TCI: Book 1 Part 1: (N. L .A.) The Fire Stone. Book 1 Part 2 Continuing

Part 2 Chapter 13: The Cave

"It can't be the right cave Chase," sighed Amy as they came to a dead end. "No one's ever been in here. Let's go back and try another."  

Chase agreed, "Okay. But I felt sure this was the right one. It feels..."  

"Cold?"  

"No."  

"Wet?"  

"Nooo, as if... as if we've not alone, as if we're being watched."  

"Oho I hope not!" Amy began shuffling her feet, "Oho, come on let's go."  

"What's up with you? Cold?"  

"No, it's– umm. It's all this dripping water–I need to go!"  

"We're going, come on."  

"No– the other type of go." Amy made a face. "You know."  

Chase rolled his eyes. "Again?" he tutted. "Look, over there, there's a little alcove, go in there–just hurry up."  

"Can you make sure there's nothing inside it first? Like cave spiders or or–"  

"Trolls?"  

"Don't be silly! Just go and look! Quick!"

After flashing the torch around the small alcove, Chase confirmed it was empty. "And keep talking– and shine the light a little this way," called Amy as she disappeared inside, "I want to make sure I know where you are."  

"I'll come and hold yer hand if yer like," muttered Chase to himself as he shone the torch all around the large cave he was now standing in. "Amy," he called, "are yer sure we didn't turn off?" 

"What? Shine the torch this way a bit more!" called back Amy's muffled voice.  

"I said, are yer sure we didn't turn off– I don't remember passin' that little alcove comin' up... and I don't remember this dead end being this... big," he added quietly to himself. "Amy? Amy! Amy answer me!" Chase shone the torch in all directions but the alcove had gone! "AMY!" he shouted in panic, "where the Hell are you!?"  

"What? I'm here," said Amy as she suddenly appeared behind him. "What is it? I was going as fast as I could! I need somewhere to wash my hands now. There was something squidgy in there–"  

"How the Hell did d'yer do that?"  

"Do what?"  

"You went into an alcove over there but came out–" Chase quickly turned and shone the torch onto a solid rock face,"...over there..." he pointed.  

"Chase Martin I assure you I went in here– it was a dead end– you checked it out. Oh look! I didn't notice that before! Oh! Isn't it beautiful!" sung Amy, pushing Chase aside.  

Chase quickly turned to see a tall thin opening in the wall that only seconds before had appeared as solid rock to him. Beyond was another cavern, a hundred times larger than the one they were in. It was beautifully lit by an unseen light and filled with magnificent stalagmites and gigantic stalactites, which reflected in hundreds and hundreds of clear water pools stretching endlessly on and on through the cavern.  

"Oh Chase! It's just like the caves at Cheddar! Oh no, no much better than that! The Caves of Drach, in Majorca, oh no, it's a million, trillion times better than that! Have you been?" said Amy quickly, rushing to dip her hands into the nearest pool. "We went on a boat ride through the caverns and I read somewhere it's where they keep the cheese, I mean the Cheddar Cheese– in Cheddar that is. I was about six and there was this wax works near by and the wax people looked so real and once we went to Brading Wax Works on the Isle of Wight and the lady in the ticket office was wearing a werewolf's hand and scared the daylights out of me and mummy when she gave us our tickets! What is it Chase? You look like you've seen a ghost."