Chapter Three
I look around the mouth of the entrance. It has to be at least four average peoples height and its width was just as broad. Annette let out a low whistle beside me and Gracie goes forward to where there were stalactites were upon the ground. My eyes go upward and I see where they have broken off. I wonder for a moment how that may have happened but am interrupted by Gracie calling out and pointing to the pile. "This is where it was."
I walk over and bend down picking up one of the stalactites. They were rough, and weren't a grey stone like my staff. "Hmm."
"Hey look at this."
We all make our way to Tom who had gone deeper into the cave. He held in his hand a small carved ruby ring. It had a gold band and was thick. Tom slipped it onto his forefinger then held his hand out. He pulled out his phone switching on a torch tool and makes the ruby twinkle in the light.
"Oh my god." Louise murmurs rushing to his side and holding his hand steadily into the light.
"This is so cool!"
"I wonder how much more of this there is?" Annette asks mysteriously.
I look to her in a confused manor, and Tom and Louise; knowing she had more than just that to say looked at her expectantly.
"Well, think about it. An ancient lookin' staff thing, a clunky old ring with a massive ruby in it? People don't just wander into caves and lose these things y'know."
The gravity of her words takes affect and I look at the staff in my hand. Annette had a pretty good point. But…what did she mean by it? That we had stumbled upon…
"…Treasures, really old treasures, in a cave where god knows how many pirates or old ships have come."
"The rocks are too sharp. A ship would stand no chance coming here. It'd be smashed up on the rocks." I answer quickly tightening my grip on the staff.
"Yeah maybe, but we all know of the old shipping docks just up ahead. You know the ones they uncovered a few years back? Mercenaries once worked the harbour just a few kilometres from here."
"So you're saying we've uncovered some historical treasure?"
Tom answers for Annette by beginning to dance backwards his face alight with adventure. "Well hey, hey, hey, ladies there's only one real way to find out right?"
"Tom!" Louise follows him and smiling he turns from us beginning to walk in and shines his light around. "Tom! What about the tide?"
Tom looks at his watch. "We still have forty-five minutes. Probably an hour even." He adds when Louise looks about ready to argue again. I take Gracies hand as Annette and I begin to follow Louise and Tom, staying close. "Come one babes, just a look. Nothing bad will happen."
I look at Annette asking silently what she thought with a questioning glance. Annette shrugs then looks at the other two. "How about this; we explore for fifteen minutes. Then we come back out. Fifteen minutes in, then we get out of here; well before the tide rises."
I nod my head assertively. "That sounds sensible. What's the time now?" Even as I ask my hand goes to my iPod and switches on the light. My eyes see the time just as Tom answers.
"Two twenty."
My iPod reads at two twenty-one and I nod my head. "Well then, let's not waist time." I smile and Gracie lets go of my hand going to climb on a rock.
"Tom, Tom!" Gracie holds out her hands expectantly and Tom goes over to her chuckling as he lets her climb on his back and up on his shoulders.
"Okay, let's go."
"Alright." Louise says with some hesitance. "But we take the most direct route."
"Aye, Aye captain." Tom salutes and then passes Louise his phone. "Wanna lead the way?"
Louise takes the phone and we all begin to weave our way into the cave. It doesn't take long for the phone light to be the only light left. I turn my iPod on and crank up the brightness. Annette does the same with her own iPod as we all look around the splendour of the cave. I check the time and see that we are five minutes in before looking about the cave. The path ahead becomes trickier and Tom instructs Gracie to go on his back instead. She clings to him. Her legs around his waist and arms wrapped around his thick neck. With his arms free and the little one not tottering above his head Tom finds it easier to climb. We all follow and ahead I see that the cave expands. There is a gaping gorge of ahead and I walk up to it looking around. The slope is gradual and down below I can see rocks and shapes in the darkness I can't quiet describe. I think for a moment.
"We should go back." Louise says. "There isn't anything here."
I bite my lip and see Tom kneel as her looks down trying to shine his light. I can see he is disappointed. He wants to go. And so do I all of a sudden. I don't know what it was but something put my senses on high alert about this place. Like something was calling me. I cling to the staff and narrow my eyes as I look around. As if searching for something. But it was too dark. "How about I have a look on my own?"
"No way!"
"Well then I can go with her." Tom quickly jumps in to Louis's disapproval. "You, Gracie and Annette can wait up here."
"How long do we have left?"
