The year was 1879. I was 16. Me and my sister Abbie had just finished helping our papa mine for rubies in his gem mine. We didn't find much but papa was happy we found any at all. He looked so tired. So overworked, the mine it seemed was running out of gems to collect. Abbie and I decided to go exploring since we finished our daily chores. The horses were set to graze. The crops were watered. Mama's flowers were weeded. Daddy had warned us not to go near the mineshaft without him there but I was curious. We had only been allowed to go in some 10 feet. I wanted to know what else was down there. How deep did that mysterious dark hole go? Of course Abbie was scared and wanted to stay behind. She left for the river so I was on my own. I grabbed a headlamp and a pickaxe, determined. To help my papa. To put his worried tired mind to ease. To help ease the burden on his strong shoulders. I may be a girl but I was as tough as any boy my age. Who knew I'd never walk out of that cave alive.
A few hours of walking and it was dark as pitch. I turned on my headlamp but could barely see a few feet in front of me. I shined on the wall, the beautiful red of the rubies glittering back at me. I excitedly swung the pickaxe, hearing the clang of metal against rock. "Don't worry papa. I'll save this farm." I whisper, swinging again. The sound echoed along the corridor before fading out at the long forgotten entrance. I'm in too deep to turn back without anything. With one final swing, I felt the rubies come loose from the hard rock. I excitedly grabbed a bucket up and filled it with all the fallen jewels. "We're going to be rich!" I excitedly say, jumping up and down. Then there was a cracking sound and I realized why papa never ventured deeper. "What was that?" I gape, holding the glowing receptacle held tight to my chest. I won't fail my papa. I felt the ground shake under my feet. "What's.... Going on?" I ask nobody. "Nicole?" I hear Abbie shout at the entrance. "Abbie, go get papa! Something is wr-" The sentence is cut short as the ground crumbled beneath my feet. I heaved with all my might the large bucket. I saw it roll towards my twin sister as I felt nothing beneath my feet. She screamed my name as the darkness consumed me and I fell.
For what felt like forever.
And then...
It was over. I was dead.
Nicole's pov
A chill filled my soul. My heart hurt, remembering how reckless and dumb I was. I should've listened to my papa. Oh how he must have worried about me. How they all must have wept. "I'm sorry, papa." I shakily whisper, wiping the tears from my cheeks. The group stared back at me with pitiful sadness. We've all been there. I didn't realize how bad it would hurt. I forgot what my papa even looked like being trapped there for so long. But wow. I feel so much lighter now. I feel.... For the first time in almost two centuries... I feel free. That's when I see a bright light. I wave goodbye to my newfound family. "Thank you. For everything." I whisper gladly. I'm free.
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A Safe Place
FanfictionA girl enters a strange mysterious place. A place she learns fast that she can't leave! How'd she get here? How does she get home? The other teenagers have resigned themselves to being stuck in this prison but not Miranda.
