"Ooooh, scary,” I sarcastically whispered to her.
"In order to allow you to experience total darkness, I'll be turning off the lights for a few seconds. Imagine what it must have been like for an animal that ended up in here,” Stan said.
The lights went off and everyone grew quiet.
Immediately, a strong presence crowded around me, squeezing me in a bear hug. I clawed at my non-existent restraints, praying the strange sensation wouldn't turn into another near claustrophobic attack.
The strong scent of almonds tickled my nose as I sucked in a breath. What the heck? I felt a slight touch from behind, and my hair was brushed aside. A puff of warm air poured across my bared skin. Tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. A tingle of apprehension settled between my shoulder blades.
What's happening to me?
Two sharp objects scratched along the pounding pulse in my throat, pricking my skin. I grabbed my neck.
"Ha ha, Mandy. Very funny."
"What?” Her voice came from in front of me, not behind.
I swung around, reaching out into the darkness, expecting to make contact with some idiot from my class. I came up with empty air.
"I like to leave the lights off for a time to give everyone the opportunity to pick their noses if needed. So, go ahead and pick away,” said Stan.
The lights flicked back on and everyone laughed. Everyone but me.
Mandy stood in front of me and the only person left behind me was Stan who still stood stationed by the light switch. I glanced around, unsure of what I searched for. A quiver raced through me and a creepy feeling clustered in my gut.
Something was very wrong.
All my senses screamed danger.
I'm not sure how I knew an evil presence existed in the cave, but I'd never been more certain of anything in my life. And no, it had nothing to do with it being Halloween. I don't believe in boogie men or ghosties. Well, at least I used to not believe in such things.
As I frantically scanned for the source of my unease, a bat dive-bombed my head. I dodged just in time to avoid the near collision. A buzz whizzed through my head, seeming to shatter my eardrums. I squeezed my eyes shut against the pain. Bile rose in my throat, and I spasmodically swallowed to keep from hurling.
"Wow! You don't see that happen very often. Most of the bats we find in the cave aren't active during the day. Y'all are getting a real treat for Halloween.” Stan flicked his light around, searching for more flying bats.
Oh yeah, it was one heck of a treat. Another bat swooped down, barely missing my head.
The cheerleader shrieked and snuggled next to Mr. Jock Itch, the studly quarterback.
Stan chuckled. “You must be wearing some kind of bat attractant. You're a regular bat magnet."
"Shazaam, girl! That last one nearly got you.” Mandy glanced around, ready to duck at a moment's notice.
Two more bats flew between me and Mandy. She yelped and jumped back. They circled around us, then headed for the back of the cave.
Mandy's eyes grew wide. “Snap! That was close. A little too close if you ask me."
"You don't know the half of it,” I mumbled.
"What?” Mandy asked.
"Nothing."
"Well, it looks like we're through with the flight-of-the-bats part of the tour. Let's continue.” Stan made his way to the front of the group and moved into a short tunnel. “This next section of the cave is called Headache Alley. If you're over five feet tall you'll understand why.” After walking a few more steps, he abruptly stopped, backed up and shined his light on a formation hanging from the ceiling of the cave. “Here's another bat. It's very unusual to find one this far back in the cave."
Stan allowed each person to look at the bat while he continued to shine his light on the creature. The formation hung low, putting the bat just above our heads.
"Aren't you going to take a look?” I asked Mandy.
She stepped around me. “Naaaaa. They give me the heebie jeebies, but you go right ahead. I know how you're, like, into them."
As I stood almost nose to nose with the bat, I noticed the light dusting of fur on its head. It appeared quite harmless and rather cute. I'd never had the opportunity to get that close to an actual bat in the open.
Suddenly, my feet froze in place—immobilized against my will. A cacophony of screeching echoes rushed into my head. An ominous energy filled my body. I swayed side to side. The scent of almonds I had become accustomed to magnified and soured, leaving the sickening stench of evil.
The bat moved forward using its wings to inch closer to me. It lifted its head and focused its attention on me. My heart accelerated as I stared into its beady little eyes. Eyes that held way too much intelligence for a mere bat.
