As I waited for my flask to fill, I couldn’t help but wonder what had lied above me; the ceiling was quite wet and the smell of must permeated the atmosphere. Could there have been a lake above? How perfect would that have been if I could have only found a way to get above the mine. As I pondered the source of the dripping water I was suddenly alerted to red eyes watching me from the shadows; a small figure that sat unmoving in the tunnel ahead. It blinked unevenly at me but did little else. My heart had started to beat faster and my mouth felt dry as I stared at the creature for a few minutes, bracing myself for an attack. We stood there that way as the water slowly continued into my canister and as the minutes ticked by my heart slowed and my nerves calmed; surely it would have done something by now, right? I had now assumed it must have meant no harm and I continued to fill my canister, silently wishing it would start dripping a little bit faster all the same. I continued to stand there, one hand on the canister and one now primed on the hilt of my dagger, and yet the creature was still there, watching me with silent fascination; what did it want? Could it have been just as scared of me? Well, if it had stayed by itself then it might have been afraid, sure, but by the time my canteen had been half filled I had started to see multiple pairs of eyes materialize in the darkness around it. My stomach dropped and I swallowed hard as I tried to casually glance in their direction. They were still staring at me and didn’t move; whatever those things are, I had thought that they may not be hostile but simply curious. Either way, I didn’t want to find out. I exhaled deeply as I tried to calm my shaking hands and I proceeded to gradually and meticulously put the lid back on my flask, not wanting any sudden movement to cause a fuss. Once the lid was fully secured it made a squeaking noise in my hand and while the sound was slight, it seemed to reverberate across the room in the silence of the mineshaft. As if on cue they suddenly started running; I heard the skittering of their feet on the stone and mud beneath us and their eyes bounced in the darkness. I barely had time to turn around when a scaled, charred hand reached out of the shadows towards me, its fingers twisted and contoured into the shape of a three-pronged claw. I abandoned my previous fear of sudden movements; I took off towards Ponika and the sound of pounding feet quickly followed after. I ran as fast as I could, hearing the lanterns that lit the path fall and shatter after each light I had passed. It had been getting harder and harder to see but I knew Ponika could not be far; I would reach the entrance and we would leave together, sandstorm or not.
I could see it – the rubble that led me to Ponika. A small shaft of light escaped through the narrow slit that lead to the entrance and I laughed at the sight; I was certain that I would be able to squeeze through the gap in enough time. The patter of feet behind me had seemed farther away as I neared the debris but in hindsight I think the whirling winds outside merely blocked out their scampering bodies. I was sure that I was in the clear until I saw a serpentine creature climb down the rubble before me and glare with red, crystalline eyes. A sudden horde of them crawled down from what must have been a tunnel in the ceiling, causing the roof to shudder and spew out chunks of earth around me. I stopped only briefly at the sight but I could still see the sunlight piercing through the rocks ahead; my ray of hope. I knew it was risky but I couldn’t go back; not now. With my heart pounding in my chest I lurched forward, dodging the lumps of fallen earth that now littered the ground around me. I knew I only had a slight window of opportunity to escape before the ceiling collapsed entirely but the creatures were coming down in waves; the closer I got to escaping the more their writhing bodies came at me. My ray of light was growing smaller as their forms piled atop one another, blocking my only means to escape. I slowed my pace; I knew it was over.
“Ponika!” I screeched out to him desperately, seeing his face briefly through the cracks of the debris, “Run!” I saw him momentarily disappear and then he was there again, his face appearing next to a gap in the rubble. I saw him prance around nervously and then he was gone; everything was. Chunks of the ceiling had fallen, one missing my head by mere inches. The entrance was completely sealed off now; I had no choice but to turn around and traverse the darkness behind me. I had seen no eyes waiting for me…did they all try to cut me off at the rubble instead? I wasted no time in charging forward but no longer hearing them caused me to swirl my head around me frantically; I didn’t want to get caught off-guard. I was gasping for breath as I ran, shivers running up and down my spine as I was swallowed up by darkness. How do I get out of here now?
A lone lantern sat on the muddy ground at the fork in the road. Its frame was smashed yet it still whispered out a faint, flickering light in its dying breath. Instead of turning right as I had before, I decided to continue down the path straight ahead; it was my only chance left of escape. I didn’t know this path so I traced the wall with my fingers as I rushed forward. I jumped at every slight bump on my fingers, however, and found myself letting loose a small shriek every time. My nerves were shot and my hands trembled violently; I was definitely not prepared for this. I tried to steady my breathing as I stumbled through the darkened path, hoping to focus my concentration on the inhales and exhales and block out the world around me. But my mind raced; did those things travel inside the walls? The ceiling? I pushed myself even harder now, my sides screeching in pain. With no signs of the creatures ahead of me I had started to scan the path behind me as I ran until I found myself watching my back more than my front. That’s when the floor suddenly vanished underneath and I found myself falling. I had barely managed to eke out a scream when I landed in an open cage that was covered in sand. A sharp pain thrust itself up my legs as I landed but I ignored it as I turned my head upwards; slight pieces of falling sand were landing on the cage from an opening but it was far too dark for me to see exactly where. Should I attempt to climb upwards? The metallic cage swayed and creaked loudly in the darkness from my sudden landing and in the few seconds I had taken to contemplate my next move, the cage jerked into action. Slowly at first, but it quickly picked up speed as it descended further into the nothingness around me.
