couple of the longest candles as well. Travis stuffed things into his pockets as Joy filled the lamps of the rest of their group.
“We can do one more filling and then we have to turn back,” she said. “We never use more than half of our budgeted water. The rest we save for an emergency.”
“It’s okay,” Miguel said. “According to the map, we’re almost there.” He began to climb one of the rocks and headed towards an arched hole in the side wall.
-o-o-o-o-o-
“Where did he get that map?” Joy asked.
Travis turned back. “I’m not sure. I think he said it was from his uncle or his grandfather.”
“I thought his whole family came here from Venezuela when he was a kid,” Kristin said.
“I don’t know. Maybe his uncle came earlier,” Travis said.
Miguel and Justin were way off to the side. They were on a high ledge, a dozen yards to the right, working their way down the wall.
“Hey! Miguel!” Travis called. The way his voice echoed made him cringe. He resolved to keep his voice down.
Miguel didn’t answer, he just waved dismissively and went back to his whispers with Justin. They were solving a problem and didn’t want to be bothered.
“I think the way is over here,” Carlos said. He had followed the rock around the next bend and come back with his arms folded. “I’ll show you.”
“I think we should all stay within sight of each other,” Joy said. “The last thing we want to do is split up. It might not seem like a complicated cave, but you would be surprised at how different everything will look when we turn around and head back.”
“This is the only way out,” Carlos said. “I don’t know what those guys think they are doing.”
They all spun when Miguel whistled. The sharp noise ripped through the cave like an alarm. When he realized the source, Travis straightened back up.
“What?” Travis yelled.
“Come up here. We need help.”
Carlos and Travis held out hands for Joy, but she pushed herself up to the ledge and moved right by them.
“My father always used to say, ‘Take nothing but memories. Leave nothing but footprints.’ I’m certain that rule includes physically moving one of the rocks,” Joy said.
“Listen,” Miguel said. “It’s not like we’d be the first. You can see these scrapes over here. This rock was moved to this spot on purpose. It’s on the map.”
“Where did you get the map?” Joy asked.
“My abuelito ,” Miguel said.
“So your grandfather moved this rock?” Travis asked.
“No. He never came in here. He bargained it from a Duende .” Miguel saw that they were confused. “You know, a Duende . What do you guys call it?”
“Call what?” Joy asked. She looked to Travis.
“Don’t ask me. That’s some Venezuelan shit,” Travis said, shaking his head.
Miguel gestured. “You know—it’s one of those little guys. It’s like an elf at Christmas, but it’s not. They don’t work for Santa.”
Carlos shook his head. “You’ve never been more foreign than you are right now.”
Miguel laughed. “I don’t know what to tell you. My abuelito —my grandfather—used to bargain sometimes with this little dwarf guy. The old people all thought he was mystical or something. He was probably just a dwarf. Anyway, that’s where he got the map and the ore. It was probably a bunch of dwarfs in here who moved the rock. If they can do it, then so can we.”
They all looked to Joy.
“There is precedent for moving rocks if it’s to access a new area. I suppose that since we’re not breaking anything, it might be okay.”
Justin waved them over to the side of the rock. The thing was about waist-high on Travis. He crouched down to push on a lower part of the rock so others could push higher up.
“Let’s get it rocking,” Justin said. “No pun intended.”
They grunted as they pushed. When the rock started to move, they fell into a rhythm. Travis could see that the rock hadn’t just been shoved into position, the
“We can do one more filling and then we have to turn back,” she said. “We never use more than half of our budgeted water. The rest we save for an emergency.”
“It’s okay,” Miguel said. “According to the map, we’re almost there.” He began to climb one of the rocks and headed towards an arched hole in the side wall.
-o-o-o-o-o-
“Where did he get that map?” Joy asked.
Travis turned back. “I’m not sure. I think he said it was from his uncle or his grandfather.”
“I thought his whole family came here from Venezuela when he was a kid,” Kristin said.
“I don’t know. Maybe his uncle came earlier,” Travis said.
Miguel and Justin were way off to the side. They were on a high ledge, a dozen yards to the right, working their way down the wall.
“Hey! Miguel!” Travis called. The way his voice echoed made him cringe. He resolved to keep his voice down.
Miguel didn’t answer, he just waved dismissively and went back to his whispers with Justin. They were solving a problem and didn’t want to be bothered.
“I think the way is over here,” Carlos said. He had followed the rock around the next bend and come back with his arms folded. “I’ll show you.”
“I think we should all stay within sight of each other,” Joy said. “The last thing we want to do is split up. It might not seem like a complicated cave, but you would be surprised at how different everything will look when we turn around and head back.”
“This is the only way out,” Carlos said. “I don’t know what those guys think they are doing.”
They all spun when Miguel whistled. The sharp noise ripped through the cave like an alarm. When he realized the source, Travis straightened back up.
“What?” Travis yelled.
“Come up here. We need help.”
Carlos and Travis held out hands for Joy, but she pushed herself up to the ledge and moved right by them.
“My father always used to say, ‘Take nothing but memories. Leave nothing but footprints.’ I’m certain that rule includes physically moving one of the rocks,” Joy said.
“Listen,” Miguel said. “It’s not like we’d be the first. You can see these scrapes over here. This rock was moved to this spot on purpose. It’s on the map.”
“Where did you get the map?” Joy asked.
“My abuelito ,” Miguel said.
“So your grandfather moved this rock?” Travis asked.
“No. He never came in here. He bargained it from a Duende .” Miguel saw that they were confused. “You know, a Duende . What do you guys call it?”
“Call what?” Joy asked. She looked to Travis.
“Don’t ask me. That’s some Venezuelan shit,” Travis said, shaking his head.
Miguel gestured. “You know—it’s one of those little guys. It’s like an elf at Christmas, but it’s not. They don’t work for Santa.”
Carlos shook his head. “You’ve never been more foreign than you are right now.”
Miguel laughed. “I don’t know what to tell you. My abuelito —my grandfather—used to bargain sometimes with this little dwarf guy. The old people all thought he was mystical or something. He was probably just a dwarf. Anyway, that’s where he got the map and the ore. It was probably a bunch of dwarfs in here who moved the rock. If they can do it, then so can we.”
They all looked to Joy.
“There is precedent for moving rocks if it’s to access a new area. I suppose that since we’re not breaking anything, it might be okay.”
Justin waved them over to the side of the rock. The thing was about waist-high on Travis. He crouched down to push on a lower part of the rock so others could push higher up.
“Let’s get it rocking,” Justin said. “No pun intended.”
They grunted as they pushed. When the rock started to move, they fell into a rhythm. Travis could see that the rock hadn’t just been shoved into position, the
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