"I don't know where this "Baggins" dude is, buddy," Cole said, licking his lips nervously. "But if you don't mind, we'll just move along. Come on, let's go." He muttered to Liana, trying to steer her away from the thing glaring at them.
"Theys wants to leave, preciouss..." It ran a slimy tongue across its few yellow, jagged teeth. "Maybe theys knows where Baggins iss...Does theys taste good, preciouss? Does they crunch like fish?"
Cole clenched his jaw. "Don't you dare try to--"
"RAAHG!!" With a blood-curdling screech the pale creature flung itself at Cole and slammed him to the cold stone, bruising his shoulderblades. Cole wrestled with the thing, trying to push it off his chest with the scythe. The gollum thing may have been half his size, but he was strong. With cold, clammy hands he forced the teen to the ground and scratched and bit at him like a raged animal, practically ignoring the boy's attempts to drive him away. The creature slashed at his neck and bit his hands viciously, quick and deadly as a viper.
"Get off him!" Cole heard Liana shriek, and suddenly the weight off his chest was removed. The creature cried out angrily, and when he looked up he saw that the girl had gotten the gollum thing with her dagger. He dragged himself up quickly and knocked it down with a swift blow from the scythe.
This was when Shauntel completely lost it. Have you ever heard a horse scream? It is loud. Rearing up and kicking his forelegs, Shauntel gave a long, ear-piercing shriek, which of course set off Aquilla. Eyes rolling crazily and snorting like a storm, the two horses reared and kicked as if a horde of demons were after them, and bolted down one of the corridors, leaving their riders to the hissing creature.
Cole shouted. "Run!" With that, he and Liana dashed after the horses down the pitch-black tunnel, leaving behind the screeching creature.
Hearts pounding madly, they ran as fast as they dared down the corridor, Cole nearly blind in the dark. Liana, who was used to darkness and feeling her way around, took the lead and headed after the horses, both praying that thing wouldn't come after them. The clip-clop of the horses's hooves echoed ahead of them, though they couldn't see anything.
They turned a sharp corner and ran smack-dab into Matilda and Phillip. On instinct Matilda shot a spell at them. "Stupefy!"
Cole was hit and flung across the corridor and smashed against the rough wall, stunned.
The witch raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Whoops! There you are, kid!"
"Liana!" Phillip cried out in relief. "Are you OK?"
"I'm fine, we just ran into some crazy creature that was looking for a 'hobbitses'." She grinned faintly.
"Huh?"
"Forget it, we'll tell you later."
Phillip glanced at Cole, who was lying inert on the floor. "You OK, buddy?" He stooped down and helped him up. Cole blinked blearily and shook his head, as if trying to clear it.
"Sorry about that, kid." Matilda smirked. "I thought you were a goblin."
"Mmph. I'm OK...wait, a what?"
Her smirk evaporated. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, so I shan't waste my breath. We need to get out of these tunnels, fast."
"Just figured that out, have you?"
"No time for wisecracks, grab the horses and let's go. Lumos." The tip of her wand glowed blue again, and she began leading her horse down a different tunnel.
Feeling dazed, Cole slumped against an ice-cold wall. "Wait," He called out. "How do you know where to go?"
"I don't. Hurry kid, grab your horse before he freaks out again!"
The group followed the witch down the winding tunnels, keeping a firm grip on their horses while trying to hurry away from the menacing shadows following them.
"I don't know where this "Baggins" dude is, buddy," Cole said, licking his lips nervously. "But if you don't mind, we'll just move along. Come on, let's go." He muttered to Liana, trying to steer her away from the thing glaring at them.
"Theys wants to leave, preciouss..." It ran a slimy tongue across its few yellow, jagged teeth. "Maybe theys knows where Baggins iss...Does theys taste good, preciouss? Does they crunch like fish?"
