by Chad Brecher
“Not again,” Alex moaned as they were driven rapidly towards the tunnel.
Ellie reached up in a futile attempt to halt their progress by grabbing hold of the stone archway. She found the surface to be smooth and wet as her hands slipped off.
Alex looked uneasily into the darkness as they were swept into the underground waterway.
89
Clay lay on his back and crossed his arms over his chest. His body felt lighter now that the burden had been finally removed. He opened his eyes and could see the magical tree loom high above him. The vines had climbed high up the gem-encrusted walls of the chamber and were moving rapidly across the blue dome. The vast cavity progressively darkened as the reflective crystals were covered beneath the abundant vegetation.
It’s being reclaimed, Clay thought and closed his eyes once again. The impurities are being purged.
He could feel an intense burning flaring up along his ankles and spreading like a molten rod towards his knees. He grimaced as the vines wound their way up his body, and across his neck, cinching tightly around it. The chamber continued to dim. Clay gasped for air and fought an overwhelming impulse to panic. He controlled his breathing, forcing himself to take smaller tidal volumes. He opened his eyes just as the vines began to wind their way across his nose.
The chamber had been finally plunged into darkness. A green light shot up from the center of the island, basking the tree in an otherworldly glow. Just then he watched as the vines began to retreat slowly from the tree. As they pulled back, he witnessed sparkling buds appear all along the branches. Clay watched as at an impossibly fast pace the luminous buds cracked opened and sent out shoots. The shoots opened to reveal diamond-shaped leaves.
Not death. Rebirth.
Clay closed his eyes a final time with a smile as the vines enclosed his head.
90
Alex clung to Ellie as they passed under the archway into the blackness of the canal. Although the current was strong, it was relatively free of significant eddy currents and turbulence. The two floated straight ahead, able to keep their heads above the surface with relative ease.
The sensation of floating in the darkness was unsettling and disembodying. They reached out blindly in hopes of seizing a fixed object to both halt their movement and to ground themselves to the earth again. The temperature of both the water and the ambient air had dropped precipitously since leaving the large chamber, and Ellie’s teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
“I’m frrrr…eezing,” she complained.
“We’re in some kind of underground river,” Alex said as his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. He tried to focus on a flickering object in the distance.
“There’s a light. Maybe it’s a way out,” Alex motioned in front of them.
As they continued to float along with the current, they could see that the light was produced by a number of luminescent stalactites that appeared to drip down from the ceiling of the tunnel. The rock formations were made of frosted and variably colored mineral deposits that gave forth a brilliant palate of colors. Pink, blue, and yellow hues reflected off the surface of the water.
“They’re so beautiful,” Ellie uttered and reached up to touch the irregular tip of one of the stalactites. The rock formation was slimy and left a blue residue on her fingers.
The pastel light produced by the mineral deposits helped define the interior of the tunnel further. They were in a moderately large subterranean cave filled nearly halfway up with water. The tunnel’s walls appeared shiny and black like obsidian.
Alex propelled his body towards the wall and ran his hand across it, finding the surface completely smooth and devoid of any imperfection that would allow him to secure a grip. As he continued to float alongside the wall, the black stone appeared to absorb the pastel colors produced by the stalactites, swirling and mixing stunningly beneath the surface.
“Alex, look.”
Alex turned to see that the underground canal was emptying into a vast chamber that was cistern-like. The stalactites that appeared to drop down from the ceiling high above were accompanied by enormous stalagmites emerging from the depths of the water. Several of these rock formations joined each other to form wondrous, multicolored columns dividing the expansive body of water. The walls were rich in mineral deposits that appeared to drip down like ghostly wax.
The water beneath them glowed a vibrant mixture of oranges, reds, blues, and greens as they continued to float along with the gentle current. Alex could see that the colors were from coral that was coating irregular shaped rocks at the bottom of the body of water. He could see tiny ethereal fish swim by, their flesh transparent and eyes opaque.
