A game, A mystery, Somewhere underground
Hildan dropped the pebble into the black crevice and the three Fenntash children held their breaths as they listened as the rock bounced down along the cavern’s wall. It seemed to fall forever until it either reached the bottom or it had fallen so far it could not be heard by their little ears.
Hildan was the eldest, with a full ten years of life, and already acted like he was the Chief of the village. But he would not claim that title until his father who was their Chief died. Falla thought these things to herself as she watched Kandin hand his older brother another pebble and they repeated their little game all over again. Kandin was only five and Falla fell at eight between the two. They weren’t her brothers but her father and their father always spoke that one day she would be their family although she wasn’t entirely sure what they meant.
“What do you think is down there?” Kandin asked as he shooed away a bug that was harassing his eyes. There were many bugs around them here in this dense jungle.
“Probably an enemy,” Hildan stated, his eyes narrowing as his knuckles whitened, his grip tightening on his dagger’s hilt.
“I think beautiful flowers.” Falla was the dreamer of the three, she knew this about herself. Her father said her head was in the clouds too much. Kandin was still a baby so they didn’t know who he was yet. He just followed them around all day. Hildan was the natural leader.
Falla looked over at Hildan, his eyes gleaming with an idea. “Wait here.” He took off running back towards the village.
Kandin continued dropping rocks as Falla sat and took in the woods around them. Their land was thick with trees, a dark green canopy hovered high above them, keeping them in moderate light. It was rich with all kinds of edible plants and interesting creatures, some for food and some for play. She had never ventured anywhere other than their jungle. She had never heard of anything other than it.
She studied Kandin’s markings, signifying that he belonged to the Chief’s lineage. There were bands of spheres and thick lines around his forearms. Falla had the same markings. This set them apart as Fenntash, though she had never seen another group of people other than her village. It was the markings on his forehead and on Haldin’s that set them apart from the rest of the village. Three diamond-shaped black marks (the large one in the middle and two smaller ones on either side) were centered on their foreheads which mimicked the three stars hovering in the night sky above the jungle. But they were only visible at night and only if you climbed to the tops of the trees, something that the village did once a year when they celebrated the three stars for giving them their line of Chiefs.
Falla looked back over at the little boy. He was pulling a much larger rock to the opening. “Kandin, no! You’ll anger the beats within!”
“There aren’t beasts down there. You said there were flowers.” He pushed the rock inside, amused with the louder banging it caused.
“Well, then you’ll squish them.” Falla crossed her arms. She did not like how eager he was to peer in. If she were honest, the hole scared her more than she would ever admit to the boys.
Haldin finally returned carrying a long rope. She didn’t feel good about this. He immediately wrapped the rope around his little brother’s waist. Fear began to choke Falla as she watched Kandin’s eyes light up like the stars his forehead markings mimicked. He was all too eager to please Haldin. He was probably more excited to please his older brother than he was to venture into the darkness.
“Haldin, I don’t think this is a good idea.” Falla finally objected verbally but Haldin waved her off.
“I tied the rope tight. He’ll be fine. I won’t let go, I promise. Don’t you want to go inside, Kandin?”
“Yeah!” Kandin nearly ran to the opening as he climbed inside.
“If you want to know what’s down there so badly then why don’t you go yourself?” Falla asked, completely unsupportive of sending the baby down the hole.
“You know I’d never fit.”
Minutes passed as the rope got shorter and shorter. Kandin had gone far for the rope had been one of the longest Falla had ever seen, yet the end was almost to the mouth of the crevice. “Anything yet?” Haldin called down to his brother.
“Are you okay?” Falla jumped up, yelling into the crevice. She didn’t care if he found anything. How could he if he couldn’t see? She was more worried about his safety. Her heart was pounding terribly hard in her chest.
“Yes!” Kandin’s little voice sounded so far away.
“Yes you see something or yes you are okay?” Haldin asked, his brow furrowing into a question. They held their breath as they listened.
“I see something!’ Kandin called back up.
“How can he see anything? It’s pitch black?” Falla asked but her heart was screaming inside of her to pull the baby up.
Haldin’s eyes were widening in wonder. “What do you see?”
“A light! It’s…”
That was the last they heard before they heard the sound that Falla swore was a roar. The rope tugged violently against Haldin’s hands. He yelped in pain as the rope burned his palms but he did not let go as he braced himself against the ground and held tightly. Falla jumped in and grabbed the rope, the two pulling as hard as they could.
Haldin was yelling and Falla screamed as the rope went deeper. Falla lost her grip and tumbled backward. Haldin remained strong but fell forward, his head and shoulders went inside the crevice. Falla screamed as she grabbed his waist and held on as tight as she could. Suddenly large arms reached around her and began pulling them back, Haldin’s head reemerged from the hole.
And then they were all falling backward, no longer anything pulling them in. Haldin scrambled and began pulling frantically at the rope. He whimpered as the frayed end of the rope came bouncing out of the cavern. It looked as if it had been cut with a jagged edge.
Haldin ran to the opening and screamed into it. “Kandin!”
But no little voice called back.
The figure that had saved them brushed past Falla who gasped when she recognized the Chief. He pulled Haldin away, his hands on his son’s shoulders. “What have you done?” His voice was strict and loud but Falla could hear the fear lacing his every word. He pulled Haldin away, his grip tight on Haldin’s wrist. Haldin’s eyes were filled with tears as his father pulled him away. The Chief stopped and took Falla’s wrist. It was tight but she could tell it was gentler than his grip on Haldin.
She looked back, hoping to see Kandin’s little round face appear from the opening but she never saw him again.
Authors Note: If you'ld like more, let me know. I have more of this story written. Find out what happens next!!!
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