Chosen

by Sarah Swan

  “Yes, but I don’t want to be forced into anything.”

  Eve rolled her eyes, took me by the shoulders, and pushed me into my room. “Get your coat,” she commanded. “It’s pouring outside.”

  Five minutes later we were slogging through the downpour. I had my coat wrapped tightly around me, but the wind kept blowing the hood off my head. In the heavy rain, it was nearly impossible to see. The darkness only compounded the problem. I was leading the way, because I was the only one who knew where to go, but my feet kept slipping on the muddy earth. It was impossible to get a grip. I was afraid the rain might trigger an avalanche of mud and dirt from the steep forested hill at our side.

  “This doesn’t make any sense!” I yelled back to the girls. They were close behind me, but I had to yell to be heard over the roar of the wind. “Why would Chris take Liz there? I know him. He’s shy and withdrawn.”

  “Apparently, you don’t know him well enough,” Eve answered curtly.

  “What were they doing talking together, anyway? From what I understood, they had some sort of disagreement between them.”

  “None of us really knows Chris,” Ashley yelled back to me. “Nobody at this school does. He just sort of floats around without any friends.”

  “Except that he took an interest in you, apparently,” Eve said. “Enough to demand to see you tonight.”

  I shuddered. What could he possibly want from me? Was this some sort of payback for dumping him? I didn’t know, and did not want to find out. Something I had done—or failed to do—had prompted all this. Because of me, Liz was in danger. If you want to see her safe, the note said, bring Tracy Bachman to the crystal cave.

  “What did you do to him, anyway?” Madison asked.

  “I don’t know!”

  “You’ll be able to ask him yourself when we get there!” Eve snapped. “Tracy, are we getting close?”

  “It’s just up ahead.”

  “Well, hurry up!”

  I did. Every extra moment we took meant another moment that Liz was alone with Chris. And who knew what he would be doing to her? I felt a dire sense of urgency about the situation. I was determined to see Liz come out of this safe and sound, no matter my actual feelings about the girl. Maybe, after all this, she would even forget about trying to get me involved with the crystal seekers. Of course, I had to see her safe first.

  I led the others toward the raised cliffs at the edge of the island. It was extremely difficult to see in the dark, and I’d only been here once before, when it was daytime, so navigating proved harder than I expected. We must have gone up and down the edge of land five times before I recognized the familiar boulders that marked the start of the path leading down.

  “Over here!” I yelled, pointing. The girls came up behind me, and I inched forward, very conscious of the fact that one misstep could send me flying down the side. When my feet were right at the edge, I carefully leaned over to look down.

  At that moment, an enormous bolt of lightning lit the night sky. The brief flash of light allowed me to see all the way down. The jagged rocks waiting at the bottom looked like the gaping mouth of a sinister beast, biding its time waiting for its next victim. Even in the best of conditions, and in full light, the trail was narrow and tricky to navigate. Now, with us completely shrouded in darkness, and heavy rain, it would be impossible to go down.

  “The path’s too narrow to traverse at night!” I screamed back.

  “Don’t be a wuss,” Eve said, appearing at my side. I was struck by the girl’s courage. Or maybe stupidity. Here I was, the only one of them to have been here before, clearly cautious of the fall below. And there was Eve, stepping up beside me as if we were on absolutely solid ground. “If Liz is down there, we have to get her.”

  Well, at least she was faithful. But going down in these conditions would be impossible. “Eve, we can’t go down. Maybe if there was no rain we could risk it, but the wet rock will make it too easy to lose a step and go tumbling over the edge.” Straight into those jacked rocks.

  Eve looked at me, determination plain on her face. “I’m not leaving my friend alone,” she said stubbornly.

  “None of us is,” Ashley said, placing a hand on Eve’s shoulder. “But, Tracy’s right. The path is too dangerous to use right now.” She leaned over slightly to look down, and took a quick step back. “Too dangerous, and way too high. One misstep and you’re a goner.” She shuddered. “Besides, I might know another way.”

