trudged in single file, Annie in the lead, Craig in the middle, Alex right behind. Alex told himself that, in all likelihood, they would find that the hollow led nowhere, that there was no way into the caves, and they would all be back safe and sound in their beds within an hour or so. In the morning, they would report to Willie that he had not missed anything at all: there were no caves, no anything. Repeating this helped calm his nerves.
It was the darkest night Alex could remember. Not a single star could be seen anywhere across the vast blackness. They could see only what fell in the beam of their lights. The terrain changed from shrub to rock, and eventually they found the edge of the cliffs. A heavy stillness filled the air. It felt like it would rain.
They followed a path that wound down the front of the cliffs. The sea was quiet but for a light slapping and gurgling of swells trickling about the rocks.
Soon they reached the water's edge, but there was no sign of the board. Alex became convinced they had gone the wrong way. He stooped to squeeze through a narrow gap in the rocks, taking care not to get his feet wet. Shining his light into the blackness ahead, he stopped short, suddenly realizing it led straight into the cliff.
“This might be it!” he called.
Annie crowded in behind him. “Can you see how far it goes?”
“Not yet.”
Stooping, they entered a long narrow cave. Craig wormed his way ahead of Annie. A narrow stream trickled beside them. Something blue flashed in the water and Alex reached down to fish it out. It was a rope. He pulled it up and found it led deep into the cave.
“What's that doing here?” Craig asked.
“It seems we're not the first ones to go this way.” Alex trained his light on the rope and examined it closely. “It's not slimy, so it can't have been here very long.”
They had to be going the right way.
This must lead somewhere – why else would there be a rope? And where else couldit lead but into the caves?
Hearts pounding, they followed it deeper underground. The cave became smaller, and they walked hunched over to keep from hitting their heads.
The stream ended, and the cave became no more than a fissure. Alex squirmed out of his pack and crawled into the fissure, pulling his pack behind him. His knees were immediately soaked from crawling over wet seaweed and twigs. The confined space made him nervous. If there was an earth tremor and the rock was to shift, even just a bit…. Alex shook his head to dispel the thought and continued crawling ever deeper into the darkness ahead.
The rock sloped slightly upward, and Alex wriggled into a cave not much bigger than the space under a dining-room table. Dead end. He felt relieved. That meant they would be turning back. He had had enough of squirming about through tiny cracks under tonnes of rock.
“Budge over,” Craig said. He and Annie squeezed in beside Alex.
Alex kneeled on a plank, thankful to get his knees off the rock. It had worn engravings carved into its side. Alex examined it closely and saw it was the very same board he had found during their picnic at the ruins – the one he had wedged between some rocks.
“How'd that get here?” Craig asked.
Alex shrugged. “Pushed in by the tide, I guess.” He picked up a short stick, but it was so slimy, he quickly tossed it away and wiped his hand on his trousers.
“What was that?” Annie retrieved it and gingerly lifted it with two fingers. She wrinkled her nose. “It looks like the leg bone of a small animal.”
“Like what, a sheep?” Craig asked.
“Maybe.”
“How about a dog?”
Annie gave out a tiny squeal and dropped it.
Could it be
…?
No.
She persuaded herself that it couldn't be Tig's, that it was just some old bone that had floated in with the tide.
Craig flashed his beam about the ceiling. He spotted a narrow shaft at one end. “Look,” he called out excitedly, “we could fit through there.”
Alex squirmed over to peer up the
It was the darkest night Alex could remember. Not a single star could be seen anywhere across the vast blackness. They could see only what fell in the beam of their lights. The terrain changed from shrub to rock, and eventually they found the edge of the cliffs. A heavy stillness filled the air. It felt like it would rain.
They followed a path that wound down the front of the cliffs. The sea was quiet but for a light slapping and gurgling of swells trickling about the rocks.
Soon they reached the water's edge, but there was no sign of the board. Alex became convinced they had gone the wrong way. He stooped to squeeze through a narrow gap in the rocks, taking care not to get his feet wet. Shining his light into the blackness ahead, he stopped short, suddenly realizing it led straight into the cliff.
“This might be it!” he called.
Annie crowded in behind him. “Can you see how far it goes?”
“Not yet.”
Stooping, they entered a long narrow cave. Craig wormed his way ahead of Annie. A narrow stream trickled beside them. Something blue flashed in the water and Alex reached down to fish it out. It was a rope. He pulled it up and found it led deep into the cave.
“What's that doing here?” Craig asked.
“It seems we're not the first ones to go this way.” Alex trained his light on the rope and examined it closely. “It's not slimy, so it can't have been here very long.”
They had to be going the right way.
This must lead somewhere – why else would there be a rope? And where else couldit lead but into the caves?
Hearts pounding, they followed it deeper underground. The cave became smaller, and they walked hunched over to keep from hitting their heads.
The stream ended, and the cave became no more than a fissure. Alex squirmed out of his pack and crawled into the fissure, pulling his pack behind him. His knees were immediately soaked from crawling over wet seaweed and twigs. The confined space made him nervous. If there was an earth tremor and the rock was to shift, even just a bit…. Alex shook his head to dispel the thought and continued crawling ever deeper into the darkness ahead.
The rock sloped slightly upward, and Alex wriggled into a cave not much bigger than the space under a dining-room table. Dead end. He felt relieved. That meant they would be turning back. He had had enough of squirming about through tiny cracks under tonnes of rock.
“Budge over,” Craig said. He and Annie squeezed in beside Alex.
Alex kneeled on a plank, thankful to get his knees off the rock. It had worn engravings carved into its side. Alex examined it closely and saw it was the very same board he had found during their picnic at the ruins – the one he had wedged between some rocks.
“How'd that get here?” Craig asked.
Alex shrugged. “Pushed in by the tide, I guess.” He picked up a short stick, but it was so slimy, he quickly tossed it away and wiped his hand on his trousers.
“What was that?” Annie retrieved it and gingerly lifted it with two fingers. She wrinkled her nose. “It looks like the leg bone of a small animal.”
“Like what, a sheep?” Craig asked.
“Maybe.”
“How about a dog?”
Annie gave out a tiny squeal and dropped it.
Could it be
…?
No.
She persuaded herself that it couldn't be Tig's, that it was just some old bone that had floated in with the tide.
Craig flashed his beam about the ceiling. He spotted a narrow shaft at one end. “Look,” he called out excitedly, “we could fit through there.”
Alex squirmed over to peer up the
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