by Wesley King
Silvia looked around. It was only her, Ashley, the twins, Leonard, Derek, and Tom on this side. Jordan, Naj, Brian, Shannon, Greg, and Joanne were on the other.
She rushed forward to the wall of rock, looking for openings or loose stones. She found a small crack that seemed to lead through, but when she attempted to move the boulders around it, they didn’t budge. The shattered pieces were large and heavy, even for an entire group to try to move. They would need an excavator to get through the rock mound.
She glimpsed Jordan on the other side through the crack. “Are you okay?” she called.
He nodded. “A couple of people have cuts and bruises. You guys?”
She glanced back at Leonard, who was clutching his leg. It looked bad, and she felt her stomach turn when she saw blood on his shaking fingers. “Broken leg, I think,” she said quietly.
Jordan scanned the wall of rocks. “I don’t know if we can move this.”
“We might as well try. Guys, come here.”
The twins reluctantly came over, followed by Ashley and Derek. Tom was still consoling Leonard. They tried to clear a path, but only managed to move a few of the smaller outlying rocks. The big boulders felt like they were sealed with mortar. Silvia strained until her back hurt.
“Anything?” she called.
“No,” Jordan called back. “It won’t budge.”
Marta wiped her sopping forehead. “We’ll have to find another way.”
“We said we wouldn’t split up,” Mary said.
“Too late for that,” Silvia replied grimly.
Silvia went back to the crack and peered through, catching a glimpse of Jordan looking at his map. “Just wait there for us. We’ll see if we can find another tunnel and meet up with you.”
Jordan nodded. “Fine.”
“We need some of the food,” Mary said, looking through the opening.
Silvia saw Jordan’s expression change. “How much food?”
“Well, we get more,” Marta said. “We have seven people and you have six.”
Jordan looked back at the group on his side of the wall. “Yeah . . .”
Silvia could see where this was going. She felt her stomach grumbling.
“Jordan, give us some of the food,” she said coolly.
He looked at her, paused, and then dug in his bag and passed two granola bars through.
“Here,” Jordan said. “You’ll be fine. We’ll be out soon.”
“This isn’t even close to half,” Silvia said, scowling. “And we’re the ones walking.”
Jordan shrugged. “We don’t have much left. I’m sorry.”
“Jordan—” Tom said from where he was helping Leonard.
“That’s all we can spare,” he said, not meeting Silvia’s eyes. “You’ll get back here soon.”
“You’re a real hero,” Mary snarled.
Jordan ignored her. “Get comfortable, everyone. They’ll be fine.”
Silvia just shook her head. She heard a brief discussion through the crack, and then the other group started laying out their stuff and plopping onto the ground. Silvia turned to her group. Between them, they had only three flashlights—hers, which Joanne had given her, Mary’s, and Tom’s. The batteries in all three had to be getting low. She was already using Ashley’s batteries.
“How is he?” she asked, going to Leonard’s side.
“Ankle’s broken,” Tom said. “I think I can help him walk. We don’t have a choice.”
“I’ll take the other arm,” Derek said.
“This is not good for my athletic career,” Leonard added weakly.
Derek rolled his eyes. “What career? You’re the fifth leading scorer.”
“I was trending upward,” Leonard snarled.
Together they slipped under each of Leonard’s arms and hoisted him up, trying to move as slowly as possible. Leonard cried out in pain as they lifted him, and Silvia almost gagged when she saw the bloodied wound on his ankle. The falling boulder had struck hard and deep.
“Lead on,” Tom said, nodding at Silvia.
“Does anyone have a marker?” Silvia asked.
They dug into their bags, and Marta found a Sharpie. Silvia tested it on the rock and drew a large X.
“You burying treasure?” Derek asked sarcastically.
Silvia gave him a look. “I’m going to mark the way . . . just so we know how to get back to them if we can’t find another way around. Everyone ready?”
“Can’t wait,” Leonard managed.