  Eve rounded on her. “You know another way?” she demanded. “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

  Ashley took a composed breath. “Because, I wasn’t sure if the cave Tracy described was the same one. I didn’t want to raise false hopes. But now that I’ve seen where it is, I think there might be a connecting tunnel close by.”

  I looked at Ashley. “Are you sure? Because if not…” I took a deep breath. This was all my fault and I had to make amends for it. “If not, I can try picking my way down.” I wished desperately it wouldn’t come down to that, but I was prepared to take the risk. “Of the four of us, I’m the only one to have climbed down before. That gives me a small advantage in the dark. But if I do it, I don’t want any of you going down with me.”

  “No!” Ashley and Madison both exclaimed at the same time as Eve said, “Good idea.”

  Ashley and Madison stared in shock at Eve. Madison was the first to step up to her, placing herself between me and Eve. “I won’t have Tracy risking her life for us!”

  “She’s right,” Ashley said. “Besides, she’s already done that once.” She shot me a tight smile.

  “And anyway,” Madison continued, “the note said to bring Tracy there, alive. She won’t do anybody any good if she plummets to her death.”

  Eve raised her hands defensively against the others. “She was the one to suggest it, not me,” she said.

  “No! That’s a stupid idea,” Ashley said. For the first time, I was glad I could call her my friend. Maybe things really weren’t that bad between us. Despite everything, some of these girls did seem to care about me. The rough patches we’d gone through only served to strengthen that bond. Then again, maybe it was just the direness of the situation that made me feel closer to them. “We’ll go the way I think we can, instead. It’s not particularly close, so we have to hurry.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” Eve muttered under her breath. Another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. If it were possible, the weather seemed to be taking a turn for the worse. The wind had picked up, and the rain was even heavier than before.

  “Come on, it’s this way,” Ashley said, leading us away from the protruding ledge.

  Chapter Twenty-Six – Into Darkness

  Ashley led us into the woods, where we took an unmarked path farther in. The trees managed to buffer the worst of the storm, but rain still poured down, making me wish I had dressed better. Every single part of what I was wearing was completely soaked. My jacket offered little protection. In the dark, it was impossible to see more than five feet ahead. So, I had to huddle close to the others to avoid getting separated. The woods were creepy like this: tall, dark shapes loomed over us as we passed. It was impossible to say who or what else was out here. At a time like this, my imagination was getting the worst of me.

  After maybe twenty minutes, we started picking our way up a steep incline. It was nearly impossible to do it in the dark. The rain made it even worse. The rocks and ground were wet and covered with overgrown moss and ferns, making the trail dangerously slippery. I was glad they hadn’t taken me up on my offer to scale the cliff earlier. After the troubles of this incline, I doubted I would have made it down in one piece.

  We had topped the hill and started down when I felt my footing give. The small rock I had thought was secure was not. As I stepped onto it, it slid forward. I let out a yelp, and the next thing I knew I was tumbling down on my backside. Madison, who was right in front of me, let out a squeak and jumped out of the way, but Eve was not
so lucky. I crashed into her. The collision took her right off her feet. The two of us caromed down, a tangle of bodies and debris, until we both hit something hard. The impact knocked the air out of my lungs.

  “Oh my god! Are you okay?” Ashley cried out as she ran up to us.

  “Yeah,” I replied. “I think.” It took me a few seconds to get my bearings again. Eve was rubbing her head but looked alright otherwise. I stared up the hill. From down here, I could see the path I made through the undergrowth clearly. Crushed shrubs and bushes carved out a narrow depression down the hill. Then, I noticed the large rocks and tree trunks on either side that I had just avoided hitting. It was a wonder I made it down without a broken bone.

  “Me too,” Eve said, and then glared at me. “What the hell was that?”

  “I’m sorry,” I replied. “I was walking down as carefully as I could, but I slipped on a rock.”

  “It’s a wonder you didn’t get us killed!” she said indignantly.

  “Don’t exaggerate,” Madison put in as she came up beside us. She helped Eve up. “It could have been any of us.”

