by Morgana Best
I rolled my eyes and then glanced at Melissa, hoping for some sort of assistance in dealing with the annoying woman.
Julie was still talking. “I’ve never explored caverns or anything adventurous like that. It should be really nice. Better than drinking booze and playing video games,” she concluded in an angry tone, just before pointing out the door. “The bus!” She ran out.
Melissa shook her head and laughed. “I thought you said you’d lost her!”
I rubbed my forehead. “Is it bad to take headache tablets as a preventative?” I asked. I looked at Melissa but she was staring over my shoulder. “What are you looking at?” I asked, turning around. As I did, I saw Jamie walking over to us.
“I know you didn’t exactly invite me, but you did say that you could bring guests,” he said, with a broad smile.
I smiled awkwardly.
“I’ll go and find Julie and make sure she doesn’t make any enemies for us on the bus. Just a few words from that woman and they’ll hate us the entire ride,” Melissa joked.
I knew she was just making up an excuse to give us privacy, so I smiled. “Thanks,” I said.
Jamie took my arm. “Listen, I think this is some sort of trap or something. I’m not really sure what to make of it, but something doesn’t feel right. I don’t think you should go. Tell Melissa and whoever else you invited that you aren’t feeling well,” he insisted.
I shook my head. “I can’t do that. If you’re right and this is a trap, then it’s important that I don’t decline the tour. What if this is our only chance of finding some sort of clue as to what’s going on?”
Jamie shook his head emphatically and sighed. “I suppose you’re going to go, no matter what I say?”
I nodded and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Okay, I give in, but stick close to me, won’t you.” It was a demand rather than a question. I readily agreed.
The line moved slowly, but when I finally climbed the steps into the bus, I saw Melissa sitting by herself near the back. As I headed down the center aisle toward her, Julie popped up beside me, scaring me into adrenaline mode. My heart pounded.
“Sorry! I dropped my pen and had to dig for it under the seats,” Julie explained.
I sighed and took in a deep gulp of air. Without uttering a response, I continued down the aisle and found a seat right behind Melissa and the annoying woman. Jamie followed behind, sitting in the seat with me.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” a voice boomed over the speakers. “The trip to the Jenolan Caves is approximately one hour. Please take your seats and prepare for our journey.”
I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes.
The next thing I knew, I was wiping at my eyes as Jamie spoke my name. “Hey, wake up. We’re almost at the caves.”
I opened my eyes and looked at him. “You actually let me sleep through the entire trip?” I said.
“Well, not the entire thing,” Jamie replied. “We aren’t there quite yet.”
I shot him a mock angry stare and then laughed. “You’re lucky the nap felt nice,” I said. I sat upright in my seat and looked out the windows. “Is that the Jenolan Caves?” I asked, pointing toward a large set of yellow, red-roofed buildings that sat nestled in the mountain.
“I think so,” Jamie replied. “I think that might be the Caves House. I think that’s where they keep the bistros and gift shops and all that.”
“Oh,” I said, trying to catch a glimpse of the caves themselves. As the bus came to a stop, I sighed. “This place looks huge. How many caves are there?”
“I think there’s over ten,” Julie chimed in, her voice louder than it needed to be. “At least that’s what my phone is saying.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll just follow the tour guide and the rest of the guests and see what they offer,” Melissa replied.
When the doors to the bus opened, the scores of people emptied the seats and filled the narrow aisle. The line moved slowly, but once we were all out, we headed toward one of the smaller buildings that was marked with a sign saying ‘Tour Offices’.
As we approached a large group of people that stood outside the offices, a man clutching a microphone tapped on it, sending a series of loud noises through the air. “Welcome to the Jenolan Caves. Right this way, up the small hill you’ll see the main building, where several dining areas and the event rooms are. Today we’re going to be touring several caves, but the first will be the Imperial Cave tour. It’s the easiest tour for our guests physically, so we like to offer it early in the day. If you’d like to pass on this one and view a different cave, the next tour will be starting shortly. We’ll be leaving for the Imperial Cave as soon as we have enough people,” he explained.
“So now what do we do?” asked Melissa.
I shrugged. “I think we just wait until he tells us otherwise?”
“I didn’t know there would be so many people,” Julie added. “Good thing they have so many different caves. There’s no way we’d all fit inside one.”
I shot her a look and then glanced back over at the tour guide. He was checking off names from a list of some sort, so I decided to approach him to ask when the tour would start. “Excuse me, do you know how much longer it will be before we begin?”
The man stopped writing and looked up at me. “Yes, ma’am, we’re going to be heading over to the cave shortly. Have you checked in?”
“I wasn’t aware that we had to,” I said.
“Typically you just go inside and show your ID, but if you’re booked for today’s tours, your name should be on this here list,” he said, showing it to me.
“Oh, well my name is Misty Sales,” I said.
He flipped through the few pages on his clipboard until he pointed at a name. “Is that you?”
“Yes,” I said. I peered at the list to see I could find who had booked me, but there was nothing of any use.
“We’ll be starting the tour as soon as everyone is lined up and ready,” he said, checking off the box next to my name on the sheet of paper.
I walked back to the group.