“What is this place?” Ellie asked, her jaw agape.
“It’s magical,” Alex replied as he was able to grab hold of one of the columns. Ellie floated beside him and was also able to secure a grip on the large column.
Ellie shivered as she looked down into the crystal clear water at the astonishing symphony of colors that filled the underwater world beneath their feet. She panned her eyes across the magnificent mineral deposits and rock formations that formed this natural cathedral. She smiled at the realization that the source of the shiver was not a sensation of coldness but a feeling of profound humility in the face of something larger than her life. She felt humbled and blessed.
“I wonder how many…if anybody has seen this.” Ellie laughed as a rainbow colored fish darted across her stomach.
“Gazriin ezen,” Alex responded.
“What’s that?”
“It’s what the guide mentioned. Nature spirits…life force. There is an energy here. Do you feel it?”
Ellie cleared her mind. She felt her skin tingle and the center of her body pulsate warmth. “I feel something. I mean I’m skeptical of all that kumbayah stuff. I’m the first person to stick my nose up at those people buying healing crystals and magnets with powers, but it makes you think. We’ve built up such elaborate systems to explain the mysteries of the world. We take communion; kneel six times a day after call to prayer; read through the Torah — all things that help us figure out where we came from, who we are, and where we are going. Then you find yourself in this place one day. It’s a world untouched by man. Wars happened, people were born and died, prophets came and went, and this existed, isolated all that time. If the scientists are right and we crawled out of some primordial ooze, then maybe this is it. It’s as good as any. This place, the rocks, the water, the tree, all seem as alive as us. I feel like I am beginning to appreciate what the guide meant about the spirits in nature.”
“Gee, Ellie, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve finally found religion.” Alex grinned at her and then peered up at the ceiling. “It does make you think,” Alex muttered distractedly.
Ellie gave him a sideways glance and squinted. “What’s that?”
“I was thinking about what you said about languages and their roots in pre-existing cultures.”
“Huh?”
“Gazriin ezen…Ezen….Eden.” The two were silent as they listened to the water lap against the column. “It’s probably just a coincidence,” Alex said and looked away. He could see the flow of the water traveling towards a tunnel at the opposite side from which they had entered. Alex looked back at Ellie and smiled. “What do you say we see if we can return to the rest of the cursed civilization of mankind?”
Ellie looked apprehensively at the narrow tunnel. “Well, we can’t stay here forever, I suppose.”
91
Releasing their hold upon the stone column, the current propelled them towards a small opening in the wall at the far end of the chamber. Alex took several strokes and arrived at the side of the passage. Holding the rough stone surface tightly, he could feel his feet float towards the entrance. He reached out and linked arms with Ellie while maintaining a grip on the Polo book. He tried to look into the opening but found it completely black.
“What do you think?” Ellie asked, her face taut a
nd stiff from the cold.
“It’s hard to say. The current seems to be emptying into this opening. I think we’ve committed ourselves to seeing this to the end. I’m not sure if there is much choice.”
“Well I guess we should get a move on then,” Ellie replied and separated from Alex. She was quickly propelled into the tight opening. Alex followed closely behind.
The passageway was completely dark. As the two reached out, they could feel that the wall and ceiling were within arm’s length. They could detect a smooth stone surface beneath them that had been polished by eons of water rushing over it.
Ellie’s hand extended back and found Alex’s.
“I think we’re in some type of tube,” she said, hearing her voice echo repeatedly. Ellie could detect a subtle change in the angle of inclination as they slid along. Their speed began to gradually increase as the passageway sloped downward. They continued to descend in the darkness until the canal appeared to plateau and they were left floating serenely for several minutes.
The drop was unexpected in the darkness. The passageway suddenly sloped at an acute angle and they were sent sliding uncontrollably down at a rapid pace. Ellie’s hold on Alex was broken as they shot down through the tube, finally splashing at the bottom.
