wears.
There’s, unfortunately, nothing attached to the other end of it.
I carefully move away from Kim, making sure she’s not jarred, and rest her head on one of her arms.
Then, I cover up the rest of the leg with some loose rock.
Oh, shit.
We’re in it deep.
Chapter 10
KIM
When I finally regain my senses, Brian is hugging me, comforting me, and assuring me that it’s all going to be okay.
There’s blood on his face, and his hands, but he seems to be able to move around.
Not like before the…explosion?
Was that a bomb? Dynamite?
Oh, my God!
We’re trapped in this cave!
If we’re going to die, at least, I’m with the man of my dreams.
I can, at least, hold onto that.
Randy is nowhere to be seen.
“Brian, what happened?” I ask.
Even in the dim light, his eyes are bright blue.
He looks concerned and angry.
“Babe, we were kidnapped, and I guess they dragged us into this cave. Apparently, they must have blown up the entrance. At least, you’re not hurt,” he says, but he looks sad, too.
“Brian, what is it?” but I already know what he’s going to say.
“The old man, Mr. Mitchum,” he says.
“Randy,” I whisper.
“He didn’t make it, babe,” he says, and I begin to cry.
“I remember,” I sob.
“He went toward the bomb; I guess to try to throw it out of the cave or stop it or something!”
“He saved us, Kim. He saved us,” Brian says to me, softly.
He strokes my hair and lets me cry it out.
Finally, the wracking sobs become sniffles, and I wipe my face on his shirt.
He looks at me and laughs a bit.
“Brian?!” I exclaim.
“I’m sorry, you just look like that time you were playing near the chimney when I was pretending I was Bert from Mary Poppins, and …” he chuckles.
“You blew the leaf blower into the smokestack, and all that dust and ash covered me from head to toe!” I say.
I smiled in remembrance.
Brian is just trying to make me feel better, and I hug him tight.
He winces and goes “Ouch!”
“Oh, honey! I am so sorry! Where does it hurt?” I ask.
“It’s my head, in the back, and also, I think I may have a cracked rib, but it’ll be okay,” he tells me.
I can see he's just trying to be brave.
“Let me help!” I beg.
“Kim, we’ve got to get out of here and find some help!” he says.
“Wait here,” I tell him. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Be careful, sweetheart!” he says, and then he kisses me.
I feel his warm breath and the muscles of his arms as we share the moment.
Then, I disengage.
As I walk deeper into the cave, following the mining cart railway, I am tingling.
In spite of all this, I am happier than I have ever been in my life.
Brian called me ‘sweetheart’!
*****
BRIAN
We end up walking for an hour, and then we come across a vertical shaft that leads to the exit. There’s a rudimentary elevator. I am tired, and so is Kim, but we manage to pull ourselves up and out into the night air.
Kim’s cell phone is still working, but there’s no signal.
We lay down on the ground, hugging each other, glad to be out and still alive.
I kiss her on her face, and she weeps a little.
“Poor Randy!” she says.
I nod, and then get up.
I give her my hand, lifting her to her feet. We both start walking towards a dim light in the distance. As we approach it, I notice it’s a State Park Ranger Tower. Parked next to it is a truck, and the Ranger is sitting there, reading his Kindle.
We shout over to him, and he turns our way.
The Park Ranger asks us a few questions, and we tell him what happened.
He says they heard the explosion, and had no idea what was going on. He normally patrols this area on alternate nights, and we were lucky he was out there. It’s a good three miles walk through the woods back to civilization.
He radios in his position and details, and tells us to sit in the truck.
He offers Kim some coffee from his Thermos, and she sips it gratefully.
About forty minutes later, we hear a helicopter
There’s, unfortunately, nothing attached to the other end of it.
I carefully move away from Kim, making sure she’s not jarred, and rest her head on one of her arms.
Then, I cover up the rest of the leg with some loose rock.
Oh, shit.
We’re in it deep.
Chapter 10
KIM
When I finally regain my senses, Brian is hugging me, comforting me, and assuring me that it’s all going to be okay.
There’s blood on his face, and his hands, but he seems to be able to move around.
Not like before the…explosion?
Was that a bomb? Dynamite?
Oh, my God!
We’re trapped in this cave!
If we’re going to die, at least, I’m with the man of my dreams.
I can, at least, hold onto that.
Randy is nowhere to be seen.
“Brian, what happened?” I ask.
Even in the dim light, his eyes are bright blue.
He looks concerned and angry.
“Babe, we were kidnapped, and I guess they dragged us into this cave. Apparently, they must have blown up the entrance. At least, you’re not hurt,” he says, but he looks sad, too.
“Brian, what is it?” but I already know what he’s going to say.
“The old man, Mr. Mitchum,” he says.
“Randy,” I whisper.
“He didn’t make it, babe,” he says, and I begin to cry.
“I remember,” I sob.
“He went toward the bomb; I guess to try to throw it out of the cave or stop it or something!”
“He saved us, Kim. He saved us,” Brian says to me, softly.
He strokes my hair and lets me cry it out.
Finally, the wracking sobs become sniffles, and I wipe my face on his shirt.
He looks at me and laughs a bit.
“Brian?!” I exclaim.
“I’m sorry, you just look like that time you were playing near the chimney when I was pretending I was Bert from Mary Poppins, and …” he chuckles.
“You blew the leaf blower into the smokestack, and all that dust and ash covered me from head to toe!” I say.
I smiled in remembrance.
Brian is just trying to make me feel better, and I hug him tight.
He winces and goes “Ouch!”
“Oh, honey! I am so sorry! Where does it hurt?” I ask.
“It’s my head, in the back, and also, I think I may have a cracked rib, but it’ll be okay,” he tells me.
I can see he's just trying to be brave.
“Let me help!” I beg.
“Kim, we’ve got to get out of here and find some help!” he says.
“Wait here,” I tell him. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Be careful, sweetheart!” he says, and then he kisses me.
I feel his warm breath and the muscles of his arms as we share the moment.
Then, I disengage.
As I walk deeper into the cave, following the mining cart railway, I am tingling.
In spite of all this, I am happier than I have ever been in my life.
Brian called me ‘sweetheart’!
*****
BRIAN
We end up walking for an hour, and then we come across a vertical shaft that leads to the exit. There’s a rudimentary elevator. I am tired, and so is Kim, but we manage to pull ourselves up and out into the night air.
Kim’s cell phone is still working, but there’s no signal.
We lay down on the ground, hugging each other, glad to be out and still alive.
I kiss her on her face, and she weeps a little.
“Poor Randy!” she says.
I nod, and then get up.
I give her my hand, lifting her to her feet. We both start walking towards a dim light in the distance. As we approach it, I notice it’s a State Park Ranger Tower. Parked next to it is a truck, and the Ranger is sitting there, reading his Kindle.
We shout over to him, and he turns our way.
The Park Ranger asks us a few questions, and we tell him what happened.
He says they heard the explosion, and had no idea what was going on. He normally patrols this area on alternate nights, and we were lucky he was out there. It’s a good three miles walk through the woods back to civilization.
He radios in his position and details, and tells us to sit in the truck.
He offers Kim some coffee from his Thermos, and she sips it gratefully.
About forty minutes later, we hear a helicopter
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