Lesia glances back at him and rolls her eyes, sighing, “Whatever.”
“Come on guys, pay attention. We don’t know what’s going to happen in there,” Chrissi cautions.
Kesil slowly makes his way around the bend of the rock and into the Tunnel, just in time for another scream. Everyone stiffens, but no wind precedes it this time.
“Ready?” Kesil calls behind him.
“As ready as we can be!” Phil hollers back.
“Let’s go,” says Chrissi.
Lesia whimpers.
As Kesil takes a second step into the Tunnel the sound of rushing water becomes so loud he can barely hear his own voice as he yells back, “Stay against the wall! I don’t know where the water is!”
“Who has a flashlight?” Chrissi calls back, taking her first step inside.
“I got it!” Phil says excitedly grasping for his flashlight and turning it on. He points it down the side towards Kesil’s feet. Lesia slowly follows Chrissi inside and then Phil steps in, but he begins to waver. He tries to grip the side wall with one hand, keeping his balance on the edge of rock that juts out from it forming a very narrow and slippery step. It sounds as if rapids are rushing right below their feet. Phil begins to lose his balance and fumbles around. The beam from his flashlight bounces around the walls, casting shadows.
Kesil and Chrissi see all kinds of animal-like shadows projected in front and beside them, on the other side of the Tunnel. But they are just standing still like statues. Kesil pauses for a second, but Chrissi prods him, “It’s OK, I think. Let’s get as far as we can as quickly as possible.”
“Phil!” Lesia screams. “Don’t you dare fall, you’ll take me with you!”
“Yyyeah! Nevermind ME!” Phil yells back as another shrill scream sails through the Tunnel. It is as if the screams are a vehicle, a presence definitely passes through completely unseen.
“Don’t! Phil!” Lesia screams again, grasping for the wall and pushing her back against it. Her eyes widen and she yells in fear. It sounds like rushing water but all her eyes see is what could very well be a dark abyss.
“I won’t!” Phil shouts in confidence. He tosses the flashlight and glues himself to the wall, his stomach and face smashed against it. Lesia watches as the flashlight disappears. No splash. “I’m good!” Phil hollers to the front.
Chrissi sighs in relief and taps Kesil’s shoulder to tell him to keep going.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Fifteen minutes pass of them shuffling along the lip of the wall above an abyss of phantom rapids and against still intermittent screams that seem to come from nowhere and everywhere. Kesil and Chrissi step carefully as if on a tight rope, facing forward. Lesia still has her back against the wall and trails slowly behind. Phil lets out little grunts and moans.
Lesia exhales loudly in annoyance. “Phil!”
“Aren’t you tired of my name?” Phil’s words are muffled as his cheek is still smashed up against the wall. “’Cause I am.”
Despite the hot rush of wind Kesil felt before they entered the Tunnel, it is frigid. Everyone is trembling from the dropped temperature, making it a little more difficult to keep their balance and hold onto the wall.
“My hands are going numb,” Lesia says to no one in particular.
“I know, we’ve got to be close, keep holding on, we’re doing well!” Chrissi encourages her, feeling guilty for being the only one wearing gloves. She glances at the yellow leather ones she chose to wear this morning. Just as she looks up to take her next guarded step, a large bird-like shadow flies at her face. “Look out!” she warns to Lesia and Phil. Lesia yelps and Phil grunts as he pushes himself even harder into the wall.
“Owww,” he groans.
When Chrissi looks ahead again she sees Kesil in a scuffle with a bouncing animal, about the size of a opossum. But she barely has time to register what is happening to him before a larger animal, about the size a wolf, comes up to her side and growls. It is so close she can feel its warm breath and slobber splash on her face. Without thinking, she kicks out at it. It yelps and disappears. These are more than just shadows.
“Ahhh, arg!” Phil tries to swat at another animal, this one is squirrel-like and jumping all over him hissing and snapping. “Ouch! It’s got claws!”
Lesia screams and pushes herself so hard against the rock wall it is like she is trying to sink into it as a bird flies at her face, trying to impale her with its irregularly long and razor sharp beak. She dodges it each time but hitting the hard stone with its beak doesn’t seem to faze it.
