I tightened my grip on the rock in front of me before looking down. How I got halfway up this damn wall was a mystery to me. Probably because Joel and Nicholas talked me up the wall with Joel two paces behind me. I could hear Staci cheering me on. Why couldn't Joel just fly me up there, I thought bitterly.
"I would, baby, however I don't think phasing into a dragon would be a good idea with the human present," he whispered in my mind. Joel nudged my butt softly, encouraging me to keep going. I looked up at Bash who was in front of me and continued to climb.
"You aren't afraid of heights are you, Justine?" Alex called down to me.
I started thinking about happy thoughts. Music, dancing, Joel naked-
Joel chucked from beneath me and I knew that wasn't the right thought to have at the moment. When I saw Bash grab onto what looked like the ledge I smiled, thankful that this was almost over. I grabbed onto something but felt it crumble in my hands, losing my grip and slipping off of my spot. Faster than I could pick up, Bash turned around and grabbed me before I fell back. Joel's hand whipped out to steady me but he saw what I saw, glaring up at Bash.
Bash used all his strength, which was a whole lot, to pull me up and push me to Carter and Jonathan who helped me over the ledge. When I steadied myself, I turned to see Joel and Bash climbing over as well. Joel stood up straight, glaring at Bash, "Good reflexes," he mumbled.
Bash nodded, "You too."
Joel broke his gaze from Bash to look at me asking the unsaid question. I nodded and he looked satisfied with the answer before looking at the group. "Watch your steps and keep a look out for anything suspicious," he ordered. I followed quietly behind him and reached out to him in my thoughts. "What was that?"
"His speed and reflexes weren't human. I don't know who or what he is but I don't want you to get comfortable with him," Joel looked back at me. "Understand?"
I quietly nodded in agreement not wanting to push Joel on the matter. He seemed very irritated on what happened and I didn't want to argue. As we continued on, the conversations struck up again and Joel even reached out to hold my hand. His thumb rubbed against my hand in a smoothing gesture that was somewhat distracting. When the sun started to set, I frowned over at Joel, "Were we supposed to be out here for more than the day?"
Joel pulled out his cellphone and sure enough there was no service. I looked over at Jonathan who was talking to Lexi, Mitchie and Jade before walking over to us, "We should stop. Traveling in the dark would cause problems."
"For the boy," Joel grumbled.
Jonathan gave his twin a knowing look, "If we continue in the dark he will become suspicious and that's not something we can allow."
"Father knew what he was doing when he set this up," Staci said walking over to us. "I say we keep going."
I looked at the three of them, "Do I have a say?"
They nodded.
"Let's continue until it's pitch dark and then stop until morning," I offered. Joel stared at me for a heartbeat then turned to the group who was waiting for direction. "Is that what you all want?" He asked. Everyone but Bash mumbled their agreement. Joel nodded and started walking again. I allowed the others to pass me as I walked over to Bash, "What's wrong?"
"It's just foolish to walk blindly," he told me, glaring at the back of Joel's head. I smiled at him, hip bumping him playfully, "He just wants to get back to the house. No one wants to spend their time out here."
Bash grunted his agreement and I looked over my shoulder to see Jonathan and Lexi walking towards us. When Bash and I made our way over to them I heard Joel call my name before I felt the ground beneath me disappear. At one time, Jonathan, Lexi, Bash and I fell through what felt like an animal trap and into a hole. The rest of the group shouted at us but fell on deaf ears as the wind whipped past as we fell.
•••
I didn't feel myself fall into anything hard like the ground but my body was sore and I grunted as I tried to move. Lexi and Jonathan groaned and for some reason it gave me relief. I rolled over and heard a grunt. I pulled back only to see Bash, underneath me holding the back of his head. "Bash? Bash?" I called hoarsely. His eyes fluttered open and I was suddenly staring into green. "Are you okay?" He asked.
I nodded, looking over for Jonathan. I watched as he helped Lexi sit up right and then walk over to us, helping me sit up then looked Bash over. "What the fuck was that?!" Lexi growled.
"A poacher trap?" Bash asked looking up at the hole. "Anyone up there?!"
"They won't be able to hear us," Jonathan shook his head and looked at me. "Dad teleported us somewhere else. We have to walk through the cave to get to the end of the trail."
Lexi swore under her breath while struggling to get up on her feet.
"I swear on the rising Phoenix when this is over I'm going to skin Eric and turn him into a pair of church shoes," she snarled. It would have been funny if it was different circumstances but I silently agreed with her. I pulled Bash up, steadying him and then looked around. Though it was a bit dark it wasn't hard to tell that we were in a underground cave covered with blue crystal shaped rocks. I pulled out a flashlight and started walking behind Jonathan. I could hear the sound of waves and a stream not too far up ahead and it only made me walk faster.
"You mentioned something about teleporting? That only sounds like something out of a Si-fi movie," Bash said looking around the cave in awe.
"Only a dumbass would think so," Lexi mumbled.
