SANTA MARIA HIGH (COMPLETED)

Part Three: 5

It all felt like yet another dream.

Hope walked up the marble steps towards the statue, she slowly bent down, lifted the tiles as the three others surrounded her and revealed the letters engraved on polished marble beneath. She pushed the first 'button', rolled it till she got to the letter I. She stood up and stepped aside. Not knowing exactly why she did, or if the reason the others thought was really logical enough.

Obi came next, turned the next marble to "S." looked up at the cryptic face of the marble goddess with something akin to reverence.

Few hours ago, they were shouting their head off at Mr Haruna, and eventually had to concede to staying in detention when the man gave them not one but two alternatives as to how the day could go: If they don't behave, he said, he would make sure they spend an extra hour for every word, and if that is not enough for them to begin acting civil, he would personally hand them over for the security personnel's to keep them company in their station office. "can he do that?" Obi had asked no one in particular. The man simply smiled and said, "four more hours." He picked the remote control on his desk and pressed a button. Some weird efik song started streaming off the speakers by the CD player. The man adjusted his tie, picked a red pen and began marking some scripts. That was just two hours ago...

Ada was next. And she was the quickest. "I honestly don't understand why we all need to turn this." She turned, 'IS'. "see_"

She jumped back the moment something rumbled beneath. They were all at the stairs before they knew it. Only Andy stood at the entrance with his hand on the nearest pillar, a small tool bag was slung across his shoulder. He was almost as immobile as the pillar, as his eyes followed what unfolded. He was first to stare into the abyss.

There was a scraping sound and something sounded like the clinking of wheels over wheels, and slowly at first, then picking pace, the statue moved, gliding over the tile like it was floating. The motion picked pace, till a fast blur, resolved in an abrupt stop.

Andy leaned closer, and looked down. It was a wide pit, as wide as the base of the statue, with stairs of about two feet width, leading down till it was invincible, covered with shadow that not even Andy's flash light could penetrate. She never knew exactly what to find, not before now, but she wondered if she hadn't known deep down what it would be. Just the sight of the darkness within, she felt that strange déjà vu, she had either been here before, or she was meant to find this.

"anybody in there!" Obi shouted. His voice echoed back and forth. "wow! It must be some large space in there!" he said, "there," echoed like forever.

Angel barked from behind. Catching every one's attention but Andy's, who was busy muttering and crossing the way "innomine patris et filis et spirito sancti."

On seeing Hope, the dog bounded up towards her, she hugged it and it licked her face. Just as quickly as that happened, the dog struggled off her embrace and down the stairs it went, barking excitedly at a spot where Andy's light could reach.

"come back!" Hope screamed. The dog was gone. Everyone including herself looked nervously around realizing that her scream might have drawn unwanted attention.

"this is what is going to happen." Andy began, "I'm going to go in, see what I can find."

"I need to go get Angel." Hope protested.

"I'll get her for you." Andy said, he looked as serious as ever. "stay here."

He placed a foot on the stairs, and he began walking down. Hope watched as more shadow parted before the flashlight. Angel barked as light reached her again. "she's fine." Andy said. he picked the dog came back up the stairs, Hope grabbed it, and this time wouldn't let the stubborn dog scramble off. Defeated, Angel made some pitiful low noise, rested her fuzzy head on Hope's arm and gazed at her with reproach.