“See that walkway and the railings?” Jamie said, pointing out in the distance. “That’s one of the caves. This place looks pretty safe, but everyone should watch their step,” he said, before looking at me. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Especially you.”
Just then, the tour guide tapped his microphone once more. “We’re now heading into the Imperial Caves. Please form a line right here,” he said, drawing an invisible line on the street. “Once everyone’s together and ready, we’ll start our walk to the entrance.”
The guests reminded me of ants as they scrambled around erratically, struggling to form an actual line. Instead, they formed a large clump as the tour guide sighed.
“If he thinks his job is a pain in the behind, he needs to try mine,” Julie said.
After several minutes, the people began to move. They reached one of the walkways that Jamie had pointed out and followed it to a gaping hole in the mountain. I peeked in, unsure what I was about to see. Darkness clouded the large underground cavern, as the sound of water droplets resonated through the cave.
“Please come inside,” the tour guide called out. “Try to be courteous of others, and please, no pushing. Even though the caves include railing and walkways, danger is lurking around every crevice and corner. Let’s respect others, and so we will all enjoy a great tour,” he shouted, as he headed deeper into the Imperial Cave.
The orange hues from some of the rocks and the greens from the water below blended to make the cave absolutely breathtaking. I couldn’t believe how beautiful rocks and water could look. As we crossed a small bridge, I leaned over to look at the water closely. “This place is amazing,” Melissa said from somewhere behind me.
I had never imaged that the caves would be so magnificent. They were breathtaking, with the translucent underground rivers and amazing limestone crystal formations. I’m somewhat claustrophobic, but the cave int
eriors were huge.
As I studied the luminescent green water, something brushed against my back. Before I could pull myself back up over the guard rail completely, a second, stronger impact knocked me hard into the rail. “Whoa,” I blurted out, gripping the railing with my hands and pulling myself up. When I turned around, all I could see were the faces of the other guests as they looked at their surroundings in awe.
“Did you see who did that?” I asked Jamie.
He tilted his head and shook it. “Did I see what?”
“I think you were right about this being a trap,” I said. “Someone just tried to push me into the water.”
Jamie leaned in and whispered. “Are you sure it wasn’t just an accident? I’ve been bumped a few times myself.”
“Whoever it was, he hit me twice, and I think it was the same person. The first time wasn’t enough to push me forward, but the second time was harder.” I wasn’t so brave now that I felt I could be in actual danger.
“Just stay close to me and I’ll keep an eye on you. If you have to though, scream if someone else touches you,” Jamie said, the look in his eyes speaking volumes.
“Okay,” I replied, trying to regain my composure.
As the tour continued, we came upon an open area where several stalactites hung from the ceiling like dangerous daggers looking for weak prey. “This area is referred to as the Crystal Cities,” the tour guide explained.
“Wow, this area is really cool,” Melissa said, hurrying ahead of the others.
“As long as those things don’t fall on our heads!” Julie called out, chasing after Melissa.
I could hear Jamie chuckling behind me, but something had pulled my attention to a rock formation near one of the walls. I stared closely, letting the rest of the world fade from my focus. A strange shadow rested against one of the far walls, but as I continued looking at it, I noticed that it was moving subtly. Or was it?
I walked toward it slowly, my heart pounding so heavily that I feared it might escape my chest. I approached the rock wall and looked around for the object that had created the shadow. There was nothing that could be making such a shape. Had I imagined it? Or had it moved elsewhere? Perhaps it was all in my mind. Or was somebody watching me?
Suddenly, a hand fell on my shoulder, causing me to jump back into the wall as I turned toward my attacker. It was only Jamie. “What are you doing?” he asked, concern in his voice. “I told you to stay with the group and you’re over here examining the wall?”
I sighed and shrugged. “I wasn’t looking at the wall. I was trying to figure out if someone was watching me.”
“And?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I can’t be sure.”
I stayed close to Jamie after that, but nothing untoward happened. The tour wound down as we approached the exit. The guide seemed as enthusiastic as ever while he talked about the cave and pointed out two skeletons that were on display. “This is the remains of a wallaby, and this,” he said, pointing to the other set of bones, “is a Tasmanian Devil.”
After the tour ended, we headed back toward the main buildings. “We should grab some lunch,” Melissa said. “That was really cool, but now my stomach is rumbling.”
“That sounds like a plan,” I replied, hoping that Julie wouldn’t be joining us.
“It sure does!” the annoying woman added, causing both of us to sigh simultaneously.
Melissa led the way toward the small bistro and walked in. The display cases were full of various foods, from fruits and wraps to cakes and brownies. I looked up at the menu and skimmed it quickly. “I can’t decide.” I looked back at Melissa, who was staring at the menu as well. “Do you know what you want yet?”
“Nope, but I’ll order it. Just worry about your and Jamie’s food,” she insisted.
“What about mine?” Julie asked. “Why doesn’t anybody worry about my food? My husband never worries about my food. Have I ever told you that he plays video games all day? Do you know how much those things cost? Meanwhile, I work two jobs, and where does all my money go?” She looked at us expectantly.
