Dark Ride

by Todd Loyd

  Thief, wanderer, apprentice, and tailor.

  The companions are set to finish their role,

  But no closer are they to achieving their goal.

  Enter the cave, it is a must.

  But prepare to defend those you trust.”

  “Oh, I am so sick of those rhymes,” Scotty announces in pain.

  “He's trying to tell us something,” Jack suggests feebly. “The voice said to go into the cave. He's talking about the four of us. Can't you see?”

  “If it's talking about us, who is he calling a thief?” Amy asks as she looks around at the boys. Still, she is starting to think that Jack is right about the narrator communicating with them. She looks at the stick in her hand and thinks, “Surely, he's not talking about a stick.”

  Mason announces, “Okay, gang, I know I'm right now. This is all a big game. Don't you think it's awful convenient that we're right back here in front of the cave? Those doors the wolf went out lead back to the snow room. Those doors over there are blocked by those rocks. Whoever is pushing us or leading us wants us to go in the cave. This is all one big joke. We're gonna walk right into a TV crew eventually.”

  “But,” Amy retorts, “the snake bite? Remember not more than an hour ago Jack lying helplessly on that table? And, what about Scotty's shoulder? Do you think they planned that, too?”

  “No, just casualties of the production. I bet we can sue the pants off these guys. Yeah, we'll all get filthy rich.”

  Amy thinks to herself, You're already rich.

  Mason adds, “I guess we all owe Scotty a big thanks.” He slaps Scotty's shoulder, totally oblivious to the effect of this action.

  “Owww!”

  “You are such an idiot,” Amy chastises. “Scotty are you—”

  “He forgot, Amy,” Scotty says with a groan.

  Amy thinks, I wish you would stop making excuses for him.“Yeah,” says Mason. “I forgot. Sorry, Scotty. I got carried away. Anyways. let's move out. I want to be the first one to see their faces when we tell them they are liable for Scotty's injury. Onward, troops! No time for cowards!” And with this, Mason plunges deeper into the cave.

  “Oh brother,” Amy says. “He makes me so—”

  “I know, Amy, I know,” reassures Jack. “We better follow him anyways. He may be a little insensitive, but at least he's in a good mood. Scotty, you good to go?”

  “Yep, I'll live,” Scotty says and forces a smile. Then he points to his frames lying on the floor next to the pile of bones and says, “My glasses.”

  Amy retrieves them and tells him, “One of your lenses is cracked.”

  “Just what I need. Put them on for me anyways.”

  Amy lifts the frames to his head, and Scotty blinks and says, “Great. Just great. It's the lens over my good eye.”

  Commiserating with her older brother, Amy gently pats his good shoulder and says, “It has not been your day.”

  Scotty looks around the room in his new cracked glasses and discovers something. He calls out, “Guys, over there—beside the pile of bones. That was not there last time we were here.”

  Amy and Jack wander over to the creepy pile, and both see the object Scotty is pointing at.

  Amy declares, “It's a work belt. My dad has one in the garage.”

  Jack scoops up the belt and starts to look inside. He comments, “Interesting. Wonder if there is anything in here that would come in handy?”

  From ahead, Mason reappears and says, “Come on, guys. Up ahead, I smell something.”

  With interest piqued, Scotty and Amy follow Mason into the cave. Jack takes another look at the work belt and then slings it over his shoulder and follows.

  Chapter 60

  Jack sniffs the air and tries to catch the scent of what Mason was referring to.

  “Come on guys,” Mason beckons. “A few more steps. I started to smell it just up there.”

  Leaving the dim light of the room, the four delve deeper and deeper into the cave. The small passageway is unlike any other they had traversed thus far. The floor is rocky and jagged, and at times each one of them has to hold out a steadying hand against the cave wall.

  All five of Jack's senses begin working overtime. His hands feel rocky crevices, he tries to smell the odor Mason had told him about, his ears are poised to listen for clues of whatever lurks ahead, he can taste the stale air of the cave, and his eyes are now transfixed on a very faint glow a good ways up ahead.

