by T. L. Clarke
Gabrielle and Rosalinda’s anger disappeared at the thought of finally getting out of the passageway. They quickly walked toward the faint light; the closer they got, the brighter the light became. They soon found themselves standing in a large cavern with walls painted in a bright shade of sky blue and covered with lots of tiny gold stars.
“Wow, this is gosh-darn awesome,” Jessica exclaimed as she twirled around to look at the strange walls.
Zora adjusted her glasses as she glanced around curiously. “Gabby Girls, whatever you do, please don’t touch anything. We can’t afford to get caught in another booby-trap.”
Jessica’s blue eyes darted around nervously. “Do you hear something? I-it sounds like gurgling.”
With eyes filled with panic, they quickly scanned the cavern, taking in the fact that somehow they were standing in the middle of a huge stone platform that was surrounded by some sort of deep pit.
Gabrielle’s face dropped with disappointment. “I just don’t see a way out of here. It seems that the only way out is the way we just came in. We must have made a wrong turn somewhere.”
Zora scratched her head. “Nope, I don’t think so; the passageway definitely led us here. But, just in case, let me see the clue again.”
Gabrielle handed over the clue and Zora read quickly:
The night sky is full of shining points that twinkle in your eyes. Twinkle five and twinkle four. Work together, use your gifts, turn clockwise, and do it quick.
She abruptly twirled in a complete circle as she examined the walls. “Hmm, interesting…very interesting.” She walked over to the edge of the platform and peered down into a bubbling pit of black ooey goo. Zora’s glasses slipped down to the tip of her nose and she quickly adjusted them. “Well, at least I know what that horrible gurgling sound is. It’s some sort of black sticky goo.”
Jessica wrung her hands nervously. “Oh! Be careful, Zora, you don’t want to fall in there.”
Zora quickly took off her backpack, tossing it toward Gabrielle. “Gabi, catch.” Boldly, she quickly stepped into the bubbling black pit of ooey goo.
Rosalinda gave Jessica a panicked look. “Is she crazy?”
Jessica bit her nails nervously as she looked on helplessly.
“Zora, what in the world are you doing?” Rosalinda screamed.
Ignoring her, Zora quickly waded through the pit of goo toward the walls; with ankles way deep in the bubbling ooey goo, she slowly ran her fingers across the walls. “Interesting, very interesting,” she mumbled as she sloshed slowly along the wall.
Rosalinda’s eyes popped open with shock. “She’s insane, absolutely insane,” she mumbled.
“Zora, wait a minute, what about the gold stars we found? They must be a part of the clue,” Gabrielle screamed over to her.
Zora carefully ran her hands along the wall. “Gabi, you might be right. Quick, take them out of my backpack.”
Gabrielle quickly opened Zora’s backpack and pulled out the gold stars one by one.
“Gabi, do the stars have ridges?” Zora screamed over.
Gabrielle squinted at the gold stars firmly grasped in her hands. “Yep, they do.”
“Okay, great, because I think I just figured out what we need to do with them,” Zora said as she squinted at the wall. “Okay, read the clue again, Gabi.”
Gabrielle cleared her throat loudly:
The night sky is full of shining points that twinkle in your eyes. Twinkle five and twinkle four. Work together, use your gifts, turn clockwise, and do it quick.
Zora adjusted her glasses. “Well, these walls are obviously covered with stars—so that’s the shining points that twinkle in your eyes part. But here’s the strange part: most of the stars are painted onto the wall, but…” she paused dramatically, “…I just found a section of the wall that has a carved-out star. So the way I see it, something definitely has to fit into it.”
Gabrielle clapped her hands with excitement. “Great work, Zora. So the stars fit into the wall.”
“That’s right. So, it’s time to work, Gabby Girls. Each of us gets a gold star and we must find the section of the wall that our star fits into,” Zora instructed.
Jessica shifted nervously. “I don’t understand; we found five gold stars and there are only four of us. Are you sure it’s not just another trick?”
Gabrielle smiled confidently at Jessica. “It just might be but we don’t have a choice right now. We can’t just stand here; we have to do something,” she said with determination written all over her face. She handed Jessica a gold star and then turned around to hand a gold star to Rosalinda.