“No, no…” I squeaked out as I tried to steady myself on the shaking elevator. “This can’t be happening…” I looked around in a panic, hoping to see some light yet expecting more red eyes to greet me in the blackness.
The miner’s cage slammed into the ground hard, flinging me out onto the cold dirt of a clearly long abandoned section of the mine. There were large chunks of mud and stone littering the floor and there was very little wooden support beams. There was nowhere else to go now; the cage blocked access to any other direction. Taking no time to think I charged down the only path I had, feeling the walls quickly as I went along. It seemed like only a few steps later, however, when I found myself face to face with a wet, sticky wall and nowhere else to go. I huffed loudly as I stared at this sudden blockade when I started to hear the claws of the creatures in the distance. I turned around and stared in fright at the path behind me, covering my mouth to quiet my wheezing breath. A few minutes passed before the eyes slowly started to emerge from above, their glowing eyes barely illuminating the metal cage that brought me here. I backed up slowly into the cold muck of the blockage behind me as I watched the creatures’ movements when I suddenly found that the wall melted away at my touch. I dug a few fingers into the clay-like substance and fingered a few pieces loose as I kept a vigilant eye on the monsters down the path. They appeared to be looking around, most likely for me, but they did not move. As quietly as I could I turned to face the wall again and had kneeled down to start digging; my only possible way out. I peeled small parts of the wall away and watched as it crumbled easily and noiselessly at my touch. As I continued I had noticed that the ground below me had slanted upwards as I dug, offering me hope at the chance of freedom. I had continued to glance behind me fretfully and I finally sighed quietly in relief when I saw their slithering bodies turn and continue down the path that the cage had blocked me off from. They wouldn’t be gone for long, I was sure, but it gav
e me time and I was thankful for that. I dug for what felt like hours until the wall suddenly fell forward and revealed a different tunnel before me. Climbing into it I noticed that the path was short; I could see both ends of it as soon as I entered which made me briefly contemplate the reasoning behind a random passageway in the depths of the mine that connected to nothing…or was this tunnel blocked off intentionally? I didn’t think on it long, however, as I noticed the left side of the shaft was barricaded by debris but I could see the hints of sunlight peeking through its walls and I could hear the howling wind quite loudly; the wasteland had to be on the other side.
I laughed heartily. “Yes!” I exclaimed as I stumbled my way up the sloping earth towards the obstruction ahead.
I climbed over the rubble that blocked my exit and I held the clay-like substance of the wall in my fingers; my heart swelled at the feeling of freedom in my hands. My elation was short-lived as I realized I was no longer paying as much attention as I should have; I heard the shuffling of an army behind me. I dug frantically at the wall now, allowing more sunlight to shine on me with each hectic swipe of my hand. I could feel it; the raging wind was blowing full force onto my skin. I had cleared a large hole into the wall but the muck had become hard and difficult to remove as I continued, slowing my progress. I could see the wasteland before me, though, and decided to take a chance; the only chance I had. I threw my belongings out into the sand, not wanting to risk getting stuck because of them. Taking a deep breath I thrust myself through the gap…and screamed when a claw as cold as death wrapped around my ankle – and then another. I had kicked and squirmed as I grasped desperately at the desert burning in the sun. I could feel the weight on my ankles getting heavier as more creatures latched onto me. I used all my strength to kick off the monsters and I felt my shoe connect with something soft as I managed to inch my way farther into the sun. Gathering the last of my strength I lurched forward into the desert and landed hard on my stomach as the mine’s denizens tried to pull me back. Laying on the hot sand I suddenly heard a hissing sound behind me and felt the grasp on my legs lessen considerably. I glanced briefly at the source of the sound and saw the red, menacing eyes quickly retreating into the darkness of the tunnel as large shafts of sunlight were now illuminating the cavern. With the creatures darting off into the shadows my ankle was finally free and I had thrown myself into the wasteland; I never thought I’d be so happy to have a mouthful of sand.
I started to laugh maniacally as I rolled onto my back and stared at the morning’s shining light above me. I closed my eyes and embraced the hot wind that raced across my face as I tried to steady my breathing. Feeling a slight tickle on my leg made me twitch in fright, however, as I realized how close I still was to the mine. I grabbed my stuff as I lifted myself to my feet, giving the hole I had climbed out from one last look as I tried to recover from the craziness that just happened; my heart was still pounding. The wind raged heavily and I raised my bandana to my face, looking around for a familiar sight as I did so. I hadn’t exactly kept track of where I was going inside the mine; just where the hell was I?
“Ponika!” I had yelled into the wind, struggling against the sound of the storm to hear his hooves.