“He spends it?” I asked, suppressing a laugh, and Julie nodded vehemently, and then snatched at one of her false eyelashes as it made a flight for freedom.
Mercifully, Jamie interrupted. “Misty, go find a table and I’ll bring our food over.”
I picked out a table, and then looked back at the counter where Jamie, Julie, and Melissa stood. It seemed to me that the two women were bickering about something. The day should have been pleasant, but I had questions on my mind: who had booked that tour for me, and were they here trying to hurt me?
Chapter 12
As soon as I opened the door to my suite, I knew something was wrong. My cell phone charger had been pulled out of the wall. I always left it plugged in. Sure, it could’ve been housekeeping, but the hairs standing up on the back of my neck signaled otherwise.
Had someone been searching my room? Was that why I had been sent to the Jenolan Caves? After all, this was Lucas Wallace’s old room. Had he hidden something in it? Was that why he had been murdered?
The charger was lying on the floor. I looked around for any evidence of an intruder, but that was the only thing out of place. I walked over toward the bed, but my foot caught on the edge of the Persian rug, and I dropped my handbag. As I bent down to pick up my scattered belongings, I saw a book sitting on the floor in the middle of the room.
I touched it, and then dropped it at once. It was cold, freezing in fact. I poked at it gingerly, and even at my second touch, it seemed not so cold. I waited for a while, poking it now and then until it had dropped to a bearable temperature.
I picked up the book and took it over to one of the high-backed chairs that sat along the far wall of my hotel room, next to the long window there. The shades were drawn. I pulled them open, and I turned on a lamp that sat upon a nearby desk as well.
Finally I sat, turning the book over in my hands to study the front and back covers. I opened it, and gasped. There scrawled in red ink were the words, ‘Property of Lucas Wallace’. The murdered man’s journal, the object of Douglas’s search. Yet Douglas could hardly have searched the room for the journal, as it had been sitting out in the open in plain view. Or had it? It was freezing. Had it been in the portal?
The next page had symbols and words in other languages scrawled across it with black ink, in shaky handwriting. It had to be Lucas Wallace’s handwriting. I flipped through the next few pages, and they were all the same: scribbles, symbols, and barely legible handwriting.
Yet I could feel something, a sense of the supernatural. It was there, in the book. I could feel entities, doorways, fear, and hate. I could feel it all. This gave me pause. Was this safe to do? Should I be looking through the journal? Would something be released from its pages?
I had no idea. I had no answers, and this frustrated me. Since all of this had started, with The Orpheans and everything, I had never known the right answers. No one was guiding me. They just expected me to get the answers right, even if I barely understood the questions.
In a fit of annoyance, I flipped the notebook shut. I tossed it aside, onto the seat of the other high-backed chair next to me. I sighed, and pressed my fingertips to my temples. I didn’t know what to do.
Still, it was up me to do something. I leaned forward, reached for the notebook, and drew it back into my hands. I opened it once more.
Although I could not read the symbols, I could feel the power that emanated from them. When I turned to a page that was buried deep within the notebook, near the back, I recognized the symbols there. They had been on the walls of Lucas Wallace’s hotel room, the very room in which I was now sitting.
I recognized my mistake as soon as my eyes alighted on the symbols, right before I felt the pull of the portal. One moment, I was sitting on a chair in my hotel room. The next moment, I was falling, my vision blank, my feet off the ground. There was nothing but darkness, even as I moved my head th
is way and that. I didn’t feel as though I were falling; it was more like floating.
And then there was solid ground beneath my feet, and there was something other than darkness. I was no longer in my hotel room. I stood somewhere else, somewhere far from there, on another plane of existence.
I fought against the blind panic threatening to overwhelm me, and forced myself to turn around in a slow circle, taking in the landscape. I was outside. Above me was a dull purple sky, cloudless, though black streams flowed through it like clouds. The ground was rocky, gray and brown and barren. I took a step, and dust sprang up, hanging above my foot longer than it would have if I were on Earth.
Was I on another planet? I didn’t think that was quite right. Were there planets here? I looked at the sky once more. There was no sun, and no moon or stars. Was it daytime or night? Was there even such a thing here? I wasn’t sure.
I turned again in a slow circle, and this time I saw something, maybe fifty yards away, lying on the rocky ground. I took a step toward it and then paused. I had to be careful. I didn’t know where I was, although I was reasonably sure that I had been taken through the same portal through which I had almost been dragged the previous day.
I listened to my intuition. It was how I spoke with spirits, and it was how I had felt the portal in the dead man’s hotel room. Now I listened to it because I knew it would keep me safe; it would steer me in the right direction. When I stepped toward the object in the distance, a warm feeling ran through my body, and I knew I was on the right track.
The warmth was nice, because the air in the strange dimension was uncomfortably cold. With every breath I took, mist rose from my lips, heading for that strange purple sky.
When I was twenty yards away from the object on the ground, I could see it was the journal, a page flapping lazily in a wind that I couldn’t feel. I went to the book and picked it up. It looked like the same journal, but this time, I could read the writing there. Above the symbols on the first page were the words, ‘I can open it now,’ in the dead man’s bad handwriting. It was obvious to me that he had been talking about the portal.