Cole clenched his jaw. "Don't you dare try to--"
"RAAHG!!" With a blood-curdling screech the pale creature flung itself at Cole and slammed him to the cold stone, bruising his shoulderblades. Cole wrestled with the thing, trying to push it off his chest with the scythe. The gollum thing may have been half his size, but he was strong. With cold, clammy hands he forced the teen to the ground and scratched and bit at him like a raged animal, practically ignoring the boy's attempts to drive him away. The creature slashed at his neck and bit his hands viciously, quick and deadly as a viper.
"Get off him!" Cole heard Liana shriek, and suddenly the weight off his chest was removed. The creature cried out angrily, and when he looked up he saw that the girl had gotten the gollum thing with her dagger. He dragged himself up quickly and knocked it down with a swift blow from the scythe.
This was when Shauntel completely lost it. Have you ever heard a horse scream? It is loud. Rearing up and kicking his forelegs, Shauntel gave a long, ear-piercing shriek, which of course set off Aquilla. Eyes rolling crazily and snorting like a storm, the two horses reared and kicked as if a horde of demons were after them, and bolted down one of the corridors, leaving their riders to the hissing creature.
This story was born on the LMBs. Every great romance, intricate detail, elaborate character, or exciting plot twist. This part is here too.
"Thief, theif, theif! Baggins! We hates it, we hates it, we hates it forever!" An unearthly howl reverberated throughout the tunnel, making Cole's ears ring and his blood turn cold. He gripped Shauntel's reins and the scythe while Liana's fists clenched tightly around Aquilla's reins and she fingered a small dagger Phillip had loaned her.
As the high-pitched noise ebbed away, a new sound took its place; the soft, uneven pad of clammy feet, and a strange, guttural noise. Something growled, like a kid with a sore throat.
Cole hesitated, then shone the flashlight down the tunnel where the sound was coming from. The light fell on something, and he cried out in horror.
Limping along on all fours was a small creature reduced to a horribly thin, wiry thing, its stretched skin a pasty, gray color. The creature was nearly completely naked, save for a ragged loincloth wrapped around its tiny waist. It had a scrawny neck, flat feet, long, thin hands with clammy fingers. Most eerily of all, its large, bulging eyes seemed to glow like the eyes of a ghost.
The Thing screeched when the light hit him, recoiling as if burned. "Hssss...the light, precious, it burns!" Its round, pale face twisted grotesquely, flinching away from the flashlight's glow. It drew back from Cole, hissing and whining. "No more, no more...My precious...."
Cole let the reins loose and gripped the scythe with both hands. Heart pounding, he forced himself to speak. "What--What are you?"
The creature flinched away from Cole and suddenly began to weep, a weird, whistling, gurgling noise. He stared at the spectacle as the thing began to mutter to itself. "Curse it! Curse it! Curse the Baggins! What has it gots in its pocketesess? We guess, precious, we guess it my birthday present!"
Cole blinked. "Uh...Are you talking to me?"
The creature suddenly noticed Cole, it's huge, bulging eyes inspecting the boy eerily.
"Thief, theif, theif! Baggins! We hates it, we hates it, we hates it forever!" An unearthly howl reverberated throughout the tunnel, making Cole's ears ring and his blood turn cold. He gripped Shauntel's reins and the scythe while Liana's fists clenched tightly around Aquilla's reins and she fingered a small dagger Phillip had loaned her.
As the high-pitched noise ebbed away, a new sound took its place; the soft, uneven pad of clammy feet, and a strange, guttural noise. Something growled, like a kid with a sore throat.
Cole hesitated, then shone the flashlight down the tunnel where the sound was coming from. The light fell on something, and he cried out in horror.
Limping along on all fours was a small creature reduced to a horribly thin, wiry thing, its stretched skin a pasty, gray color. The creature was nearly completely naked, save for a ragged loincloth wrapped around its tiny waist. It had a scrawny neck, flat feet, long, thin hands with clammy fingers. Most eerily of all, its large, bulging eyes seemed to glow like the eyes of a ghost.
