The Book of Sight

by Deborah Dunlevy

  Dominic nodded, and Alex handed over the pills.

  “So now we have to figure out what happened,” said Adam. “Did you hear anything moving, like something was attacking you?”

  “No, there was nothing. It was more like I just walked into something.”

  “It must be some sort of trap then,” Adam said. “A couple of us should go in with our lights on and move really slowly, looking for whatever it was.” He stopped for a second and looked right at Alex seriously. “Unless you think that’s a bad idea.”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s the only thing to do. It’s either that or give up. Dom didn’t really have his light the last time. With light we’ll hopefully be able to see whatever it is.”

  Adam nodded, shouldered his pack, turned on his flashlight, and headed into the cave without further conversation.

  Logan stood up and went with him.

  “Okay,” said Eve. “I say we let Adam and Logan be the ones who look for the scary booby trap.”

  But Dominic had no intention of just sitting outside waiting for something to happen. He got up and moved into the entrance of the cave. He could see the flashlights about 20 feet ahead.

  “You should be getting to about where I was,” he called out softly. “Do you see anything?”

  “Not yet,” said Adam. “Oh wait. Yeah. Yeah, there’s something here. It’s like spider webs or something. It’s practically invisible. You can only see it when the light reflects off it. It’s covering the entire passage. There’s a little gap at the bottom, but I doubt we could squeeze under it.”

  Dominic looked down at the criss-crossed slashes on his arm. Spider-webs. That would explain the pattern, but no spider he’d ever heard of made a web strong and sharp enough to cut a person.

  “Don’t touch it,” he said unnecessarily. “I’ll get a stick and we’ll see if we can knock them down to get through.”

  He turned to go out, but Eve and Alex were right behind him. They were both carrying long sticks.

  Unfortunately, the sticks were not enough. Squeezed together in front of the webs, they each took a turn trying to break through but to no avail. The strands looked thin and delicate like a spider web, but they felt as strong as steel cables. They would give a little under pressure, but only bounce back unbroken. Adam even tried scraping the wall where they connected, but however they were attached, it was too strong for the stick, which crumbled away on the end.

  Eve was the last to try. “What are these stupid things?” she panted after a couple of minutes. “It’s like we need cable cutters or something. I don’t suppose any of you thought to bring along a pair?”

  “No,” said Dominic, “but Adam did bring a sword.”

  “Of course!” Alex said. “The sword!”

  Adam looked a little doubtful, but he drew the sword out of his belt and held it up carefully to one strand of the web. With only the slightest touch from the sword, the web swung free. A general cheer went up. Grinning, Adam made a few broad swipes, and soon the whole web was hanging limply against the walls. They were through, and no one had any more doubts that they were in the right place.

  17

  Swallowed Up in the Cold

  Eve followed along behind Alex, listening to the thumping of her heart. She had never been crazy about small spaces. Fortunately, this cave was tall enough to stand up in, even if it was now only wide enough to walk single file. She didn’t know if she could have faced having to crawl through the dark, with only a weak flashlight to show where she was going. It made her feel panicky just thinking about it.

  The ground underneath had been dirt and then gravel and had now changed to rock. They were steadily descending. She wondered how deep underground this cave led. In her imagination, she saw a series of caves twisting and turning, a giant hollow underworld beneath the sleepy little town of Dunmore. The thought gave her a shiver. Then she laughed. Why not? Unexplored caves would be the least of the things that the good people of Dunmore knew nothing about.

  “What’s so funny?” asked Logan from behind her.

  “Nothing.”

  “Do you hear that noise?”

  “What noise?”

  “That rushing sound.”

  Eve listened. She hadn’t even noticed, but Logan was right. There was a rustling sound coming from up ahead, just barely heard over the sound of their footsteps.

  “Yeah, I hear it.”

  “It’s been slowly getting louder for the last half hour.”

  “Water,” said Dominic’s voice from the end of the line. “Look at the walls.”