  Ashley reached down to pull me up too. “Besides, it’s a good thing neither of you is hurt,” she said.

  “No, I’m fine,” I said. Aside from a collection of bumps and bruises, I didn’t think I was seriously hurt, just that much wetter from having rolled down the soggy earth. Eve made a face again, and then started brushing herself off.

  “Are we close?” she demanded from Ashley. “At this rate, I’m starting to think it would have been better to try Tracy’s way.”

  “We’re right here,” Ashley said. I turned toward her, and saw it. It was a giant entrance to a cave, embedded right into the hill beside us. It was at least five yards wide. The top of it extended high overhead. It was nothing like the claustrophobic tunnel Liz had taken me down, although it was going to be just as dark.

  “Down there?” I asked. “How are we going to see anything?” At least here there was the faintest glimmer of moonlight. Underground, we wouldn’t be able to see past the dark. It was a fatal flaw in our plan that I was only now beginning to understand.

  Ashley walked over to stand under the shelter of the cave. After a few seconds a beam of light extended from her hand.

  “You have a flashlight?” I exclaimed. “Why didn’t you use it before?”

  “I didn’t want to waste it before I had to,” came Ashley’s response. “Plus, I didn’t want to risk short-circuiting it in the rain.”

  I realized the tunnel also meant reprieve from the rain, so I scrambled toward it. It looked like Madison and Eve also had the same thought, for they got there just as quickly.

  “I’ve never been here before,” Madison gaped. “How did you find this place?”

  “I go exploring sometimes,” Ashley replied simply. She nodded toward me. “Tracy, you take the rear. I’ll lead the way.”

  “Sure,” I said.

  “Here.” She extended her hand toward me. “It’s another flashlight. I brought two, just in case.” I took it gladly.

  “Now where?” Madison asked. She was looking deeper into the tunnel, where I was shining my light. There were two paths there, each leading in a distinctly different direction.

  “To the left,” Ashley answered.

  “Are you sure?” Eve asked. When she spoke, it sounded like her teeth were chattering. I realized we were all in the same predicament. I was shivering from the cold, too. Even though it wasn’t yet autumn, the rain and wind transformed the warm island into a freezing nightmare. “Why don’t we split up, instead? Two of us go one way; the other two go the other way.”

  Ashley shook her head vigorously. “No way. If you don’t know where you’re going, you can end up wandering the underground tunnels for days without getting out.”

  “And you do know where you’re going?” Eve asked incredulously. “How?”

  “Liz and I explored some of the tunnel before,” Ashley explained. I thought I could hear a hint of sadness in her voice. “when we were looking for other reserves of crystals. Before you guys even knew about them.”

  I raised my eyebrows in surprise, but didn’t say anything. Ashley had been the first one to learn the secret? It was a wonder how Liz’s loyalty had manifested afterwards. Then again, maybe there were undercurrents that I just wasn’t privy to between the girls.

  “That still doesn’t mean you know how to get to the crystal cave,” Eve said. “Tracy was the only one to know where it was, remember?”

  “Yes, but after she showed it to us, I remembered an old tunnel down here that ended in a dead-end. I always thought it looked strange, because the rock at the end was almost like it had been piled on by somebody. Like rubble. But now that I think of where it was, and where the cave Tracy showed us is, I think they may be connected.”

  “But you don’t actually know?” Eve said heatedly. “You led us all this way without being absolutely sure? What if we can’t get there? What if we’re too late? Liz’s life could be at stake!” “We should have just let Tracy go down the cliff! At least that way, there’d be no uncertainty.”

  “And what if she fell?” Ashley demanded. “You saw how narrow the ledge was! Even if she climbed down it a hundred times before, I still wouldn’t have let her go in the dark! Nobody can make that climb without seeing where they’re going – not in this weather!”

  “Ashley’s right,” Madison said gently to Eve. “This was our only choice.”

  Eve glared at both the girls, then at me, and stalked away from the group.

