Tommy woke up. “Jeez, just let him sleep. Man! My head hurts, where are we?”
“I don’t know!” she snapped. “Where did you push us?”
He looked around it was a dark and dreary looking place “I’m not sure,” he said. “Is it night time? Why is it so bloody dark?”
"Well, maybe you can wake Gary up so we can get out of here. Where ever here is. Is this the cave? I don't like this place and I want to get moving," she said.
"Oh, right, cave," he said, realization sinking in. "Soon as I find my backpack… oh, there it is."
He retrieved the bag and after a moment produced a canteen with water in it.
“Here help me,” she said, as she tried to raise Gary up a bit. She tried to force a little water between his lips. He sputtered and coughed shoving her hand away.
"You trying to kill me?" He coughed and sputtered some more. She ignored him and looked around for her pack. It was lying not far away, but when she picked it up, the contents fell out through a burned hole in the bag
"Holy!" Gary said as they examined it. A rock the size of his fist was embedded in her canteen.
“Man you are lucky,” he said. “That could have killed you.”
“See?” Tommy said, “I saved your lives. If I hadn’t shoved you…”
“Ok, Ok!” Marcy said, sarcastically. “And you idiots running into a cave that is about to be blown up, and me running in, to try to save two stupid boys, means nothing? I get it! Thank you! Thank you very much, for saving me! Where are we anyway?” They all stopped and looked around.
"Are we inside a huge cave or something?" Gary said. "Cause it's awful dark. And I think, is it getting darker?"
“Duh, A cave? What… You afraid of the dark as well?” Tommy Jibed.
“Yeah,” Gary said defensively. “Isn’t everybody?”
Tommy looked around the gloomy surroundings. It was very dark they could only see a few feet around them. Is it just me or is it like... is the light coming from us?
“What?”
“Yes, look the light is I think coming from us, maybe it’s some residue from that green glow we were pushed through.”
There was an odd scurrying sound somewhere in the darkness.
“Yeah, well, whatever it is, it’s fading and we don’t have a flashlight!”
“I think I packed a flashlight,” Marcy said.
“Yeah,” Gary said. “Well, do you want to hurry up and get it? Cos, I am getting seriously spooked here.”
“Here,” said Marcy, and her flashlight popped into life blinding them all for a moment.
"Jeez, do you mind?" Gary said. "Man, that's bright."
It appeared they were in a huge cavern. There were strangely shaped stalactites hanging all the way to the ground. Some connected up with the stalagmites sticking up everywhere. As the light flashed over the closest one it reflected a strange opaque color.
“This impossible!” said Marcy. “How the heck can we be way inside a cave when we were just in a little one? It makes no sense you guys. Where’s the hole?”
“Hole?” Gary said. “What hole?”
“The hole from the cave in which we just blew up! You Moron.” Tommy laughed.
“Hey, no name calling!” Gary protested. Then, looking around, “Oh yeah, she’s right, there’s no hole. Where the heck are we?”
“Look at this,” Marcy said. “What color is that?”
“I don’t know,” Tommy said. “I’ve never seen it before. Can there even be new colors? I mean we can only see certain ones, ‘cause of our eyes, but that is weird.”
“Hmm,” Marcy said thoughtfully. I know Mrs. Brownley says there’s a theory that we can’t see all the colors, maybe even some colors that animals can see, that we can’t.”
“That’s nuts!” Tommy said. “Everyone knows animals are color blind.”
There was a scurrying sound in the near distance, but Marcy and Tommy were so enthralled they didn’t notice.
“Hey, guys.” Gary, who didn’t have a flashlight said nervously. “Guys, we are not alone.”
“Yeah, yeah’ Tommy said. “Just a minute, we need to break off a chunk of this. I think I packed my spelunking gear. Yeah, here’s a small hammer.”
