Cave story of an adventurous group trip
This is a cave story of a group of three peoples who were stumbled into an unpredictable situation. Hope you enjoy this fiction.
The Crash
Robin and Nick were in shock. Their bodies had turned numb and their minds went into a state of paralysis.
“Mayday! We need to do the water landing now! I repeat–” Another fierce shake and an ear-splitting thunder brought the speakers down.
“Robin! Nick!” Professor Samuel shouted. He grabbed hold of each of their shoulders and shook them furiously. “Keep calm and wear your life vests! I promise we’re going to survive this!”
Robin looked up at the Professor and then back at Nick. He suddenly realized the situation they were in and unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Nick! We gotta make a landing!” He told his brother who was still crying uncontrollably.
Robin took out his life vest from under his seat, unbuckled Nick’s seat belt and made him wear it.
“I’m sorry, Robin…” Nick’s voice cracked. “I’m really–”
“This is not the time, Nick!” Robin pushed Nick to Professor Samuel who took him to the emergency door. He took out Nick’s life vest and fastened it upon himself. Suddenly, the flight inclined, throwing the three passengers stumbling towards the cockpit.
“Everyone alright?!” Professor Samuel asked, wincing in pain. He rubbed his head and saw that Robin and Nick were feeling light-headed.
“Come on! We gotta move fast!” The professor yelled. “We don’t have much time!” He regained his balance and picked Robin and Nick up.
Robin held onto his little brother tight and the three of them marched up the flight and towards the emergency door.
“Stay back!” The professor yelled. He rotated the door handle to the left and pushed the door open. A strong gush of wind smacked the Professor’s face hard. He quickly held onto the seat and looked down.
There were just a few miles away from crashing into the water. The sky was a dark magenta and sinister thunderbolts sparked amidst the thick clouds.
Professor Samuel looked back at them. “Come on! Who’s going first?”
Robin and Nick looked at each other and then back at the professor.
“I will.” Nick rushed to the opening and looked down at the gigantic waves that looked like raging bulls.
He took a deep breath and looked at Robin. “See ya!”
“No time for goodbyes!” The professor yelled urgently.
Nick held his breath, closed his eyes shut and on the count of two, jumped in the cold, murky water.
Robin was next. He was afraid of the ocean waters, but unfortunately, now was the time to overcome his fear. The surges looked like ugly beasts to him; ready to devour him once he lands. Robin was getting breathless and he couldn’t bring himself to jump.
A drop of tear rolled down from the corner of his eyes. His heart pounded like the thundering hooves of a thousand wild horses. But time was running out, there were now just a mile or less away from the waters before the flight crashes and turns into shards of nothingness.
Professor Samuel wanted to push Robin, but that would put Robin’s life at risk. Instead, he back hugged Robin and on the count of three, jumped in the waters.
All Robin saw was a demon with a crooked face, opening his mouth wide and eating him alive.
The Cave of Yamuna
The cave story begins…
Their heels dug into the muddy floor as they trudged deep into the woods. The thick leaves of the trees prevented the light to illuminate their dim path, and the petrichor brought a sense of tranquility upon the minds of the treasure seekers.
“How much further do we need to go?” Nick asked breathlessly.
“Until we find a shelter.” Professor Samuel said. Suddenly, he stopped.
Robin bumped into Professor Samuel’s back and halted as well.
“What is it?” He asked distractedly.
“Shh…” The professor brought his index to his mouth. “Did you guys hear that?”
“Hear what?” Nick asked.
Robin tried to listen attentively to his surroundings, but all he heard was the wind blowing through the leaves and the soft chanting of the insects.
“I don’t hear anything,” Robin whispered.
“Exactly,” Professor Samuel said. “Which means…”
Robin and Nick waited for Professor Samuel to finish the sentence. After a couple of minutes, he stood up straight and smiled. “Which means we are safe.”
Robin and Nick let out a sigh of relief, but a seed of annoyance towards the Professor was planted in their hearts.
Eventually, they continued to march with no sense of direction. The two brothers glanced at each other doubtfully. If they wanted to survive, they had no other choice but to follow their leader.
“Hm, according to the map, the cave should be somewhere around here…” Professor mumbled.
“What map?” Nick asked. “I don’t see any map with you.”
“The map that is in my mind,” He tapped the side of his temples. “I have a photogenic memory so don’t worry.”
