The Deadly Truth

Chapter Ten

My initial thought upon waking up was “Am I dead?” followed by “Holy shit, I hurt all over,” I rolled over, feeling something surprisingly soft and squishy underneath me, with complete darkness surrounding me. It was safe to say that I was beyond confused as to what happened, and where I was. Sitting up gingerly, careful not to strain myself, I looked around with squinted eyes. There was a small light not far from where I was. I wanted to follow it, but was reluctant to fully stand up. My whole body felt like I had been repeatedly punched for twelve hours straight. I needed to rest for a few minutes longer. So instead, I chose to feel the ground beneath me more.

It felt like a moist sponge. I slightly recoiled when I squeezed and water squirted out. Tearing a piece off, I rubbed the substance in between my fingers, deducting that it was some kind of moss or sponge. I was lucky for landing on it when I fell out of the train…

The train!

What had happened to Len? I dropped the moss and stood up way too fast, causing a sense of vertigo. My back crackled and my legs wriggled upon the sudden impact of weight. However, I didn’t fall. I luckily hadn’t broken any bones.

“Len!” I called out into the darkness. “Len! Where are you? Are you in here?” I yelled even louder. He had to be. The arm that had grabbed him was right behind me. We were bound to end up falling somewhat near each other.

I strained my ears to listen for even the slightest sound of movement. I was about ready to sit back down in defeat, the tears already starting to form, when I heard it. It was a quiet moan. A moan I wouldn’t have even heard if I hadn’t been straining myself so hard to listen. I beamed, knowing it had to be Len.

“Len! Keep doing that! I’m going to find you!” I replied, cupping my mouth so it would project. I followed the sound. My first steps being uneasy and shaky, since my legs were not quite ready to walk yet. The moss underneath me squashed with each step I took. The process of finding Len was cumbersome and long, consisting of I shouting out his name, he moaning, and I taking only one step. Although, it was worth it once I found him.

“Oh, Len!” I exclaimed, overjoyed. I reached down and squeezed him tightly. For once, the tears I cried were tears of joy.

“Ouch, Sarna. That kind of hurts…” he mumbled into my shirt. I gasped and let go, feeling stupid.

“Oh,” I awkwardly laughed. “Sorry…. Do you feel all right? Where do you think we are?” I asked, quickly changing the subject. I looked around some more, my eyes now adjusted to the darkness. It looked like some kind of cave, with Stalactites hanging down from the ceiling.

“I don’t know… here, help me up and we can look around,” Len told me, holding out his arms for my support. I pulled him up, and then reluctantly let him go, afraid he would fall back down. To my joy, he stood tall, with only a minor stumble. He chuckled as he repositioned himself again.

“It’s like I’m on the moon,” he joked. I laughed and agreed with him. We then headed for the light so we could see everything clearer.

The walk there was tranquil since the air in the cave seemed truly fresh. I had never breathed genuine fresh air in my whole entire life, so it felt like the equivalent of breathing candy. I almost felt drunk off of it, only wanting to dance and rub the spongy ground. I could tell Len felt the same way as I could hear his deep and slow breaths while we walked.

Upon nearing the light (which we realized was the exit) I started to notice the most beautiful plants. They were so diverse; ranging from huge trees with broad leaves to small fluorescent flowers, glowing like they belonged in the old, deep oceans. There were also many creatures flying and roaming about. Although they looked unfamiliar and strange, I didn’t fear them. They acted kindly towards us, rubbing our legs in curiosity, or deciphering our scent. One radiant purple butterfly even landed in my hair, resting and staying there for a few minutes.