The phantom animals continue to approach each of them, trying to scare them or make them fall; none of the snarling beasts have touched them yet. Maybe they can’t, Chrissi hopes. She feels a cold liquid splash her jeans. The rushing river they heard all along finally begins here, in the middle of the dark Tunnel. “Watch your step,” she tells the others, still fighting off a beast of her own. “The river started, we are right over water!”
“Fantastic!” says Lesia.
Water splashes against the sides of the Tunnel up ahead of them. Kesil looks back at Chrissi in concern. Maybe they made a mistake. But Chrissi looks right back at him, determination flashing in her confident eyes. “It’s about to get really slippery!” he warns everyone and trudges on around a small bend in the Tunnel. Ahead Kesil sees a few of the beasts’ shadows on the opposite wall. Once he comes around the other side of the bend he covers his eyes to avoid a sudden brightness. Slowly he takes his arm away.
“I see light!” Kesil yelps in joy. “I see it! About 40 yards ahead!” His step quickens until the rope between himself and Chrissi is taut.
“Wait!” Chrissi pleads, “Slow down Kesil!” She attempts to keep up but slow him down at the same time. The rope pulls between them and Kesil begins to lose his balance. His right foot slips behind his left and he struggles to catch his balance against the wall again. A rapid crashes up against Kesil as a large beast barrels through down the Tunnel only a few inches away from their line. Kesil loses his grip on the wall and his step on the ledge. To Chrissi’s amazement, he catches himself.
“All good,” he grins at Chrissi.
She smiles back and looks at her feet sheepishly. She stares at the rapids below that have become visible since the opening before them sheds some light. Something small reaches out of the water towards her boot. She kicks at it and starts to continue her shuffle along the edge. Stopping doesn’t seem a smart idea right now. She makes sure Lesia and Phil are still moving. Before she turns back completely to Kesil she feels a small tug on the rope between them.
“What—” Kesil’s exclamation is cut short as the little arm from beneath the water reveals its attachment to a rabid looking animal. He cannot determine if it is a bear or a dog. “Get off!” he yells kicking at it, but it already has hold of one of his shoes and he can’t get away. His foot begins to slip and he struggles to keep his balance again. Chrissi watches in horror, unsure of what to do. So much for her previous hope. As he plunges to the icy rapids below, Chrissi screams, reaching out for him.
“Brace yourselves!” she screams to the others as Kesil hits the water.
The rope becomes taut and pulls as the rapids try to take Kesil away. Kesil tries to swim but he is still fighting the beast that has hold of his ankle. Chrissi, Lesia, and Phil try to stay on the ledge but it becomes more and more difficult as the water and Kesil tug on the rope around their waists. Lesia can feel it begin to burn her stomach.
“I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” she warns.
“Are you OK Kesil?” Chrissi can’t tell if Kesil is just struggling to tread water or if there is something harmful about the water itself.
“I’m fine, I’m fine!” Kesil says between breaths, trying to keep from drowning.
Kesil will not be able to climb back on the ledge without pulling them down into the water as well, Chrissi reasons. She looks back at Lesia and Phil, “We’re going in!”
“What? No!”
Lesia protests. “You’re crazy! It will take us away!”
“Yeah, a way out!” says Phil. “I’m down!” His face is still smashed against the wall.
“On three!” Chrissi says. “One...”
“No way!” Lesia protests again.
“Two!” Chrissi makes eye contact with Lesia, willing her to listen for her own safety. If she and Phil jump, Lesia is going with them, prepared or not.
“Three!” Chrissi and Phil leap and at the very last second Lesia half leaps and is half pulled down.
The current begins to take them swiftly through the Tunnel. Animals of all sorts jump out towards them from the opposite side and up from the water. The beasts snip and claw as everyone swats, kicks, punches and tries to swim at the same time. Chrissi is pushed up close to Kesil.
“Are you OK?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, watch yourself!” Suddenly Kesil grabs Chrissi and pushes her away, but not quite soon enough as the rope between catches a large rock and they are jolted. Phil and Lesia are pushed passed them, Phil now in the lead. Once the rope between Lesia and Chrissi is taut, the momentum pulls Kesil and Chrissi’s part of the rope apart and they are separated in two pairs.