Silvia reluctantly started back the way they had come. They had passed a few openings, nothing more than low, jagged holes, but they had decided to stick to the tunnel, as it seemed to lead upward. Now they had no choice but to try one of the other passages, and they all went down.
They walked until they found the first opening, and Silvia tentatively led them through, watching for webs and bats. She marked the wall every time they turned. They were moving slowly, and she could hear Leonard struggling. His constant gasps and yelps of pain turned her stomach. He needed rest.
They started down the new passage, which was marked with sparkling white flecks like snow. There was no moss or lichen here, which she took to be a good sign. Every time the tunnels turned green, a man-eating creature or forest was not far away. Finally, they emerged into a small chamber—the stone a pale orange and littered with bumpy, damp stalactites. Silvia thought they looked a lot like snot. But a little stream bubbled along one side, nestled into the stone floor.
“Let’s take a little break,” she said. No one argued.
As they were walking in, she noticed another crooked M carved into the wall.
“I hope these mean it’s safe in here,” she said.
Leonard cringed as Derek and Tom tentatively set him down against a stalagmite. They sat down beside him, along with the twins and Ashley. Silvia took a last look around the chamber and then sat next to Ashley, placing her nearly empty backpack behind her. She sighed.
“I’m tired,” she said, rolling her ankle to try to loosen the tight muscles.
“Me too,” Ashley replied.
Tom was checking Leonard’s ankle.
“Just a little cut, really,” Tom said.
Derek snorted. “What are you, blind? It’s, like, a five-inch gash. He must have lost—”
“Dude!” Tom said. “Not helping.”
“You guys have great bedside manner,” Leonard grumbled.
Ashley turned to Silvia. “Think we can really find the others again?”
Silvia sighed. “I hope so. We can follow the Xs. The problem is that just gets us back to the wrong side of the rockfall.”
“I hate caves,” Mary said.
Silvia smiled and leaned back against a stalagmite, looking up at the orange ceiling, which was partially illuminated by one of the twins’ wandering flashlights. “This part is nice.”
“Debatable,” Mary muttered. “I hope I never see a cave again after this.”
“Me too,” Ashley agreed.
“My dad thought this was going to be fun,” Silvia said.
The day before the trip he had called her over to the computer to show her pictures of Carlsbad Caverns. He had gone there when he was a kid and had always been fascinated by it.
“Are you going to be . . . all right down there?” her mom asked from the kitchen.
Her dad frowned. “She’ll be fine. What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.”
Silvia glanced at her, annoyed. “I’m right here.”
“Honey, what if you have . . . an episode?”
“They can happen anywhere, Mom.”
Her mother nodded, forcing a smile. “But if it’s down there, it could be worse.”
“Stop scaring her,” her dad said gruffly. “She’s fine.”
Her dad always thought she was perfectly fine. He said so all the time, and he was thrilled when the doctor seemed to confirm it. Why did her mom always have to remind him?
Silvia felt he
r temperature rising. “What am I supposed to do? Sit at home?”
“I was just saying . . . ,” her mom said.
“That I’m a nut who can’t even go on a field trip,” Silvia finished. “I know.”
Her mom sighed. “You know that’s not the case. You just have to be aware.”
“Trust me, I’m aware. Thanks for making sure.”
With that she had stormed upstairs, ignoring her mom’s apologies. She’d slammed her door and plunked down her on bed, hating that her mother reminded her of the episodes every time she went somewhere, and hating more that she was right. Why did she have to be crazy? Why did she have to have panic attacks? And was she really going to let them run her life?
So she had decided to go and prove them wrong. And now here she was.
I really showed them, she thought miserably.
She considered that for a moment. Maybe she had.
“So did my dad,” Tom said. He put on a deep dad’s voice. “Son, those caves are a natural wonder. Rare chance to check them out, Tommy. Take some pictures now. Have fun.”
Silvia laughed. “Is that what your dad sounds like?”
“Pretty much,” Tom said. “My mom is more like, Please be careful. Tie your shoes. Don’t go near any crevices; I don’t want to have to come looking for you. Watch out for bats!”