I watched Jonathan pinch the bridge of his nose as the other two started bickering among each other and had to stop myself from laughing at the face he made. Getting out of this cave was going to be a lot harder than I thought. We walked in silence until I grabbed Jonathan's arm to stop him. When he turned around, we stopped in front of a pool of clear water. Behind it was a wall with weird looking symbols that resembled hieroglyphics. The only thing I was able to make out was the tree symbol. "Whoa," Lexi whispered.
I quickly took out my phone and took pictures of the wall after realizing that some of the symbols were in that journal that Bash gave me. When I finished I quickly put it in a ziplock and sealed my bag shut. Jonathan looked at me puzzled, "What are you doing?"
When I pulled my tank top over my head, leaving me in my sports bra, I nodded at the water. "Clearly we have to swim through that and look for an opening to the surface," I said unbuttoning my shorts. Bash and Jonathan turned around quickly while Lexi grabbed onto my hands, stopping my movements. "What?"
"I can feel Joel's anger from you doing this," Lexi said nervously.
I nodded slowly, "Imagine the anger if I don't get back to him. I'm not the only one going in either so all of you need to strip and get in the water." Pulling away from her I turned around, sticking my foot into the pool, hissing at how cold it was. I lowered myself while splashing some water on my arms to adjust to the temperature. When I turned to grab my bag, I watched Jonathan and Bash dive into the water. I glared at them when they resurfaced then helped Lexi into the water.
I went under first, holding my breath and surveyed my surroundings. The hieroglyphics continued down the wall leading to what looked like another tunnel. I looked over at Jonathan and pointed at the path. He nodded swimming ahead of us with Lexi right behind him. We swam far until I saw a light through a hole to the surface. Bursting through the surface I gasped for all the air I could manage to inhale. I looked around then frowned. Another cave? I thought. Jonathan, Bash and Lexi came up behind me and as Lexi was about to say something Bash shushed her. I looked over at him then paused when I realized what happened. We aren't alone in here.
"JUSTINE!"
I flinched holding the side of my head from Joel's roar. His fury, confusion and worry washed over me causing me to groan at how fierce it was. Jonathan jumped out of the pool of water as quietly as possible holding onto his head and looking back at me, "You getting yelled at too, huh?"
I gave him a stiff nod, grabbing onto Bash as he pulled me out the water.
"I count five," Lexi pulled out her butterfly knife.
I focused ahead just enough for my eyes to adjust and pick up more than five. "It's an expedition," I whispered. "Fifteen at most and they are looking for something."
"Well we should find another way out," Bash suggested.
I groaned leaning onto Bash as the pounding headache returned. When I reopened my eyes I saw the silhouette of a man walking in the opposite direction of the voices. Ignoring my natural instinct to run away screaming, I followed him, hearing Jonathan and Bash's whispers to return. The man lead me through the cave making turns in an unknown direction. A firm hand grabbed my arm and I looked up at Bash who was looking me over concerned. "Where are you going?" He whispered.
Following the fucking yellow brick road. I slipped my hand from his grasp and continued to follow the man. My mystery man was almost as tall as Joel but an inch or two shorter with long black hair. He had a bunch of strange tattoos wearing only a pair of pants and carrying a lot of weaponry. I couldn't get a good look at his face. We stopped in front of a wall and he placed his hand on the side but nothing happened.
"Justine—"
I copied his movement and sure enough the wall pushed in, revealing a dark room. I heard shuffling and watching as the room lit up from a flashlight. Jonathan stepped forward first with me right behind him. "This must be what those men are looking for." Lexi whispered.
"It would be nice to know what they are looking for," Bash mumbled. "So we can avoid touching it, you know."
Jonathan jerked his chin forward, "There." He moved his flashlight a bit and there was ghost man kneeling in front of an altar where two men were standing guard. There was nothing on the alter but he moved a tile out of flooring and pulled out a chest. Don't go for the chest, Ryder. Don't go for the chest. He seemed to examine it to make sure it was still there then place it back securely then he was gone and I was back in an empty dark room. I stepped around Jonathan to reach for the tile when the wall we came through slammed shut causing Lexi and I to jump. "This is bad," Lexi whispered.
Bash looked at Jonathan who nodded and grabbed me, "Let's go."
"Wait—"
"No. I don't give a rat's ass what those men want and neither should you," Jonathan snapped at me. "We need to get out of here. Now." If I knew how. I looked up at one of the skeleton guards sitting next to the alter and zeroed in on the medallion around one of the necks. I snatched it, quickly tucking it away in my bag then nodding at Lexi. "If there isn't an exit we make one," I told her.
Lexi smirked raising her hand as fire lit up in her hand, following my lead, throwing it at the back wall and revealing the other side of the forest. The voices of the men grew louder then turned into pounding on the wall. "Let's get back to the others," I said looking at them. Jonathan gave me a stiff nod before grabbing a shocked Bash and jumping through the hole we made.
Lexi looked at the wall then me, "What were they looking for and who were you following?"
"No clue," I mumbled.
•••
I'm back. 😌
Finally found the inspiration to write again.
Don't know when chapter updates will be but if you guys pick a day that will be awesome!
Share with a friend and comment! It motivates me💕
Jad🌺