First Soul

Chapter Four

Cold air penetrated deep into my body, crawling its way into my bones. Ironically, the bone numbing cold didn't hold back the agonising pain in my back and legs. It was clear to me that I was resting against something hard.

Coughing and spitting out dirt, I wheezed. My world dipped and rolled, and then a crushing pain forced a groan out of me. My God. What had hit me? It felt like my head was trapped in a vice. Wherever we were, it was so dark that it didn't reveal much. The only light source came from the glow in the corner.

Lester.

The wolves.

The ghost.

It was all real.

Jesus.

Deyna and Phillip were stirring next to me, and I knew that reality was going to hit them quickly. I saw the jerk of Deyna's body when she realised where she was. She opened her mouth and let out a piercing scream as she scrambled back on her hands.

"Shush, Deyna. You don't know what could be down here," Phillip warned.

For once, Phillip's nerves were spot on. I remembered that we'd fallen down a hole, but why had there been a hole to begin with?

"We... we need to get home," Deyna looked around us, her eyes bulging.

"And how do you suggest we do that, fly up the hole we just fell through?" I snapped,  and then instantly regretted talking to her that way. But, God, my head hurt, and the ringing in my ears from her girlish screams hadn't helped.

Deyna had simply voiced what I was thinking. "Sorry, Deyna." I sighed when I saw the tears already trickling over her cheeks.

As she wrapped her arms around me, she pushed her head against my shoulder and sobbed. I gave her the time. We sat for a while until she wiped her nose on her sleeve. She nodded, letting me know that she was dealing.

"We could try using your mobile, Ste?" Phillip suggested.

I eagerly pulled my phone out of my pocket, my heart was racing with a new kind of adrenaline. I pressed the buttons, waiting for the welcoming lights.

Nothing.

My heart stopped, the breath catching on the lump stuck in my throat. Phillip looked at the phone, the realisation hitting both of us at the same time. I angrily smacked it.

"You won't be able to use that device."

I looked over at Lester. Well. It was nice of him to finally involve himself.

"Your new technologies won't work down here."

"And where exactly are we?" Phillip asked.

"Lehstreous, as I said before when you'd destroyed my headstone... we have already begun..."

Begun what?

I didn't like his tone.

"Where exactly is this Lehst... place anyway?" Phillip demanded rather tersely.

"Lehstreous is here, lad. You didn't believe me before but perhaps you will believe me now."

I stood up and opened the map. Now that I looked away from the lines and the cliff peaks, I saw the name written in the middle of the map. I couldn't say where we were on the map because I didn't see the large arrow that said: 'you are here'. There weren't any clear illustrations. It was just lines and shapes.

"I'm afraid this is only the beginning," Lester whispered.

"The beginning of what?" Anger bubbled in my chest. Why was he being so cryptic?