The lighter side of dark.., p.2
The Lighter Side of Darkness, page 2
Just as Janu released the lever to move the statue forward again, the searchlight reached him. He thrust his back against the sculpture until the light passed and then quickly went underground. By the time Janu caught up with the others, his leg was bleeding badly, and the pain was excruciating. They reached a fork in the road and were undecided in which direction to go. Then, Janu remembered Malakh’s warning.
“Guys,” he said, “remember what Malakh told us. We must do the opposite of what seems right.”
“Well, right seems right to me,” Ariana said, “but left seems right to Izaiah. So, now, what do we do?”
“It won’t matter if we debate much longer,” Monica quipped.
“Dad, you’re hurt!” Sierra cried.
“It’s just a tiny bite. I’ll be okay.”
While Ariana tended to Janu’s wound, they decided to go left. But the road on the left was dark and appeared less traveled and treacherous and dangerous.
The stench was unbearable, and water from the river was seeping into the tunnel from the walls and the ceiling. The river was roaring in front of them, and the hounds were yelping behind them.
“We’ve got to move faster!” Janu shouted. “They’re getting closer!”
They rounded a bend and were suddenly tripping into one another. Janu shone his flashlight on the ground and discovered that each brick had been laid slightly askew of the other.
“This was done wittingly,” Janu said. “If Keres was ever attacked, the mislaid bricks would slow down and confuse the enemy. We’ll have to use our headlamps to guide us.”
They came upon a large archway leading into an even greater darkness. Using their flashlights, they peered into a deep dark abyss with a rickety wooden bridge suspended high above it.
“I’m not walking across that,” Monica declared. “This place is bottomless.”
“This is the only way out,” Janu advised. “I’ll go first, and Sierra, Monica, and Leila will follow. Jordan, put Mrs. C between you and Izaiah. And whatever you do, don’t look down.”
“Could this be hell?” Sierra questioned.
“It certainly appears so,” Leila replied.
Janu carefully took hold of the threadbare ropes on either side of the decayed bridge to steady himself. When he stepped lightly onto the first rung, his foot immediately plunged through the dry rotted wood. The bridge swayed wildly, and everyone screamed in terror.
“Please, honey, be careful!” Ariana shouted.
Janu regained his footing and tested each slat before the terrified fugitives followed. It was a painstaking endeavor, to say the least. By the time Ariana reached the halfway point, one of the boards had been severely weakened by the weight of the others, and she fell through.
“Mom!” Izaiah shouted and grabbed her before she fell into the dark chasm.
“Hold on!” everyone screamed at Ariana as the bottom half of her was swallowed up in the darkness. While Izaiah held on to his mother with one arm and the frayed rope with the other, the voices in his head became louder.
“Dad…Jordan…” he cried. “Mom’s slipping, and I can’t hold her much longer.”
“Z,” Sierra screamed, “you can’t let her go!”
“Hold on, son!” Janu shouted.
The veins in Izaiah’s arm were bulging under the skin, and he felt as if his arm was being torn from its socket. If he didn’t get help soon, his mother would fall into the dark abyss.
Janu was too far ahead and unable to assist without causing all of them to plunge to their deaths. The girls were literally hysterical. But Jordan, slowly and carefully, turned around on the rickety bridge. Just as Izaiah’s arm gave way, Jordan grabbed Ariana by the back of her shirt and pulled her to safety.
“Are you okay?” Izaiah cried. He held Ariana and sobbed like a baby.
“Yes,” she replied breathlessly, “but I could’ve sworn someone was holding me up from beneath.”
“Is she okay?” Janu shouted.
“All’s well!” Jordan replied.
As they continued to inch across the worn-torn bridge, they all uttered words of thanks and relief. But Izaiah was extremely shaken; he had wanted to drop his mother.
Chapter 3
The Abyss
o
The long, arduous trek to the river was more perilous than anyone could have imagined. The underground was scary and crawling with gruesome creatures of every kind who were trying to impede their progress.
Sierra was wondering if the voices in her head were real or imaginary, as she was tempted several times to leap into the abyss. Everyone was experiencing their own mental and physical hell. They had never experienced anything like this. They heard strange whispers throughout the grotto while swatting at things unseen.
“This has got to be hell,” Sierra cried.
Aware that they were dealing with something beyond their understanding, Janu shouted, “Ignore what you hear and don’t see and keep moving!”
They finally made it to the other side. Suddenly, they heard a loud rumbling, followed by clacking sounds.
“Is that a train?” Sierra asked.
Janu shone his flashlight around the tunnel, but he didn’t see any tracks. He looked upwards and spotted rails spanning the length and breadth of the underground. They were running this way and that, seemingly suspended in midair. As an engineer, Janu marveled at the complexity of the construction and wondered what was holding the tracks in place.
“Amazing technology,” he whispered.
Suddenly, they heard Enforcers shouting above the din as the train raced through the underground in search of them. They were terrified and shaking, as much from the damp cold as from the Enforcers who were bent on capturing and destroying them.
“Quick,” Sierra said. “We need a place to hide. I’m thirsty, and my legs ache like a toothache.”
