The Ascent

Chapter 16

Once they got down from the tree, Jasmine felt like she had grown some new muscles over the night that she wasn't aware of, and all of them were hurting. Her leg seemed to be the least of her problems as she forced her stiff muscles to comply with her commands.

"Are you okay?" Asher asked hesitantly, as if he wanted to offer her some help but was afraid to do so.

"I am fine. My muscles are just a bit sore from all the running around," Jasmine said, putting her weight on her injured leg and exclaiming in pain.

Asher ran towards her, unsure what he should do, but she waved him off, determined to show as little of her weakness as possible.

"Isaac, can you bring me that thick stick from over there," Jasmine said quietly, pointing in the direction of the one she wanted.

"Sure," Isaac replied, moving so quickly that he was back even before he finished speaking. "Here you are."

Jasmine used the stick as an improvised cane while everyone looked at her strangely. It was as if they never did any trekking in the forest and never used a stick to help them move around, even when they weren't in pain.

"It will help me not put weight on this leg as much," Jasmine explained quickly. "It could help stop you from getting too tired. We have a long hike before us, after all."

Confused as the city kids were they still obeyed seeing Jasmine as an expert in the field.

"Where are we going?" Asher asked as he set his little girl on his shoulders, making tears gather at the corners of Jasmine's eyes.

Every time she saw such a good relationship between a father and a daughter, her heart ached. The blurry memories of her early childhood, when she was carried like that, flashed before her eyes, saddening her. She was miserable that she couldn't go back and live through those days with her father again.

It was the strangest feeling, and it usually caught her by surprise. When she least expected it, when she least needed it, it would slam into her chest, making it difficult to even breathe.

"That way," Jasmine pointed, her finger shaking from the rush of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

"What's there?" Isaac asked, curiosity in his eyes shining brighter than the sun slowly rising in the east.

"There is a cave that not many people visit nowadays," Jasmine said, her voice still trembling as she tried to stop herself from crying just because someone showed some love to their own daughter. "It should be isolated enough for the bald men not to bother checking, and it should be hidden enough for them not to even realize it's there."

There were way too many 'shoulds' in her statement, but she couldn't give them any guarantees. Besides, even though the day seemed sunny enough at that moment, she did remember reading the weekly forecast and seeing some rain predictions for the area. The last thing they needed when they were tired, confused, and scared was to be caught in a downpour.

"Lead the way," Asher said cheerfully, deciding it best to pretend that he didn't notice how suddenly Jasmine was gripped by a wave of sadness.

It made Jasmine respect him even more because she could see he saw what a state she was in but could also feel her reluctance to talk about it. Instead of asking a billion questions she didn't want to answer, he gave her space, letting her decide whether she wanted to confide in him. That meant the world.

Suddenly her attention was grabbed by a few fireballs streaking above them. It made her stop in her tracks and look worriedly at them.

There were reports before about something like that happening, but she always thought those were just scared people seeing things. Seeing it in person was a different experience that made her shiver in fear.

So many strange and inexplicable things kept happening one after another, and she felt like it somehow made it even more terrifying for her. If she only knew anything about the situation, she thought she would feel at least somewhat better.

Later, when she did learn the truth, she laughed at her naive way of seeing things at the time, but for the time being, Jasmine could only hope that knowledge was the only power she needed.

"Dad, what's that?" Arman asked, looking up, fascinated while the little girl refused to lift her head from her father's shoulder after the previous strange incident.

"Just some meteors, that's all," he said, sounding sure even to Jasmine, who knew that he was definitely not telling the truth.

Still, they continued walking as there was no use worrying about things they couldn't change. Whatever it was, they needed to find shelter as soon as possible. Only when they were well-rested and safe could they consider their next move.

As they approached the area where Jasmine knew the cave was situated, panic started growing from the depth of her stomach, trying to escape through her mouth. What if she couldn't find the entrance now that she needed it the most? After all, it had been quite a while since the last time she went there, and it was under much happier circumstances.

Taking a few deep breaths, Jasmine focused on her surroundings instead of her thoughts which had become her worst enemies over the years. A careful examination showed that everything did look familiar. Jasmine didn't lose her way; she just needed to relax and continue down the same path. It would end in what seemed like a hillside, but if they turned right behind the trees, they would find the cave entrance conveniently hidden.

It was even said that during past wars, the rebels hid in there without ever being discovered. Still, it didn't offer Jasmine too much consolation as she knew that the enemy that they faced was nothing like what they were dealing with.

"Are we there yet?" Isaac asked, his face so red that Jasmine worried he might faint.

"Yes, just a bit further," Jasmine said calmly, wanting to ask him if he was okay but knowing it would wound his pride.

"Good, because we need to strategize," Isaac said seriously.

So seriously that it took all Jasmine had to stop herself from laughing because of the contrast.

Isaac was a child as much as Asher's children were. And yet, he never spoke the way one would expect a child to speak. He sounded more like a general rallying his troops than a tired child who needed rest.

Clearly, he spent most of his time inside, probably listening to music that was just a bit too loud and playing strategy or shooting games. How else would he know all those unusual words?

"Over here," Jasmine said sometime later, finally sure she got the right place. "You might want to add an extra layer of clothing as it's cold inside. At least until we start the fire or something."

Asher lowered his daughter from his shoulders, rummaging through her backpack and helping her put on a jumper. The others followed their example and dressed in warmer clothing.

Once inside, it was far darker than Jasmine remembered, but that could have been because terror was overpowering all her sentiments. The dark seemed more ominous than ever, and she felt as if it was only a matter of time before a bald man popped out in front of them, pulling them deep into the depths of hell.

"Everything okay?" Asher asked cautiously, making Jasmine jump.

"Y-Yes, I just don't remember it being this dark," Jasmine admitted as they cautiously climbed down the few steps leading into the cave.

"Was this open for tourists?" Asher asked as an idea occurred to him.

"Yes. Why?" Jasmine asked, confused by his strange line of questioning.

"Then there was probably some lighting before to stop people from panicking," Asher said as less and less light reached them.

"Yes, I remember now! There were small lights all along the path," Jasmine exclaimed.

"They've finally done it," Asher said matter-of-factly.

"Done what?" Jasmine asked, confused.

"Cut the electricity in some way," Asher said.

With that scary thought, he pulled out a flashlight, and they proceeded forward.

Diving into the darkness.

One halo of light as their guide.