he’d like, and he doesn’t have replacement batteries. Reluctantly, he turns and rolls back to the stairs leading up and uses his trigger claw to grab the lightstone sitting on a sconce on the wall. “I’m not stealing your light thingy, I’m borrowing it!”
“I’m borrowing it… borrowing it… borrowing it,” replies the cave.
Allan clicks off his headlamp to save battery power and tucks it in his pack. He moves forward, carefully, methodically. His fingers grip the push-ring on his chair so tightly he should be bending it out of shape. The crunching of sand under his wheels is loud and makes Allan feel insecure about his traction. Every time the track motor kicks on, he jumps. Sweat soaks his hair and his shirt.
It occurs to Allan that the manufacturers of his All-Terrain chair hadn’t tested it on other planets. The thought makes him smile, and he continues down the steps with care. The movement has a powerful effect on his brain. The momentum silences his chirping anxiety, giving his brain important balancing orders. Allan continues down the stairway that crosses the cavern.
The muscles in his arms tire, but that is the least of his worries. There are no walls on either side anymore, just an abyss. However, the stone’s light shines in all directions and is much brighter and more comforting. “I’m keeping this stone, finders keepers!”
“Finders keepers… finders keepers… keepers.”
“Your echo is annoying!” Allan yelps, feeling teased.
“Is annoying… annoying… annoying.”
“Stop it!” Allan gets agitated though he knows it’s ridiculous.
A moment after the last echo comes another sound, like the sound of flags snapping in the wind. A breeze brushes his cheek. Feeling exposed, he hurries down, clumping, clumping, clumping.
A dark, flying thing swoops over Allan’s head, close enough he can almost see the shape. It’s hairy and charcoal black.
Allan holds up his hands. “Ahh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to steal your light crystal.”
“Your light crystal… light crystal… crystal.”
Another whoosh races over his head, closer this time.
A pebble pops out from under the small front wheel. The chair falls to the left, and Allan’s weight follows. He can’t stop his sidelong momentum. His chair tips.
Allan’s legs and hips are strapped to the chair, so when his body flies over the edge of the steps, his chair goes with him.
Allan screams as he falls into the dark. His eyes squeeze shut. Turning over and over as he falls, he’s helpless and bracing for impact. Every muscle fiber clenches, hardening his body. The back of his chair faces down like he’s an upturned turtle. Before he can rotate again, he hits water.
The splash sounds like a thousand cymbals crashing. The momentum pushes Allan and his chair below the surface. As the heavy wheelchair plunges downward, the frothy, turbulent water silences Allan’s screams. He can’t breathe. His lungs strain. This is it. Water floods his mouth, and a fuzzy pain overcomes his thoughts.
Suddenly, he is hoisted from the water by a strong muscular arm and carried through the air. Allan coughs up the salty water. Shivers roll through his shocked body. Water cascades off him.
A large flying creature holds Allan and his chair tightly pressed to a furry chest. The weight seems too much for the creature. Its flight erratic and strained.
Thank you, thank you , is all Allan can think.
After a few minutes, Allan is set on hard stone. Adrenaline and shock rule his body as he gasps for air and hugs himself hard. It isn’t the first time Allan has almost drowned, but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing.
The creature leaps away as though it doesn’t want to be seen. Allan pushes his dripping hair off his face and wipes water from his eyes. He hugs himself again.
Dozens of lightstones are uncovered, and they illuminate the cave. A dozen upside-down, black-winged creatures cling to the ceiling. They shuffle around like
“I’m borrowing it… borrowing it… borrowing it,” replies the cave.
Allan clicks off his headlamp to save battery power and tucks it in his pack. He moves forward, carefully, methodically. His fingers grip the push-ring on his chair so tightly he should be bending it out of shape. The crunching of sand under his wheels is loud and makes Allan feel insecure about his traction. Every time the track motor kicks on, he jumps. Sweat soaks his hair and his shirt.
It occurs to Allan that the manufacturers of his All-Terrain chair hadn’t tested it on other planets. The thought makes him smile, and he continues down the steps with care. The movement has a powerful effect on his brain. The momentum silences his chirping anxiety, giving his brain important balancing orders. Allan continues down the stairway that crosses the cavern.
The muscles in his arms tire, but that is the least of his worries. There are no walls on either side anymore, just an abyss. However, the stone’s light shines in all directions and is much brighter and more comforting. “I’m keeping this stone, finders keepers!”
“Finders keepers… finders keepers… keepers.”
“Your echo is annoying!” Allan yelps, feeling teased.
“Is annoying… annoying… annoying.”
“Stop it!” Allan gets agitated though he knows it’s ridiculous.
A moment after the last echo comes another sound, like the sound of flags snapping in the wind. A breeze brushes his cheek. Feeling exposed, he hurries down, clumping, clumping, clumping.
A dark, flying thing swoops over Allan’s head, close enough he can almost see the shape. It’s hairy and charcoal black.
Allan holds up his hands. “Ahh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to steal your light crystal.”
“Your light crystal… light crystal… crystal.”
Another whoosh races over his head, closer this time.
A pebble pops out from under the small front wheel. The chair falls to the left, and Allan’s weight follows. He can’t stop his sidelong momentum. His chair tips.
Allan’s legs and hips are strapped to the chair, so when his body flies over the edge of the steps, his chair goes with him.
Allan screams as he falls into the dark. His eyes squeeze shut. Turning over and over as he falls, he’s helpless and bracing for impact. Every muscle fiber clenches, hardening his body. The back of his chair faces down like he’s an upturned turtle. Before he can rotate again, he hits water.
The splash sounds like a thousand cymbals crashing. The momentum pushes Allan and his chair below the surface. As the heavy wheelchair plunges downward, the frothy, turbulent water silences Allan’s screams. He can’t breathe. His lungs strain. This is it. Water floods his mouth, and a fuzzy pain overcomes his thoughts.
Suddenly, he is hoisted from the water by a strong muscular arm and carried through the air. Allan coughs up the salty water. Shivers roll through his shocked body. Water cascades off him.
A large flying creature holds Allan and his chair tightly pressed to a furry chest. The weight seems too much for the creature. Its flight erratic and strained.
Thank you, thank you , is all Allan can think.
After a few minutes, Allan is set on hard stone. Adrenaline and shock rule his body as he gasps for air and hugs himself hard. It isn’t the first time Allan has almost drowned, but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing.
The creature leaps away as though it doesn’t want to be seen. Allan pushes his dripping hair off his face and wipes water from his eyes. He hugs himself again.
Dozens of lightstones are uncovered, and they illuminate the cave. A dozen upside-down, black-winged creatures cling to the ceiling. They shuffle around like
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