The Color of Knowledge

Chapter Twelve (pt. 4)

They picked up their pace although it hurt to do so. The closer they got to the glowing source, the faster they walked. It was not long before the three were lightly jogging towards the light. A hundred yards from the now recognizable glowing bushes, Ivy came to an abrupt halt, which made both Zari and Yani crash into her.

"What's wrong?" Zari asked rubbing her forehead.

"Shh," said Ivy. She knelt to the ground. The other two mimicked her position. "I think I saw..."

"A land creature!" exclaimed Zari in a harsh whisper.

The creature crawled out from the cave and turned north. It did not seem to notice the three humans huddled together in the distance as it began to walk away.

"How many do you think are in that cave?" Zari asked.

"Could have just been that one," Ivy whispered back. "We have to go in there."

"I'm not going," said Yani. "There's no way."

"We won't last out here much longer without water. That cave is our only hope."

"Ivy is right, Yani. We can't leave you out here."

Yani nodded without saying a word. They moved closer to the cave opening on high alert for any sudden movements. They were just past the luminous bushes when they heard it.

A high-pitched screech pierced the air. From the north, Ivy was able to see the land creature rushing back to where it had come. It was running straight for them.

"Go! Go!" Ivy shouted, leading the way further into the dark cave. The further they ran, the darker it became. Soon they were tripping left and right over unseen obstacles.

A few feet away, Ivy could make out the faint blue light she had seen the last time she was in the cave. She hit the silver box that held the light, hoping it would do something. The screeches of the land creature bounced off the cavern walls, getting closer by the second.

"There's nothing here!" Zari yelled.

"There has to be!"

A large boulder slid to one side, revealing a steel passageway illuminated by more blue light. The group of three fell through as the rock slid closed behind them. Dirty, dehydrated, and noticeably thinner, they had fallen at the feet of a young man with wild, orange-brown hair.

"Water," Ivy croaked before passing out on the cold, steel floor.