Rosalinda’s eyes popped open with panic as she violently pushed Gabrielle’s hands away. “No way…I’m not taking that stupid gold star. There’s no way that I’m stepping into that pit.” She flipped her long hair over her shoulder and pointed down toward her feet. “Do you know how much these shoes cost? More than you get in allowance for a whole year,” she screamed at Gabrielle.
Gabrielle smiled nastily. “Do I look like I care about your stupid shoes, Princess Rosalinda? Just like the clue says, we have to work together. Now, I know that you don’t like it but, frankly, I really don’t care what you think or feel. So, you can either get into the pit of goo voluntarily or I’ll gladly help you.” She stepped menacingly towards her as she cracked her knuckles loudly. “Now, how’s it gonna be?”
Rosalinda crossed her arms defiantly. “Neither. Like I just said, I’m not stepping into that pit and you can’t make me,” she spat out angrily.
Gabrielle smirked as she lunged for her. “Fine, Princess Rosalinda, if that’s how you want it.”
“Gabby Girls!” Zora screamed at the top of her lungs.
Gabrielle and Rosalinda looked over at her.
“We have a way bigger problem here,” Zora said quickly as she adjusted her glasses, smearing goo all over the lenses. “The goo in the pit is rising real fast. When I first stepped in, it was up to my ankles, but now it’s almost up to my knees.”
Jessica bit her nails nervously. “Oh, jeez! We have to get out of here now.”
Gabrielle huffed angrily, spitefully shoving two gold stars into Rosalinda’s reluctant hand. “Well, it seems so appropriate that you get two stars, Princess Rosalinda—you know, just because you’re so special.” She abruptly turned on her heels, stomping over to the edge of the platform. She quickly leaned down and handed Zora a gold star.
“Thanks, Gabi,” Zora said as she quickly waded toward the wall with the star firmly grasped in her hand. She hurriedly snapped it into place.
Gabrielle fearlessly jumped into the pit of goo, squealing with pure delight. “Awesome…this is not bad at all. It’s a little gooey but not tragically horrible,” she exclaimed as she dipped her fingers into the goo, pulling them out and watching with fascination as the goo ran down her fingers. She looked encouragingly towards Jessica. “Come on, Jess, jump in; it’s not so bad.”
Jessica nervously walked toward the edge of the platform and looked down. Gritting her teeth, she slowly stepped into the pit.
Still standing in the middle of the platform, Rosalinda looked over at them defiantly.
Zora quickly looked over at Jessica and Gabrielle. “Okay, so here’s what we need to do. We have to quickly look along the wall for a carved star then we have to snap the gold star into it.” Impatiently, she looked over at Rosalinda. “Rosa, you have to jump in here quickly if you want to get out of here. Remember—teamwork! It’s all about teamwork.”
Angrily, Rosalinda stomped over to the edge of the platform and slowly stepped into the pit, squealing with disgust as the dark goo quickly surrounded her legs.
Zora looked at them encouragingly. “Okay, time’s a-wasting. Let’s find those stars.”
They quickly sloshed around in the dark ooey goo, frantically looking along the wall for a place to snap the stars in.
“I found one!” Jessica squealed with excitement as she quickly snapped the gold star into the wall.<
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With a frustrated look on her face, Gabrielle frantically sloshed around looking for a spot in the wall to snap the gold star in, as the ooey goo quickly crept toward their waists.
Zora looked around frantically. “Hurry, Gabby Girls, the goo is rising fast.”
The goo quickly sloshed around Rosalinda’s body as she confusedly looked down at the glistening gold stars that lay in her palm. She looked at the wall, then at the stars, and back again at the wall. “Wait, one of my gold stars has four points and the other has five. And I don’t see any four-point stars on this wall.”
Zora quickly sloshed over to Rosalinda, snatching the five-point star from her palm. “Quick, Gabi, take this star and find a spot for it. I’ll help Rosalinda look for a spot on the wall for this four-point star.”
Gabrielle quickly sloshed toward her, snatched the star, and sloshed back to the wall. Rosalinda and Zora looked around the wall frantically as the goo sloshed around their bodies.
