sound?”
“Come on, pup. Don’t be afraid.”
Travis leaned forward and whispered to Justin. “Is there a dog down here?”
Justin didn’t take his eyes off Miguel, but he whispered back. “I thought I saw one. It was probably just a shadow. Miguel might have seen it too.”
Miguel stopped, turned his head to listen for a second, and then stood up. “Nothing.” He turned back to join the group.
They formed a rough circle, facing each other. Their headlamps joined to create a safe-haven of light between them.
“Shouldn’t we be to your special place by now?” Joy asked. “Are you sure you’re reading that map right?”
“He’s reading it right,” Justin answered, “but I’m not sure we didn’t miss something. The side-tunnel may be hard to spot.”
“What side is it supposed to be on?” Joy asked.
“Izquierda,” Miguel said.
“Left,” Travis said.
“Thanks,” Joy said.
“Is that it?” Kristin asked. She was pointing towards the darkness.
Justin followed the line of her finger and then began to walk into the darkness. Compared to the combined light of all their lamps, it looked like Justin was walking into a black abyss.
“I think she’s right,” Justin called.
Miguel began to follow.
“Wait!” Joy said. Miguel stopped and Justin turned back.
“What?”
“Where’s your bag, Miguel? You were carrying ropes and tools. Where did you put your bag?”
He reached around to his own back, spinning as he felt for the missing pack.
Travis laughed a little at the sight. Miguel reminded him of a dog trying to chase its tail.
“Shut up,” Miguel said. “Where is it? I had it a minute ago.”
“You definitely had it when we all stood up. I counted. The only one missing was Travis’s.”
“Come on,” Carlos said. “This is impossible. How do two bags disappear? What did you do with it?”
“Nothing!” Miguel said. “I swear. I’ve been walking ahead of you guys the whole time. Did you see me put it anywhere? Besides, I put my candy in that bag. The last thing I would do is lose it on purpose.”
“Don’t encourage him,” Justin said. “He gets off on playing tricks. Let’s keep going. When he doesn’t get a response from us, he’ll give up the game.”
“It’s not a game,” Miguel said. He made a point of searching around the tunnel for his bag, but it would have been completely obvious if it had been anywhere near. The tunnel lacked any real hiding places.
Travis glanced back down the tunnel. If one of the lost bags hadn’t been his own, he would have probably assumed it was one of Miguel’s weird jokes. If Ryan was behind all this, he was operating at a completely new level. Ryan was generally too clumsy to be very devious.
Joy had moved forward to join Justin.
“I’ve never seen this before,” she said. “Incredible.”
Based on Joy’s surprise, Kristin and Carlos moved forward as well. Justin put his hand on Miguel’s back. “Come on. We’ll find your bag later.” He led Miguel forward.
It was a cool optical illusion to watch Carlos disappear. One second, he was moving towards a crack in the wall. The next second, he had vanished. Shifting to the side, Travis understood. Part of the mine wall jutted out as the other part fell away. Seen from most angles, the walls overlapped and appeared to be continuous. But once his light hit it correctly, Travis saw the gap. Turning his body to the side, Travis was easily able to slip into the fissure.
-o-o-o-o-o-
The nature of the rock changed immediately. Instead of gray, chalky walls, the rock here was damp and red. The passage narrowed quickly. As Travis moved through it, he could feel the dampness of the rock. He put his hand down as he slipped around a bend and his fingers came away with red clay. The crack curved. Travis saw Miguel hunch over to match his body to the shape of the fissure. Travis did the same.
He glanced back towards the mine. The way their passageway narrowed,
“Come on, pup. Don’t be afraid.”
Travis leaned forward and whispered to Justin. “Is there a dog down here?”
Justin didn’t take his eyes off Miguel, but he whispered back. “I thought I saw one. It was probably just a shadow. Miguel might have seen it too.”
Miguel stopped, turned his head to listen for a second, and then stood up. “Nothing.” He turned back to join the group.
They formed a rough circle, facing each other. Their headlamps joined to create a safe-haven of light between them.
“Shouldn’t we be to your special place by now?” Joy asked. “Are you sure you’re reading that map right?”
“He’s reading it right,” Justin answered, “but I’m not sure we didn’t miss something. The side-tunnel may be hard to spot.”
“What side is it supposed to be on?” Joy asked.
“Izquierda,” Miguel said.
“Left,” Travis said.
“Thanks,” Joy said.
“Is that it?” Kristin asked. She was pointing towards the darkness.
Justin followed the line of her finger and then began to walk into the darkness. Compared to the combined light of all their lamps, it looked like Justin was walking into a black abyss.
“I think she’s right,” Justin called.
Miguel began to follow.
“Wait!” Joy said. Miguel stopped and Justin turned back.
“What?”
“Where’s your bag, Miguel? You were carrying ropes and tools. Where did you put your bag?”
He reached around to his own back, spinning as he felt for the missing pack.
Travis laughed a little at the sight. Miguel reminded him of a dog trying to chase its tail.
“Shut up,” Miguel said. “Where is it? I had it a minute ago.”
“You definitely had it when we all stood up. I counted. The only one missing was Travis’s.”
“Come on,” Carlos said. “This is impossible. How do two bags disappear? What did you do with it?”
“Nothing!” Miguel said. “I swear. I’ve been walking ahead of you guys the whole time. Did you see me put it anywhere? Besides, I put my candy in that bag. The last thing I would do is lose it on purpose.”
“Don’t encourage him,” Justin said. “He gets off on playing tricks. Let’s keep going. When he doesn’t get a response from us, he’ll give up the game.”
“It’s not a game,” Miguel said. He made a point of searching around the tunnel for his bag, but it would have been completely obvious if it had been anywhere near. The tunnel lacked any real hiding places.
Travis glanced back down the tunnel. If one of the lost bags hadn’t been his own, he would have probably assumed it was one of Miguel’s weird jokes. If Ryan was behind all this, he was operating at a completely new level. Ryan was generally too clumsy to be very devious.
Joy had moved forward to join Justin.
“I’ve never seen this before,” she said. “Incredible.”
Based on Joy’s surprise, Kristin and Carlos moved forward as well. Justin put his hand on Miguel’s back. “Come on. We’ll find your bag later.” He led Miguel forward.
It was a cool optical illusion to watch Carlos disappear. One second, he was moving towards a crack in the wall. The next second, he had vanished. Shifting to the side, Travis understood. Part of the mine wall jutted out as the other part fell away. Seen from most angles, the walls overlapped and appeared to be continuous. But once his light hit it correctly, Travis saw the gap. Turning his body to the side, Travis was easily able to slip into the fissure.
-o-o-o-o-o-
The nature of the rock changed immediately. Instead of gray, chalky walls, the rock here was damp and red. The passage narrowed quickly. As Travis moved through it, he could feel the dampness of the rock. He put his hand down as he slipped around a bend and his fingers came away with red clay. The crack curved. Travis saw Miguel hunch over to match his body to the shape of the fissure. Travis did the same.
He glanced back towards the mine. The way their passageway narrowed,
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