The Thing screeched when the light hit him, recoiling as if burned. "Hssss...the light, precious, it burns!" Its round, pale face twisted grotesquely, flinching away from the flashlight's glow. It drew back from Cole, hissing and whining. "No more, no more...My precious...."
Cole let the reins loose and gripped the scythe with both hands. Heart pounding, he forced himself to speak. "What--What are you?"
The creature flinched away from Cole and suddenly began to weep, a weird, whistling, gurgling noise. He stared at the spectacle as the thing began to mutter to itself. "Curse it! Curse it! Curse the Baggins! What has it gots in its pocketesess? We guess, precious, we guess it my birthday present!"
Cole blinked. "Uh...Are you talking to me?"
The creature suddenly noticed Cole, it's huge, bulging eyes inspecting the boy eerily.
They raced down the passages, horses in tow. As the dark shadows and stone flashed by his vision, Cole suddenly realized that the color of the rock had changed. Figuring it had something to do with geology or some type of science he couldn't care less about, he ignored the detail, and instead concentrated on staying with the group and keeping a firm grasp on his horse.
Matilda suddenly stopped and glanced at their surroundings. "We're back." She muttered to herself. Before Cole could wonder what she meant, she ordered. "Get behind me, all of you. Yes, there, little further..." She pushed the teens and horses a few feet behind her, ignoring their questions and protests. "...Right there's good. Stand back."
She took a few steps forward down the tunnel brandishing her wand. Looking back, Cole realized that there was a distinctive line where the cold gray walls suddenly ran into wet, dark beige/orange stone. The very shape and movement of the stone changed as well; the darker area was narrow and lined with jagged pieces sticking out, while the area they were in was smoother in comparison, not to mention very damp. The two colors and movements met together like one's tan line; completely different shades, yet they looked as if they grew like that.
Matilda whispered "Nox" to turn off the light, leaving everyone in darkness. There was a pause. Then the witch exclaimed. "Bombarda Maxima!"
A violent explosion shook the tunnel, throwing the teens off their feet and stumbling against the screaming horses. The "tan line" bit of the tunnel disappeared in a storm of rocks flying through the air and a flash of light. With a groan, the roof crumbled, then collapsed with a thunderous rumble, showering everyone in bits of stone and jagged rocks. The earth trembled under the upheaval, then settled as quickly as it had begun.
The moist air was thick with dust. Coughing and wiping dirt and grit from their eyes, the teenagers slowly picked themselves off the ground.
"What'd you blow up the bricking tunnel for?!" Cole exclaimed as he swept dust and grit off his clothes, glaring furiously at the witch standing before him.
"Lumos." The blue light lit up at the tip of her wand once more. Matilda slapped her hat against the side of her navy blue robes, trying to rid the tattered thing of dirt. She said in a matter-of-fact tone; "I don't want anything from that certain...area to come over here and hunt us down like rabbits in a fox hole."
"So there aren't any...things...where we are right now?" Phillip slapped at his pants.
"I didn't say that. I just don't want any goblins running around Ninjago." She flounced to her horse and took the reins from Liana.
Phillip and Cole exchanged a glance, silently agreeing that the old woman had lost it. "Come on," Matilda began to steer her stallion down the tunnel. "We need to--"
She paused at the sound of rushing water, growing louder at a dangerous rate. Everyone froze.
"We need to move." She finished darkly.
Liana clutched Aquilla's reins and tagged along behind the witch while Cole and Phillip struggled to calm the horses enough to lead them away.
Just as Cole was getting Shauntel under control, he suddenly heard a deep groan from above. He glanced up and saw the roof above him was collapsing. It all happened so fast; in a blur of sound and emotion, Phillip leapt at Cole and flung him to the ground several feet away, the ceiling crumbled and crackled, and hundreds of pounds of stone and boulders fell to the floor with an earth-shuddering crash. Liana shrieked, the horses screamed and kicked in panic. The boys dissapeared under the showering storm of stone debris and a thick, choking dust. Matilda grabbed Liana and shoved her away from the falling rocks, shielding the girl from harm.