I wanted to run, but my feet stuck firmly to the floor. I wanted to scream, but my voice lodged in my throat like a lump of dry bread.
The surrounding air pressed into me until I gasped for breath. The creature opened its mouth, displaying sharp, elongated fangs. My eyes widened until I thought they'd pop out of my head
Inside I screamed.
Evil stared me straight in the face.
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2
Along Came the Fog
And then the bat smiled, revealing more sharp teeth.
I'm not crazy. I know what I saw. The bat actually smiled. It was the creepiest thing I've ever seen—full of malicious intent.
Stan turned off his flashlight which seemed to release me from the clutches of whatever unseen force had held me. I stumbled backward, trying to get my balance. Air freely flowed back into my lungs and my pulse calmed somewhat. I quickly joined Mandy.
"You look strange. You're as white as a ghost—again. Everything all right?” Mandy furrowed her brows.
"I don't know. I feel really weird."
"Oh my God! Are you having one of those claustrophobic attacks? Should I get Mrs. Krammer?” Mandy's voice tinged with worry. She turned to get our teacher.
I grabbed her shirt. “No! I'm fine. I'm just dizzy. I really should've eaten breakfast. I'll be fine after lunch, really."
I didn't need Mrs. Krammer hovering over me like I was some invalid. And no way was I going to tell Mandy about the strange encounter with the bat. Like she'd believe me anyway.
"Are you sure? Because you don't look fine.” She put her hands on her hips and studied my face.
I sighed. “Yes, I'm sure. Let's get going."
I glanced back toward the formation where the bat had been hanging. Surprise! It no longer remained. A shiver raced up my spine. What did it mean? Was the bat some kind of harbinger of evil? Whatever. I just wanted out of the cave. Period. Something really creepy was going on, and I wanted no part of it.
A little farther in, we came to a widened area. A tour group approached from the opposite direction.
"Everyone please move to the left and allow the group to pass,” Stan directed.
As they passed, a familiar smell caught my attention. I lifted my nose and sniffed the air like a dog on a scent. Traces of almonds and a hint of cinnamon lingered in the vicinity. I glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I glimpsed the hot guy, moving along with the departing group. I grabbed Mandy by the wrist.
"Mandy, he's in group that just passed us—the guy from the gift shop.” I turned to point him out, but he no longer appeared to be part of the group. “Well, he was there. I think."
"Okaaay! You have it bad all right. Let's think about this for a minute. If you saw him in the building right before we got on the cable car and he wasn't on it with us, how could he be in the group just now leaving? The tour is an hour and a half. Duh!” Mandy laughed and shook her head. “Are you coming or what?"
I stood there baffled. Was I hallucinating? I could've sworn it was him, but Mandy made sense. How could it have been? He couldn't be in two places at the same time. Or could he? Oh boy, I'd lost it for sure.
The next room we entere
d, the Ice Cream Parlor, held more than just a hint of almonds. Instinctively, I searched for any signs of a bat.
"Oh, I could use an ice cream sandwich about now,” Mandy said.
How could she think about food when the bats from hell kept playing the let's-see-how-much-we-can-freak-the-vamp-girl-out game?
Stan told the story about the ice cream cone and the kids waiting in line to get it. Then, he turned to show us the ice cream sandwich formation, stopping to shine his light on the roadrunner underneath it. “What the heck?"
Hanging from its head was ... you guessed it, a bat.
"I've never seen this before. Very unusual.” Stan seemed to be talking more to himself than the group. He moved his light around the rest of the room.
Mandy snapped a few pictures. Flash. Flash.
Two bats simultaneously flew through the room right over our heads. Several girls ducked and squealed. The cheerleader had a firm hold of her jock protector as she pumped her feet in a run-in-place type of movement. The bats flew to the back of the room and disappeared.
"Y'all are getting one heck of a show today. This never happens.” Stan continued to flash his light around, searching for yet more bats. He turned off his flashlight, apparently satisfied we had seen all the bats we were going to see in this room, and led us farther into the cave.