Ellie coughed and spat out ingested water as she tried to gain her bearings. The passage remained utterly dark, heightening her uncertainty and fear.
“You alright?” Alex asked from somewhere behind her.
“I think,” Ellie rubbed her head. During the tumble she had struck it on something and was left with a dull ache along the right side of her temple.
Ellie kicked out her feet but could not detect a bottom to the water-filled chamber. She panicked at the realization that the level of water reached high towards the ceiling. Ellie treaded water and reached up, running her fingers along the stone ceiling.
“We’re running out of air,” she moaned as she struggled to keep her mouth above the surface. She could feel Alex fighting to do the same. As the rush of the water continued to push them along, they began to hear a deafening noise. A monstrous roar filled the canal.
“What’s that?” Ellie asked with alarm.
“That can’t be good,” Alex responded as the rush of the water suddenly seized them. They found themselves unexpectedly submerged in the black water. Tumbling head over heels, they were bombarded by turbulent waves. Kicking wildly, the two were disoriented as they attempted to swim towards the surface. The roar above was dulled underwater. Alex grabbed hold of Ellie’s shirt, allowed himself to float for an instant, and then darted upward. They broke through the surface of the water, gasping for air. The two were met once again by a bone-shaking roar. They were whisked through the water, bouncing up and down as the rapids grabbed hold of them. Unable to see, they were sent crashing into submerged rocks. Ellie and Alex grunted in pain with each impact against the boulders, trying their best to shield their heads. Alex cried out in pain as the side of his chest struck something hard. Hearing ribs crack, he winced, nearly releasing the book.
The thunderous and continuous sound continued to grow louder as they were tossed about uncontrollably.
“What is that noise?” Ellie cried out as she tried to keep her head afloat while nursing a bruise along her hip.
Fear shot through Alex.
“We need to swim back,” Alex screamed and fruitlessly attempted several strokes. The full force of the rapids spun him around. He stared into the darkness ahead with horror as water sprayed across his face. “It’s a waterf….”
Alex was the first to go over the waterfall. He could feel his stomach drop as he fell feet first into the watery abyss. The plunge seemed endless, punctuated by Ellie’s screams. The impact upon the surface below was unforgiving and devastating. A piercing screech echoed in his ears as he sluggishly tried to free himself from a watery grave. Water pounded upon him like seismic waves, hitting his head with concussive blows. He reached up helplessly as his body seemed to float in slow motion. His lungs burned as they begged for air. As he neared the surface he gasped deeply but was greeted only by more water.
92
Alex stirred to the sensation of movement. He slowly opened his eyes and could see mud and grass. He twisted his face and was left with a glob of brown mud clinging to his chin and cheek. Alex coughed and cried out as a searing pain shot through his chest. The coughing led to vomiting of water. He could feel himself being lifted roughly by the back of his shirt and he moaned as the broken ribs rubbed back and forth against each other. Alex’s lower body felt heavy and disconcertedly disconnected. He was chilled to the point of numbness.
As he was lifted up, the images came in flashes — grass along the ground, rocks, boots walking — as he waxed in and out of consciousness. Above him, he could hear people speaking in a foreign tongue. His eyes rolled back in his head as he was tossed onto the ground.
He awoke to a person slapping his cheek. His eyelids parted just enough to see an Asian man squatting in front of him with a cigarette dangling loosely out of the side of his mouth. Alex could see the strap of an AK-47 slung across his chest. The man was gaunt, unshaven, and coated in dirt. He stared at Alex with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.
“Hello, hello,” the man said through pursed lips as he tried to keep the cigarette from falling out. Alex’s head bobbed up and down as he vacillated between consciousness and unconsciousness. The man reached out and gripped Alex’s hair, forcing his head upright. With his other hand he drew Alex’s eyelids open. Alex’s eyes rolled back and forth, unable to focus. The man tried to catch Alex’s attention.