  His mind is working on a completely different problem. There is something unsettling to Jack about Scotty's previous revelation. He contemplates, The wolf was apprehensive? Was he afraid of something, or did he simply lose their scent? Jack feels like the latter is highly unlikely, so his ears continue to strain, listening for anything. He replays the rhyme of the narrator, “Prepare to defend those you trust,” in his mind and thinks, He's telling us to be cautious. Well, duh, we really don't have a choice.

  Amy's hand brushes against Jack's. He grasps it and tells himself, I could get used to this. His other hand is tightly wrapped around the large blue stuffed bear, a burden he has decided not to endure for long. He had taken the bear despite the silent protest from Scotty. Jack plans to tell Mason at the next chance that if he wants Lucky, then he can carry him.

  As the group approaches the faint glow, the cave tunnel opens up into a larger room—or at least Jack thinks it is a larger room. There is not enough light for him to really tell. However, there is now plenty of light for Mason and Scotty to be able to notice Jack holding Amy's hand, so he releases it and thinks, Hope she understands. It's just too soon for the others to know. In the middle of the room is a long, narrow wooden table. Adorning this is a flickering candle, which has been producing the dull glow. Also on the table are three small bowls with wooden spoons flanking them, and around the table are three wooden chairs.

  Jack drops Lucky next to the table and picks up the candle. He walks toward one of the dark corners of the room looking for an exit. When he doesn't see one, he continues to make his way around the perimeter of the large room.

  “That smell…it's coming from the bowls,” Mason declares. “Jack, bring the candle back over here.”

  Jack doesn't comply, though, because he has found a short, brown door with a rounded top and a bronze handle in its center. It is well hidden on the right side of the room.

  Jack calls to the others, “There's a door over here! Come on over! Let's just get out.”

  “No, come back over here, Braddock! I want to check this out,” Mason urges.

  Jack is irritated by the request and thinks, We should just leave. A tinge of something fowl flickers around his nose, but this smell dissipates as Jack makes his way back to Mason and the table.

  Mason takes the candle from Jack and sets it back on the table. He looks into the containers and eyes the contents. “It's like oatmeal,” he says and makes an exaggerated sniffing sound over the largest bowl.

  Jack is confused by Mason's sudden nasal intoxication and comments, “You said it smells bad.”

  “No, I said it just smells.”

  “Well, which is it then?”

  “It smells good—very good.”

  Jack walks over to the table and takes a whiff for himself. A waft of something insanely sweet tickles his nostrils. He thinks, “It's pumpkin, no maple, maybe ginger….”

  He can't decide, but whatever it is smells heavenly. This reminds him that he has not eaten any supper. In fact, none of them have, Scotty's assault on the gingerbread house withstanding.

  “Oh, that does smell inviting!” Jack says.

  Mason picks up a spoon.

  Overcoming the temptation, though, Jack says, “Mason, ignore it. We don't need to be screwing around in here. Let's just head out those doors.” He points in the direction of the now hidden escape.

  “Oh man, Jack, it smells so good. What's it going to hurt—just one bite?”

  “I don't think you—”

  Mason dips the wooden spoon into the
large bowl and shoves a heaping pile of the brown mush into his mouth.

  “Eoouwch! Hot, hot—too hot! This one's too hot!” exclaims Mason as he fans his mouth with his hand.

  As soon as the words are out of his mouth, Scotty screams, “Spit it out Mason! Spit it out now!”

  Jack is startled by Scotty's sudden vocal excretion and gives him a befuddled look. Then suddenly, as if he is finally catching on to the punch line of a joke, he understands. In fact, all of them understand and are not surprised when they hear a low, deep growl.

  Chapter 61

  Jack's hair stands up on the top of his head as all four teens turn to face the source of the growl.

  As they do, Scotty chastises Mason by saying, “Oh no! No, no, no! Goldilocks, Mason, come on—don't you read at all? You tasted papa bear's porridge!”

