Key of Beginning

Chapter 1

It was dark, dismal and cold. Shadows loomed on the walls like knights stalking their victims. The faint echo of water dripping onto the floor was the only noise in the damp tunnel. Ava crept down the corridor, becoming engulfed in the chilling gloom. The absence of light made it impossible to even catch a glimpse of what was up ahead. The sooner she left there, the better. She watched as her shadow dissolved into the darkness.

Ava felt something moist brush against her skin. She let out a squeal, like a bird whose wings had been clipped. The sound reverberated down the endless hallway ahead, vibrating off the walls. Ava clutched her hand to her chest as if her heart would burst from her rib cage. Her breath came out in sharp pants as sweat trickled down her face, causing her eyes to sting. She supposed she'd been lucky that no one was around to hear it. This journey was wearing her down, and the exhaustion was making her weak. Still, she knew she had further to go. She took a deep breath and plunged into the inky blackness.

When Ava next emerged from the cavern, she had stumbled outside. She was so grateful for the sun's warm caress and the gentle purr of Mother Nature. Ava stared at the beautiful landscape before her. A waterfall stood tall with a silent white stream cascading down the rugged outcrops. At the foot of the waterfall, there was a vast pool. A plume of water sprayed into it, creating a faint rainbow.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to see a boy, no older than 13, sprinting towards her. Ava grinned at the sight of her brother. Relief flooded through her at seeing him unharmed, and she turned to greet him. Her family was a strange one with so many siblings. Yet no one could tell by looking at them; their father made sure of that with his many affairs.

JJ sighed in defeat, remembering the agreement they had made when they left.

'Look, can I have a pass on this one, please?' JJ begged.

'Nope,' Ava replied.

'Please, just this once,' he pleaded.

'But making fun of you is my favourite pastime. So, what is that now, 15 to 3?' Ava asked, her eyes gleaming with mirth.

'Why me?' JJ groaned. They trudged on toward their destination.

As they reached the base of the waterfall – the noise was so thunderous that no mortal would've been able to stand close – they noticed a ladder descending from its mouth. They glanced at each other.

'Ladies first,' JJ motioned, his back hunched over in a mock bow. Ava narrowed her eyes at him. She planted one hand on it and hoisted herself up, keeping a firm grip on the rope of the ladder. She heard a snap from above her. Panicking, she scrambled up and dived into the cavern as the ladder broke and fell in a heap on the ground. Moving away from the opening, she took in her surroundings.

The cave was dimly lit, illuminated by a small candle was in the corner of the cavern. As she made her way forward, the sound of her footsteps echoed around her. Jagged rocks stuck out of the walls, pointing at her . It was like they were waiting for her to slip and stumble into them, leading to a swift death.

"Did you find it?" JJ's voice sounded muffled, like someone trying to speak through a gag. Ava ignored him, her attention fixed elsewhere. In the middle of the room held up by a simple stone podium was a small golden key. Joy flooded through Ava's body as she had finally found the treasure that she had spent so long hunting for. She quickly pocketed it.

"Now then" she turned, facing the only exit there was of getting out. "How on earth am I meant to get out of here?" 

Ava peered over the edge, trying to catch a glimpse of her brother somewhere below her.

"JJ" she yelled, praying to whatever God that was out there that he would hear her and come to her rescue. Either the gods were with her or she had a loudmouth, because JJ glanced up at her. Ava let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Can you help me please?" Ava pleaded, hands gripping the rocks to make sure she didn't fall. JJ looked up at her incredulously.

"What do you want me to do? I'm not Tom, I can't go and teleport you down" Ava huffed in annoyance. A thought crossed her mind, lighting up her eyes.

"What?" JJ asked, worried.

"Well," Ava began, with a sly grin on her face. "you could use your ice to create a slide" JJ's mouth fell open in shock.

"What am I, your servant!" he exclaimed, looking affronted.

"No, I'm your sister, now get me down!" JJ glared at Ava, hoping that he would be granted the power to make her disappear. Unfortunately, life was unfair and Ava didn't vanish, instead she looked like she was getting angrier by the second. 

JJ straightened out his hands in front of him. Frost crept up his fingertips forming a glistening coat over them. Ice shot from his hands. The shimmering substance formed together creating a glass-like slide that started at the base of the waterfall and began to grow in size.

JJ stood on the ground, his eyes closed in concentration as his creation climbed up the rock face. He finally relaxed when the crystal-like matter reached the top of the waterfall where Ava stood, trapped. The ice was warm for something made of frozen water, and the surface was smooth and slippery. Ava edged to the cave entrance, making certain she was far enough away not to touch it.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Ava questioned, not believing in the slightest that the slide was secure.

"The level of trust here is outstanding, I make you a slide and now you don't want to use it," JJ muttered. "Look I made it so I know it's safe, you don't have to worry."

Ava glared down at him with a raised eyebrow. JJ rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to bang his head against something.

"For God's sake! Just come down unless you want to be trapped up there all day" JJ yelled, his impatience getting the better of him. Ava glanced at the ice. She lowered herself onto the slide and taking a deep breath, propelled herself forward. She had barely moved before she slipped, plunging into the sapphire blue pool below, letting out a wail as she fell. Water shot into the air the moment her body hit the surface. JJ jumped backwards to avoid being hit.

Ava emerged from the pool, gagging on the cold water she had swallowed.

"JJ you ass" she screeched at him while trying to shake her soaking wet hair from her face. Meanwhile, JJ had fallen on the ground he was laughing so hard, clutching his sides to calm himself down.

"It's not my fault you have no sense of balance" he choked out.

"How is my fault," Ava said. "You told me it was safe!" she accused.

"Yeah for normal people who have a grasp on balance," JJ told her exasperated. Ava's gaped in disbelief, her eyebrows disappearing into her hairline.

"Excuse me," she said, affronted. "I'll have you know that I have a perfect sense of balance, thank you very much. I could make your life a misery, you're away of that." JJ snorted and muttered something under his breath. Ava decided that it would be in her best interests to ignore JJ...and beat the crap out of him later.