“Everyone OK?” Phil yells back. But before anyone can answer he is thrown up about six feet in the air and onto a hard surface. He opens his eyes to see a bright sun straight above him. He is on dry ground, dry, beautiful green grass. He sits up on his side and stares around him at a gorgeous, gleaming meadow.
He hears a crack next to him and flips over like a fish out of water to see Lesia lying beside him on her side, not moving.
“Lesia!” He scurries to her other side to see her face. “Lesia!” Her eyes are closed and he can’t tell if she’s breathing. Chrissi comes flying through the air and lands on the other side of the unconscious girl. “I don’t think she’s breathing!” he tells Chrissi.
“I…am…breaping.” Lesia moans.
“What?” Phil’s eyes widen in relief and shock. He rubs her face and taps a little, trying to force her to come to completely. Chrissi watches in concern. “She’s breathing! She’s alive!” he looks at her, Chrissi nods at the obvious statement. He turns back to Lesia, “What did you say? Are you OK?”
“I…am…breathing! Get off!” she says beginning to sit up.
“She’s OK!” Phil says. He lunges for Lesia and wraps his arms around her.
“Ack!” she falls back trying to get out of the hug and slips out of his grasp. “Yeah, I’m fine. No need for suffocation.”
They all look around. Peace begins to settle as the fear of the Tunnel fades away. Chrissi looks back at the dark exit they were thrown through. Then she sees it—the empty end of her rope. Kesil isn’t on it.
“The rope broke!” she says, her voice verging panic. “Where’s Kesil?” They look around but there isn’t anybody else in sight. “Kesil!” Chrissi calls into the Tunnel. “Kesil! Where are you?”
Another scream erupts out of the darkness, but this time it is familiar. It is not the mysterious and eerie scream of the Tunnel. It’s Kesil’s. Tears pool in Chrissi’s eyes.
Suddenly, a hand darts out from the darkness and the river that seems to stop abruptly at the edge of the Tunnel. Kesil grabs the grass outside trying to pull himself up out of the freezing rapids, but he only has one arm free. Chrissi dives to catch his arm and pull him up. She clasps his hand just in time and tries to pull but it is wet from the water and slippery from beast slobber. He beats the beast with his free arm and fights to hold on to Chrissi’s, but it is no use. He slips from her grasp and is pulled under again.
“No!” Chrissi starts to dive after him but Phil grabs her waist and pulls her away from the river. “What are you doing?” she turns on her confidant. “He’s drowning! He’s being attacked! We have to help him!” She looks back at the edge of the strange river, they are about five feet away now.
“Think this through Chrissi!” Phil says. “If you go in, YOU may not come out! It isn’t worth it!”
“It? It isn’t worth it? You mean HE isn’t worth it? How dare you Phil?”
Phil’s jaw drops. He didn’t mean it but he was so concerned about keeping Chrissi on dry land and away from the rabid beasts and violent rapids that he would say just about anything to accomplish it. “I didn’t…I didn’t mean that. But Chrissi, you can’t go in! It’s too dangerous!”
“I can’t stand here while he fights for his life Phil!” And with that Chrissi finds herself running back into the Tunnel.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Chrissi dives into the river. The breath she holds escapes as the arctic water surrounds her. She swims back up to catch another breath, realizing Kesil probably does not have much time and swiftly dives back down.
Beneath the surface of the rapids the river seems almost tranquil. Finally Chrissi’s darting eyes land on Kesil, almost directly below her and grappling with the bearish wolf of a beast, still holding on to his ankle with its jagged, razor-sharp teeth. She swims down, careful to look around for any other animals, since they all seem so keen on annihilating the humans. She reaches Kesil as he continues kicking at the animal on his ankle trying to get loose but the animal doesn’t seem too affected by the brute strikes. Chrissi continues to look around for any other predators while thinking of what to do next. Kesil will lose oxygen soon, he has been down here much longer than she has and she is already close to needing another breath. She silently thanks her mother for forcing swimming lessons, even though 7-year-old Chrissi was mortified at having to wear gloves with her swimsuit.