  Lumbering into the dull light, a massive brown bear rears up to full height, revealing itself to the gawking onlookers. The creature, a ferocious seven-foot monster, is now in full view. Another deep, guttural growl rumbles through the room.

  The corners of the room had been so dark that none of them had seen the well-hidden giant. Jack had actually only been a few steps away from running into the beast during his search for the door until he stopped to come back to the table. Now, his eyes feel as if they will pop out of his head. He thinks, This is unreal. It is so close. Could we outrun the animal? Do I play dead? Backing up instinctively, Jack surveys the room. It is so dark. He asks himself, Where was that door? Based on where the table is, that door is blocked by the bear. He knows they have to either get around the bear to that door or find the way they had come in.

  The horrible beast takes another step forward, hurls its head up to the sky and releases a fierce roar.

  “I'm out,” says Mason as he takes off running back the way they came. He disappears into a dark corner of the room.

  Scotty and Amy both hit the ground and crawl under the table.

  Jack thinks, Oh great, we're playing hide and seek now—with a bear, and then he makes his move. With one hand on the work belt over his shoulder, he takes four full steps away from the lunging bear. With the dexterity of an olympic hurdler, he leaps and clears the table of the candlestick.

  Shocked at his jumping prowess, Jack turns back towards the table and says, “Come on, guys! You can't just hide under there.”

  “His shoulder!” Amy cries.

  Scotty is hunkered down under the table, cradling Lucky with one arm and his injured shoulder with the other. His mouth is tensed, and his teeth are grinding as a result of the pain.

  “Scotty,” yells Jack “It's coming this way—move now!”

  Looking back to the bear, Jack sees the behemoth approaching the table. He rushes toward the table, himself and blows out the candle creating complete darkness. After this, he ducks down and crawls under the table with Amy and Scotty.

  The bear's charge is stalled, and it gurgles.

  From the other side of the room, Mason calls, “What did you do that for?”

  “Good idea, Jack,” Amy whispers.

  Jack beams in the darkness.

  “Scotty, you think you can crawl?” Amy asks. “We should be able to get by that bear now.”

  “Yeah, I can crawl. I wish that bear didn't have a tapetum lucidum.”

  “What?”

  The bear is sniffing, searching.

  “That bear has a tapetum lucidum, so it can see better in the dark than us. His eyes will probably get used to this in a minute, but it will take us longer.”

  Amy asks, “Where's the exit, Jack?”

  “It's too dark to tell,” he replies.

  After he hears a large growl, Jack wonders, Has the creature's eyes grown accustomed to the light with his tapetum whatever?

  Jack motions a finger in front of his lips before he remembers Scotty and Amy can't see him.

  They listen and try to gauge where the bear is. They can hear the heavy breathing of the animal and the sound of its paws striking the ground.

  Jack's stomach starts doing backflips, and sweat starts to ooze from his pores. He can tell the bear is coming closer!

  Suddenly, from the other side of the room, Mason calls, “I found where we came in. Just make a break for it. Come toward my voice.”

  Jack rolls from under the table and says, “Come on, guys.”

  He takes off running followed by Amy and Scotty.

  Mason can hear their feet and yells, “Move it—this way!”

  Jack's ears are on alert, and he hears shuffling behind them.

  “Over here!” Mason calls.

  Jack corrects his course a little and stops when he runs full into Mason. The collision causes a minor ruckus, but neither is hurt.

  Jack asks, “Did the bear follow?”

  “I don't hear him coming,” Mason declares.

  When Amy is halfway down the little cave, she sees a glow that lets her know the entrance is not far ahead. Amy quickly calculates. The exit, it's maybe only 20 yards ahead.

  She says, “Scotty, you okay?” When there is no response, Amy asks again, “Scotty?”

  But, Scotty doesn't answer because he isn't with them.

  Chapter 62

  Scotty nervously listens for the bear. When Jack and Amy ran, he had rolled to try and get to his feet, but as he did so, his shoulder throbbed and he wilted. The bear had not followed Mason's previous yell, and this made Scotty whimper in fear while wondering, Can he see me?

