Read Online The Battle for Duncragglin by Andrew H. Vanderwal - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Andrew H. Vanderwal
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herself down and wrapped her arms about her knees. “Oh, what was I thinking, coming here with you two!”
Alex shuffled his feet uneasily. “But, Annie,” he began. “No one said it would be easy. We can't just fall apart at the slightest bit of trouble.”
Annie jerked her head up. “What? Here we are, trapped deep underground, with no way out except at the next low tide – and you think we're in just the
slightest
bit of trouble?”
“But, everything is going according to plan.” Alex spread his arms. “We
actually
found a way underground. We've got to explore now, not leave. If we find any sign that your mother or my parents have been here, we can go back and get a search party.”
“I did not
plan
to get
trapped.”
Tears trickled down Annie's face. “Everyone's going to blame me for this because I'm the oldest. I'm always the person who should have known better.”
“Well, maybe there's another way out,” Alex said, hoping to calm her down. He shone his light toward the far end of the chamber. “Come; let's have a look over this way. Maybe it leads to the outer edge of the cliffs.”
Annie was hesitant, but at least it was something to do. She pulled out her compass and confirmed that the direction Alex indicated was east. Unrolling twine behind them, they climbed over the rubble. Around a corner, they found an entrance to a small cave. They became more and more convinced that the caves were not natural formations.
Each cave led to another until they came to a dead end. They searched the walls for an exit out to the cliffs.
Annie gasped. “Oh, my God … blood!”
Her wavering torch was lighting a rectangular rock recessed in an alcove. “HEL” was scrawled across it in burgundy-brown letters.
Alex bent to examine the letters closely. “Oh, it's nothing,” he said, struggling to keep calm. “Someone was just going to write ‘HELL,’ but didn't finish – sort of like graffiti.”
“Graffiti, down here?” Annie shook her head. “No, I think it says ‘HELP.’” She traced her fingers over faint scratches on the rock. “It looks like someone tried very hard to get out past this rock, but didn't succeed.”
Horrified, Alex spotted a fingernail – a
complete
fingernail, ripped in its entirety from a finger. Someone would have wanted to get out very badly to be clawing at the rock withbare hands.
But what is there to be so afraid of? And where is that person now?
A shiver ran down Alex's spine. It felt as if the temperature had dropped. He stepped on the fingernail, not wanting the others to see it.
Craig tugged Annie's sleeve. “Let's go back,” he said quietly.
They retraced their steps, carefully winding the twine back onto its spool. Alex was very tired. All he wanted to do was lie down and curl up with a nice soft pillow. A protective alcove suddenly looked terribly inviting. He stopped.
“Do you know what, Annie? I think we should clear a bit of the floor in there and get some sleep. We'll feel a lot better if we do.”
“Good idea.” Annie dropped her pack. “When we wake up, the tide will be on its way out. Also, we won't need our lights when we're sleeping, and we
do
need to save the batteries.”
The prospect of having no light was not a nice thought. They extinguished all but one torch as they prepared their beds. Alex lay on his extra jersey and did his best to fluff up the end of his rucksack for a pillow. It was better than nothing – but not by much. He pulled his thin silver emergency blanket up to his chin, thankful that the cave wasn't cold.
Craig squirmed to settle in.
“Ready?” Annie asked.
“Uh-huh,” Alex murmured.
Craig pretended to snore.
Annie clicked off the torch and they were plunged into utter darkness. Alex wiggled his fingers before his eyes, but could see nothing.
The silence was broken by Craig. “I tooted,” he said, giggling.
“Craig!” Annie exclaimed.
“Cannae help it.” They heard a rustle and felt a draft.
Annie
Alex shuffled his feet uneasily. “But, Annie,” he began. “No one said it would be easy. We can't just fall apart at the slightest bit of trouble.”
Annie jerked her head up. “What? Here we are, trapped deep underground, with no way out except at the next low tide – and you think we're in just the
slightest
bit of trouble?”
“But, everything is going according to plan.” Alex spread his arms. “We
actually
found a way underground. We've got to explore now, not leave. If we find any sign that your mother or my parents have been here, we can go back and get a search party.”
“I did not
plan
to get
trapped.”
Tears trickled down Annie's face. “Everyone's going to blame me for this because I'm the oldest. I'm always the person who should have known better.”
“Well, maybe there's another way out,” Alex said, hoping to calm her down. He shone his light toward the far end of the chamber. “Come; let's have a look over this way. Maybe it leads to the outer edge of the cliffs.”
Annie was hesitant, but at least it was something to do. She pulled out her compass and confirmed that the direction Alex indicated was east. Unrolling twine behind them, they climbed over the rubble. Around a corner, they found an entrance to a small cave. They became more and more convinced that the caves were not natural formations.
Each cave led to another until they came to a dead end. They searched the walls for an exit out to the cliffs.
Annie gasped. “Oh, my God … blood!”
Her wavering torch was lighting a rectangular rock recessed in an alcove. “HEL” was scrawled across it in burgundy-brown letters.
Alex bent to examine the letters closely. “Oh, it's nothing,” he said, struggling to keep calm. “Someone was just going to write ‘HELL,’ but didn't finish – sort of like graffiti.”
“Graffiti, down here?” Annie shook her head. “No, I think it says ‘HELP.’” She traced her fingers over faint scratches on the rock. “It looks like someone tried very hard to get out past this rock, but didn't succeed.”
Horrified, Alex spotted a fingernail – a
complete
fingernail, ripped in its entirety from a finger. Someone would have wanted to get out very badly to be clawing at the rock withbare hands.
But what is there to be so afraid of? And where is that person now?
A shiver ran down Alex's spine. It felt as if the temperature had dropped. He stepped on the fingernail, not wanting the others to see it.
Craig tugged Annie's sleeve. “Let's go back,” he said quietly.
They retraced their steps, carefully winding the twine back onto its spool. Alex was very tired. All he wanted to do was lie down and curl up with a nice soft pillow. A protective alcove suddenly looked terribly inviting. He stopped.
“Do you know what, Annie? I think we should clear a bit of the floor in there and get some sleep. We'll feel a lot better if we do.”
“Good idea.” Annie dropped her pack. “When we wake up, the tide will be on its way out. Also, we won't need our lights when we're sleeping, and we
do
need to save the batteries.”
The prospect of having no light was not a nice thought. They extinguished all but one torch as they prepared their beds. Alex lay on his extra jersey and did his best to fluff up the end of his rucksack for a pillow. It was better than nothing – but not by much. He pulled his thin silver emergency blanket up to his chin, thankful that the cave wasn't cold.
Craig squirmed to settle in.
“Ready?” Annie asked.
“Uh-huh,” Alex murmured.
Craig pretended to snore.
Annie clicked off the torch and they were plunged into utter darkness. Alex wiggled his fingers before his eyes, but could see nothing.
The silence was broken by Craig. “I tooted,” he said, giggling.
“Craig!” Annie exclaimed.
“Cannae help it.” They heard a rustle and felt a draft.
Annie
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