After walking through another low ceilinged area, we entered a huge open room—what I like to call the Crap Room.
Fog floated in the room like clouds of eerie apparitions. Humidity thickened the air and the temperature seemed to rise, even though I knew the cave stayed a constant seventy-two degrees.
The overpowering scent of almonds gagged me. I dry heaved. My eyes watered and metallic spit filled my mouth. It took everything I had not to puke my guts up right then and there. Sweat slipped down my spine, pooling at the small of my back. I swayed, trying to keep from dropping to my knees.
"Cheyenne, you look weird again. Are you okay?” Mandy asked.
I swallowed hard and pretended to be okay. “Yeah, I'm just a little hot from the humidity."
She raised her camera, but the flash didn't go off. “Crap. My battery is dead. Let me have your camera. I wanna take a picture of this creepy fog.” She snagged the camera out of my hand. She might as well use it. I'd hardly taken a single picture. Flash. Flash. “Ewwwww ... freaky. Check out the picture."
I leaned over and peered at the screen. It really was creepy. It looked like the horror movies where fog settles among the tombstones in a graveyard.
Fingers of dread slithered across my soul, leaving me empty and gasping for breath. The intensity of the evil emanating from this very area shook me to the bone. I just hoped this wouldn't be our graveyard.
My gums began to itch. I ran my tongue around the area to see if I could figure out what the deal was. The tender surface of my tongue encountered an unfamiliar sharp, jagged point at the end of my top left eyetooth.
What the heck? I brought my finger to my mouth and pressed it to the tip of the weird tooth. “Ouch!"
"Ouch, what?” Mandy asked.
I drew my finger back and made a fist. “Nothing. I bit my tongue."
"I won't even ask."
I turned my body away from Mandy, uncurling my fingers. Blood glistened on the fleshy tip of the one I had touched to my tooth. And more blood smeared across my palm.
The fog thickened and swirled around me. It pressed close to my body and centered on my bloodied hand. Loud, screaming echoes burst into my sensitive eardrums. And then, the cave began to breathe as a single entity ... in out, in out. Many heartbeats pulsed in unison—too many to count.
The cave was alive!
I checked to see if anyone else noticed. Nothing. Mandy didn't even seem to be aware of the weirdness surrounding her. My finger throbbed, so I stuck it in my mouth, soothing the stinging pinhole.
The noise in my head ceased. So did the rhythmic pulsing beats. My gums stopped itching, too. Strange. Did no one else notice?
I removed my finger. Another drop of blood pearled at the tip.
The fog swirled again as if agitated. The echoes returned, the pulses throbbed, and then the cave began to breathe ... again. The scent of almonds strengthened to a nauseating level. My gums itched and burned.
I put my finger back in my mouth.
Bam! Everything screeched to a halt and returned to normal.
My blood! Somehow it, whatever it was, triggered the bizarre happenings. What did it want from me? My blood? And why me? I glanced around at the group. No one else seemed to be bothered or threatened. I seriously didn't understand.
Everything appeared to happen like I was watching a movie from the outside in—a bug on a wall. Present, but not a part of anything. My body numbed. Lips moved, but I heard nothing—only the screeching in my head.
Gradually, Stan's voiced reached my ears, and I comprehended his words. “Does anyone know what those black mounds are?” He shined his light on the area. “Let me give you a hint. Thousands of years ago, there was a colony of bats right up there.” He pointed his flashlight to the ceiling. “What the...?"
Hundreds of bats hung from the ceiling.
"I've gotta take a picture of this.” Mandy zoomed in the camera. Flash. Flash. Flash.
Flustered, Stan said, “They weren't here just a few hours ago. I've never seen this.” He lifted his hat with his free hand and scratched his head. “Y'all are seeing something that hasn't been seen in over a thousand years. This is so bizarre. A colony of bats with wings this wide used to hibernate right up there.” He spread his arms out to illustrate just how wide their wingspans were. “And that black stuff there is called guano. Or in simpler terms, bat poo."