“Great, so we’re close?” Robin asked.
Professor Samuel looked around with a sense of judgment and nodded. “Most likely.”
Robin looked around as well but all he saw were more trees and more trails to discover. Suddenly, the Professor walked towards Robin and pushed him aside. Robin was about to react when he noticed that the Professor had got to his knees and was removing a patch of dried leaves and dirt from the ground with his bare hands.
“What are you doing?” Nick asked.
“Help me here, kiddos.” He heaved.
Robin quickly spotted a wooden hatch that had a big rusted lock on it. He quickly kneeled beside the Professor and dusted the door as well.
“Oh my gosh…” Nick whistled once the hatchet came in sight. “Is it a door to the underground?!”
“Seems like it,” The Professor said and looked around hysterically. “We need something to break the lock.”
Robin saw a huge rock just near Nick’s feet and gestured him to bring it over. Nick picked up the heavy rock with a soft grunt and gave it to Robin.
“That’ll do,” The Professor commented.
Robin smacked the lock a couple of times with the rock. Fortunately, the lock was old enough to lose its density. He removed the lock and threw it aside.
Professor Samuel opened the hatch. A soft wind that smelled like ashes blew from underneath. All there was to see was utter blackness. An eerie feeling crept up on the hearts of the explorers. Nick hugged himself and wished to go back to the seashore.
“Well, this is it, guys…We’re near the cave of Yamuna.”
“Cave of Yamuna?” Robin frowned.
“The only way you can reach Queen Romana’s sacred treasure is through the cave of Yamuna. Now, although the names intimidating, I assure you, everything’s going to be alright down there.”
Nick scoffed in disbelief.
“How do you suppose we will be safe when you can’t even see a thing?” Robin asked irately.
“Just trust me on this, okay?” The professor said confidently. “After all, it’s what we’re here for, aren’t we?”
Fortunate to Find Fortune
With the help of vines and wood torches, they descended the dark cave. It was as if going into the mouth of a monster. The feeling felt hollow and perilous, but it was too late to back away now.
The three of them were slowly going down when without warning, they heard a soft creak that echoed deeply. At once, they stopped moving; breathless and frightened.
“What was that?” Nick asked.
“I’m pretty sure it was just a–” The professor was about to say when just then there was another creak.
Robin looked up and saw that the vine was breaking.
“It’s the vine…” He said calmly. “It’s not strong enough.”
“What?!” Nick yelled. His voice resounded loudly, and the vine came loose a little more as he tried to move upward.
“Nick, it’s alright!” The professor said quickly. “Stay calm and don’t move…”
Nick stopped and looked up at Robin.
“We can’t go back up now,” Robin said.
They were stuck in the middle of nowhere. Even the smallest movement was critical and could lead them to fall–
The vine lost its strength and broke in two. The three of them fell down the deep cave, screaming vociferously and hoping that their heads wouldn’t get smacked in two. They kept falling and falling as if it was a rabbit’s hole.
Robin opened his eyes and tried to reach out to Nick, but their torch had fallen way before them and they were trapped in the darkness like abandoned entities.
It felt like years before they finally landed in deep water. Robin swam up as fast as he could, realizing that perhaps he was back in the deadly ocean again. He couldn’t end up unconscious for the sake of Nick. He fought with his limbs and somehow reached the surface.
With a quick inhale, he looked around and consequently, saw Nick and Professor Samuel’s head popping out of the water as well. They coughed and choked but the three of them were alive.
A blue light enlightened the waters. Robin and Nick let out a soft gasp.
“St. Elmo’s fire…” The Professor uttered in awe.
“St. what?” Robin asked.
“Basically, it’s a form of plasma,” Professor Samuel replied. “But I’ll tell you everything in detail after we get out of this Island because we can’t waste any more time than we already have. The treasures somewhere in this cave.”
“And how can you be so sure?” Nick asked.
“Because I can feel it.”
Robin and Nick rolled their eyes. They still were in doubt whether to believe Professor Samuel or not, but given that whatever he said was true, they must play this quest till the end to bring a conclusion to their doubts.
The three of them got out of the magic water and onto the shore that shone with white sand. They didn’t need a torch as the blue water had illuminated most of their path. There was a narrow trail that led deeper into the cave. Robin and Nick carefully followed the professor’s footsteps.