Janu’s own wounded leg was aching, and it had been a long and arduous day. Janu knew they needed rest. He shone his flashlight and spotted a small cave with an overhang. It was big enough to hide in until they could find their way out, which had to be soon. Malakh was waiting at the river, and time was running out.
“In here,” Janu said. “We should be safe until we can catch our breath.”
The fugitives were hardly recognizable. Their faces and clothes were covered with black soot from the bottomless pit, and they were freezing from the cold. Unable to light a fire, they huddled together, shivering on the damp floor of the cavern.
“I better look at your wound again,” Ariana said, shining her flashlight on Janu’s leg. She uncovered the wrappings and recalled when this nightmare first began more than seventeen years ago. Ariana began to cry, and Janu knew what she was thinking. He pulled her close.
“It’s not your fault,” he whispered. “It was my decision as well. But we will get through this, and we are going home.”
•••
The General was at his home. He was furious after hearing that Keleos, a great hybrid creation, had been destroyed, and the traitors were still on the loose.
He contacted Aengus. “What do you have for me?” he shouted into his mobile. “And it better be good.”
“Sir, they’re in the underground leading to the river, and we’re in pursuit on the overhead rails as we speak. But strange things keep happening. It’s as though a supernatural force or something is aiding them.”
“Nonsense!” the General snarled. “I want those dirty traitors in Skull Mountain by morning, Mr. Aengus, and failure is not an option.”
“No, sir! Faster!” he yelled to the conductor.
•••
Back at the prince’s palace, Diablo’s alter ego, Hagop, the serpent, appeared again, this time fighting for permanency.
“Would you please leave me alone?” Diablo whimpered. “I’m tired, and you must be too.”
“Oh, I’m just getting started,” Hagop hissed. “You know my name is Destroyer, and I’m here to finally destroy you. You’ve been a nuisance from the beginning. I alone will sit on the throne of Fa’i, and I alone will rule!”
“You will never rule Fa’i,” the prince screamed. “Never!”
“Why don’t you go away quietly?” Hagop pleaded with Diablo. “You know that I’m stronger than you’ll ever be, and I will win.”
“Never!” the prince shouted louder. “Never,” he whimpered.
•••
The General was quickly backing out of his driveway, barely missing his oak tree by inches. “If Diablo wants regular updates on the fugitives, the least he could do is answer his Telepad…or his mobile?” he grumbled. “Now I have to leave my comfortable home in the dead of night to deliver a report.”
Once inside the palace, the General heard a loud crash coming from the prince’s quarters. He didn’t wait for the elevator but took the stairs two at a time. There was a tremendous commotion coming from Diablo’s bedroom, and the General rushed in. He stood zombie-like, as part of Diablo resembled a serpent. It was the most horrifying and disgusting sight the General had ever witnessed. The hair on the back of his neck stood at attention as he willed his uncooperative feet to move.
“Don’t just stand there,” Diablo’s alter ego hissed. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
Stunned out of his gourd, the General wondered if this was a hybrid gone really wrong! After getting the ball out of his throat, he stammered, “You speak? And who are we?”
“Can’t you see that Diablo and I are we?” Hagop replied.
“I want to speak with Diablo. Where is he?” the General asked, stunned that he would be conversing with such a disgusting being.
“You’re looking at him,” Hagop hissed, then slowly turned to reveal Diablo. Hagop flicked his cleft tongue in and out of the side of his nasty mouth and laughed hideously.
“Don’t stare,” he hissed. “It’s because of Uriel I look like this.”
“Look, whatever you are. When I chose to follow Diablo, I had no idea this would be his fate,” the General stated emphatically.
“Why are you so surprised, General?” Hagop said. “You were there when Uriel’s curse was put upon me. But you chose to follow me anyway.”
“I had no choice,” the General replied. “My belief in your supremacy caused me to be exiled along with you. But this?” he said, waving his hand at the creature.
“Are you going to desert me now, now that we’re so close to victory?” Hagop hissed. “If I can rule Keres, I can surely reign in Fa’i. You were with me when I took this barren and desolate land and created all there is. The only thing missing is the light,” he murmured sadly.
That’s because Uriel IS the light, you idiot! the General wanted to shout. Instead, he asked, “Are you sure this is a war we can win?”
“General, don’t tell me that you believe Uriel is the source of all that power and brilliance,” Hagop snickered. “Well, no matter. Soon, everyone will witness my power and my brilliance.”
“You sound like Diablo,” the General whispered.
“That’s because I am Diablo,” Hagop hissed. “We are one. Diablo is simply the cover that I need to implement my Great Commission against Fa’i.” He paused and then whispered, “And now, wimpy Diablo expects me to leave permanently while he enjoys the pleasures of life everlasting in Fa’i, but that will never happen.”
“Why can’t you rule together?” the General asked.
“Because Diablo and I have different views on how to rule Fa’i. And if Diablo gets to the River of Life in his form, he will live forever, and I’ll be gone forever,” he muttered. “And I can’t let that happen.”
•••
Back in the underground, Janu roused the clan. “We’ve got to move,” he said. “If we sit much longer, we’ll freeze to death, and we’re running out of time.”
