don’t need anymore,” Uriah snapped.
I wasn’t in the mood for any of his surly attitude today.
“Uriah, I have to know if Samuel made it out okay. Do you know where he is?” I demanded.
“I saw him out ’ere with Mr. Xcavare, and that other guy stopped to talk to him.”
“Was that before or after the explosions?” I asked anxiously.
“I’m not sure, Shiloh…I can’t think with all this goin’ on! Maybe before?” Uriah seemed even more frazzled than I was. He grabbed his clipboard and snapped, “I haveta check everybody off my list. Why don’t ya go see if his Jeep’s still ’ere? I’m busy! I’m sure he’ll turn up.”
I headed over to the parking lot, both annoyed and frustrated. I scanned it thoroughly, several times in fact. I didn’t see Samuel’s Jeep, so I had to take that as a good sign. Maybe he’s already left? I headed back to the security gate to let Uriah know that Samuel’s Jeep was gone. He was still busy checking off miner’s names, so I tried my best to patiently wait my turn.
While I waited, I observed a few men rallying outside the building that housed the safety gear. Surely they were making plans for their search and rescue operation. Just as a truck carrying a team of responders pulled away from the building, I spotted Samuel’s Jeep. The truck had blocked it from my view. Once I realized he was still here — on the property somewhere — my anxiety shot through the roof.
I whirled around and stared into the empty security booth. I spotted a phone through the large glass window. Uriah had left the door open, so I slipped inside the booth and attempted to call Samuel on his cell. It rang repeatedly, until it eventually went to his voicemail.
“Samuel, it’s Shiloh. I’m here at the mine.
There’s been some kind of accident and
I was calling to se
e if you were okay.
I don’t have my cell phone,
so just call Uriah and check in with him.
PLEASE…As soon as you get this message!
I’ll be on pins and needles until I hear from you!”
Even though I was able to leave Samuel a message, I hung up the phone even more worried than before. I stood in the doorway of the security booth and surveyed the scene outside. Safety teams were gearing up, and an ambulance had just arrived on the scene. My eyes continued to search the grounds on the other side of the gate when I heard a scratchy noise crackling behind me. It was coming from Uriah’s walkie-talkie lying on his desk.
I picked it up and listened to what sounded like static that came and went several times. I pressed the “talk” button and called out, “Is anyone there? This is the security station. Over.”
There was no answer. I waited for more of the feedback sounds, but they were gone. Huh, I thought. Uriah happened to glance inside the security booth. He shook his head and motioned for me to “get out of his station”. As I started to head out, the walkie-talkie began to crackle again, but this time a low, frail voice muttered the word, “Help.”
I snatched it up and answered. “This is mine security. Who’s this?”
The voice stammered out a reply. “Sa —Samuel.”
“SAMUEL,” I squealed. “Where are you?”
“Trapped…in a tunnel,” he groaned.
The next thing I heard was the sound of rocks crashing in the background. I flew into a panic. If the roof were in the midst of collapsing, there would be no chance whatsoever that a rescue team could possibly get to him in time. They had their safety procedures that had to be followed. I was Samuel’s only hope.
“Samuel, hold tight. I’m coming!” I dropped the walkie-talkie and hurried out of the booth.
“Shiloh, who was that on the horn?” Uriah hollered. Apparently, he had been watching me the entire time.
“Nobody,” I replied curtly. His eyes began to squint into a cynical glare. “Well, just tell Samuel that I’m looking for him when he turns up. Gotta go,” I said abruptly as I pretended to walk towards the parking lot. I waved back to him and smiled. He watched me like a hawk. He hadn’t bought my answer for one second.
