Set in Stone: The Rose Secret

Chapter 11: Out ⛓

I fastened the silver locket back in the chest, then piled the crumples of paper in the corner of the slivered table. My foot caught a small object under the desk. I ducked, looking curiously around the dirt floor. A trap door and a handle was below. A cellar in a cellar? I shovelled the heavy desk out of the way and tugged on the latch. The door was embedded in thirty years of moss, dirt and spider webs so it was hard to pull open. After a few tugs, part of the door opened, which gusted a dew smelling cold draft of air towards me. I flicked my flashlight on and searched for the bottom of the hole.

Below was a wide stretch of dirt floor that was a few metres down. I looked above at the wreak where my body fell through. I was not able to go back the way I came, and no-one could hear me down here. I studied the hole once more. The insides of the hole was unclear whether it was safe, for my flashlight was dimming and had low battery.

I lowered my foot, clenching onto a leg of the table for support. I leapt down, my feet sinking into layers of old dirt. My flashlight, now not bright at all, only helped me make out the outline of shapes. Behind me a firm dirt wall, to my left more dirt and ahead a trail which seemed to wander slightly upwards. I crept down the path, which after a few steps seemed to come to a fork. The left had a smidgen of light and the right pitch black.

I veered left, the light nearing as I arose on a dirt ramp. I stopped, a rectangular glow of light in front of me. Door? Reflective furnace? I reached for a door handle but instead found a light switch. What was a modern light switch doing in an old dirt cavern? I turned the switch on. A small lamp that was in the corner flickered on. I thought there was a power outage? Why is there power down here? I widened my eyes, below me, there were two fresh sets of foot prints. Who was down here? In front of me was a thick steel door that had a circular handle mounted to it.

By now I was confused. Where am I? Who was down here? What is behind the door? I slowly opened the door, a grey beam of light shooting in my eyes. I let the door swing open to reveal a choppy field with heavy rain pattering its surface. Above me a bank of dirt like a small hobbit hole stuck out of a hill. I raced into the wet blur letting my clothes slump and stick to my wet cold body. I was free.

A row of forest was not far from where I stood. Beyond the hill was a long stretch of land. Farm houses were on the horizon and I ran towards them. The green slumps of hill followed by soggy creeks and puddles made my already tired knees tremble as I walked.

Blood streamed onto my clothes where I had been struck with a giant sliver. My hair bunched into a wet clump and my make-up drained down my weak face. I kept running, my legs sprung with every step, I was eager to escape the rain.

Lightning bolts and thunder smeared the skies, that echoed sounds through my ears. The ridged edge of a field followed by a dirt road looked ahead. I stopped for a break, my lungs felt heavy like water filled balloons. My back ached, my muscles hurt and my bruises stung. It was the sight of a small rainbow ahead which helped me keep going and gave me hope. I reached the path where a small farm house was. Antonia's farm! Her farm dogs greeted me as I ran up her laneway. Her patio was giant and wooden and led to her front door. I pounded on it hoping she was home.

The door opened. Mike her younger brother held a small kitten in his hands. "Hey White, are you ok!", he asked. "Ya" I responded. "Is Antonia home"? I asked. "I will go see, come in from the cold" he motioned. I followed him into the warm house. The smell of apple pie and pumpkin pie filled my nose. The lights were off so I assumed their power was off too.