“Then we better get moving.” Tommy switched from the torch app to his flashlight. Eevie rubbed her hands across the surface of the huge chasm, searching for any hint of a way out. “I don’t see anything but wall, and more wall. And in the darkness, how do we know that we haven’t gone all the way around and we’re just looking at the same thing?”
“Because we haven’t reached my backpack yet,” said Tommy. “I laid it up against the wall, so we’d know where we started.”
Suddenly a flash of light caught Tommy’s eyes. “What the...”
Tommy leaned in closer to the wall.
“What is it?” whispered Eevie, moving next to Tommy.
“A mirror, I think. I can’t really tell—it’s almost completely overgrown with roots.... Hold my phone; I’m gonna try and tear the roots away. These roots are all connected. Hopefully I’m not going to upset the root gods.”
The roots looked like a massive spider web. Tommy looked at his hand, willing it to stop trembling. Curling his hand around a fistful of roots, he pulled. The roots ripped from the wall, raining dirt around Tommy and Eevie’s feet. Both Eevie and Tommy stood motionless. Listening. Feeling. Getting ready to run. Eevie exhaled and then inhaled heavily; she hadn’t realized that she had been holding her breath. Nothing...
Grabbing another handful of roots, Tommy tore them away from the wall, tossing them to the ground. He gasped as he watched them slither and burrow into the ground, becoming a part of the living ganglion of roots.
“OK, that’s just creepy,” shuddered Eevie.
“Eevie, it’s a mirror,” whispered Tommy excitedly. “And there is something written above it.”
“What does it say?” Eevie’s heart was racing.
“Objects in the rearview mirror may be closer than they appear.”
Eevie closed her eyes and shook her head. “Seriously? Tommy, sometimes, I can’t even find the words...”
“It says: ‘The answer lies within you.’ Clearly this tree was a philosophy major because I have no idea what that means.”
A flash of hope appeared on Eevie’s face. “Well, one thing’s for sure, we are not the first ones down here. Someone had to put the mirror here, and write that message. So, there has to be a way out. We simply have to find it.”
The mirror was long and narrow; the edges looked as if they had literally grown into the wall. Eevie looked more closely at the mirror, and her shadowy reflection stared back. Then she spotted something. She pulled more of the roots away. “There’s a hole beneath the mirror.”
“I probably made it when I pulled the roots out,” said Tommy as he leaned in for a closer look.
“No. See, look, it’s perfectly round.”
“I don’t know what it’s for, Eevie. Maybe if we solve the puzzle we’ll figure it out.”
“‘The answer lies within you’ could mean anything. In your eyes, in your mind, in your heart. We could be here for days trying to figure out what ‘lies within us.’”
“And why would they put a mirror here...unless it was something you could see...or maybe figure out by looking at ourselves.”
“Maybe it’s a two-way mirror and we’re being watched right now,” Eevie said.
“OK, that is beyond creepy.”
Tommy stood and stared into the mirror; he stared into his own eyes. “The answer lies within,” he whispered. He moved his face closer to the mirror. “What lies within?”
“Tommy, do that again.” Eevie moved beside him, staring at the mirror.
“Do what?”
“Never mind—move out of the way!”
Tommy took a step back. Eevie moved her face until it was less than half an inch from the mirror. She opened her mouth, breathed out, and made a “haaaaaaaa” sound. Her breath immediately fogged the mirror, and in the midst of the fog, she could see three letters. “T-E-R.”
“Do it again, Eevie! Do it again! Something is written on the mirror,” said Tommy excitedly.
“I know, I know!”
Eevie leaned in again, this time moving her face slowly across the width of the mirror as she exhaled. Like magic, the letters began to appear.
“W-A-T-E-R.”
“Water? The answer is ‘water’?” asked Tommy, confused. “How is that supposed to help us?”
“I don’t know. Maybe there are more words and I missed them.”
“I’ll try...”
Eevie’s and Tommy’s eyes grew wide. The word “water” was melting, creating a silver liquid stream, like wax from a candle—pooling toward the bottom of the mirror. A silver drop of liquid fell like a tear from the mirror to the ground.