Gabrielle sighed with relief as she spotted the section of the wall for the carved five-point star; she quickly snapped it into place then smiled like a satisfied Cheshire cat. Her smile quickly disappeared as her eyes fill with panic. “Wait a minute…we’re forgetting a step. Remember, the clue said something about turning clockwise.”
She looked down at the goo that was now almost up to their chests. “Zora, you and Rosa continue looking for the four-point star, and Jess and I will go back and turn all of the gold stars clockwise.”
Jessica and Gabrielle frantically sloshed their way back to the gold stars that were now securely snapped into the wall.
“Jess, remember: turn the gold star clockwise,” Gabrielle screamed frantically.
Jessica nodded her head as she placed her hand over a gold star and turned clockwise; with each turn, the star clicked softly. “It’s working,” she said nervously.
Smiling with relief, Gabi said, “I know, I just turned one. Quick, let’s turn the other two.” They ran over to the other gold stars and quickly turned them clockwise.
Rosalinda’s face was red with frustration as she sloshed through the goo looking for the four-point star. “We’re going to drown, I just know it. We’re going to die in a nasty pit of goo,” she wailed.
“Rosa, please don’t panic. No one is going to die…remember, teamwork,” Zora said with determination.
Rosalinda held her hands above her head as she quickly sloshed through the goo. She teetered on her tiptoes as she struggled to stop the goo from touching her face. Her eyes roamed around the walls frantically. “I found it—it’s up there,” she exclaimed. A slow smile spread across her face as she pointed excitedly to the spot on the wall above her head.
They all sloshed over, looking up at the spot that was at the very top of the wall and out of their reach.
Jessica bit her nails nervously. “How in the world are we going to get all the way up there?”
Zora adjusted her glasses, smearing more black goo all over them.
Gabrielle stared incredulously at the spot in the wall. “I guess this is where the teamwork comes in. The only way we can get to that star is if we lift someone.” She looked pointedly over at Rosa.
Rosalinda looked at Gabrielle as if she were a lunatic and then looked at Zora questioningly. “Is she really serious?”
“Yep, she’s really serious,” Zora responded nonchalantly.
They struggled to stay above the ooey goo that was slowly making its way up to their necks.
“But why me?” Rosalinda asked quickly.
Gabrielle smiled hugely. “Because you are the tallest and the lightest, that’s why. So, Princess Rosalinda, it’s all up to you now. Use that perky little team spirit you obviously have and snap that star into the wall.” She looked over at Zora and Jessica. “Zora, you go to the left of her, I’ll stay here on the right, and, Jess, stand right behind her just in case she slips. Remember, we have to do this quickly; I suggest we lift her up at the count of five.”
Gabrielle smiled reassuringly at Zora. “Ready, Zora?”
Zora nodded her head. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Are you ready, Jess?” Gabrielle asked quickly.
Jessica nervously nodded her head.
“Are you ready, Rosa?” Gabrielle asked.
Rosalinda nervously shoved the gold star between her teeth and turned around to face the wall.
“One, two—” they screamed in unison as Gabrielle and Zora took a deep breath, kneeling down in the ooey goo.
“Three,” Jessica’s voice trembled as she nervously stepped behind Rosalinda.
Rosalinda shuffled her feet around in the ooey goo, looking for Gabrielle and Zora’s hands. Breathing a sigh of relief, she stepped her right foot into Gabrielle’s palm and her left foot into Zora’s palm.
Jessica’s voice softly cracked, “Four, five.”
Zora and Gabrielle quickly popped up with bodies covered in goo, smoothly lifting Rosalinda into the air. Rosalinda wobbled and Jessica steadied her legs.
Zora and Gabrielle shifted slightly from side to side, struggling to steady themselves as the goo tickled their noses.
Rosalinda quickly pulled the star from her mouth, reaching up and snapping it into the carved spot in the wall.
Jessica nervously looked down at the rising goo. “Hurry, Rosa!”
Rosalinda’s eyebrows furrowed with annoyance. “Jess! You’re not helping. I’m already nervous enough.” Her grip on the goo-covered gold star slipped as she violently stumbled forward face-first.
