Haha, when you combine that with the prompt from yesterday I have to wonder what would be worse than a tantrum :)
Going deeper I didn't say anything to that as it was what I was thinking. The more I looked at this place, the more it looked like a set-up and smelled like a trap to me. Ben hadn't said anything yet, but I was pretty sure he was thinking along the same lines, though there was probably some time in there where he was considering what a City of Gold would look like and how he'd go about selling it. Hell, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about that a little last night before falling asleep too. "Let's see where else this cave goes, then," said Ben. "If there is a City of Gold around here, and it sure would be nice if there was, then it's gonna hafta be through that there gap." He pointed at the napped triangular crack in the opposite wall. "Or the chupacapra has a nest and a nicely arranged bone collection," I said. Jimmy shivered. Ben went first, holding his torch low in front of him to see the ground, and I walked behind him holding mine high to see the ceiling. The crack was a narrowing tunnel for at least a minute, long enough for me to start to worry about where it could be going and getting trapped in it, and for Jimmy behind me to start breathing heavily. Then Ben reached back with a hand and gently stopped me, and then turned round. "Ground slopes down," he said quietly. "There's something gritty on it. Watch your footing and walk slow." I relayed the message back to Jimmy, who was looking a little pale and sweaty. I figured he was slightly claustrophobic but didn't say anything as there wasn't much to say. Then I turned back to Ben, and we shuffled along the passage, getting deeper and deeper into the cave. Which narrowed alarmingly until both my elbows were dragging against the rough rock, and then the ceiling lowered as well until we were crouching and I was starting to think that I wouldn't be able to hold the torch over our heads any more. Ben stopped, and I stopped. "Hold my torch," said Ben. "I think I can feel a breeze, so I'm going to see if I can wriggle under the rock here." With both torches in my hands and Ben lying flat on the floor and scooching forwards I could see that the ceiling lowered to a point where it was maybe only half a metre above the floor. "Be careful, Ben," I said quietly. "It's going to be hard to pull you out if you get stuck in there." "I'm not that fat," said Ben. "You and Jimmy have got more to worry about than I do, I reckon." Ben might not be fat but there's a fair amount of muscle on his chest and shoulders, more so than me, and Jimmy's so skinny that when he turns sideways he's a physics experiment with sunlight. He grunted, and then disappeared. When you're waiting for something time drags out, and this was no exception. What felt like a year and a half passed, and then: "Pass me a torch through, Red. I've got more space, and a breeze, and it's pitch black." I pushed the torch under, and then turned to look at Jimmy, who looked miserable. "I think we're going forwards," I said. "If you want to go back to the first cave and wait for us -- I'll tell Ben you're standing guard." "I'll wait here," said Jimmy, and I admired his courage. "In case you get stuck trying to get back under that rock and need someone to pull you through." "Good thinking," I said, smiling broadly. "Ben's definitely fatter than he thinks he is." "I can still hear you," called Ben. "Get your fat ass in here and come and see this!"
2 comments:
Haha, when you combine that with the prompt from yesterday I have to wonder what would be worse than a tantrum :)
Going deeper
I didn't say anything to that as it was what I was thinking. The more I looked at this place, the more it looked like a set-up and smelled like a trap to me. Ben hadn't said anything yet, but I was pretty sure he was thinking along the same lines, though there was probably some time in there where he was considering what a City of Gold would look like and how he'd go about selling it. Hell, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about that a little last night before falling asleep too.
"Let's see where else this cave goes, then," said Ben. "If there is a City of Gold around here, and it sure would be nice if there was, then it's gonna hafta be through that there gap." He pointed at the napped triangular crack in the opposite wall.
"Or the chupacapra has a nest and a nicely arranged bone collection," I said. Jimmy shivered.
Ben went first, holding his torch low in front of him to see the ground, and I walked behind him holding mine high to see the ceiling. The crack was a narrowing tunnel for at least a minute, long enough for me to start to worry about where it could be going and getting trapped in it, and for Jimmy behind me to start breathing heavily. Then Ben reached back with a hand and gently stopped me, and then turned round.
"Ground slopes down," he said quietly. "There's something gritty on it. Watch your footing and walk slow."
I relayed the message back to Jimmy, who was looking a little pale and sweaty. I figured he was slightly claustrophobic but didn't say anything as there wasn't much to say. Then I turned back to Ben, and we shuffled along the passage, getting deeper and deeper into the cave.
Which narrowed alarmingly until both my elbows were dragging against the rough rock, and then the ceiling lowered as well until we were crouching and I was starting to think that I wouldn't be able to hold the torch over our heads any more. Ben stopped, and I stopped.
"Hold my torch," said Ben. "I think I can feel a breeze, so I'm going to see if I can wriggle under the rock here."
With both torches in my hands and Ben lying flat on the floor and scooching forwards I could see that the ceiling lowered to a point where it was maybe only half a metre above the floor.
"Be careful, Ben," I said quietly. "It's going to be hard to pull you out if you get stuck in there."
"I'm not that fat," said Ben. "You and Jimmy have got more to worry about than I do, I reckon."
Ben might not be fat but there's a fair amount of muscle on his chest and shoulders, more so than me, and Jimmy's so skinny that when he turns sideways he's a physics experiment with sunlight. He grunted, and then disappeared.
When you're waiting for something time drags out, and this was no exception. What felt like a year and a half passed, and then:
"Pass me a torch through, Red. I've got more space, and a breeze, and it's pitch black."
I pushed the torch under, and then turned to look at Jimmy, who looked miserable. "I think we're going forwards," I said. "If you want to go back to the first cave and wait for us -- I'll tell Ben you're standing guard."
"I'll wait here," said Jimmy, and I admired his courage. "In case you get stuck trying to get back under that rock and need someone to pull you through."
"Good thinking," I said, smiling broadly. "Ben's definitely fatter than he thinks he is."
"I can still hear you," called Ben. "Get your fat ass in here and come and see this!"
Greg - I don't know about Jimmy, but this scene got me feeling claustrophobic. Yeesh.
Also: enjoyed the dialogue as always.
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