Chasm

by Michael Joel Green

  Daniel saw an eel spinning wildly in the water. Helpless, it gave a final shriek before succumbing to the blackness. Daniel looked once more at the pallid face. Its lips were milky purple and porcelain smooth. The teeth reminded him of old shark’s teeth, fragmented in disparate places. The whirlpool made a loud whooooshhhh and pulled Daniel inside.

  The jaws closed and everything went eerily quiet, like the quiet that comes in a horror movie before the bad guy jumps out from some dark recess and grabs the foolish, unsuspecting teenager. This was how Daniel felt, like the bogeyman was waiting behind the next corner for him.

  The violent pull of the whirlpool slowed, allowing Daniel to observe his surroundings. He saw thousands of creatures floating past: the fish with their amazingly brilliant colors and designs; the sea snakes, tangled and seemingly injured; dozens of starfish, shellfish, sea turtles, and a couple of eels.

  Daniel looked ahead. He recognized what he saw—it was a throat. Then he saw what looked like two huge caves, separated by a giant stalactite. He was heading straight for the uvula of the monster’s throat. As he sped past, he tried to hold onto the hanging tissue but found it too slick. He shut his eyes and fell helplessly.

  It was like tumbling down a waterfall with no boat. He was thrown head over heels multiple times and fell toward the bottom, where he was sure he would either crash upon the rocks or drown. Either way, Daniel knew he was about to die.

  ***

  Joshua turned off the television. It wasn’t the same watching his favorite show, Treasures of Time, by himself. “Why did Daniel have to get himself grounded?” he grumbled. “He always watches it with me.” He stuck his thumbs in his pockets and left the living room.

  In the hallway, he had an idea. Brownies! He still had a couple hidden in the back of the refrigerator. “Score!” he said and ran for the kitchen.

  He poured himself a glass of milk (spilling it over the rim) and jumped on the counter, where he sat eating his brownie and washing it down with the milk. Joshua ate slowly. This wasn’t like supper, where he usually scarfed down his vegetables. Nothing against peas and carrots, but they were peas and carrots, and this was an extra-special, double-chocolate brownie. He took a bite and chewed slowly.

  He kicked his feet on the counter and sat cross-legged. “Mmm, this is one of my best brownies ever.” Joshua took a huge sip of milk, then thought for a second. It needs chocolate! He returned to the fridge for the syrup, squeezed some into his glass, and squeezed more. He looked at the glass, considering, then added more. “That ought to do,” he said, nodding and stirring them together.

  Joshua put down the spoon. A rush of feeling came over him. He didn’t know what it was but felt a strong sense of worry. The single image that came to Joshua’s mind was of Daniel. He dropped the glass and ran from the kitchen.

  Chapter 5

  Grandpa Tucker’s House

  “Daniel! Daniel! Wake up!”

  The voice was faint, as if coming from far away. It seemed to come from the place that exists between sleep and dream—that lucid state where distinguishing between dream and reality is often difficult.

  Daniel woke bathed in sweat with Joshua standing over him, shaking him and yelling into his ear to wake up. “I’m awake, Josh. Quit shouting, will you?”

  Though he spoke gruffly to his brother, Daniel didn’t mean it. He was glad to have left such a nightmare, and if his brother had to wake him by screaming, Daniel wouldn’t complain. “Thanks,” he added.

  “You’re welcome. I was just scared, that’s all. You were shaking in your bed and sweating like crazy.”

  Daniel rubbed his eyes, trying to shed the heavy grogginess.

  “Do you remember what you were dreaming about?” Joshua asked.

  “I don’t want to talk about it, Josh.”

  Daniel sat at the edge of the bed, straining to recall the last few seconds before he woke up. He was falling down the waterfall, or throat—or whatever it was—reaching for anything that might save him from hitting the bottom.

  “Do you want some water, Daniel? I can get you some.”

  “Not now, Josh, please. Give me a minute.”

  “Okay, I’ll get some water, anyway,” said Joshua and left the room.

