Youth Transformed

Chapter 29

Heif

Having gotten reports the park is clear, all entries are clear. I leave Michael, Rory, and Joven's dad to block the other exits closest to our point of entry.

Karmony, Joven, and I approach the south Dewstone exit and look down. The door is slightly ajar with a small rock in the opening. Looking at Joven, who sees it too, we both nod to each other knowing our security system needs an update.

"Which way?" I ask Karmony, as I take her by the hand and pull her inside the opening with us.

Joven looks at our joined hands but says nothing. Then, looks at Karmony waiting for her to answer.

"In the diary, it said to go about twenty feet in, and when the path turns right, look for a symbol on the left", and we all walk in quietly.

"What is the symbol," Joven whispers to Karmony.

"It's an arrow facing many different directions", she says, and Joven nods his head like he knows what she's talking about.

Joven feels on the wall and nods when he can identify the symbol, and he gives it a small push.

"It will crack open and then it's a straight down path, with lose rocks, stones jutting out and pitch black," Karmony whispers again.

I take her by the hand, kiss her fingertips, and tell her to remain here. If anyone but us, come up the tunnel, she is to run outside yelling for Rory, Michael, or Joven's dad. She looks like she wants to argue, but I whisper to her that I have rope in my back pocket. That puts a smile on her face, and she nods her head agreeing to stay behind, while we go forward.

Karmony's description is accurate, there is no light, and we slip several times on the loose rocks and bump our knees into small boulders.

"What is the deal with you and Karmony?" Joven asks as we head down the tunnel.

"Do you really think now is the time for questions? Maybe I like dictators?" I whisper back.

"Well, it's the first we've been alone. You know she tried to kill my wife;" and I hear an humph! As he finds another boulder.

"She said she was sorry, dude!" I whisper but put some attitude into the words.

"Look, I just don't want you hurt. It's not supposed to be talked about, but she had some heavy stuff in her life right before she entered high school. I'm not even supposed to know, but I walked into my dad's office and caught him by surprise talking to Henry." Karmony had issues?? What kind of issues? Who uses the word issues and leaves a guy hanging like that?

"Joven, you can't just drop a bomb and walk on like it didn't just explode and kill everyone in the area." I grab the back of him and make him stop walking.

"What are you doing? Let go of me! In case, you have forgotten... I'm trying to rescue my wife!" he raises his voice a little higher.

"Then maybe you should lower your voice," comes a very feminine voice from deeper in the tunnel, Pann!

"Wife?" Joven asks, and we hear a giggle.

"Have so many people gone missing today, that you need to keep count?" what follows is a scurry of feet, and then I'm very thankful it's pitch dark. Because it sounds like a lot of kissing and maybe even some groping.

"Dude, she's already pregnant, let her breathe," I hear a few more kisses and then they part.

"Pann." I start, when I'm sure Joven's lips are no longer attached to her lips, "where is Hattie?"

"Oh, well..." and I hear her giggling, "I left her in the room, while she was showing me how a girl can pee into a bottle."

If the lights were on, I think both Joven and I would have identical faces of shock! Then.... Wait for it.... all three of us are laughing!

"Oh, and I put her knife under the middle seat cushion on the dirty couch, nearest the bed," Pann says.

"If ya'll are just going to giggle like high school girls, I'm going back home and to bed" comes Karmony's voice from up above us.

That gets us moving, and I tell Karmony to go tell the others we have Pann. Joven offers to go down with me, but I tell him to take Pann back up and into the Central Control and feed her. Since we keep hearing Pann's stomach growling.

I enter the small room, at the back of the furniture store and realize this is where they have been camped out all this time. I walk up behind Hattie, who has her pants back up, thank the Mist for that!

Trying not to gag, I take her by the arm, and we walk back up the tunnel. She's not putting up much of a fight, I think the last eleven days have worn her out. Hopefully, Joshua was able to get Billy up and into the Central Control.

Arriving at the quickly filling up Central Control, we decide to move this little party out, across the cavern and into the Reflection Room. Everybody silently casts their eyes towards the Forbidden Cave but say nothing, as we move across the cavern.

As everyone sits down around the front of the Reflection Room, I take a head count. To my left is Michael, then Rory, Joshua, Billy, Joven, who hasn't let go of Pann, then I see that Joven's dad has arrived, as well, as Henry, then Karmony, and I still have Hattie next me.

"Joven, I know this is an emotional time for you and really for all of us." I begin the impromptu meeting, "but, did you get some answers in Michigan? Can we reverse the waters back and the Mist will return?