I check my iPod. "About five minutes."
Louise sits down on the ground and huffs. "Fine, but just come back soon 'kay?"
I nod my head and Tom and I begin our decent. It doesn't take long for us to reach the bottom and I give Tom my iPod to give him some light. We then both begin to explore a little looking about curiously. I place my hand on a large powerful rock. I look over to where Tom is and see that all is fine. I need to keep an eye on his light so he doesn't wander off. I look back to the rock and walk parallel to it as I gaze about the expansive cavern. The rock has a smooth texture to it with rough ridges evenly spaced across it. I hear a shout from behind me and I spin on my heel my eyes searching for the light for Tom. There's another shout and I realise that Tom has begun laughing. "Tanith, Tanith come look!"
I walk over to see a collection of chests. They looked like movie props, but the gold, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and countless other priceless rocks looked as real as you could get. My mouth was slack jawed and I struggled to make a sound as I watched them glitter and glow warmly in the little light that shone form my iPod.
"Louise! Annette! You gotta come see this!" Tom yells cupping his hands over his mouth to amplify his words.
"It's been more than five minutes!" Annettes voice calls back to us from somewhere above and across the way. I see the light from above and listen as Annette calls out again. "Get your butts back up here!"
"Come down here!"
"NO! Whatever it is that you've found down there, either drag it up here, or leave it behind!"
Tom frowns and shakes his head but doesn't reply. He passes the iPod back to me and from up on the praecipe there's a silence for a moment or two before Annette calls down again. "You have till I count to three to say you're coming up or I'll go down there!" She waits a moment. "One!"
"Alright!" I yell back at her as Tom hauls a chest up in his arms. "What are you doing?"
"Bringing it with us, may as well show the girls."
"You won't be able to carry that."
"Watch me." He smiles proudly as he begins to jog forward. I follow reluctantly looking around. My heart is buzzed with adrenalin and I look back at Tom just in time to see him lose footing and take a fall. "Ahh!"
"TOM!" I rush forward on the slippery rocks and see that he has fallen through a slight crevice.
"What was that?!" Annette calls out.
"Tom fell!" I call back as I put the staff to the side. I hear a small curse but ignore upstairs for a moment as I position myself over the crevice a leg on either side. "Tom, are you alright?"
"Ugh, shit no, My leg is killing me. Agh, and my head and my back." He strains and frees an arm reaching for my outstretched hand. I clasp his large clammy hand with my own and heave. Tom pushes with his good leg getting himself unstuck enough to haul himself out.
"Tom!" The sound of Louise is really close and the calling of Toms name comes from both Gracie and Annette as well. I shine my light in the direction of theirs and they come over. They find us and Annette jumps the small crevice as she carries Gracie. She puts the seven year old down, then with a face painted with a murderous expression she punches Tom's good arm.
"You idiot! We told you to come up!"
"Tom, are you alright?"
"Yeah, but I won't be able to carry the chest up that slope." He winces. Then his eyes widen, "oh! The chest?!"
I look back to the crevice and wedge my way down to retrieve it. "So, I guess you guys found more treasure?"
"Oh yeah!" I answer. "And mr. muscle over there wanted to grab some souvenirs."
Annette grunts and as I lever the chest over my head she takes it from my straining arms just as Louise jumps over the crevice. She shines Tom's phone on her boyfriend and begins to look over the small gashes. The one on his left leg is worst and as I get out of my hole I really can see how bad it is. I shiver as I remove my jumper then my shirt and move forward wearing my singlet. "Here, we'll use this to stop the bleeding at least, and then we can take better care of it back at the house."
Tom nods his head and I begin wrapping my shirt over his gash on his leg tying it off tightly. It makes him wince but there's not much I can do to help that. Besides, a little tough love never hurt. I get up and tie my jumper around my waist before leaning down to retrieve the staff. There is a sudden sound that captures my attention and as Annette picks up Gracie and Louise pays attention to mr. muscle I jump across the crevice listening. "Shh, shh," I signal to the others to be quiet and the quiet lasts just a couple seconds before Tom interrupts with; "What is it?"
This time it is Annette that shushes him and she jumps over the crevice to join me. Gracie laughs as they jump, her arms wrapped around Annette's neck securely. She cocks her head to the side and as Gracie's giggle subsides we all here the distinct sound of rushing water, of crashing waves.
Of the tide arriving…a lot earlier then what any of us expected.
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