Read Online Little Yokozuna by Wayne Shorey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Wayne Shorey
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it'll be ice cold, I bet."
Libby got down on her hands and knees and scooped up some of the water to drink. She sat up making a pained expression.
"Ow!" she said. "Feels like my teeth are frozen."
Q.J. was paying no attention. She was playing the beam along all the walls, looking for any kind of opening at all. By shining the light directly back toward the next crook in the cave, she could just see past it the dim shapes of the stone garden, its lantern and "trees."
"Almost home," she said. "It's not really much of a tunnel."
She was surprised at herself for
not
feeling more panicky about their situation. Neither of them were hungry, there was a source of water, and it was impossible for there not to be an exit from this unimaginable cave. Then suddenly her light dimmed for a second, and fear clutched at her before the little bulb brightened again. She realized then that it was nothing but the light that was giving her hope. She took a deep quivering breath and tried to speak in a steady voice to Libby.
"Let's get back to the garden," she said. "These batteries won't last forever."
They took hands again and started to walk on.
But hardly had they done so when Libby stopped without warning, pulling at Q.J.'s hand.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
"Hear what?" asked Q.J.
"A noise" said Libby. "I don't know
what
, you silly." They listened.
"Nothing," said Q.J. "It was just the echo of our footsteps."
"Maybe," said Libby.
They started to walk again, but then, just as unexpectedly, Libby pulled to a stop again. Q.J. lurched off balance against the cave wall.
"Lib!" she said. "What are you
doing?
"
"I heard it again," said the little girl. "It's a sound. It's not water, and it's not
us
."
Q.J. stood still and listened, but not for very long. That momentary dimming of their only light had frightened her, and made her impatient. She yanked on Libby's hand.
"Come
on
," she said. "We're wasting batteries. Don't you get the idea?"
But before they could take two more steps they both heard it, a sound that was impossible to identify. There was something nonrandom, purposeful about it, making it more than just a fall of pebbles or a natural shift in the earth. There was something else, something alive, there in the tunnel with them.
Q.J. looked wide-eyed at Libby. "I'm sorry," she breathed.
Trying not to panic, she swung the beam of light all around them, then back again in a quick sweep, to catch anything that might be trying to sneak up on them. Nothing was there. She swung it around again. Still nothing, not even any jumping shadows in the wild beam of the tiny lamp. The cave was empty.
"What is it?" whispered Libby, gripping Q.J.'s hand with both of hers. "What is it?"
Then Q.J. felt it, a ghostly sprinkle of something across the top of her head and shoulders.
"Hey!" she said in a hoarse whisper.
More particles of something fell on her, then a small hard thing like a pebble hit her shoulder.
"Ow!" she said, aloud. "It's caving in! Run!"
Grabbing Libby's hand, she fled toward the garden,
expecting to hear a roar of collapsing earth behind her. Flinging herself to the ground between the lantern and the crane stone, with Libby shielded below her, she covered her head with her hands. She held her breath. Nothing happened. After several long breathless moments she opened her eyes and turned the beam back down the tunnel. There was nothing new to see.
Perplexed, she turned the beam toward the ceiling for the first time since they had come into the cave. Seeing nothing noteworthy near her, she shone it upward and outward along the tunnel, drew in a sharp breath and stared..
"What is it?" asked Libby, pulling her sister's arm more tightly around her.
Q.J. flicked the beam as far along the ceiling as it would go. There was
something
there, a third of the way back down the passage, an ominous black shape clinging to the ceiling. Even as she stared hard at it, it seemed to move. Her breath caught halfway down her
Libby got down on her hands and knees and scooped up some of the water to drink. She sat up making a pained expression.
"Ow!" she said. "Feels like my teeth are frozen."
Q.J. was paying no attention. She was playing the beam along all the walls, looking for any kind of opening at all. By shining the light directly back toward the next crook in the cave, she could just see past it the dim shapes of the stone garden, its lantern and "trees."
"Almost home," she said. "It's not really much of a tunnel."
She was surprised at herself for
not
feeling more panicky about their situation. Neither of them were hungry, there was a source of water, and it was impossible for there not to be an exit from this unimaginable cave. Then suddenly her light dimmed for a second, and fear clutched at her before the little bulb brightened again. She realized then that it was nothing but the light that was giving her hope. She took a deep quivering breath and tried to speak in a steady voice to Libby.
"Let's get back to the garden," she said. "These batteries won't last forever."
They took hands again and started to walk on.
But hardly had they done so when Libby stopped without warning, pulling at Q.J.'s hand.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
"Hear what?" asked Q.J.
"A noise" said Libby. "I don't know
what
, you silly." They listened.
"Nothing," said Q.J. "It was just the echo of our footsteps."
"Maybe," said Libby.
They started to walk again, but then, just as unexpectedly, Libby pulled to a stop again. Q.J. lurched off balance against the cave wall.
"Lib!" she said. "What are you
doing?
"
"I heard it again," said the little girl. "It's a sound. It's not water, and it's not
us
."
Q.J. stood still and listened, but not for very long. That momentary dimming of their only light had frightened her, and made her impatient. She yanked on Libby's hand.
"Come
on
," she said. "We're wasting batteries. Don't you get the idea?"
But before they could take two more steps they both heard it, a sound that was impossible to identify. There was something nonrandom, purposeful about it, making it more than just a fall of pebbles or a natural shift in the earth. There was something else, something alive, there in the tunnel with them.
Q.J. looked wide-eyed at Libby. "I'm sorry," she breathed.
Trying not to panic, she swung the beam of light all around them, then back again in a quick sweep, to catch anything that might be trying to sneak up on them. Nothing was there. She swung it around again. Still nothing, not even any jumping shadows in the wild beam of the tiny lamp. The cave was empty.
"What is it?" whispered Libby, gripping Q.J.'s hand with both of hers. "What is it?"
Then Q.J. felt it, a ghostly sprinkle of something across the top of her head and shoulders.
"Hey!" she said in a hoarse whisper.
More particles of something fell on her, then a small hard thing like a pebble hit her shoulder.
"Ow!" she said, aloud. "It's caving in! Run!"
Grabbing Libby's hand, she fled toward the garden,
expecting to hear a roar of collapsing earth behind her. Flinging herself to the ground between the lantern and the crane stone, with Libby shielded below her, she covered her head with her hands. She held her breath. Nothing happened. After several long breathless moments she opened her eyes and turned the beam back down the tunnel. There was nothing new to see.
Perplexed, she turned the beam toward the ceiling for the first time since they had come into the cave. Seeing nothing noteworthy near her, she shone it upward and outward along the tunnel, drew in a sharp breath and stared..
"What is it?" asked Libby, pulling her sister's arm more tightly around her.
Q.J. flicked the beam as far along the ceiling as it would go. There was
something
there, a third of the way back down the passage, an ominous black shape clinging to the ceiling. Even as she stared hard at it, it seemed to move. Her breath caught halfway down her
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