I had scanned the desert desperately for him, squinting in the light and hoping to see a figure in the distance. I shouted his name again with all the might my voice could muster but I still heard and saw no sign of him. I glanced at the ground, hoping to see some tracks but the sands were untouched; the storm would have covered anything by now anyway. I had stood there for a while, calling my horse’s name and putting some distance between me and the burrow into the mine. There was no sign of Ponika and the winds were becoming harsher; my eyes itched and watered from the constant onslaught of the sandstorm and I cursed myself for not finding a hat to take on my journey. I peered into the sand one last time for any sign of my horse or Salvation but the whirling sands were too thick to see. I knew I had to get moving, though; the cliff-face beside me would soon start to throw a large shadow, possibly one large enough to lure those creatures back out. Not only that but what if night falls? Would they dare to traverse the desert in the cover of darkness? I wasn’t about to find out so I had headed out into the wasteland, calling Ponika’s name as I went.
I meandered through the desert, seeing nothing but sand for miles around. I had even lost track of where the mine behind me had disappeared to. Just where the hell was my horse?
“Ponika!” I shouted once again into the winds, knowing by now that he would never hear it.
I told him to run; maybe this is my entire fault. I couldn’t just expect him to stay put though, could I? This was my journey to make, not his; I couldn’t let him suffer. Maybe he will be better off this way…
Just as I started to come to terms with the idea of continuing on without him, I heard the familiar sound of wooden boards creaking and saw the mine’s awning come into view. Somehow, I had managed to find my way back! Grinning wildly I ran towards it, certain that Ponika must be waiting for me just outside of it. He never strays far from me; why would now be any different? As the entrance of the mine started to become visible I noticed a peculiar sight; there were multiple pairs of footprints littering the sand outside it and they certainly weren’t mine. The sight drew me to an immediate halt and I inched my way forward, peering quickly into the darkness of the mine for any signs of Ponika or whatever else may have laid in wait. The mine, however, was almost completely caved in and there were no hoof marks to be seen; if Ponika had come back here at all, it would have been a long time ago…long enough for the winds to have covered his tracks. I had never before felt my heart fall as hard as it did now. How could he not be waiting for me here…did something happen? I swallowed hard as I looked around me, searching for signs of whoever was apparently traversing the wasteland through sandstorms. I could barely see a foot in front of me; who in their right mind would be out in this willingly?
Unless…was it Kay? Or maybe my father? I had stared down at the footprints again, trying to gauge their sizes but they often overlapped, making it difficult to differentiate the two pairs I could make out.
“I suppose it could be theirs…” Honestly, who else would it belong to? I smiled but still felt a nagging feeling in my gut. Thinking on Kay reminded me of his stories...especially the one about sandstorms. It couldn’t possibly be true…could it?
Kay had come running up to me as I was making my way towards the fountain in town. “Come check this out!” He had exclaimed excitedly, clutching a worn-out book to his chest.
I couldn’t help but smile at his eagerness. “What have you got there?”
“Well, most of the pages are missing, but I can still make out most of the story. It has to do with sandstorms and pirates!” Kay had quickly flipped through his book, looking for a specific passage.
I laughed and started to walk away. “Pirates, Kay? Sounds like one of those make-believe stories we heard about.”
Kay was right at my heels. “Well, it sounds really cool anyway.”
I was on my way to the town square to put my list of supplies on the bulletin board. It was always something I waited until the last minute to do; something about the Provider just made me feel uneasy and I detested being in charge of our family’s list. Kay had stood at my side today though, chatting away and distracting my thoughts. If it was one thing I could count on, it was Kay; he was always there.
“Well, alright Kay. I’ll bite; what makes this story so interesting?” I had smiled at him as a dopey grin crossed his face.
“It was saying how pirates live in sandstorms, and how they use the cover of the sand to steal from towns and villages that become engulfed in the storm. Isn’t that crazy? Can you imagine how incredible their eyesight must be in order to hide out in a sandstorm?”
I had to admit, that did sound pretty interesting. “What else does it say?” I asked, looking down at the book in his hands.
Kay had started leafing through some pages as w
e walked, completely oblivious to the few girls that were vying for his attention nearby. They always were; either Kay was much too absorbed in his books to notice or he pretended not to care. Either way, I seemed to be the only one who ever noticed. I think people were envious of the relationship we shared, but we were best friends, after all, and had been since childhood. No one else shared his love of knowledge like I did.
I shut my eyes tight at the thought and tried to focus my attention back to the predicament I found myself in. Pirates…surely that was a joke, right? An old book from the days of my father? Even still, I glanced at the footsteps before me with trepidation. There could only be two possible, and rather hefty, outcomes of this sign. One…is that Ponika has found my family before I did and is safe in their loving care. Or two…is that Ponika has encountered some people that would probably consider a horse to be quite a rare prize. Either way, the thought of actually continuing my journey without him made my throat dry. Could I really do this alone?
“Stop; just stop. Thinking like this won’t help me at all. I need to find Salvation…maybe he’ll be there.”
I was sure that I had remembered its location and immediately headed off, although I never really needed my inner compass before. By this point I think it would have completely rusted over. After what must have been at least an hour I knew I had gone the wrong way; there was nothing but sand around me once again and no signs of any kind of civilization. I grew tired, but I pressed on; I would find something soon, I was sure of it.
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