“Maybe,” said Tommy, leaning in closer to the hole, “we’re supposed to put that liquid in the hole beneath the mirror! It said water, so maybe we put the water in the hole.”
Another drop fell to the ground.
“I don’t know, Tommy,” said Eevie worriedly, shaking her head.
“Well, if we don’t try something, it’s all going to just drip down from the mirror. I’m going to at least try. I’ll catch a drop on my finger and put it in the hole. It will either work or not.”
Tommy quickly extended his index finger before he could change his mind. He watched as the silvery droplet paused momentarily at the bottom of the mirror and then dropped to his fingertip. It felt like ice, then like fire. Tommy closed his eyes in pain and put his finger in the hole.
“AHHHHHH!” screamed Tommy.
Eevie watched in horror as the hole closed on Tommy’s finger. Tommy’s pain was unbearable. “Eevie, my hand!” Another silvery drop fell onto the back of Tommy’s hand, searing his flesh, which immediately blistered.
I Really Should Have Paid Attention in Latin Class
Tommy screamed out in pain. He gritted his teeth and pulled. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks. If I pull any harder, I’m going to rip my finger off my hand! Eevie frantically scratched and clawed at the wall.
“Turn your hand, Tommy! Turn your hand before it drips on you again!”
Pain surged through Tommy’s body. He felt his lips going numb, and he fought the dizzying blackness that was beginning to creep over him, itching his scalp. Eevie caught him as his knees buckled.
“Breathe, Tommy! Breathe! I’ll dig you out!”
Tears of pain escaped from Tommy’s closed eyes as he fought off wave after wave of dizziness.
The silvery drops fell to the ground more quickly, and Eevie noticed that it had devoured the dirt and roots, burning right through them. She saw a glint of metal.
“Tommy! I think I see a key! I think it’s a key!” she screamed excitedly.
Eevie clawed frantically at the dirt. “It’s a ring, Tommy,” said Eevie, her voice filling with fear. “I think this is what we were supposed to put in the hole.”
Tears poured down Eevie’s cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Tommy.”
“Eevie, it’s not your fault.” Tommy gritted his teeth. “I’m the idiot who put my finger in the hole. It’s numb now, Eevie. I can’t feel it anymore....” Tommy looked at his friend. “None of this is your fault. We’ll get out of here.”
Eevie looked at the ring. It was an intricately crafted, coiled snake. Its red fangs glistened like diamonds, piercing its own tail to complete the circle. The underside of the ring was polished smooth with the word “Retexo” etched into its belly.
“Tommy, the ring says ‘Retexo.’ What does that mean?”
Tommy shook his head in frustration. “I have no idea, but I do know who does. I have a translator app on my phone. There’s an app called World Translate. Open that and type in ‘Retexo,’ and hurry!”
“Oh yeah! I’ve got the same app.” Eevie’s fingers danced across the screen. As the app opened, the battery dropped to 3 percent. The flashlight app had burned through the last remaining bit of his battery. Come on. Come on, screamed Eevie in her head.
“Untwist!” screamed Eevie. “It’s Latin for untwist
!”
Eevie squatted, placing the phone on her knee. Holding the ring between her index fingers and thumbs, she began twisting the ring in every direction. Suddenly, the ring unhinged and opened.
“Tommy, I’m going to put this ring over your finger. I can’t promise you, but EVERYTHING inside of me is telling me that this is what we were supposed to put in the hole.”
“It’s fine, Eevie.” Tommy smiled a sad smile. “At this point I don’t think my finger’s gonna mind.”
Eevie gently put the ring around the base of Tommy’s finger. One last drip of silvery water fell from the mirror, hitting the ring. Their eyes widened as a serpent came to life, slithering around Tommy’s finger. The serpent rotated fully around his finger and then without warning sank its red fangs into it. Tommy collapsed to his knees in pain, his finger still stuck in the wall.
Eevie screamed and tried to pry the snake from Tommy’s finger. The harder she pulled, the tighter the snake coiled around it.
“Stop, Eevie, just stop!” yelled Tommy angrily. “Just stop!”