On the walls, there were ancient drawings that depicted a story of a queen ruling the earth.
“That’s Queen Romana,” The Professor said.
To their surprise, they entered a dead-end where two torches that were attached to the wall burned brightly.
“Was someone here already?” Robin asked, looking around.
“Probably,” The professor noticed strange markings on the cave and examined them closely. “These drawings are in Greek. Fortunately, I can understand it a little.” He mumbled something under his breath while caressing the wall lightly.
“Anything?” Nick asked.
“Let’s see…The arrow means sacrifice, the blade means war, and the zero with two lines means resurrection…” Professor Samuel said. “Not that it makes any sense, but what if I press this square marking here–” He pressed the square that was in the middle of the many markings.
Suddenly, there was a loud and deep sound and the wall began to tremble. The three of them backed away to the opposite wall and saw that the cave had led them to another room.
“What in the cookies name–”
The room in front of them had a long passage with dangerous obstacles preventing them from reaching a huge gold door.
Professor Samuel took a step forward and billowed. “That’s Queen Romana’s throne room. It’s real…Oh my gosh, it’s all real!”
However, Nick and Robin didn’t feel as excited as the professor. They froze in their places when they saw the hindrances on their way. They gulped and looked at each other.
“You know we’re going to die, right?” Nick said to Robin.
Robin nodded. “But there’s no escape, brother,” He looked in front of him and could only see his goal; reaching that golden door, taking whatever it is they need and getting out of here. It was a long shot and not to mention, long process, but he was ready to do it.
“Someone wasn’t willing to get the treasure,” Nick said. “What changed your mind?”
Robin sighed softly. “The will to survive and perhaps…” He now knew the reason he was here even though he was unwilling at first. “To be a part of something big.”
Nick smiled and the two brothers looked ahead with their heads raised high.
“So kids, ready to play a little game of dodge?” Professor Samuel rubbed his palms.
They stood in a single line and looked at their first obstacle. The path of spikes. There was a series of black holes leading to the next block. However, one wrong step and the spike would pierce right through your body.
“Okay, who’s going first?” Professor Samuel asked.
Nick and Robin looked at him in disbelief.
“What? Why is it always adults that must go first?” He rolled his eyes and took a deep breath before progressing forward in baby steps.
Nick and Robin held their breath. One wrong step and it was the end of Professor Samuel…The professor took one step and then stopped. He took another but suddenly, with a thundering sound a thick spike that was covered in blood came up from the floor and prevented the professor from going any further.
Professor Samuel’s heart gave a jump and he quickly rushed back to the starting line. He held his chest and tried to calm his racing heart and mind down.
“Why don’t you kids go first…I’m gonna um…strategize over here.”
Robin and Nick shook their heads disappointedly.
“I’ll go,” Robin said assuredly.
Nick nodded. “Be careful.”
Robin zipped his hood tight, wriggled his limbs and walked till where the professor lost the game. He then took a right and moved his way forward like a snail. A spike came up from his left, but he quickly stopped and continued from the right. He took another right, right, then left, forward and with one last left, he had successfully cleared the path of spikes.
He turned around and noticed that Nick and Professor Samuel easily crossed the path because Robin had brought all the remaining spikes up.
“Good job, Rob!” Nick hugged him tightly.
“I could’ve done that too,” Professor Samuel scoffed.
Robin ignored him and turned to face the next obstacle. The rotating spikes that moved in the narrow passage from one end to the other.
“Seriously, what’s up with Queen Romana and spikes?” Professor Samuel whined.
“It’s all about timing, but this time, we must go together…” Robin said, quickly calculating the time, distance and pace. “We need to hurry; we’ve only got five seconds on each side. And by hurry, I mean really hurry.”
“Lead the way, Captain,” Nick said and stood in a ready position.
Robin nodded and waited for the right side of the rotating spike to come his way while the left one went to the opposite side. Then just when the right side was about to leave, they jumped in, following the right spike and then jumped left when it approached them. It took them three simultaneous jumps to reach the end of the obstacle.
But luckily, they made it.
Professor Samuel jumped in joy and high fived Robin and Nick.
“We made it! I can’t believe we made it!” He screamed.
