vibrated from behind the door, the echo reverberating beneath the doorway and toward the soles of our feet. “Is that …?”
“Music. This Black Hole is one of the only known Holes in this region with an Abyss.”
“An Abyss?”
“Yeah, like a club.”
“And you call it an Abyss … why?” I asked, feeling the thump of the music strengthening.
“You’ll see.”
The metal door creaked open and a short, heavy-set guy with a long dark beard appeared. The bass-driven beats spilled out to meet us, filling me with an exciting energy. I’d almost forgotten what music sounded like. “Well?” the guy said.
Kale stepped forward and leaned into the man, cupping his hand over his ear to whisper something to him. The man listened intently.
Jet and I exchanged glances.
“What is this, a super-secret Boy Scout meeting?” Jet muttered. “Will you let us into your fort, sir?”
I elbowed him in the side, biting back a smile.
Kale finished whispering into the man’s ear and the man stepped back, waving us in. We followed after Kale.
“Oh, you’re inviting us into the tree house?” Jet asked the man who’d granted us entry. “I feel so special. Where’s my complimentary juice box? All members get juice boxes, right?”
The man looked at him blandly, closing the door behind us.
I pulled on Jet’s arm, raising my voice to speak over the noise. “What’s gotten into you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re so grumpy. Lay off Kale, will you? Maybe we can all help each other out.”
“Yeah, right. Whatever you say.”
I rolled my eyes and Kale continued to lead us through the crowd, weaving around the throngs of people. The sight was unbelievable. People jumped up and down, dancing and shouting at the tops of their lungs. Techno music delivered a steady pulse of hypnotic beats throughout the cool cave walls, their echoes even more pronounced now that we were in the thick of the action. Strobe lights and smoke rolled overhead, while drinks were offered on all kinds of colorful serving trays. It was hard to believe something like this existed underground, when aboveground was a war zone.
As we approached the far end of the cave, the music became littered with another echo—a hollow one, like the sound of someone shouting through a tunnel. There was one loud shout, then another, and then laughter. The ceiling above us suddenly opened up and revealed a massive, jagged dome shape, with reflections of something bouncing off the very top of the ceiling. Kale’s arms shot out to stop Jet and me from walking any farther, his head dropping to his feet. I glanced down with him, finding the source of the reflections.
Water. A huge, dark body of water.
Below us, people were swimming, splashing one another, and diving into it from large boulders. I stood there gaping at the sight, my skin itching with the need to feel that cool liquid over every inch of my body.
Jet whistled, stepping back when he clocked the steep drop of the cliff in front of us. “Holy shit. What is this?”
“A hidden treasure, that’s what.” Kale turned and clapped Jet’s back, winking at me. “Come on.” He led us away from the cliff and down a rocky stairwell. “No one knows how deep this thing goes. Some have tried to swim down to the bottom, but they never make it very far.” His voice turned solemn. “One guy tried last week, but never made it back to the surface.”
We walked out over a cusp of rocks, stopping to stare down into the calm water. The surface was deceptive. Exceptionally clear, with a teal hue, it looked heavenly and innocent. As I focused on its depths, though, there was a darker tone that lurked beneath the blue, filled with mystery and danger. I wanted to feel it all, needed to be in the midst of it.
Walking around Kale and Jet as they exchanged words, I darted over to the edge, stopping only to accept a shot of something from a woman with a tray. “How do I pay?” I asked, chucking the liquid
“Music. This Black Hole is one of the only known Holes in this region with an Abyss.”
“An Abyss?”
“Yeah, like a club.”
“And you call it an Abyss … why?” I asked, feeling the thump of the music strengthening.
“You’ll see.”
The metal door creaked open and a short, heavy-set guy with a long dark beard appeared. The bass-driven beats spilled out to meet us, filling me with an exciting energy. I’d almost forgotten what music sounded like. “Well?” the guy said.
Kale stepped forward and leaned into the man, cupping his hand over his ear to whisper something to him. The man listened intently.
Jet and I exchanged glances.
“What is this, a super-secret Boy Scout meeting?” Jet muttered. “Will you let us into your fort, sir?”
I elbowed him in the side, biting back a smile.
Kale finished whispering into the man’s ear and the man stepped back, waving us in. We followed after Kale.
“Oh, you’re inviting us into the tree house?” Jet asked the man who’d granted us entry. “I feel so special. Where’s my complimentary juice box? All members get juice boxes, right?”
The man looked at him blandly, closing the door behind us.
I pulled on Jet’s arm, raising my voice to speak over the noise. “What’s gotten into you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re so grumpy. Lay off Kale, will you? Maybe we can all help each other out.”
“Yeah, right. Whatever you say.”
I rolled my eyes and Kale continued to lead us through the crowd, weaving around the throngs of people. The sight was unbelievable. People jumped up and down, dancing and shouting at the tops of their lungs. Techno music delivered a steady pulse of hypnotic beats throughout the cool cave walls, their echoes even more pronounced now that we were in the thick of the action. Strobe lights and smoke rolled overhead, while drinks were offered on all kinds of colorful serving trays. It was hard to believe something like this existed underground, when aboveground was a war zone.
As we approached the far end of the cave, the music became littered with another echo—a hollow one, like the sound of someone shouting through a tunnel. There was one loud shout, then another, and then laughter. The ceiling above us suddenly opened up and revealed a massive, jagged dome shape, with reflections of something bouncing off the very top of the ceiling. Kale’s arms shot out to stop Jet and me from walking any farther, his head dropping to his feet. I glanced down with him, finding the source of the reflections.
Water. A huge, dark body of water.
Below us, people were swimming, splashing one another, and diving into it from large boulders. I stood there gaping at the sight, my skin itching with the need to feel that cool liquid over every inch of my body.
Jet whistled, stepping back when he clocked the steep drop of the cliff in front of us. “Holy shit. What is this?”
“A hidden treasure, that’s what.” Kale turned and clapped Jet’s back, winking at me. “Come on.” He led us away from the cliff and down a rocky stairwell. “No one knows how deep this thing goes. Some have tried to swim down to the bottom, but they never make it very far.” His voice turned solemn. “One guy tried last week, but never made it back to the surface.”
We walked out over a cusp of rocks, stopping to stare down into the calm water. The surface was deceptive. Exceptionally clear, with a teal hue, it looked heavenly and innocent. As I focused on its depths, though, there was a darker tone that lurked beneath the blue, filled with mystery and danger. I wanted to feel it all, needed to be in the midst of it.
Walking around Kale and Jet as they exchanged words, I darted over to the edge, stopping only to accept a shot of something from a woman with a tray. “How do I pay?” I asked, chucking the liquid
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