“You brought a hammer?” Gary said unbelievingly. “Why would you bring a hammer? I only brought lunch. Can you hurry? I think something is out there. We don’t even know where we are, aren’t you guys’ scared? Because I sure as heck am.”
“Look!” Tommy said, matter-of-factly. “Where could we be?” He didn’t wait for Gary to answer. “We are obviously in a big cave that was behind the little cave under the falls. Like a hundred yards from Marcy’s house. Obviously, the blast from the explosion opened it up.
Probably Billy is hiding out here somewhere or got lost in here. It looks pretty big. And anyway, no doubt, people will come looking for us”
“Yeah, that was what I was thinking too,” Marcy agreed. “After all, wasn’t it your idea Gary? Something about a secret passage, a cave or something? Billy falling into it? Something about spies? Don’t be such a scaredy-cat.”
“Yeah, you should be happy you were right for once in your life,” Tommy laughed.
“Oh yeah,” Gary laughed. The scurrying noise came again, but closer this time. “But, uh… What is that noise!?”
“Probably a lost cat or something.”
“Ok,” Gary said, “but if we were blown in here, where is the door? There should be a hole or something, and this is a cave, right? So where was the weird light coming from, because we could see each other without the flashlights for a minute? And hey, but what about that green light we all saw just before the explosion, where is that? And what is that noise!? It’s freaking me out.” The sound of scurrying in the darkness continued out among the rocks.
Gary picked up a loose rock and tossed it in the direction of the noise.
“Get out of here you stupid cat!” He yelled.
“Wow. Gary. Stop freaking out. Look, if you think about it, you are right. The openings got to be around here somewhere. And that is probably where the light was coming from we just got to find it. It’s probably not far and we just got to look for it. Man for a big guy, you sure are chicken. And we have no idea how long we were knocked out, could be hours. Might be night time and that’s why we can’t see the hole. ”
“Yes, that’s probably right,” Marcy said. “We just have to wait till morning or if the moon comes out. People will be looking for us and don’t throw stuff like that! You don’t know what that is out there. What if this is an old bear cave and you hit a bear and get it angry then what? I swear Gary sometimes you are so stupid.”
“Bear?” Gary said. “Aw, thanks a lot. You think there’s a bear? Now I am scared. You could be right, just come on you guys, let’s get out of here.”
“Just wait, you big sissy,” Tommy said shaking his head. “I want to get a chunk of this rock and anyway, if it was a bear, you’d be dead by now.” He swung the small hammer as he said the last bit. There was an instant flash of light as the little hammer hit the stone. They all flew backward, as the rock pillar exploded with sound. Inside the cave, it sounded like he had struck a huge gong and they were all inside. The sound reverberated through the air, and chunks of rock began to fall all around them.
“Run!” Tommy yelled, as a particularly big chunk of rock smashed down beside him.
Gary and he were close to each other and ran in the same direction. Not seeing Marcy, Tommy yelled her name several times, but to no avail. They finally stopped when they realized the rocks weren’t falling anymore.
“Where are we?” Gary said, panting to catch his breath.
“How should I know?” Tommy said. “Where is Marcy?” He called her name several times, flashing his light around the cave. There was no answer.
“We gotta go back,” He said, after a moment.
“Back?” Gary said.
“Yeah, we gotta go back and find Marcy. What’s wrong
with you? Are you afraid of that too? She could be lying dead back there.”
“Ok!” Gary said, a little taken aback by Tommy’s sudden outburst.
“Geez! I just mean, back where? I just ran. I don’t even know where we are.”
“I think we came that way,” Tommy said. Pointing the flashlight in one direction.
“Is that the right way? I honestly don’t remember. Are you sure?” Tommy picked up his backpack and started walking in the direction he had indicated.
“OK, OK! Wait for me,” Gary said, as he hurriedly grabbed his pack and stumbled after Tommy.
“Man you are such a grump. Why you always gotta be so grumpy?” he said, as he got beside Tommy.