“Hold your horses, professor, we have one last obstacle we need to cross…” Robin said as he stared at the rotating platforms that were right above a trench with more deadly spikes waiting for someone’s death.
“Is it too late to go back now?” The professor asked.
Nonetheless, Robin was confident that he could do it.
“We’re so close…we can’t give up now,” He said. “We can do it.” He placed his hand in front of him and looked at Nick and Professor Samuel.
Nick placed his hand on top of Robin’s, and so did Professor Samuel but reluctantly.
“I shouldn’t have found this Island in the first place…” He muttered regrettably and stood behind Robin who decided to go first again.
Once more, it was all about timing. Robin waited for the platform to rotate and counted the seconds he had before he could make the jump. Ultimately, he had to make two jumps in seven seconds.
It wasn’t easy, but seven seconds seemed like a pretty good time.
He waited one last time for the platform to rotate, and when it had stopped, he put all his force and jumped on the platform. Once and then twice. The second one was a big leap, but he was glad that he had an athletic body.
“Come on, Nick! You can do it!” Robin shouted from the other side.
Nick nodded and followed Robin’s method. Unexpectedly, Nick crossed the platform with ease. The jump too felt as if he had flown.
The brothers’ fist-bumped each other and waited for Professor Samuel to go next.
The professor cracked his neck and once the platform came to a stop, he jumped on it, but when he made the second jump, he slipped slightly and ended up reducing his force. He had jumped but the distance he had to cover wasn’t enough.
At once, Robin leaped forward and stretched forth his arm. The professor caught it, but the old man’s weight had pulled the younger one down as well.
Nick quickly grabbed Robin’s leg and tried his best to keep them both alive.
“Professor! Hold on tight!” Robin strained and attempted to pull him up. The professor tried to grab whatever he could on the muddy ledge. He looked down and saw the spikes greeting him wickedly.
The professor’s drive to live helped him catch a grip on the wall and regain his balance.
“Can you pull me up?” He asked Robin.
“Yeah! Grab my arm with both hands!”
The professor did what he was ordered. Robin inhaled deeply and pulled his arms as high as he could. Nick had wrapped Robin’s legs with his own lest he falls with the Professor.
Sweat dripped from Robin’s nose and temples as he heaved the Professor up. Once Professor Samuel was on eye level with Nick and Robin, he held onto the edge of the floor and climbed himself up.
Finally, the three of them let go of each other and splayed on the floor breathlessly.
“That…was insane…” Nick breathed.
Robin got to his feet and helped Nick and Professor Samuel get up as well. He stared at the gigantic golden door in front of them and felt proud to have survived whatever was in their way.
“Good job, everyone,” The Professor said with a nod. “Now, shall we?”
The three of them walked towards the door and pushed it open with the remaining energy they had left.
A bright, golden light shone from the inside, blinding the individuals and stroking them with a soft gush of wind. As the wind settled, they opened their eyes and saw what seemed like a dream.
A large, gold statue of Queen Romana stood in the middle of the enormous room while a dozen smaller statues of other kings, queens, and saints stood around it; decorated by jewels and precious gems. Gold boxes of every size covered the floor with gold coins, jewelry, and ancient artifacts.
“Holy cow…” Nick uttered but choked. “Please don’t tell me that I’m dreaming…”
“You’re definitely not…” Robin looked around in astonishment.
“This is it…” Professor Samuel chuckled. “This is going to change so many countries that have been living in poverty…” A single drop of tear rolled down his cheeks. “So, I wasn’t wrong after all.”
“Okay, before I go and steal some gold coins, how are we going to get the heck outta here?” Nick asked.
“My daughter will be here soon.” The Professor smiled.
“Does she know that we’re here?” Robin asked incredulously.
“I left her a note, just in case. She will be here in no time.”
“But does she really know where we are?” Nick asked. “For all I know, we just fell five feet underground.”
“She’s my daughter, kid. She’ll find us.” The Professor said confidently with a smirk. “Now, who wants to bet a million gold coins?”
Robin and Nick believed Professor Samuel and quickly rushed towards the gold. While the kids were busy inspecting the statues, the Professor recalled the note he had left on his study desk with the map of the Island that had an X mark in red ink.
“If I don’t come back in two days, find me on this location and bring back up. This time, I know it’s real.”
Next:
Zombie Nightmare of the Appalachian Trail
By AaliyahSalia
