Chapter 3
Lena
The main entrance to the cave is littered with cases packed full of our equipment for today’s exploration, and already, tempers are high.
Just like I predicted, Martin tried to downplay his meeting with the city and then proceeded to say we didn’t need to bring “the kitchen sink, too.” It was only when all three of us protested and started loading everything up that he relented.
Cami and Theo stand in front of me, decked out in helmets with headlamps, walkie-talkies strapped to their upper arm, gloves, knee and elbow pads, and of course, steel-toed boots.
I’m personally adjusting both of their chin straps to ensure everything is a good fit.
I give them a once-over before nodding my approval, confident that they are as safe as possible when going into an unknown cave.
Theo motions to my own helmet and my dangling chin strap. “Here, let me.” He begins to tighten the loop so it’s secure, catching my eye as he works the nylon strap.
“Thanks for making sure we have all this here with us. I appreciate it, even though I know it’s pissing off Dr. Kessler something fierce.” He murmurs.
My heart swells with something like motherly pride at this young man.
I pat him on the arm. “I just know if anything happened to you two and I didn’t do everything I could to prevent it, I’d never forgive myself.
But, enough of that, didn’t we get into this job to have fun in caves, or what?
” I flash a thumbs up and a goofy grin at them both, causing them to chuckle and roll their eyes.
“Alright, team, headlamps on and let’s do one more walkie check. Then we’ll grab these lamps and start to place them in the front part of the cave. We’re going to do this in a grid, and remember to watch where you step, also do a pressure test before putting your full weight down.”
Theo and Cami nod as I speak, but Dr. Kessler is swiping on his phone, helmet lying on the ground near his feet. I give him a sidelong glance, but he ignores me.
“Alright, let’s go!” I wave to Theo and Cami with me, leaving Martin behind. At this point, I don’t care if he listens to me or not; he’s the lead, and he should be the one leading us in and doing safety reminders. Whatever.
Sunlight disappears into the deep black of the entrance, with only the sounds of drips and splashes greeting us. The beams of our headlamps only shine about 40 meters into the gloom, the black seemingly swallowing any light beyond it. I tap my headlamp, thinking maybe it's faulty.
I glance at Theo and Cami and realize they are both doing the same thing I am.
“Have you ever seen a cave this dark before?” She whispers.
I shake my head. “Not recently, but there are several reasons why the light isn’t penetrating. Theo, let’s see if these lanterns can illuminate any better.” I motion for him to set a lamp down to my left. “Watch your step as you walk.”
He nods. “Got it.” I watch him test each step before slowly releasing his full body weight, just like I taught him. He flips the switch, and the beam shines against the far wall, showing rivulets of water weeping down the sides and disappearing into the floor.
Cami does the same on my right, spotlighting another dark hole leading off into a different section with water dripping from the ceiling, which looms high above us.
“Wow!” Cami whispers. “This cave is huge!”
“It certainly seems that way. Alright, let’s see if I can make it a few more meters and set up a lamp toward the center where the pool is. Theo, take some samples of that water in the wall there, and some pictures too.”
“On it.” Theo swings the camera from around his back and starts snapping some stills of the wall and rock formations.
“Hey! You didn’t even wait for me.” Martin calls from the entrance.
“You seemed busy.” I refuse to look at him when I speak, instead watching my footing and taking small steps into the center of the cave.
Martin strides next to me, not bothering to test his steps. From the corner of my eye, I can see he’s just now putting his helmet on, and I can’t stop the eye roll.
“Do you have something to say to me?” He’s facing me, hands back on his hips, glaring an accusatory stare straight through me, as though his eyes are laser beams.
“Nope, nothing to say.” My teeth are clenched, barely allowing the words to escape.
“Good. I want you to go into this section over here and see if you can get a lantern in there.” He flings a finger to the right side of the cave.
I follow where he’s pointing, a good 60 meters into the cave, far beyond where Cami’s lantern beam ends, into the dark hole leading off to the separated cave formation.
“Martin, we don’t have a light over there, we haven’t even tested the ground!” I say, incredulous.
He pauses, pinching two fingers over the bridge of his nose before taking two strides to me, putting his face an inch away from mine.
“Can you, for once, just do what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it!” His words are getting louder as he speaks, his body crowding me closer, and I take a stumbling step back from him, trying to create space as his words echo in the cave.
He opens his mouth to say more, but just as my full body weight shifts to my back foot, I feel it, the subtle give in the cave floor.
My eyes connect with Cami, who is standing behind Martin, my mouth open comically wide, before the floor breaks beneath me like some goddamn Indiana Jones movie, and I’m falling into the darkness
Rocks tumble around me as I try to catch my footing, only succeeding in a searing pain in my ankle.
Instinctively, my hands reach out for purchase as I fall, but another sharp pain in my left wrist makes me tuck my hands to my chest. A falling rock hit my helmet, crushing my headlamp, tossing me into unfathomable darkness.
Dust and debris choke my air supply as I fall.
Shock grips me, and I don’t even know how long I’m falling for before everything comes to a stop.
Curled up in the fetal position, I let myself take a few shaky breaths before attempting to lift my head, thankful that Theo checked my chin strap because even though I cracked my head on several sharp rocks, my helmet is still securely strapped to me.
The cave isn’t done with me, however, for the second, my neck lifts, the ground gives way again, and now I’m rolling through a wet mudslide for several more seconds and come slithering to a stop.
Far above me, I hear my name being called, but it’s so faint.
I must have fallen at least a hundred meters.
The thought seizes my brain, and I feel the oxygen being squeezed from my lungs in short bursts, panic gripping my heart.
With agonizing slowness, the feeling comes back to my limbs, and with it the throbbing reminder that I’m most definitely injured.
I lay still for another minute, testing the ground with my uninjured right foot, trying to see if I landed somewhere solid. Tucking my left arm to my chest, I rise on my right, the cave wall just behind me.
“Cami!” I scream. “Can you hear me!” I wait, straining my ears in the darkness.
Nothing.
My brain is having a hard time reconciling the fact that I can’t see shit.
There is no light anywhere, nothing reflected, just bottomless black that is somehow deeper than I thought darkness could even go.
My ears pick up on the constant sound of rushing water, which sends my heart into overdrive, insane thoughts chasing each other.
What if this chamber fills up with water?
What if I drown? What if I freeze to death?
What if I’m slowly dying of asphyxiation?
“I can’t die here, please don’t let me die, please,” I whisper to myself, cradling my broken wrist. The temperature has dropped significantly, and I’m shivering so much my teeth are chattering.
I close my eyes against the onslaught of darkness, hoping the inside of my eyelids is something my brain can process, while the overwhelming sense of dread drags me down into oblivion.
“Help me, anyone, please.” My words disappear into blackness before my body slides sideways and I pass out.