Silvia laughed. “That’s a pretty good mom voice.”
“Better than my mom,” Marta said. She turned shrill. “Don’t you try and go exploring! You and your sister are always getting into mischief. I do not want to get a call from the bowels of the Earth saying that they have lost my daughters. I might just leave you there.”
Mary giggled and then shook her head. “So much for that.” She seemed to get a bit somber, and looked up at the ceiling. “I wonder what they’re doing up there. Our parents, I mean. Are they all up there talking and waiting and stuff?”
Silvia sighed. “I have no idea,” she said. “But I would love to find out.”
Eighteen Hours After
* * *
“WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE can,” Officer Brown said for what felt like the hundredth time. “But the caves are still unstable. We cannot begin rescue efforts yet.”
He hated having cameras in his face, and he resisted the urge to scratch his cheek. It was itching terribly, probably with sweat. He imagined he looked about as awful as he felt. Eighteen hours now since the quake, and he’d slept for about three of them. The parking lot was a circus. Reporters, families, onlookers, a whole portable city had been set up. Trailers and vans dotted the desert like cacti, and more vehicles were pouring in. He was quickly losing control of the area.
“So, you have mounted zero rescue operations,” a reporter asked, raising an eyebrow.
Thanks for making me look useless, Officer Brown thought. Why don’t you go down there and have a peek?
“No,” he said instead. “As I mentioned, we don’t have clearance to go in there yet.”
“So, what are you doing?” another reporter asked, one of the ten in front of him.
He hesitated. “Waiting. And praying. Thank you.”
He probably wasn’t supposed to end things so abruptly, but he didn’t feel like answering any more questions. He’d never been great with reporters.
Officer Brown headed for the portable police trailer that had been set up by the natural entrance to the caves. At least it had a coffeemaker and some chairs. But he didn’t make it inside. Three people stormed over to him, two men and a woman.
He recognized them immediately. Parents. Here we go.
“Don’t you think it’s time we go down there?” the woman said.
He tried to place her. Ah . . . Mrs. Pike. Tom’s mother.
“We are still waiting on the geologists to—”
Mr. Pike flushed red. “You’ve been saying that for a day now. We’ll go ourselves!”
“The area is off-limits,” Officer Brown said tiredly. “Listen, I understand—”
The other man, Mr. Rodrigues, pointed a finger at the officer’s chest. “No, you don’t. My daughter is down there in those caves. She . . . she has medical issues. Anxiety. It’s time we go down there.”
Officer Brown didn’t blame them. He’d be saying the same thing. But the orders from the chief had been very clear: No one goes into the caverns until the geologists clear the area. Period.
And now he had to try and keep these families calm. He had spoken to all of them already: the Tams, the Lewskis, the Robinsons. Even the Bakers—the teacher’s parents. The worst of all was Ms. Johnson. She just sat in her car, her forehead bandaged, and stared blankly at the cave opening. He had made the decision to move the headquarters to the cave’s natural opening—it was deemed a safer eventual entry point than the elevator shafts, which had been damaged in the quake. By the same token, they assumed any survivors would come out that way. But all they ever saw were bats, great black clouds of them that swept into the sky like a tornado.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I am. But we should know very soon.”
“You’d better,” Mr. Rodrigues said. “My wife and I are not going to wait much longer.” He turned as if to gesture to his wife, and then frowned. “Where did she go now?”
“Brown!” someone called.
Officer Brown turned to see an officer waving for him. Behind her, he caught a flash of black hair as somebody sprinted into the caves.
“Oh no,” he muttered, and took off after her.
“Told you!” Mr. Rodrigues called. “Honey, I’m coming with you!”
Mr. Rodrigues and the Pikes started after them, and Officer Brown waved to the other officer. “Hildi, stop them, will you. Mrs. Rodrigues! That area is off-limits!”
As Officer Hildi blocked the stampeding families, Officer Brown ducked under the police lines and ran into the cave—a huge, arching entrance cut into the stone landscape. He could hear shouting and caught light flashes in the corners of his vision. The reporters had already caught on. Perfect.