  Normally, Daniel tried to forget his nightmares as quickly as possible. But for some reason, he needed to remember this one, if for nothing else than to put it behind him and never think of it again. He remembered swimming through the water with the eel and sea snakes. The image of the face, with the seaweed for hair, he saw as clear as day. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, which made him wince.

  Joshua returned, carrying a cup of water and a glass of chocolate milk that looked to be three parts chocolate and one part milk. Daniel stood and went to grab his coat from the closet. He’d been cooped up in this lousy room for too long and needed some fresh air. He buttoned his coat and was putting on his sneakers when he noticed the wide-eyed expression on Joshua’s face.

  “Where are you going?” he asked. “Are you sneaking out?”

  “Don’t tell mom,” Daniel said, tying his shoelaces.

  He’d learned to sneak out of the house long ago. There was a tree outside his window, with solid branches, that was great for climbing. He would shinny to the nearest branch, pull himself up to the roof, sneak across the balcony outside his parents’ room, and jump to the backyard. He’d done it so many times he could do it in his sleep.

  “Let me come,” Joshua said. “Please, Daniel. Can I come, too?”

  Daniel gave Joshua a scorching look and was about to tell him to buzz off when something stopped him. The thought of being alone didn’t sound appealing and, for the first time in a very long time, Daniel wanted his brother to tag along.

  “Whatever. If I don’t let you, you’ll probably tell Mom and I’ll be grounded even more.”

  Joshua quickly dressed himself with whatever clothes he found. He looked like a mixed-up Rubik’s Cube, with his red sweater decorated with reindeers, an orange coat, green corduroys, and some purple sneakers with zippers.

  “Well, let’s go, if you’re done,” said Daniel. Together, they snuck out the window and onto the nearest branch. Carefully crossing the roof, Daniel looked back to make sure Joshua was still there.

  “This is cool,” Joshua whispered (though it was a very loud whisper, almost enough to count as talking). Daniel couldn’t help himself and laughed, then put a finger to his lips to hush his brother.

  The curtains in their mother’s room were half-drawn, so that served them well, leaving the boys somewhat hidden. They would be in view for a few seconds at most, so as long as they kept quiet they should be able to climb down the railing without any trouble. Joshua, however, was not tall enough for his feet to reach the fence. Daniel needed to lower Joshua the necessary distance to secure his footing, which put him in plain view of his mother, if she was in bed.

  “Take my hands,” he said.

  Joshua held tightly to the balcony lattice. “I don’t want to let go, Daniel.”

  “I’ve got you. It’s fine. I won’t drop you.”

  “You promise?”

  Daniel shook his head, frustrated. “Yes. Now hurry up, okay? Mom could look over any second.”

  Joshua let go, surrendering to his brother’s grasp. Daniel lowered him far enough that his feet caught hold of the railing and he was able to jump to the wet grass below. Daniel climbed over the railing and, without looking for the fence, jumped the entire way down, at least ten feet. He stumbled when he landed but quickly got up and brushed the dirt from his arms.

  “That was awesome! Just awesome!” Joshua skipped alongside Daniel. “That was so cool, Daniel!”

  Daniel smirked, as if to say, I do this all the time. It wasn’t a big deal. But he turned away long enough to smile. That was pretty cool, he thought. No, that was really cool.

  ***

  They walked in silence. The crisp outside air was calming. Daniel was glad to have his brother’s
company. He thought of Joshua waking him from the nightmare, the concern on his face; bringing him a glass of water; climbing over the balcony when they snuck out of the house. When he wasn’t getting on Daniel’s last nerve, Joshua could be a pretty cool brother.

  Their house was nestled on several acres of land near a bluff, surrounded on the other side by woodlands. The boys had explored every inch of these woods. On countless summer nights, they played Capture the Flag or Jailbreak here with their friends.

  They had all the trails marked, but there was one they knew best. It was off the gravel road and hard to find; someone driving past would never see it. The boys had to crawl through its entrance of briars and branches. The trail was three-quarters of a mile long, through shaved paths of thorns, and came out on their grandfather’s property. From the trail’s end, the boys could see the abandoned house in the distance.

  The old house was spooky-looking at night. Many years had passed since anyone lived here. Although the property was still maintained, there was an unsettling feeling to the place. At night, with shadows dancing over its walls, the house possessed a spectral quality and Daniel thought many times it looked like the homes in the black and white movies he’d seen.