He stuck his head out of the cave and then waved for the others to follow. They ducked and dodged railcar headlights and Enforcer’s flashlights as they sprinted toward the river.
Sierra’s legs felt like hundred-pound weights, and she could no longer keep up. The voice was once again tempting her to jump into the abyss. “After all,” it whispered, “you’ll never get out alive.” She ignored the voice once again and willed her body to move. Sierra shone her flashlight around the tunnel and spotted an empty railcar. “Over here, guys,” she whispered loudly. “Maybe this will get us to the river.”
Jordan and Izaiah jumped into the railcar and immediately began pushing buttons. One of the buttons turned on the headlights, while another ignited the engine. They fumbled with the instruments while the others climbed into the upright tub on wheels. Having no place to sit, they held on as Jordan jerked back and forth, trying to operate the cumbersome vehicle.
Immediately, the Enforcers heard the noise and spotted them. The chase ensued. Jordan pushed the lever down as hard as he could, and they jerked forward at full speed. The track swerved and curved, and, suddenly, they were directly in front of the pursuers.
“Can’t this buggy go any faster?” Sierra shouted, her voice echoing throughout the underground.
“The lever is almost to the floor,” Jordan bellowed over the din.
“Do you want me to take over, son?” Janu asked.
“It’s too dangerous,” Jordan replied. “Just hold on tight.”
Suddenly the tub began to lose speed. “We need to go faster, not slower!” Janu shouted.
“I see a fork in the road just ahead,” Jordan bellowed. “I’m going to try and lose them.”
Jordan veered hard to the left and switched tracks, almost tossing his passengers into the chasm. He pushed the lever forward as far as it would go, and the railcar sped away.
“Yes!” Jordan shouted. It was too late for the Enforcers to change tracks, and they could only watch as the fugitives disappeared into the blackness.
“Good job, son,” Janu said.
Yeah, Sierra thought. You almost killed us. But who’s complaining?
“Look out!” Izaiah shouted as Aengus and his comrades came bearing hard from the right.
Chapter 4
A Leap of Faith
o
Malakh was at the mouth of the river, anxiously pacing back and forth. The window of opportunity was quickly closing, and the tide was rising. Worried that his friends had been captured, he dialed Janu’s mobile.
The fugitives, however, were traveling at high speeds around hairsplitting turns and curves as the railcar careened through the underground, and Janu was in no position to answer his mobile.
“Mr. C,” Jordan shouted, “I saw a sign that said the track will end in a quarter of a mile. What should we do?”
“I spotted it too,” Janu said. He quickly shoved Jordan aside and repeatedly pumped the floor brake while Jordan pulled hard on the handbrake. But the tub seemed to have a mind of its own.
“We have to slow it down,” Jordan shouted, “or we’ll plunge into the abyss!” The girls were clinging to Ariana, and even stoic Izaiah was terrified.
“Izaiah,” Janu shouted, “there’s a wrench in my bag. See if you can release the valve on the tank and bleed out some of the fuel.”
Jordan quickly ran back to help, and after much effort, most of the fuel was released onto the ground. The railcar sputtered and finally came to a screeching halt, just inches from the cliff. They all let out a long-held breath.
“I feel exhilarated!” Leila cried.
“Girl, we almost lost our lives,” Monica stated, shaking her head.
“Everybody out,” Janu instructed. “I see a faint light in the distance.”
They were mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. They headed for the light, which was farther than it appeared. Finally, they came to a clearing in front of a large gate. Janu’s mobile chimed again.
“Yes, yes, we’re at the gate now,” he whispered. “We are hurrying.”
Malakh reminded Janu that Sierra had in her backpack a contact lens in a small green case that duplicated Diablo’s retina. “She must insert it into her left eye and then place her eye over the scanner,” he instructed. “Then the gate will open. Now hurry!”
Janu informed the others that they had about twenty-three minutes before the tide would reach its peak, and then the cross to the other side would be impossible.
“What if we don’t make it across?” Izaiah asked.
“Z, we’re going to Fa’i,” Sierra replied. “End of story.”
Sierra did as Malakh had instructed, and the creaky rusted gate swung back on its hinges. Amazingly, after crossing the threshold, they were standing in a beautiful garden. Janu was shocked! “I didn’t know such beauty existed in Keres,” he remarked. “We must be getting closer,” he said excitedly.
As the girls sniffed and then picked the aromatic flowers, suddenly, everyone’s fears disappeared, and they began to feel better about their journey. Everyone, that is, except Izaiah, who could not shake the voices in his head. They all turned to view the beautiful garden again, but it was all dust. It had been a mirage.
On the other side of the garden stood a large oak door. They pushed open the wooden door only to find themselves facing another dark underpass. They had to use their headlamps and their flashlights to see in front of them. Unbeknownst to them, they were about to embark on a journey more hellish than the one they had previously survived.
A few feet inside the entrance stood a large archway covered with moss, trailing ivy, and home to a myriad of creeping things. Sierra swore a scorpion winked at her from inside the tangled mass. She thought, After all we’ve been through, anything is possible.
Janu found two long sticks and gave one to Jordan. They created an opening through the mass by standing on either side of the archway and pulling the moss aside.