  Eve had been keeping her flashlight trained on the floor in front of her, but when she lifted it a little she could see water trickling down the walls on either side. Not much yet, but judging from that sound ahead, there was going to be a lot more. She felt her heart rate speed up a notch.

  The rushing sound kept getting louder and louder until she heard Adam call out from the front of the line, and they all stepped unexpectedly into a giant cavern. The weak light from their flashlights was not enough to discover the far walls or the ceiling. Though they couldn’t see it, from the sound and the cool dampness of the air they could tell that the water was right ahead of them.

  Without saying anything, they moved forward side by side and so close that their arms were touching. Eve thought she would have even liked to be holding hands, but she didn’t want to seem like a coward. It felt creepy to cross the big open space in the dark, not knowing what was above her or on either side. An uncomfortable tingle was running down her spine with every step. After a minute, she even began to miss the stifling confines of the narrow passage. It seemed like an eternity, but it wasn’t really that long before they were brought up short by a swift river at their feet.

  “I guess we found the water,” Eve said.

  “Can you see the other side?” asked Adam, shining his light as far out as possible.

  “No,” Alex said, straining forward with her light, too. “These stupid flashlights are too dim to see anything.”

  “How are we going to get across?” asked Dominic.

  “Maybe we don’t have to,” Adam said. “Maybe what we need is on this side. We haven’t explored the rest of this cavern.”

  Eve seized on that idea. As much as she hated the thought of wandering around in this enormous room, she liked the look of that dark river even less. “Yeah, let’s check it out at least before we get all wet.”

  “We can try,” said Alex doubtfully, “but I’m pretty sure we’re going to end up having to find a way over.”

  “One thing at a time,” said Adam.

  They divided up into two groups, agreeing to follow the river along in each direction until they hit a wall or found something worth reporting. They would meet back in the middle in a half hour at the latest.

  It didn’t take that long. Eve, Logan, and Dominic came to a wall on their side of the river after only a few minutes of walking. The river seemed to gush straight out of a solid rock face. The opening must have been just enough for the water to go through. It certainly wasn’t enough for a person to enter. They followed the rock wall back around until they found the opening to the passage that had brought them here.

  It took Adam and Alex longer to meet them back at the river, but their findings had been pretty much the same. The river continued on for quite a ways but then crashed into the rock wall. Alex said that they could barely see the outlet at all through all the spray and churning water. Eve did not find that mental picture reassuring considering that they now had to find a way across.

  “As far as I can see,” Adam started, “the only way over is to just wade in and try it. It may not be that deep. Maybe we can just walk across.”

  “That’s pretty risky,” said Dominic. “We really need some sort of rope or something, so we can hold onto whoever goes out. The water looks like it’s moving pretty fast.”

  “Did anyone bring rope?” asked Eve.

  Their silence was the answer
.

  “Do we need to go back for some?” asked Logan.

  “I think we should,” said Dominic.

  “If we do that, we won’t be able to come back until tomorrow. And by then Eve’s mom may have found out what happened and grounded her again,” protested Adam. “Just let me at least try it first. I’ll go slow and turn back if it feels like it’s getting too strong.”

  “I seriously don’t think that’s a good idea,” Dominic said.

  Adam turned to Alex. “What do you think?”

  Alex stared at the water for a long minute. “I really don’t know.”

  “Okay, then. In the absence of any scary premonitions, I think I’ll risk it,” said Adam. “And don’t worry. I’ll be really careful. I promise that I’ll come back if it’s too deep and we can head home for some rope.”

  He took off his shoes and socks and left them, along with his backpack and sweatshirt, next to Alex. Slowly he waded into the fast-moving water, gritting his teeth at the cold.

  “Is it freezing?” called Eve.

