and fell again. An avalanche of falling rock filled the entrance, blocking their way out.
Suddenly they were in total darkness, as if someone had flipped off the light switch.
Bailey blew out the breath she’d been holding, her breath returning.
“We’re trapped!” The ground finally stopped moving, but Bailey trembled just the same. “We’re trapped!” she said again, taking shallow, panicked gulps of air.
Elizabeth silently wrapped her arms around Bailey.
Bailey coughed, then laid her head on Beth’s shoulder. Suddenly the welcoming shade of the mine felt cold and confining. Bailey shivered and lifted her head. “What will we do?” she whispered into the dark.
“I—I don’t know.” Elizabeth’s voice sounded flat.
“See if we have a phone signal,” Bailey said.
Elizabeth pulled out her phone and the light shone. “I’ll try calling your mom,” she said. But she couldn’t get a signal.
Tears pricked Bailey’s eyes. “Now what?”
She heard Elizabeth suck in a big breath and blow it out. “We need to pray,” Beth replied.
The two girls snuggled closer and squeezed each other’s hands.
“God,” Elizabeth started, her voice shaky.
Bailey heard her sniff and exhale loudly again.
“God, we’re trapped in here.” Elizabeth struggled to stay calm. “We’re scared and don’t know what to do.”
Bailey squeezed Beth’s hand tighter.
“No one knows we’re in here but You.” Elizabeth choked down a sob. “But You’re the only One who really matters anyway. We believe You have the strength and power to save us, and we ask You to do that. Help us to trust You and not be afraid. Amen.”
Bailey patted Beth’s hand, and then the two girls dissolved in tears, hugging each other in the dark.
“We’ll make it, Bales.” Elizabeth sniffed loudly. “You’ll see.”
Bailey nodded and wiped her eyes. “I know we will.”
“At least we told Aiyana we were coming here,” Elizabeth said. “If we don’t make it back home in time for supper, they’ll come looking for us.”
“But they don’t even know this mine exists,” Bailey moaned. “I hope they can find it.”
“Maybe they won’t have to,” Elizabeth said.
Bailey felt Beth stand up. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to try to get us out of here,” Elizabeth said. “If we moved rocks from the outside to get in, maybe we can move rocks inside to get out!”
“Great idea!” Bailey felt her way through the darkness to the rock wall. She tugged on a rock, but it wouldn’t budge. “I can’t get this rock out. It’s wedged in too tight.”
“Maybe if we can see the wall we can spot a place to start,” Elizabeth said. “You know, kind of like playing Pick-Up Sticks or Jenga. You always try the loose ones first.” Elizabeth aimed her phone light toward the wall. “See anything?”
Bailey felt the rocks wherever Beth lit them up. “This one wiggles. I’ll try it.” Bailey scooted the rock from side to side, and then pulled. “I got it!”
“Good!” Elizabeth reached out through the dark to hug Bailey and whacked her in the head instead.
“Ow!”
“Sorry, that was supposed to be a hug.”
Bailey laughed. “That’s the roughest hug I’ve ever had.”
“I’ll keep my hands to myself,” Beth teased. “At least I didn’t try to high-five you.”
“I’m thinking it wouldn’t have felt much different.” Bailey smiled in the dark. “Let’s work another rock out.”
Again, Elizabeth pointed the light while Bailey searched for a loose rock and pulled. One by one, the two girls removed rocks from the entrance to the mine.
“You’d think we’d see some daylight soon,” Bailey said.
“I know. I wonder how deep this rock wall is.” Elizabeth sat down on the dirt floor. “All those rocks we moved out of the way must have rolled right back into place with the earthquake.”
“And then some! Bummer.” Bailey plopped down beside her friend. “All that hard work for
Suddenly they were in total darkness, as if someone had flipped off the light switch.
Bailey blew out the breath she’d been holding, her breath returning.
“We’re trapped!” The ground finally stopped moving, but Bailey trembled just the same. “We’re trapped!” she said again, taking shallow, panicked gulps of air.
Elizabeth silently wrapped her arms around Bailey.
Bailey coughed, then laid her head on Beth’s shoulder. Suddenly the welcoming shade of the mine felt cold and confining. Bailey shivered and lifted her head. “What will we do?” she whispered into the dark.
“I—I don’t know.” Elizabeth’s voice sounded flat.
“See if we have a phone signal,” Bailey said.
Elizabeth pulled out her phone and the light shone. “I’ll try calling your mom,” she said. But she couldn’t get a signal.
Tears pricked Bailey’s eyes. “Now what?”
She heard Elizabeth suck in a big breath and blow it out. “We need to pray,” Beth replied.
The two girls snuggled closer and squeezed each other’s hands.
“God,” Elizabeth started, her voice shaky.
Bailey heard her sniff and exhale loudly again.
“God, we’re trapped in here.” Elizabeth struggled to stay calm. “We’re scared and don’t know what to do.”
Bailey squeezed Beth’s hand tighter.
“No one knows we’re in here but You.” Elizabeth choked down a sob. “But You’re the only One who really matters anyway. We believe You have the strength and power to save us, and we ask You to do that. Help us to trust You and not be afraid. Amen.”
Bailey patted Beth’s hand, and then the two girls dissolved in tears, hugging each other in the dark.
“We’ll make it, Bales.” Elizabeth sniffed loudly. “You’ll see.”
Bailey nodded and wiped her eyes. “I know we will.”
“At least we told Aiyana we were coming here,” Elizabeth said. “If we don’t make it back home in time for supper, they’ll come looking for us.”
“But they don’t even know this mine exists,” Bailey moaned. “I hope they can find it.”
“Maybe they won’t have to,” Elizabeth said.
Bailey felt Beth stand up. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to try to get us out of here,” Elizabeth said. “If we moved rocks from the outside to get in, maybe we can move rocks inside to get out!”
“Great idea!” Bailey felt her way through the darkness to the rock wall. She tugged on a rock, but it wouldn’t budge. “I can’t get this rock out. It’s wedged in too tight.”
“Maybe if we can see the wall we can spot a place to start,” Elizabeth said. “You know, kind of like playing Pick-Up Sticks or Jenga. You always try the loose ones first.” Elizabeth aimed her phone light toward the wall. “See anything?”
Bailey felt the rocks wherever Beth lit them up. “This one wiggles. I’ll try it.” Bailey scooted the rock from side to side, and then pulled. “I got it!”
“Good!” Elizabeth reached out through the dark to hug Bailey and whacked her in the head instead.
“Ow!”
“Sorry, that was supposed to be a hug.”
Bailey laughed. “That’s the roughest hug I’ve ever had.”
“I’ll keep my hands to myself,” Beth teased. “At least I didn’t try to high-five you.”
“I’m thinking it wouldn’t have felt much different.” Bailey smiled in the dark. “Let’s work another rock out.”
Again, Elizabeth pointed the light while Bailey searched for a loose rock and pulled. One by one, the two girls removed rocks from the entrance to the mine.
“You’d think we’d see some daylight soon,” Bailey said.
“I know. I wonder how deep this rock wall is.” Elizabeth sat down on the dirt floor. “All those rocks we moved out of the way must have rolled right back into place with the earthquake.”
“And then some! Bummer.” Bailey plopped down beside her friend. “All that hard work for
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