Eevie pulled back, shocked. “I was just trying to help.”
“I’m sorry, Eevie. I’m sorry.”
They watched as the snake’s head rose to look at Tommy and then Eevie. A drop of crimson clung to the bottom of the snake’s fang. The snake then coiled tightly around Tommy’s finger and dug its fangs into its own tail. They watched in disbelief as the snake turned back into metal.
The hole suddenly released Tommy’s finger. He fell backward, holding his hand. Waves of agonizing pain pulsed through his finger over and over as the blood and feeling returned. Eevie crouched beside her friend, grasping his shoulder. He was free, but at what price? In the darkness, Tommy gently tugged at the ring. Pain seared through his finger, causing him to inhale sharply. I guess I won’t be taking that off any time soon, Tommy told himself.
Eevie looked up; she could feel air on her face. Where was it coming from? She flipped Tommy’s phone over and touched the screen. It was dead. Of course. Staring into the darkness, she could just make out a faint, shimmering light.
“Tommy, can you see that? Can you feel that air? I feel air.”
Tommy pushed himself to his feet. “I see it, Eevie! If there’s fresh air, then that’s got to be our way out!”
A thick ribbon of light framed the outside of the mirror. Eevie reached forward and gently touched the surface of the mirror. Suddenly, thousands of jagged lines appeared across the surface. They both watched in stunned silence as the mirror collapsed in a shiny, silvery cloud of dust. Light burst through the cavern, blinding them. Instinctively, they turned away from the bright light.
“Second time. Second time my eyes have been seared,” groaned Tommy, his hand covering his eyes.
Slowly, Eevie opened her fingers a little to let some of the light in. She slowly turned in a circle, seeing for the first time the inside of the cavern. The walls and the ceiling were made of dirt and rock, and a living, vascular bundle comprised of thousands of roots intertwined. What made this place? Who made this place?
Tommy walked over and grabbed his backpack. He looked up at the gnarled and twisted ceiling. The roots had shifted and moved; no one would ever know that two children had been ensnared and mercilessly thrown into oblivion.
Tommy shook his head in the affirmative. The voice inside his head said, You figured out the mirror; you’ve got this. Another voice in his head answered resolutely. Yes, I do.
Eevie leaned forward, looking down through the opening.
“Tommy, it looks like a lake—with glowing rocks.”
“A lake with glowing rocks? There’s a lake at the park, so maybe it’s the underground part of that lake.”
“I hope so.” Eevie continued staring. “How long do you think we’ve been down here?”
Tommy knew where this was going. “About an hour, Eevie. We still have a chance to get out of here before our parents start worrying. Right now, we need to focus on getting out of here in one piece.” Tommy glanced down at his hand. He was glad to still have his finger—even though now it was permanently adorned with an evil serpent.
Without another word, Eevie slowly climbed through the opening. She paused, sitting on the ledge, then pulled her phone from her pocket. “Tommy, my phone, it’s not waterproof.”
“It’s fine. My backpack is waterproof; I’ll put your phone in there. How deep does it look?”
“It’s pretty deep, Tommy, ten feet or more.”
“I have a suggestion to make, and it’s not because I want to see your pasty white legs, so get that thought out of your head. But we probably shouldn’t try to swim in sweatpants, sneakers, and hoodies.”
Eevie contemplated what Tommy was saying for a moment. He was right; her wet clothes would drag her down and exhaust her. She climbed back through the opening. Tommy was digging through his backpack looking for clothes for Eevie.
“Eevie, I have my gym shorts and a T-shirt. You can put those on.”
“Thank you, Tommy,” smiled Eevie. “You truly are one of the last remaining gentlemen.”
“Careful, Eeves, so many compliments—my head may not fit through our magical window over there.”
Tommy turned his head while Eevie got dressed, then he quickly removed everything except for his boxers and a T-shirt.
“I’m going to put our clothes in the backpack,” yelled Tommy.
“I think we’ll be fine,” Eevie called out. “It’s pretty warm down here.”
“As long as the water isn’t freezing, I’ll be fine. I hate cold water.”