“Why are you always so stupid?” Tommy responded.
Gary gave him a shove. The boys started wrestling and for the next few moments, all that could be heard was…
“Oh yeah? Oh yeah?” as they shoved each other, back and forth.
Tommy managed to trip Gary and they both fell on the hard rocks.
“Ouch!” Gary said. “Hey, that hurt!”
“Well, it didn’t hurt me ‘because I was on top, and you are so fat,” Tommy said.
“Get off me,” Gary said. Pushing at Tommy.
Gary was actually bigger and probably stronger than Tommy. But what Tommy lacked in strength, he made up for in force of will.
“I don’t think so, fat guy. I think I will give you a nice dirt sandwich.” as he tried to dig his fingers into the ground but it was almost solid rock
“Ha! There is no dirt, stupid! Just rocks,” Gary laughed. “Not so smart now, are ya?”
“Well, how about a gravel sandwich?” Tommy said as he picked up a hand full of small stones.
Gary stopped moving, a frightened look came over his face.
“How would you like that, hey?” Tommy said.
“Tommy, look!” Gary said, in a frightened whisper. Just then Tommy saw them too. He dropped the stones, and slowly climbed off of Gary, and they both stood together.
“What are they?” Gary whispered.
“I don’t know,” Tommy said. They were surrounded.
Marcy didn’t stop running until she tripped over a stone and landed on her face. Again she was spitting out dirt and she thought she tasted blood. She was alone, her flashlight lay in the dirt the lens shattered, but it was giving off a faint light. As she got to her feet and brushed herself off, she had the distinct feeling she was not really alone.
“Is there someone there?” she called. No answer.
She banged the flashlight a couple of times and seemed to glow a little stronger.
“Hello?” she called, then she heard a rustling sound a little in the distance.
“Gary? Tommy?” Nothing.
“If you two are playing a joke? You know I will get you. Where are you?”
The rustling came again “Who’s out there?” she yelled.
“My you are a noisy creature,” A voice said.
“What?” Marcy responded a little confused.
“Who said that?” she said, shaking her head.
“Why are you screeching so?” the voice said. “Must you make such a horrible noise? I can hear you perfectly, there is no need to screech like that”
Marcy shook her head again, this was too weird. It was like the voice was coming from inside her head.
She tried to shine her dim light into the darkness but could see no one.
“Where are you?” she said, in a bit lower voice trying not to offend whoever this person was. Definitely, a female voice, but the feeling of something in her head was really strange.
“Show yourself!” she said, a bit petulantly.
Just then a long, slender leg stepped into the narrow beam of her light then another and another. Marcy screamed with all her might, as a giant spider came into view. The creature stepped back as she continued to scream. Marcy fell backward and found a rock and threw it with all her might. The stone bounced off the spider, but in her mind, there was a gasp of pain and confusion that wasn’t hers.
“Help!” she screamed.
The voice sounded confused and shocked.
“Stop that horrible noise. Stop it! I will try to help you! Why did you throw that stone at me?”
“There’s a spider! There’s a spider! A giant spider!” Marcy shrieked. Then she said, “what?” As she realized what the voice had just said.
She stepped back as her flashlight scanned over the huge spider. She had another rock at the ready “I’ll use this!” she said in a threatening voice.
“Calm yourself,” the voice said, as the spider stepped toward her. “Now what is this spider thing, you are so afraid of? My dear the only thing I see here are you and I. I assure you if there was any danger I would be aware, as is normal with my species.”
Marcy stepped back again, she was shaking like a leaf and had the sudden urge to vomit, but got it under control. The creature before her was a spider, but not. It was a combination of a giant spider body and a human body. But the face was the worse. Insect eyes stared from a semi-human face that had ears like a wolf. Huge eyelids blinked.
“What are you?” She said, between clenched teeth. Could spiders blink, she thought? She now realized that it was the creature before her who was somehow speaking right into her mind. It was all a bit much and she felt tears welling up.