“You lucky man…or unlucky.” The man cackled and took a drag of his cigarette. “We see.”
The man reached back and displayed a black hood. He propped Alex up and placed it over his head.
The world went dark once again.
The light was blinding as the hood was removed. Alex scrunched his eyelids closed. He moaned as his hands immediately went to the site of his broken ribs. Slowly he forced his eyelids open as the beams of light shot through his eyeballs like daggers. He found himself in a fetal position. As he tried to straighten out his stiffened frame, his body screamed in protest. His heart leapt upon seeing Ellie also curled up in a ball on the ground across from him. She groaned as she attempted to push her body up.
“Alex,” she whispered upon seeing him. Her face was bruised and battered from the rapids. Her lips were dusky and cracked. A large cut ran down the center of her lower lip and was covered by dried blood. Her blond hair was matted and damp with dirt and leaves twisted into it.
“Are you OK?” Alex asked. His voice was raspy and barely audible.
“I don’t know,” she croaked.
Alex grimaced as he pushed his torso up by his elbows. He looked around at their surroundings.
They were in a circular tent with a wooden lattice-frame covered with felt. The interior was sparsely decorated with a small wooden table in the center and a single chair behind it.
“Where are we?” Ellie asked.
Behind them, the front of the yurt was suddenly pulled aside. They turned to see three Mongolian men walk in. In the center was an older man dressed in loose-fitting pants and a flannel-shirt. He was holding Marco Polo’s book. Beside him walked two younger men holding AK-47s loosely at their sides. Alex and Ellie scampered back at the sight of the guns. The two armed men barely looked at Alex and Ellie before tossing wool blankets at each of them. Alex and Ellie caught the blankets and looked down at them with confusion.
The older man motioned to Alex and Ellie.
“Please. The blankets…you must be freezing,” the man said in mildly accented English. Alex and Ellie snuggly wrapped the blankets around their body and sat upright.
Two short women stealthily entered the tent carrying steaming pots. They wordlessly knelt by Alex and Ellie and deposited the containers beside them before retreating to the opening of the tent and disappearing.
“Eat.
Please. You must be hungry,” said the man and motioned with his fingers to his mouth.
The older man uttered something in Mongolian to the two armed men who nodded, marched out of the tent, and sealed the entrance.
Alex and Ellie peered down into the bowls to see a turbid brown stew with circles of opaque fat collecting at the surface of the liquid. Steam wafted up through the air. Ellie leaned in and sniffed it tentatively, finding it pungent. She felt unbearably weak from hunger and reached out to grip a metal spoon leaning on the lip of the bowl. The muscles in her arms were fatigued and burned with even the subtlest movement. Ellie apprehensively stirred the contents within the bowl finding unidentifiable root vegetables, bone, and gray meat within. Ellie looked across at Alex who shrugged and brought the spoon to his mouth. Ellie followed suit. She scooped a small amount of the greasy liquid, brought it to her mouth, blew on it, and finally swallowed. The stew had the flavor of boiled meat desperately in need of salt. The warm fluid, however, did wonders restoring heat to her body’s frigid core. With each mouthful of the mystery meal, she could feel her strength returning.
The old man looked at each one of them, cleared his throat, and sat down behind the simple, wooden table. He turned the dial on an oil lamp, filling the small room with a rich yellow light. He pulled out a pair of spectacles from a pocket of his shirt, huffed on the glass, and rubbed them with the sleeve of his shirt. The man unfolded the glasses and slid them along the bridge of his nose. He cleared his throat for a second time, positioned the book on the table before him, and opened it.
The man studied the book like a scholar, in silence. A smile periodically spread across his face. Satisfied, the man flipped the book closed, pushed it slightly forward on the table, and leaned back with his arms crossed tightly across his chest.
“They said that they found you along the river bank clutching this book like it was a baby….or a treasure,” the man said and pointed towards Alex. He smiled.