The cavern floor where they were standing opened.
A trap door.
They fell.
Dale held on to his torch, and the rushing air caused it to burn brighter. The walls they went past had paintings covering them, scenes of hunting parties, elk, deer, and bear. Then dragons, snakes, and demons. Then blackness. The passage turned, so that Dale felt his body slide along the bottom wall, which soon became the floor of a slide. It descended into darkness.
Private Smith had also held onto his torch, but Private Daniels had dropped his branch and it slid along with the three soldiers, bouncing and tumbling, throwing odd shadows until it burnt out.
“Try using your knife as a brake,” Dale said.
He pulled out his combat knife and held it as tightly has he could. He drove the tip into the floor of the slide. It sparked and a loud scratching sound echoed off the walls.
Smith copied him, but Daniels tumbled out of control.
The floor gently rose and at the bottom of the arc Dale knew they were about to be launched into the dark.
“Take my arm,” he said. He ditched his torch and reached out.
Private Smith dropped his torch and locked arms with Dale, they both dug their knives into the floor and jammed their boots down in an attempt to slow their descent. It seemed to work, their descent slowed while Brian tumbled ahead of them.
At the end of the slide, Dale felt himself floating into infinity. It was pitch dark. He heard Brian scream.
Dale landed on soft dirt. Nothing was broken, but he ached.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Barely,” Smith said. “Where’s Private Daniels?”
They heard Daniels call for help.
“Quick, light another torch,” Smith said.
Dale got to his feet and dug into his pack for more flame cloth. “Do you see where the—”
“Yes,” Smith said. “It’s here.” He’d found an extinguished torch that had landed near them, and he held it up to Dale.
Dale wrapped the branch, lit the cloth, and then he looked up and saw Daniels captured in a massive web.
“Brian!” Dale yelled as loud as he could because he saw what Brian had probably not seen yet, a black widow spider that was a meter across. Dale could see the hourglass shape of red on its abdomen, and he knew she was responding to Brian’s struggling.
“Quit thrashing around.”
He didn’t listen.
“Here,” Smith said. He extended his intertwined hands and dropped to a knee. “I’ll help you jump up there, and you can cut him free.”
As Dale was about to leap, he saw shadows approaching. He picked up the torch and looked past Smith. A dozen or more spiders approached. The males. They weren’t as large as their queen, but they were equipped with fangs and they were spreading out in a flanking movement.
“Smith, turn around,” Dale said. “I’ll take the right, and you take the left.”
They moved forward and began slashing and cutting spiders. As they hacked off spider legs and stomped on spider bodies, more spiders appeared from the rear of the cavern, past the web of the queen spider. Dale looked up at her. She was turning her head, watching the battle, but hadn’t moved towards Brian, yet. He was still thrashing around.
“Brian, stop moving. Can’t you get your knife?”
Dale didn’t know if Brian had heard him or not.
“Is this endless?” Smith asked.
“I don’t know. I’m worried about the queen.”
“One thing at a time.”
After they’d each slaughtered another fifteen or twenty spiders, the onslaught seemed over.
“Let’s try and get him down now,” Smith said.
“Same idea as before?”
“Yes.” Smith took a knee and held out his hands with his fingers interlocked. “On three. One, two, three!”
Dale leaped up after placing his right boot into Private Smith’s hands, the extra lift that Smith provided allowed Dale to reach his hands up high enough to grab the webbing near Brian. He held on tight to the sticky web, which was adhesive enough to make it hard to move, but he didn’t feel as if it would hold him suspended if he let go. He moved towards Brian as if he was on a set of monkey bars.
“Brian quit struggling. You’re making it worse.”
“Get me out of here! She’s going to sting me.”
“Hold on,” Dale said. He was trying to be calm, but Brian would not quit thrashing around.
“She’s moving!” Private Smith shouted from below.
Dale turned his head. Apparently, the queen spider was coming to claim her meal. Maybe she thought he was trying to steal it.
“Help me! Help me!” Brian struggled even more as the spider approached.
“Dammit, Brian. I’m trying to help you.”
Dale began cutting the web around Brian so that he would drop from the web. The spider moved closer. She was cautious, but she did not stop.
“I got her!” yelled Private Smith. “I nailed that bitch with a knife. Hold on, I’ve got another one coming.”
Dale looked down and saw Smith aim and throw the second knife. The knife didn’t strike its target, she’d been prepared and was able to hit the knife away with one of her front legs. She leaped over Dale and landed near Brian. Dale had nearly cut him free.
“Brian, take my knife,” Dale said. He handed his combat knife to Brian who took it with his free hand.
“Stab her,” Dale said. “And I’ll follow your attack with a throwing knife.”
But Brian had already cut the webbing on his opposite side and fell to the floor. As Dale tried to aim his throw the spider leaped onto him and bit him in the chest. He tried to drop to the ground, but she’d already began spooling his hands to the web above him. He was also between the spider and Smith, so Smith could not throw another knife. He began to feel drowsy.