  Daniel never knew his grandfather, who died before he was born. What he knew of his grandfather he’d pieced together from stories his father told him. His grandfather Tucker moved to Grisby as a young man, worked hard, and built this house on the town’s southernmost bluff. He fell in love with a woman named Virginia, married her, and had one child—Daniel’s father, Joel. Virginia passed away when Joel was young.

  Aside from these basic facts, Tucker remained a mystery. People remembered him as a fiercely private man, somewhat of a loner but loyal to his family and small number of friends. “He was true to his word,” Daniel often heard. “If you were his friend, you were his friend for life.”

  The house, Daniel thought, was a good reflection of its builder—mysterious and detached, standing alone, but also strong and secure, holding its ground.

  The boys passed the cracked concrete planter and the old fishpond, years since sealed. “Are you cold?” Daniel asked. It was chilly, but the walking had warmed him.

  “I’m okay,” Joshua answered. “This place is a little creepy.”

  “Tell me about it.” Daniel threw a pebble into the forgotten garden. “I like it, though.”

  There was a creepy feel to the place. When he was younger, Daniel felt he was entering another world when he explored the house. The house wasn’t well insulated, and when Daniel ran up the stairs to the guest room, he grew excited hearing the rattle of the old radiator. Inside the bedroom, there were two separate attics.

  The smaller attic was less familiar to Daniel—something about it made him uneasy. It was too quiet and the planks creaked with each step. The room was boarded up in spots and mothballs covered the floor. There was one lamp, hanging from the corner ceiling, and when lit, it cast ghostlike shadows across the floor.

  He preferred the larger attic. The room was filled with all sorts of family heirlooms, dusty photo albums, books, and a rusted-out train set. Daniel’s favorite part of the attic was a set of three chests, each containing elaborate old-time costumes, as if they belonged to an actor whose life revolved around the theater. There were costumes of all sorts: military uniforms; Egyptian robes and tunics; a medieval Renaissance wardrobe; and clothing for sailors and pirates, witches and wizards, physicians and nurses.

  ***

  The moon was hidden behind the clouds, making it hard for the boys to see, as they walked the cobbled path leading to the arboretum. In its heyday, this garden was the jewel of their grandfather’s estate.

  The path was a narrow walk, surrounded by trees and bushes on both sides. The bushes were overgrown so as to form an archway overhead. Even in daylight, walking the pathway to the gardens was an isolating experience for Daniel, like he was detached from the rest of the world. In darkness, this journey became dreamlike, as if he were one of the characters in the haunted stories he heard.

  They reached the cast-iron gate at the entrance. It creaked loudly as Daniel pushed it open. It was the first sound, other than their footsteps, they’d heard in a while and the sudden noise was startling. Joshua hesitantly followed his brother into the faded garden.

  The farther they walked, the slower Joshua followed. This was bringing back bad memories and he wished Daniel would slow down—slow down or at least go the other way. But he knew that wouldn’t happen. Daniel had that look on his face, and whenever he got that look, it meant nothing Joshua said was going to change his mind. The worst part was that Daniel was heading in the direction of the mausoleum. Joshua didn’t like it, not one bit.

  The last time he’d seen that awful, nasty place was the Sunday game of hide-and-seek. It started out fun. Joshua found his mom first. Her pant leg was showing from behind a stone planter, and he easily snuck up and tagged her. He found Daniel next. He was usually the hardest to find, but this time he hid in a tree he’d recently climbed and Joshua spotted him on one of the nearest branches. He tagged him, then he and Daniel went to look for their dad.

  His dad wasn’t a good hider and they often spotted him in a matter of minutes. But this time, he wasn’t in any of his usual places. They must have looked for half an hour with no luck.

  “Mom,” Joshua said. “Do you know where Dad is hiding?”

  “I didn’t see him. I was busy hiding.”

  “He must have found the best spot of all time, huh, Daniel?” Joshua turned to his older brother, but there was no answer. Daniel was gone. “Daniel. Where’d you go?”