"Eeeeeeeeeeeew,” a chorus of girls squealed.
Several bats dropped from the ceiling and flew around our heads, then disappeared, causing another round of girlie screams. You'd think they'd be used to it by now. And they didn't even understand the danger lurking around here. What exactly did they have to squeal about? It wasn't as if they were the ones being tormented.
Another bat swooped down, close enough I felt a slight breeze as it passed. Apparently, I was indeed the focus of their attacks. As if to emphasize the point—like I needed it—another whizzed by, ruffling my hair.
Stan shook his head. “Girl, you really are a bat magnet."
Everyone turned and stared at me. The cheerleader muttered something about a freak. Great. Thanks, Stan. I really wanted the attention centered on me. Not.
I prefer to stay in a certain state of anonymity. It was one thing to be ignored by the popular group. But a totally different thing to become their target.
"Don't listen to them, Cheyenne. If they're not picking on someone, their lives wouldn't have any meaning. Besides, they're just jealous because for once the attention isn't on them.” Mandy clasped her hands together in front of her chest in the typical ‘cheerleader clap’ and did the super cheesy ‘cheerleader grin.'
I busted out laughing—an inside joke between me and Mandy.
The cheerleader sniffed, turned her nose up, and snuggled closer—as if it was possible—to her football hero. Over her shoulder, she tossed the see-what-I-have-and-you-don't look straight at me and Mandy. Whatever. Like I wanted Mr. I'm-so-good-looking-no-one-can-touch-this. Besides, he was blonde ... and pasty white. I prefer dark guys with a bit of color to their skin. Sigh. Like the hottie in the souvenir shop. The one I'd probably never see again—except in my dreams. Double sigh.
The group, following Stan's lead, moved deeper into the cave. Down, down we went.
"On your right, see that deep wide crevice there? It's been flooded many times. Matter of fact, where we're standing right now was under water just last year,” Stan said.
One of the girls pointed to a steep drop off on the left hand side of the trail. “What's down there?"
Stan walked to the guard wall and shined his light deep into the crevice. “See those coffin looking wooden boxes down there? They're fi
lled with crushed granite. Can anyone guess what it's used for?” He looked around. Nobody answered. “The mud found in this cave is so sticky it will literally suck the shoes off your feet. When we have to do work down there, we spread the crushed granite on the mud so we can get around."
Nice to know. If I ever find myself down there in the mud, I'll know what to do.
The bats seemed to have given me a break. It had been at least a whole five minutes since the last dive-bomb. The weight of evil lifted from my shoulders somewhat, so I relaxed.
We entered the meringue ceiling area.
Stan pointed his light up at the ceiling. “Waves from when there used to be water flowing freely down here caused these fluffy looking peaked formations. They kind of remind me of the meringue topping on a pie. I always get a craving for lemon meringue pie when I'm down here."
I loved the whippy looking ceiling, so I grabbed my camera from Mandy and took a few pictures. Flash. Flash.
"We're now at Bone Sink Number Two,” Stan stated. “There used to be a natural opening the size of a football field. Animals would fall into the cave and not be able to get out again when it was still open. It eventually collapsed and sealed itself shut."
We stood in an area where a saber tooth tiger and a Columbian mammoth with sixteen foot tusks once roamed in darkness. I tried to imagine what it must have been like to live back during that period. Freaky.
Next, Stan led us into the castle balcony room. He told the doofy fairytale that went along with the formation—a castle, a prince and princess, king and queen, a dragon, and a sock. Don't ask. I took several pictures. Flash. Flash. Okay, so I liked the silly formation.
"Now we're at the middle of the tour. How can we tell?” Stan looked around, waiting for an answer. “Well, we're at the cave's belly button.” He proudly pointed his flashlight at a hole in the ceiling where the first explorers had entered the cave.
No one said a word. No laughter. No nothing.
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know. But, y'all could have humored me with at least a small chuckle."
Everyone laughed then.
After going up a steep slope, we stopped at the concrete wall covered with paintings.
Cave of Terror Page 3