He heard Smith yelling at Brian. He wanted him to jump into his hands.
“We’ve got to save him!” Smith shouted.
Dale looked down and saw Brian amongst the dead male spiders. He was picking up loot.
...........................
Dale’s chest was on fire.
The pain spread. He felt the poison move down his arms and into is belly. He wanted to scream, but the sticky webbing had cut off his ability to open his mouth. He’d never felt pain this intense.
He could hear shouting in the distance and echoes bouncing off the walls, but he couldn’t make out what was being said. He felt his legs being lifted and then sticky silk covered his entire head. Everything went dark and silent.
He could hear his pulse as his heart pumped blood faster, the sound was amplified inside of his ears, as if he was wearing earphones that were too tight.
Then he was struck with more pain. Every part of his body had become a source of burning misery. He imagined that this was what it felt like to be burnt alive. He felt as if his skin was peeling off. He thought of witches being burnt to death at the stake by religious radicals, and he thought of children dying in house fires, trapped and alone, and then he thought of animals being stuck in a forest fire with nowhere to run. The pain intensified, his breathing stopped, and then he died.
...........................
If dying was painful, Dale thought, then being dead was worse.
He couldn’t feel his body; he only felt emotional pain. The scars of his past came flooding into his mind.
He remembered a time that he was lost as a child. The image of being left all alone, of being abandoned and unloved, came into his mind like a bad smell that made him want to vomit.
He felt like he was crying, but he had no eyes, no tear ducts, and no physical sensations. His experiences were all in his consciousness, whatever that meant. He began to wonder how long he’d been dead and where he was going to go.
He recalled a time in elementary school when he liked a pretty girl, but she had called him a nerdy butt face. The other boys in his class had made f
un of him. He cried, again, in whatever non-physical way he was crying. He remembered each time he felt a crush on a girl during his school years and all the times that those girls never knew he existed. He was invisible then. He was more invisible now. He cried and screamed for help. Nobody answered.
He remembered his broken heart. She was someone he couldn’t bring himself to name. Her. He was sure that they were meant to be together, that they’d love each other forever. Like a fantasy story, he knew, but he thought they had been special. He thought her words, I love you, meant she really loved him. It had only been a trick.
Thinking of her, he realized that being burnt alive was less painful than what she’d done to him.
She’d given him a lifetime of pain and a prison of hopelessness.
Dale cried again, deep sobs of anguish. He screamed for help.
He wasn’t sure how he was crying or screaming because he had no mouth. He wasn’t sure he even existed anymore. There was no sleep or rest, and he couldn’t stop feeling emotions, even while being unable to feel physical sensations.
His agony continued, at least in his mind, for many hours, days, months, and years. Perhaps no time had really passed. He didn’t know.
But he was aware that he’d re-experienced every single painful memory of his life.
If he wasn’t dead, he thought, he wanted to be.
He saw an image, as if in a dream, come into focus. It was Brian extending his hand.
“Let’s be partners; we’ll watch out for each other.”
Then Dale became dizzy as if he’d been forced to ride a spinning attraction at an amusement park and nobody would let him get off. Around and around his mind spun. He faded into darkness and unconsciousness.
He knew that he’d dreamt, but he couldn’t recall what he’d dreamt about when he woke again.
He felt refreshed. And odd. He was no longer in pain.
Then he heard a voice.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Oh. Well. I’ve got to believe the world is worth saving anyway.
~ Jim Butcher
I like being a military nurse; it means that on any given day, I’m the object of desire of at least half dozen
young men, and the secret fantasy of more than a few doctors.
~ Tina N. Thompson
...........................
“Hello?”
Dale opened his eyes.
“Hmmmmm. Hi?” Dale tried to focus. He couldn’t adjust his eyes; the lights were too bright, but he was pretty sure that a cute woman, about his age, a nurse, was standing above him looking down into his face.
“Dale, you’re awake. I’ll notify the doctor.”
“Where am I?”
“Golden Hawk Military Hospital. It’s the very best. You’ve been in good hands.”
“How long have I been here?” Dale felt anxious. He tried to focus, but the room was still too bright for his eyes. He couldn’t physically feel anything at all, but at least he was no longer suffering in pain. He tried to move his head, but he couldn’t.
“Stay still. The doctor will be here shortly. He’ll explain everything.”
Dale shut his eyes and fell back to sleep.
...........................
“Dale, can you hear me?”
The words came to him in a dream, but then he woke, and tried to open his eyes.
“I’m doctor Ando. Can you hear my voice?”
Dale nodded his head and tried to speak.
“Water?”
The doctor put a straw into Dale’s mouth.
“That’s better,” Dale said. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital, Dale. We’ve been observing you for three days. You took quite a shock to your system.”
“But, but…”
“Yes, it’s confusing. I know. Don’t think too hard. Give yourself time to recover. You’re doing great, Dale. Your vital signs are strong, and your body has no permanent injuries. You need more rest and I’m going to continue giving you sedatives for another day.”