Tommy smiled. Eevie was wearing his team’s workout clothes. She had tied a knot in the band of his elastic shorts. A knot also adorned the bottom of his T-shirt, pulling it snug against her.
“Go, Titans!” laughed Tommy.
Eevie shook her head. “I take back everything I said about you being a gentleman.”
“What? I’m simply full of team spirit.”
“You’re full of something, and it’s not ‘team spirit,’” said Eevie, making air quotes with her fingers.
Like déjà vu, Eevie climbed through the narrow opening that had once been the mirror. Tommy stood right behind her. Pushing off the edge, she dropped with a splash into the water. Inside, Tommy was beyond worried that his best friend was jumping into a lake of acid water. He was waiting for the screams and had secretly tied their hoodies together in a makeshift rope in case he needed to quickly pull her out of the water.
Eevie kicked her legs twice and broke the surface of the water. It was cool, but not uncomfortable.
She looked up at Tommy’s worried face and immediately smiled. “All’s good—come on down.”
Tommy let out an audible sigh of relief. “OK. Watch out below!” He threw the backpack on his back, climbed through the opening, and with a “GERONIMO,” he jumped into the water.
Eevie and Tommy grasped an outcrop of rock. Before them, a vast expanse of water glistened for what seemed a hundred feet or more. This cavern was different. Jagged rock formations, like small cities, erupted from the floor and walls of the cavern. The water was illuminated by huge luminescent rocks, giving the water a silvery blue color.
Though there was no wind to speak of, the water seemed to be moved by an invisible current. The only noise was the gentle sound of water splashing up on the rocks.
The bottom of the lake was covered in a muddy sand, with green fernlike vegetation swaying in the gentle undercurrent.
“Eevie,” said Tommy, pointing at a spot directly across the lake from them. “There’s a large ledge on the other side, where we can look around. Do you think you can swim across?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’m not the best swimmer in the world, but it looks like it’s about the same width of our football field.”
“If you look in the center...” Tommy pointed to the middle of the water. “...there’s a bunch of tall rocks or something. We can swim there, rest for a min
ute, and then swim the rest of the way.”
Eevie’s eyes followed Tommy’s outstretched finger. “Yeah, I see them. Let’s do it.”
They slowly swam toward the ledge. They were halfway across the lake when Tommy stopped and began treading water. Directly in front of them stood an army of rocky columns. Tommy descended below the surface for a better look. Dozens of columns stood before him. Each column connected to the other by what could only be described as a network of interconnected roots that had dug themselves into the silty bottom of the lake.
“Eevie,” said Tommy wiping the water from his eyes. “They’re like giant trees with huge roots, like they grew here. Some of them are wider and taller than the others, like a forest full of trees.”
Eevie nodded. “A forest full of trees with letters and numbers on them.”
“They look so smooth and…” Tommy reached out to touch a column, but as soon as his finger made contact, it crumbled into pieces, releasing a black, swirling mist that swarmed and turned and twisted in the air like a million angry mosquitos. Reflexively, Tommy and Eevie slammed their palms to their ears—the black swarm made a screeching sound so loud they thought their eardrums would explode.
The black cloud swirled above their heads and then crashed into the water. The water began bubbling and churning. Suddenly the water became much hotter. The black liquid rose above them, forming into five words: “What Erodes and Then Revives.” There was an ear-piercing scream as the words shattered into nothingness.
Tommy could barely breathe. His heart pounded in his throat and his ears rang from the screeching. He began repeating the phrase “What Erodes and Then Revives” over and over in his head, frightened he’d forget it.
He could see Eevie’s mouth moving but her words sounded garbled like a broken speaker. She was jabbing her finger in the air, pointing across the lake.
Tommy turned his head. It took just a moment, and then he saw them. The top half of four humongous recessed wooden doors peeked above the water’s surface. One could have easily missed seeing them because they were directly under a huge, rocky overhang casting a deep shadow over the partially submerged doors. Suddenly, a metallic groaning sound cut through the air. Tommy shook his head. Did one of the doors just slide upward a little?
Quest Chasers: The Deadly Cavern (A Magic Fantasy Adventure Book Series) Page 4