Gabrielle and Zora wobbled, struggling hard to hold her still. Jessica quickly clamped her hands on the back of Rosalinda’s knees.
Rosalinda carefully wiped her palms onto her skirt, leaving a large smear of goo across it. She reached up again, placing her hand over the star, and twisting it with all her might. At first it barely budged but with each twist it became easier and easier, making soft clicking sounds with each twist. She twisted and twisted until the star would not budge anymore.
“Okay, I’m done. Now, carefully, put me down,” Rosalinda said breathlessly.
Zora and Gabrielle carefully lowered her back into the pit of goo.
They nervously huddled together as they waited for something, anything, to happen.
Zora gave Gabrielle a look of concern. “I don’t understand…nothing’s happening. I know we did everything right.”
Rosalinda held her goo-covered hands out with disgust. “Please don’t tell me that I did all that for nothing.”
Gabrielle swung her head around, looking about the cavern frantically. “Quiet, Rosa. Zora, do you hear something?”
They looked around frantically, listening closely. Suddenly, the wall rumbled; startled, they jumped back. There was a loud gurgling sound then a large section of the wall shook violently and slowly rose into the ceiling.
They quickly stood back, looking on anxiously as the wall continued to rise, revealing a dark, tiny crawl space.
A slow grin spread across Zora’s face and she glanced down at the goo. “Hey, look, the goo is starting to go down.”
They jumped up and down with obvious relief and joy.
Gabrielle looked at them mischievously as she held out her hand. “Gabby Girl Gabrielle.”
Zora grinned from ear to ear. “Gabby Girl Zora.”
Jessica looked around nervously. “Gabby Girl Jessica.”
Rosalinda shook her head with quiet acceptance. “Gabby Girl Rosalinda.”
“Gabby Girls Adventure,” they screamed at the top of their lungs.
Rosalinda gave them a sarcastic smile. “Well, Gabby Girls, as much as I would love to continue this little victory celebration, I’m out of here.” She rudely shoved Zora aside and quickly crawled into the tight crawl space, leaving Gabrielle, Zora, and Jessica staring at her disappearing butt with total amazement.
Gabrielle shook her head angrily. “Well, so much for teamwork.”
CHAPTER TEN
Creepy Weepy Glow
/> On hands and knees, the Gabby Girls quickly crawled through the tight crawl space with only the flashlight guiding the way. Suddenly, the flashlight flickered on and off several times.
Rosalinda stopped in mid-crawl, causing them to bump into each other like bumper cars. Scrunching her face with annoyance, she said, “Zora, what’s wrong with you? Can’t you point that flashlight correctly? Don’t you see me crawling through this soggy filth? And now I can’t see a thing.”
“Uh, Rosa, in case you didn’t notice, you’re not the only one crawling through this filth,” Gabrielle spat nastily.
The flashlight suddenly turned off, leaving them in complete darkness.
Zora shook the flashlight violently. “Sorry, Gabby Girls, but it seems like the batteries are dead.”
“Great!” Rosalinda wailed with frustration as she sat back on her heels tiredly.
“Uh, Rosa, why aren’t we moving?” Gabrielle asked loudly.
Rosalinda huffed angrily. “Do you honestly expect me to crawl through this filth in complete darkness? Well, I’m not doing it; I can’t even see my hands in front of my face.”
Gabrielle snorted nastily. “Well, here’s how I see it, Princess Rosalinda. We can sit here in complete darkness with goodness-knows-what crawling up our clothes or we can feel our way out of here,” she said. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I vote for feeling our way out of here.”
Zora pushed her glasses from the tip of nose. “I agree with you, Gabi.”
Jessica wrung her hands nervously. “Me, too.”
“Well, I don’t,” Rosalinda said angrily.
Gabrielle huffed. “All right, that’s okay with me. Have it your way.” She pushed up her sleeves and gently pushed Jessica against the wall, squeezing past her.
Jessica rubbed her arm gingerly, “Ouch, Gabi that hurts—what do you think you’re doing?”
“What do you think I’m doing? I’m getting the heck out of here,” Gabrielle snapped. In mid-stride and refusing to pause for a second, she quickly pushed Zora’s body against the wall, squeezing past her.