When the last of the stone had fallen from the ceiling, Matilda slowly raised her head and inspected the cave-in.
Chapter 11: Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire (or in this case, water)
"Getoffme." Cole mumbled under Phillip's weight. "I can't breathe."
"Sor-ree, just saving your life here." The brown-haired guy muttered as he pushed himself off his companion's torso, allowing him to breathe. Cole groaned and sat up. Coughing, he surveyed his dim surroundings.
The massive cave-in had blocked out the light from Matilda's wand, leaving the two in nearly pitch-black darkness. The air was thick with dust, and the ground around the pile of boulders was littered with broken bits of stone and rocks.
"Thanks," He coughed to Phillip, who had picked himself off the floor. "I would have been squished like a beetle!"
Phillip flashed a wan grin. "Don't mention it. Think of it as pay-back for helping Liana and I from those goons back there."
Cole stood up, trying to ignore the throbbing that came from wherever that gollum creature had bitten him. I hope it didn't have rabies. He thought.
He walked up to the pile of boulders. "Matilda!" He called. "Liana!"
"Hello?" Phillip joined in.
Cole though he heard one of the girls calling back, though he could barely hear what they were saying. He growled in frustration. "Agh, they can't hear us, and we can't hear them! Now what do we do?!"
Phillip opened his mouth to answer, but stopped. Cole felt his blood freeze. The innocent splash of water sounded nearby, drawing closer.
"Ancestors above...!" Phillip turned and began clawing at the cave-in, dislodging small boulders and rocks and sending them clattering to the sandy floor. "Liana! Matilda! Can you hear me?!" He cried out.
Something creaked above the youth's head. Cole grabbed Phillip's jacket and shoved him backwards, shouting; "Get back!" More jagged pieces of stone and rocks rained down from the ceiling and where Phillip was just standing, showering them in a coat of choking dust.
"We can't get out that way, it's too risky!" Cole exclaimed.
Phillip was but a dark silhouette in the tunnel, but Cole could imagine a grim expression on his face. "We have to try--" He protested.
"No, it's useless!" Cole interjected. "Look, there's no way we can get past this rock pile, we'll just make it worse! Maybe Matilda can use a spell or something to--" He stopped. "Why are my pants cold and wet?"
"Somebody had an accident?" Phillip jested, though Cole could hear the tremor in his voice.
Looking down, the boys just barely saw the glimmer of water pooling around their legs, soaking their jeans. The flood was catching up to them fast.
"We need to run! This way!" Cole splashed away from the cave-in and headed down the tunnel, Phillip close behind.
Hearts pounding rapidly in their chests, the two ran down the gurgling tunnel and fought against the rising current, stubbing their feet on submerged rocks every once in a while. They held their arms out, wary of running into a wall.
I sure hope the thing that got that skeleton isn't sneaking around here anywhere. Col thought, then tried to push the matter out of his head. It would do no good to worry about whatever lurked nearby.
The cold water was up to their shins by the time they turned a corner and found a dead end, another cave-in. Panic clawed at their throats, making the blood in their veins pump faster. They whipped around and splashed down another flooded passage, trying to find a way out. All of the tunnels looked to be flooded.
The black, menacing river dragged at Cole's legs, hindering his efforts to ran as fast as he could. He shoved against the water, pumping his arms to gain speed. Phillip stumbled and fell with a shower of water droplets, spraying Cole. The latter grabbed his arms and helped him up, and they continued down the tunnels.
It was a hopeless maze of narrow, winding, flooded passages. The boys splashed to and fro, trying desperately to find a way to escape.
I can't go like this. Cole thought with a surge of panic. I can't!
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