“Mrs. Rodrigues! Get back here!”
She ignored him, running deeper and deeper into the caves. She was a hundred feet in when Officer Brown finally caught up to her, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her to a stop. She shrieked.
“Get off me! I am going to find my daughter!”
“I can’t let you do that.”
She turned to him, scowling. “Just try and stop me!”
“I’m coming, honey!” Mr. Rodrigues shouted, racing into the cave.
“Hello?”
The voice seemed to come from far away. It was almost ghostly.
“Did you hear that?” Mrs. Rodrigues whispered, looking at him.
“Stay here,” Officer Brown said firmly. This time Mrs. Rodrigues listened.
Feeling nervous sweat beading on his forehead, Officer Brown hurried deeper into the caverns. The passageway sloped downward here, and it was strewn with boulders and debris.
“Who’s there?” he called.
He knew he shouldn’t be going into the caves, but there was no choice now.
“Over here,” the voice called again, weak and faint.
Officer Brown raced toward the sound, running through a narrow tunnel. If there was another aftershock now, he knew he could be trapped. But he kept moving.
“Here,” the voice said again, growing faint.
Finally Officer Brown spotted a shadow sprawled on the floor. He raced over and found a man lying there, one of his legs twisted behind him. He had been crawling.
Officer Brown turned him over, and the man gave him a weak smile. He recognized his face immediately from the photos.
“Mr. Baker?”
The man gave him a tired nod. When he spoke, his voice was a hoarse whisper. “The class . . . are they here?”
Before Officer Brown could speak, Mr. Baker’s eyes closed, and his body went limp.
Nineteen Hours After
* * *
CARLOS EYED A BLACK STRAND of web as he stepped care
fully around it, every muscle tensed.
“Be careful,” he whispered.
They were picking their way through the lair of the Black Deaths, and he bore his sword in one hand and his knife in the other. Eric’s light was dim now—just enough to illuminate the tar-black strands that lay within some of the tunnel openings. Eva was moving slowly at the rear, her bow drawn and taut with an arrow.
Despite his best efforts, Eric could not match their stealth. His breathing was loud and ragged, and his shoes scuffed against the stone. Carlos just hoped the noise wouldn’t stir anything in the darkness here. He preferred to avoid this area altogether and ordered his people to do the same. There was nothing worth finding in this part of the Realm.
Carlos stopped when he heard a muttered “ugh” and a twang.
He whirled around and saw Eric yanking his foot away from a strand. He was stuck.
Eva realized it too. “Oh, Surface Boy.”
“We need to go,” Carlos said urgently.
He stepped forward and brought his sword through the strand, slicing it cleanly in two and freeing Eric. But they weren’t fast enough.
A shadow moved in the corner of his eye, and Carlos turned just in time to see a Black Death rushing toward Eric, ready to claim its prize. He reacted without thinking.
Carlos slashed with his sword, slowing the creature, and Eric cried out in fear as his light fell on the monster with its gnashing, foot-long fangs. Eva pushed him into a run. Carlos drove the Black Death back, jabbing again and again, his eyes darting around at the same time, looking for more. Eric found one first.
He was wrenched sideways by an outstretched, hooked leg that gripped his shoulder and pulled. He stumbled to the ground, and the giant spider emerged from another mass of web, descending on him with greedy eyes. But before its fangs reached him, an arrow thudded into the side of the spider’s head. It hissed and thrashed and then went still, and Eric scrambled up.
They took off running again, and Carlos gave a last swipe with his sword and followed.
“That’s two, Surface Boy!” he heard Eva shout.
The three of them sprinted toward the Forbidden Lake. When they were far enough away, Carlos called for them to halt, seeing Eric struggle. They were at a crossroads: A smaller opening led back toward the Warrens and the Great Hole. The entrance was squat and uneven, however, and Carlos suspected the surface humans would have taken the main tunnel toward the lake. They would follow them there.