“Okay…” Dale felt drowsy again and fell asleep.
...........................
Dale looked around. He was alone, and it was dark. Giant spiders came at him from every direction. He screamed.
“It’s only a dream,” he said to himself.
“No, it’s not,” someone said.
“Who are you?”
“It’s me.”
Dale tried to find the voice but instead he felt himself falling.
He tried to wake up.
“I thought it was only a game. Help me.”
Nobody responded.
He struggled to wake up. He couldn’t breathe. He felt terror.
...........................
“Dale, Dale, wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”
He recognized the voice.
“Mom?”
“Yes, honey, it’s me. Your dad and I are right here.”
He opened his eyes. The room came into focus, and he didn’t feel groggy any more. He asked for water. His thinking seemed clear to him.
Erin, are you there?
There was no answer.
“Mom, is this real? Are you real?”
“Of course, dear. Don’t be silly. You had a little seizure in training, that’s all. The doctor said you’ll be one hundred percent in a few more days, a week at most. You look good.”
“Yes, son,” his dad said. “You scared us there for a moment. The doctors weren’t sure if they’d have to put you into an induced coma so you’d recover, but it looks like you just needed more time.”
“I’m so confused,” Dale said.
“It will pass,” his mother said. “Well, that’s what the doctor told us.”
His mother patted him on the arm.
His father gave him a reassuring smile.
...........................
Dale woke. It was morning. Or at least he thought it was morning. He wasn’t sure.
“Mom?”
He opened his eyes and tried to focus.
“Dad?”
He reached for a cup and drank cold water. He felt better, after sipping water, but he craved a cup of coffee.
“Hello?”
The room was silent except for the rhythmic sound of a medical pump and an occasional beep from the monitoring equipment.
Erin?
There was no answer. He wondered where he was and whether his parents had really visited him. Maybe they were part of a dream.
The door to his room opened, and Lieutenant Brinkmann walked in.
“Sir?”
“Be at ease, soldier.” The Lieutenant held the door, and another officer walked in. Dale thought he could make out captain bars, but his eyesight was still a bit blurry at any distance beyond a few feet.
“Dale, I’d like you to meet Captain Stone.”
“Sir.”
“Good morning, Private Brown. You look good.”
“I feel like shit.”
“To be expected, son. That’s to be expected.”
“What happened?”
“You were bitten by a level ten spider. It was a snafu. Part of war preparation, I’m afraid. There wasn’t supposed to be something that toxic in the training scenarios.”
“Snafu, sir?”
“Situation Normal All Fucked Up. That’s life in the military. You’ll get used to it, son.”
“That is, Private Brown, if you decide to continue,” Lieutenant Brinkmann said. “That’s what we’re here to discuss with you.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Well, son,” the Captain injected. “It’s kind of like this: the army screwed up and put you through a lot of misery and we’re aware of how that could affect your ability to continue as a soldier. We have the desire to field the best possible units. War is a serious business, and the Nagant War is no exception. We have the authority to retain you, the EUDA has your government’s full backing, but we are also not wanting to be count
er-productive in these types of situations.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you can go back to school if that’s what you want. But, we hope you’ll consider advanced training. We’ve prepared some incentives for you if you’ll remain in uniform.”
“I really want to go to school. I never wanted to go to war. I mean, I’m not…”
“Dale, we understand,” Lieutenant Brinkmann said. “We understand how important your plans were to you. But, we want you to consider the bigger picture, the consequences of losing the war. You might win a small battle if you go back to school, but, to continue the metaphor, you could lose the war.”
“I’m so confused.”
“It’s like this, son.” The Captain took a step closer. “We want you and your skills. We can force you, of course, but that could leave some resentment and bitterness. That’s not good for morale. We are willing to admit, off the record, signed and sealed, of course, that certain, um, well— certain mistakes were made. We’ll ask you to sign a waiver, standard procedure is all it is, and you’ll be agreeing to volunteer. You’ll be promoted, of course, and you’ll have a choice of units. What we’d like you to consider is what is really at stake.”
“And what is that, sir?”
“Why the fate of everyone, son.”
...........................
“Excuse me, gentlemen.” Dale’s nurse walked to the bed.
She had sparkly green eyes and an infectious smile.
“I’ll only be a minute. I need to get his vital signs and check all these tubes; I’ll be out of your hair in a second.”
Dale wished she’d take her time. He vaguely remembered her in a dream.
“Okay, everything is looking good, Dale. Your recovery is coming along great, you’re much stronger today than yesterday. I’m sure you’ll be back to duty in no time at all. A hundred percent. You’re a hero.” She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a squeeze.
“Ummm, thanks. You really think so?”
“Sure. Of course. Thank you for your service, Dale. It’s not just anybody that can go through what you did and then still get back up and fight on. You’re a hero, alright. You wait and see, when this war is over, you’ll have a hundred pretty girls chasing after you.”
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