  “Only at first. It’s actually not that bad once you get used to it.” Adam waded out further, slowly disappearing into the darkness. Eve could just barely make him out when he stopped. The water was above his knees but hadn’t reached his waist yet. “I can see the other side,” he called back. “I think I’m over half way there. This has got to be as deep as it gets. There’s a little pull, but it’s not too bad. I think we can make it.”

  Eve let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She could see Adam waiting for their response. “Okay,” she said to the others on the bank. “If we’re going to get wet, let’s get it over with.”

  “I guess,” said Dominic hesitantly. Eve thought he didn’t like being proven wrong. “Okay, but let’s just go one at a time and move slowly.”

  “I’ll go first,” said Eve. “The less time I have to think about it, the better.”

  “We’re coming,” Alex shouted to Adam.

  Eve stripped off her shoes and socks. “Should I take Adam his stuff with mine?”

  “No,” Logan said. “The tallest people should carry the stuff. Less chance of it getting wet. Dominic and I can divide it up. No one has anything very heavy.”

  Not in the mood to argue, Eve stuffed everything into her backpack. Taking a breath to brace herself, she stepped into the water. Adam was right, it was cold, but not the bitterly freezing water she was expecting. Encouraged by this hopeful sign, she hurried forward. Adam, still standing in the same spot, called back encouragement to her. As the water rose up to her knees, she began to feel the pull of the current and slowed her steps, being sure to plant her feet carefully. She could see the far bank now and her confidence grew.

  “Go ahead,” she told Adam. “I’m right behind you.”

  He nodded and turned.

  When she looked up two steps later, he was gone.

  “Adam? Adam!”

  Eve could hear yelling from the bank behind her, too. Unthinking, she pushed forward, calling Adam’s name. It came as such a shock, she didn’t even have time to hold her breath. One minute her feet were on solid rock, the next minute they were standing on nothing, and her body was pulled under in a surge of rushing water.

  18

  A Brother's Hand

  The second he saw Adam get sucked under the water, a strange sort of purposeful calm came over Dominic. Alex gave a scream and Dominic saw Eve look up. In some horrible way, he knew what was going to happen.

  “Eve, stop right there!” he shouted. “Turn back!”

  Unhearing, she plunged forward and was swept off her feet in seconds.

  Without even realizing he had done it, Dominic had removed his socks and shoes. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Logan had done the same. They both waded into the water.

  “Stay right there,” he said to Alex. “See if you can find anything that might work as rope.”

  He didn’t turn around to see if she had listened. Logan was a step ahead of him and had almost arrived at the spot where Adam had disappeared. Somehow Dominic knew just what to do.

  “Logan, stop. Don’t let it pull you. You have to jump in and swim with the current.” He saw Logan give a small nod, and together they plunged in.

  Cold, vicious water swirled around him, pulling him under. He tried to swim evenly, keeping pace with the current, but he kept crashing his hands and legs into rocks and being knocked off balance. His flashlight was quickly ripped from his hand, and the world was black. If his eyes were going to be useless, he knew he would have to rely on his ears to find the others. But all he could hear was the rushing and gurgling of the water around him. He wondered where Logan was and if he was all right.

  He heard a yell and almost simultaneously smashed into a rock wall. For a second the breath was knocked from him, and he knew that he was going to drown. But then an arm bumped his. Instinctively, he took hold and kicked up for air. The frothing water was pinning him to the wall, but he was able to suck in one breath before the current pulled him back down. The next time he struggled to the surface, he felt something jagged hit his head. Without thinking, he reached up and grabbed on, just barely managing to avoid being sucked back under as he gripped a tiny ledge sticking out of the rock face. It was impossible to see anything in the dark, but he thought the arm he was holding was Adam’s. It was still flailing in desperation, so Dominic took that as a good sign. At least Adam was still alive. Dominic tightened his grip on the rock ledge.

  “Hold still!” he shouted over the roaring of the water. “I have you and I’ve found something to hold onto.”

  The flailing stopped. Dominic gave a great heave, fearing the worst, but the next minute Adam was shouting right in his ear.