  “Thanks for defending me,” I whispered as I walked by Ashley

  “I’m only looking out for myself and Liz,” Ashley said in a voice that everyone else could hear. Then she lowered it just for my ears. “But, no problem. Losing Liz like this has got Eve stressed out beyond belief. Liz has been the leader of our group since Eve and Madison got involved. If something happened to her, I don’t think either of those girls could live with themselves.”

  “Well, then we’d better make sure nothing does,” I said with more conviction than I felt.

  Ashley glanced ahead, where Madison was consoling Eve. “Thanks for coming, by the way,” she said. “I know you didn’t have to, especially feeling the way you do. The fact that you did shows who you really are.”

  “Of course,” I said. “I can’t help but feel that this is all my fault. I couldn’t live with myself if I just sat idly by.”

  “I understand,” Ashley said. “Thanks.” She squeezed me for a brief hug. “As for me, even if Liz did lie about getting the crystal sensitivity back, that doesn’t mean I don’t remember the friendship we had. That we still do.”

  “She must mean a lot to you then.”

  “She does. To all of us. Sometimes, she goes about things the wrong way, but I know she always has the best intentions—even if that’s not initially evident to us.”

  “I hope so,” I said. Then I nodded toward Eve and Madison. “We should get going.”

  “You’re right. I’ll take the lead. You stay back and make sure nobody gets left behind.” She waltzed out toward the two other girls, said something to them I couldn’t hear, and then called out, “This way!” to all of us. Eve and Madison filed in after her, and I hurried behind them.

  Ashley led the way into the tunnels, guided by the small glow from her flashlight. The one she had given me was weaker, and sometimes the beam flickered like it was running out of batteries. I gulped. The last thing I wanted was to get stuck down here with no source of light.

  As we walked deeper, we came across many different openings and intersections with other tunnels. Ashley never wavered for a moment. She seemed to know exactly where to go at each fork in the road. How she could distinguish them all, I had no idea. Every opening looked the same to me. But I could now see what she meant when she told me the whole underground of the island was connected by a series of tunnels and caves. Any direction you wanted to go, you could get there through one of these tunnels.
It was a wonder more people didn’t know about them, or that there weren’t more entrances above ground.

  As we turned a corner, I heard a deep, low groan from all around. Everyone else must have heard it too, for they all froze.

  “What was that?” Madison asked slowly.

  “It sounded like the earth shifting,” I answered. “These tunnels are stable. Right?”

  “I don’t know,” Ashley admitted. “They’ve been here for a very long time.”

  “With the heavy rain, maybe there’s too much weight overhead,” Madison suggested. “You don’t think it will collapse, do you?”

  “No, of course no—” Ashley started to say, but was cut off by another groan. This one was long, and, as it sounded, I thought I could feel the tiniest of vibrations under my feet.

  “It’s coming from behind us,” I said once it was over.

  “Are you certain?” Madison asked.

  “I think so.”

  “Well, then we’d better keep going,” Eve said. I heard her voice waver just a little. That was when I realized what was causing her current nasty disposition. She was nervous, and did not like being underground more than the rest of us. “The sooner we get to Liz, the sooner we can get out of here.”

  “Right,” Ashley said. “Come on! I don’t think we’ve much farther to go.”

  We started after her again. I could feel the tension in the air. The threat of a collapse hadn’t been something any of us had considered when we first came in here. Now, it was on all our minds. I walked forward gingerly, careful to make sure that no step I took upset the delicate balance holding the roof over our heads.

  I took a step forward – and nearly tripped. My foot caught on something, and when I looked down I realized one of my laces had come loose. I bent down to tie it again. When I straightened, the girls ahead were nearly out of sight.

  I was about to call out for them to wait. Just then I heard another groan. I froze in place. This time, it was coming from up ahead. The ground started to tremble under my feet, just a little at first, but it got stronger by the second. In a single moment, the whole cave was shaking, sending small bits of debris and dirt down from the ceiling. I leaped toward one of the walls, holding it tightly for balance. The groaning subsided, and the shaking stopped.