  He was about to call again when he spotted Daniel at a distance, walking near the western ridge of the grounds, toward the mausoleum. The boys had one rule—no hiding in that area. It was creepy-looking and gave Joshua the shivers. “We forgot to tell Dad the rules of the game,” he said, half-heartedly trotting after Daniel.

  The mausoleum was made of uneven stone, with four evenly spaced, engraved spires at the top. There was a stairway leading up to the door, but Joshua had no intention of ever climbing those steps, not since his parents told him what was inside. Now his brother was breaking the biggest rule of hide-and-seek and going in.

  “This really stinks,” Joshua said under his breath. He wanted to follow but couldn’t bring himself to go near the place. “Daniel!” he called, but there was no answer. “This really, really stinks” he added, this time a bit louder.

  Minutes later, Daniel and his father came through the door of the mausoleum. “You’re not supposed to go in there,” Joshua shouted. “That’s the one rule of hide-and-seek!”

  As he approached the mausoleum, Daniel glanced at his brother, lagging behind. “Hurry up, Josh. What are you waiting for?”

  “I don’t like this anymore, Daniel. Can we go home now?”

  “What, are you chicken? Don’t be such a baby.”

  “Please, Daniel. Can we go back?”

  Daniel was about to mock him with chicken clucks but noticed his brother seemed frozen in his steps. Something about it made Daniel pause before teasing him. “Okay,” he said. “We’ll go back.”

  “Thanks, Daniel.”

  “Yeah, well, I figure I owe you one, even though you are a chicken.” Daniel clucked like one. “Bakkk bhakkk bakk bhhhakkkkkk.”

  “Quit teasing,” Joshua said and jabbed him in the arm.

  The boys walked home. Joshua had to run to match steps with Daniel, which left him short-winded. “If you could have any superpower (huff), what would it be?”

  “That’s easy. I’d be invisible. I’d be able to sneak up on anybody.”

  “Not me,” Joshua boasted and threw imaginary punches in the air. “I’d be able (huff) to beat up anyone in the galaxy.”

  “Yeah, but what if there was more than one person wanting to fight you? You can’t fight them all.”

  Joshua puzzled over this for a few seconds. He smiled and proudly said, “I
’d be strong enough to beat them all up at the same time.”

  Chapter 6

  Eddie Maupin

  Daniel felt strong this morning, the best he had in weeks. The late night adventure had done wonders for him. He also felt good enough to ride the bus again, which was good because he was bringing his history project to class and couldn’t carry it to school.

  Outside, the sun was peeking through the clouds. Daniel enjoyed the spring season. There was a feeling of freshness, and after a winter of constant rain and cold, it was a welcome relief from the dreariness and brought an anticipation that long summer days were on the way.

  Joshua burst through the front door wearing the same clothes he wore during last night’s escapade—a Rubik’s Cube on the move! Daniel laughed out loud. “Are you crazy? You can’t wear that to school.”

  “What? It was the first thing I found when I was getting dressed. Is there something wrong?”

  “You’re either crazy or colorblind. Whatever the case, let’s go.”

  “Well,” said Joshua, examining his outfit, “I like it.”

  They walked to the bus stop, slower than normal. Daniel’s project was heavy and carrying it made him sweat.

  “Your project is so cool,” Joshua said. “I bet it’s the best one in the whole class.”

  “Thanks. It better be. I worked for three weeks on this thing.”

  “Heck, yeah, it will be. It’s super awesome.”

  ***

  Daniel was careful to store his project in a safe spot in the classroom, as he didn’t want anyone getting a sneak peek before his presentation that afternoon. He wanted everything to be perfect, and that included top secrecy.

  The California Gold Rush began in 1848 at Sutter’s Mill, a sawmill outside the Sacramento area. On January 24, a foreman at the mill found shiny pieces of metal on the waterwheel that turned out to be gold. John Sutter, the mill’s owner, tried to keep the discovery secret, but a local journalist caught wind of it and broadcast the finding in his newspaper. Soon, waves of immigrants from around the world, called forty-niners, moved to the Gold Country, and squatters invaded Sutter’s land and stole his crops and cattle, leaving him broke.