  “Dominic?”

  “Yes!” he yelled back. “I can’t hold on much longer. Try to grab for the ledge.”

  He felt Adam’s free hand scrabbling on the hard rock and then a sudden relief as the weight of the arm dragging him down was lifted.

  “You have a hold?”

  “For now.”

  “We have to move toward the bank. Can you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m letting go of your arm. We both need two hands.”

  “Okay.”

  With two hands, Dominic found it possible to slowly creep along the ledge, the water pulling terrifyingly at his body the whole time. His arms were screaming in agony, but he knew if he let go now he’d never get a grip again. After a few minutes that seemed like an eternity, he felt the pull of the water let up slightly. He tried to shout back encouragement to Adam, but wasn’t sure if Adam could hear him. Dominic didn’t have the energy to check on him. They had to get out of this current now.

  A minute later, his right leg bumped into solid rock. At first a terrible fear gripped him. He was boxed in! But then he realized that his arm wasn’t touching anything. He slowly let go with his right arm and reached out. It was the bank! With a final heave and a grunt, he pulled himself up on the solid rock and laid his head back, exhausted. Even the relief he felt when Adam clambered up beside him only reached his brain through a haze.

  “What about Eve?” asked Adam, panting. “Is she okay?”

  Another surge of adrenaline made Dominic sit up. “I don’t know. Logan jumped in to help, too.”

  “What? So they are both still in there?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Adam started shouting, “Eve! Logan! Can you hear me? Logan! Eve!”

  “Shut up! I think I hear something,” said Dominic.

  It was faint but it was Logan. Dominic strained to pick out the words over the rush of the water, “Eve…legs…pull….”

  “What’s he saying?” asked Adam.

  “Shh! I can’t tell. I think he has Eve.”

  “Logan! Come toward us. There’s a ledge to hold onto!” yelled Adam.

  “…legs wedged…afraid…”

  “I think they’re stuck,” said Dominic. “We may have to
go in after them.”

  “How? We barely made it out.”

  “I know. But we don’t have a choice. I would give anything for some rope.”

  “Okay,” Adam sounded subdued. “If we’re going we’d better go. They won’t last long in that current.”

  Dominic groaned and stuck his legs back into the water. He felt along the side wall for the ledge to grip. Just as he was about to slide off the bank, something floppy struck him in the legs, tangling around his foot. Before he could stop himself, he yelled, imagining nasty water creatures living in the dark. But then he realized that it didn’t have the texture of a fish. He reached down and pulled, using his hands to feel what his eyes couldn’t see. It was long and thin, with knots every so often. Much thicker than rope, but it was some sort of cloth material, only wet and heavy.

  “Hey, this is a sweatshirt!” Adam was beside him feeling the strange item. “Here’s its hood.”

  Something clicked into place in Dominic’s mind. Alex. She had made them a rope. Dominic’s heart swelled with hope for the first time.

  “Logan! Hold on! We have a rope! We’re throwing it to you!”

  “…rope?”

  “Just hold on! When it gets to you, grab on and yell!”

  Adam held one end of the rope while Dominic threw the other as far as he could out into the surging water.

  “Did it reach you? Do you have it?”

  “…can’t see…”

  “It didn’t make it,” Dominic said to Adam. “We need to pull it in and try over.”

  Frantically, they hauled in the makeshift rope and cast it out again. This time they heard a shout.

  “Do you have it?”

  “…touched…wait…”

  They waited in tense silence for a moment.

  “Got it!”

  Practically crying with relief, Adam and Dominic both pulled on the rope and slowly, hand over hand, dragged Logan toward them. They couldn’t see him, but they heard his oof of surprise when he hit the bank. On hands and knees, Dominic reached over and helped pull Logan up. He was clutching Eve with one hand and the rope with the other. Adam dragged Eve up onto the edge. She wasn’t talking.