Chrissi swims to the other side of the beast and motions Kesil to start swimming the other way. He looks at her questioningly but obeys and gives up his kicking to try to swim back. Chrissi swims right up to the beast and taps it on the head with her hand. For the first time it notices her, and growls menacingly. Chrissi gives it a good kick to the face and begins to swim the opposite direction from Kesil, away from the safety of the shore, away from the green and perfect meadow, away from Phil and Lesia. She swims as fast as she can but the beast is much bigger and stronger and has no trouble catching up to her, even against the stream. She lets herself float to the surface and takes a quick breath. From shore she can hear her friends begging.
“Come on Chrissi! It’s no use, we need to go!”
“It’s too dangerous!”
Not a second later the beast surfaces but Chrissi dives straight down again. When she is sure the beast is following her she continues in the opposite direction from the safe shore. She looks back and the beast closes in on her. Just before it is close enough to grab her she dives down and flips to swim with the current back towards the shore. The beast has so much momentum it cannot stop itself right away and continues to swim away from Chrissi. She knows this will only buy her a little bit of time so she swims fast. Kesil dives back under only a few feet away. He motions for her to hurry. She reaches him and they swim back together.
Kesil glances back and fear strikes through his bones. The beast has turned around and is coming at them at an alarming velocity. He grabs Chrissi’s right hand and pulls her up with him. Just before they reach the surface the beast grabs Chrissi by the foot and her hand slips out of her canary yellow glove.
Kesil reaches the surface to find the glove in his hand and no Chrissi. He throws it in frustration and dives back down. The beast is pulling Chrissi straight down to the bottom of the river. It becomes darker and darker, even the light from the Tunnel’s opening above doesn’t help this deep. But Kesil can still see Chrissi’s other bright yellow glove, stretching for freedom. He swims harder reaching for her outstretched hands, ignoring the pain in his bleeding ankle.
Kesil comes into Chrissi’s view and suddenly she is painfully aware of her bare right hand. She draws back a little just as he reaches her. Frustration and confusion flash across Kesil’s face. He grabs her arms and Chrissi almost lets out a scream, before remembering she is near drowning. She is painstakingly aware of her right hand
and keeps it away from Kesil’s skin. She gives the beast one good kick in its eye with her boot heel and it releases her other foot reluctantly. Kesil pulls her up and they reach the oxygen above.
Chrissi keeps her eye on the surface around her as the rapids take her closer and closer to Phil. Kesil pulls her by her gloved hand. As they reach the shore she begins to climb out and Phil reaches for her arm, but the beast comes bursting through the surface, sending water spraying in all directions and comes down on top of Chrissi. The beast’s head hits the shore line and black gunk oozes on the grass as Chrissi sinks to the bottom underneath the massive beast. She tries to slip out from under him but he is sinking too fast. She flails her arms to touch the beast with her bare hand, but it is no use. Her curse doesn’t affect it. With horror she realizes this beast is already dark, decayed, and evil. Just like her curse. Her head hits and scrapes against the earth halfway down. Blood floats around her in delicate spirals as they continue to fall to the bottom. Their tangled red and black blood swirl upwards, diffusing and then disappearing.
On shore Phil paces at the edge of the Tunnel with the Book open. He flips through pages furiously, mumbling angrily. Lesia stands and walks toward Phil. Kesil stands next to him watching intently.
When Lesia reaches Phil, he begins yelling vehemently at the Book, “Why don’t you just work NOW! When we NEED you!” He throws it down to the muddy grass at the edge of the river.
“Phil…” Lesia is hesitant but reaches out to him, gently laying her hand on his shoulder.
“Help us! Where is the great and mighty king?” Phil shouts to the sky and sinks to his knees. He buries his face in his hands. Hopelessness encases him. Whenever they had to swim in Phys Ed at school, Phil feigned ill and he never went to anyone’s summer pool party. He hates swimming. The truth is, he is like a big hunk of granite and just sinks to the bottom. He can’t go after Chrissi and King Roi should be helping them right now. The Book should be helping them. Roi wanted Chrissi on this stupid journey and here she is at the bottom of a river, if you can call it a river, beneath some huge demon beast thing. He scrambles back to the Book.
The Reconciling [Part 1] Page 15