The creature took a short step back as realization dawned.
“Oh!” the voice said in Marcy’s head. “You are afraid of me!? You call me a spider. I am not familiar with this concept.” The creature seemed to think for a moment.
“Do creatures like me usually feed on creatures like you where you are from?” it asked in a reassuring voice.
“Yes!” Marcy burst out. She was terrified.
“Truly?” the voice asked in her head.
She had to think for a moment.
“Well, no, not really,” Marcy said when she could find her voice. “Spiders are something like you. But smaller!”
The creature paused for another moment.
“But you are terrified. If we don’t eat your kind then why are you so frightened of me?”
“Cause spiders are disgusting!” Marcy almost shouted. “They are small and creepy and you never know, if they are hiding in your shoes, or might crawl up your leg and bite you, and some are poison, and some even eat their own kind! Now get away from me.”
The creature drew back in confusion.
“Small and creepy? But I am over twice your size how could I crawl up your leg or in your shoe? What is a shoe? You are a very confusing creature. Are the other two creatures as strange as you?”
“What other two?” Marcy blurted out.
“Why, the other two that were with you before you brought down the sky.”
“Where are they? What have you done with them? If you hurt them... How long have you been watching us?” Marcy blurted out all at once.
The creature thought for a moment.
“You are very violent creatures, aren’t you?” it said. “You throw pieces of dirt to hurt other creatures. Earlier, while we were watching you the fat creature threw a chunk of dirt and very nearly ended one of our lives. Yes, you are dangerous I think.”
“Our lives?” Marcy said frightened. “How many of you are there? I won’t let you eat my friends!”
“Eat?” the voice in her head was shocked. “Eat? You think we want to eat you?” There was a feeling of disgust in the mind communication that held Marcy.
“You frighten me!” the creature said. “I think I cannot deal with you. But you are here and
I haven’t the power to make… decisions. We will have a meeting and decide your fate. Eat you! Creatures hear live in harmony…. I don’t like you,” The spider said after a pause. “I don’t like you at all.”
“Come!” it said, and Marcy was almost yanked off her feet by an invisible force. She cried out as her knees hit the rocky ground. She was stunned by the strange force as she w
as unceremoniously dragged to her feet again. It was weird there was nothing there but she was pulled around like a rag doll for a moment. She cried out in fear and frustration.
“Where are you taking me? Where are my friends?”
The creature stopped and turned toward her. Marcy gasped as the mind grip seemed to grow stronger and the creature stepped toward her. The voice in her head was not as soothing now. It seemed a little belligerent and at the same time disgusted.
“You, are afraid that we wish to kill you, or harm you, in some strange way? I see things in your mind, violence beyond the comprehension of my species. You have not committed it, but it is there. A shadow of possibility. I have only seen such violence in one other creature. A creature that roams the universe, feeding off of all. We call it the Wolver and it is the reason for our being here and it is the reason for our damnation and torment. We who are here are the remnants. We survive in the hopes some savior will come. The others think that you and your friends might be that which we wait for. But your very being screams out for violence! You are so soft… and my skin is so hard. You could not possibly hurt me and I could easily kill you, but yet I fear you far more than you do me. It is very strange! Follow me now little one and rejoin your friends. You will have answers soon enough.”
Gary sat, head down, frightened to death. He had glimpsed creatures in the dim flashlight beam, while they were walking. Like from out of some crazy nightmare. There were things that slithered and things on disproportionate legs, things on one leg and the sounds they made were sickening. There was a strange buzzing in his head. Tommy looked pale in the ghostly light. Gary tried not to look at him as the fact that his usually brave friend looked terrified only made his own fears worse.
They had stumbled along the dirt path to this point and suddenly had stopped. He didn’t know why they had stopped. Just stopped as if something had stopped them.
The Jewel of Nirune (The Sword of Time Book 1) Page 12