  The bear's heavy breathing is close, and Scotty can hear it sniffing. He thinks, He smells me. The bear is at the table.

  Then there's a growl.

  “Help!” Scotty cries in fear.

  Pushing with his legs, he attempts to stand and start running. However, something is pulling at his legs. Suddenly, Scotty feels a sharp pain as claws dig into his ankle.

  “He's got me!”

  Scotty reaches back for something to hold on to, but the bear gives a yank and Scotty's entire body rushes forward. He kicks in the air wildly and his foot strikes the bear, whose grip relaxes, allowing Scotty to back away quickly.

  Then he feels an arm pulling him up. The pain in his shoulder aches.

  “Come on, Scotty,” says Jack while holding onto him.

  The bear is now standing at full height. It grunts while assessing the best way to get at its dinner.

  Mason rushes into the fray. He fumbles in the dark and with a surge of effort flips the table to its side. The table topples over, forming a small wall of temporary protection for the group, who crash down behind the makeshift barrier.

  They hear another growl, followed by banging. They are rocked by the force of the bear slamming against the table. At this point, Mason grips his axe and flings it at the bear. It misses horribly, and as Mason ducks down behind the barrier, a slashing paw just misses his head.

  Amy, who is pressing all of her weight against the defense while sitting, uses her stick to wildly flail up over the wall, hoping to strike the bear. However, the bear dismisses the strikes like they are obnoxious flies and continues to bash against the wooden table.

  If the bear were just a little more intelligent, it would easily have realized it has the strength to hurl the table out of the way, but the animal is apparently content to bash against the opposite side.

  Just then, Jack reaches to his shoulder where the work belt is draped. Reaching inside, he finds that it contains an assortment of tools. Desperately, he pilfers through the items within, looking for anything that can be of use. Scotty watches as Jack pulls a small flashlight from the belt and then reaches in to find something else.

  “Jackpot,” says Jack. “A small can of mace!”

  From his seated position, Scotty looks up to see the bear staring directly into his face as it peers over the table. Saliva is dripping from its mouth, signaling dinner time. The bear swipes at Jack's head, and a whoosh of air causes his hair to shuffle.

  “Here goes nothing,” says Jack. “Cover your faces.”


  “What?” Mason yells.

  “Just do it,” Jack replies as he holds out the can of mace for the others to see.

  Without another moment of hesitation, Jack scrambles to his feet and sprays the contents of the can up into the beast's face.

  The effects of the spray are immediate. A wail of pain erupts from the animal, and a paw lashes out and strikes the can out of Jack's hand. It flies 20 feet to the other side of the cave and into the darkness. The impact of the strike evokes a jolting pain in Jack's hand.

  With his weapon detached, Jack retreats, cowering down behind the barrier. The dazed, lumbering giant makes a wild lunge at the table. With horrible pain scorching its eyes, it puts its entire body weight into its last desperate attack. The entire table spins, swinging the teens around in a complete 180-degree revolution. Jack shines the flashlight toward the dark wall and sees that their path to the door, their original goal, is now clear.

  “The door!” he cries. “Scotty, you have to come with us now!”

  All four sprint to the exit.

  On the way out, Mason kicks an object, sending it spinning forward along the floor. He stops to pick it up and feels the wooden handle of the axe. Mason hears another growl and realizes that the bear, in spite of its blindness, is just behind him. He takes off sprinting for the exit with axe in hand.

  Chapter 63

  Jack is the first one through the doors. Then Amy and Scotty emerge behind him.

  After a few more seconds, Mason finally lunges through the door and yells, “Close the doors! That thing is not giving up!”

  Jack slams the doors shut and says, “Look for something heavy we can put against these doors!”

  After a quick survey of the room, they see a black cauldron with green slimy liquid in it. It would require the strength of all four of them to move it, but they soon manage to move it against the doors.

  They are all frightened beyond belief as they scan the room further.

  The lighting is dim but not as dark as the cave. Fluorescent white tube lights dully glow in the ceiling, and these reveal some trees and a stump or two.

  “Are you okay, Scotty?” Amy asks.