The Smi

14: Boobytraps

Each towering temple had some writing on it. I couldn't read it. Neither could Aaron, Rien, or Ambur. It helped me in convincing myself that I was still sane. I still hadn't worked out how the letters had all swung around and shifted, twisting and turning to create a totally different wording. Suddenly, a snap quickly sounded. I looked at Rien, who was standing next to a broken wire. "Whoops." My eyes widened as I saw gears and switches more rusty than my hair pins, clacking and clicking, sending a 40-or so pound weight flying from the ceiling. Aaron jumped out of the way just in time. It landed in a pre-carved square that sank into the ground with a stone-like grinding sound, to reveal another thicker outer square, and the process continued until the ground was rippling with squares of stone and the grinding noise so loud I crouched down in the corner of the cave, covering my ears and screaming. The others stared at me as if I had grown a second head. "What's wrong, Fall?" Rien asked. "You okay?"

I didn't realize that I screamed it but I did. "Do I look okay, Rien?!"

He blushed "I... Just wanted to help."

"Grab the letter!" I struggled to stand. The stones seemed to be grinding my bones instead of each other. Aaron stepped forward and gently pulled the letter out of my pocket. I looked straight at him with begging eyes that said, PLEASE STOP THIS NOISE. He nodded a teeny bit and turned towards the original square.

"Watch out, it will fight back!" I shouted over the noise. I didn't know how I knew that. I just knew. He didn't look back. Aaron took the letter and folded into the original square's tiny shape. He sighed and sat down next to it, bobbing up and down due to the rippling outline. Suddenly, the ripples got higher and higher, getting closer to the ceiling... Taking Aaron with it.

I raised my voice as loud as I could, screaming "Do it!!! Do it NOW, Aaron!!"

He threw himself forward, and thrust the letter into the hole. It started to glow more and more. I couldn't see anymore. Suddenly, it exploded with more force than ever imaginable. I'd never seen anything like it.

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When I woke, my ears were still ringing. Everything was blurry, and my head ached. I stumbled around, probably looking like a drunkard. Eventually, my vision cleared, and I dropped next to Aaron. I stared at him, still asleep, with a deep gash on his left temple. I caressed his head with my hands. Gazing at him and then, I touched our heads together, hoping, praying, that he wasn't dead.

Then, hands came up to my waist. I gasped and hugged him, both of us smiling. He tilted his head, his lips heading straight for mine. I dropped his head. I stood up and helped him up. I told him we should check the others and he seemed and looked hurt.

"What?" I asked, checking a half-awake Rien's wounds. He had taken a rock to the head, which made me wince. I pulled out my dirty gauze and wrapped his head. He moaned. I nodded, understanding the amount of pain he was in. I lifted the rock, groaning from the weight. Aaron limped over, took the rock from me and tossed it aside with a massive heave. I cracked a stupid smile. I turned away. I couldn't bear this any longer. I walked over to Ambur, who seemed uninjured, just a little shaken up. I nodded to them all, and they nodded back. I took the lead. I closed my eyes and waited. Suddenly, in my mind, I saw a map of The Yard, and one Temple stood out, flaming between two others. I locked its location in my mind. I opened my eyes, still remembering. I gasped as I came to an abrupt stop. It looked a whole lot bigger that close up. This time, I had to convince myself that I wasn't sane, to conjure up enough courage to do what I was about to do. This time, I stuck out my hand, aiming it at the jumbled letters, and tensed my arm, imagining them shifting in my head. I chuckled lightly as the same thing began to take place in front of me.

"Yes! Haha!" I laughed, "Woohoo!" I shouted, spinning around, arms outstretched.

"Come on, guys! We've got a quest to achieve!" I bounded up to the mouth of the temple. The letters read "BEWARE- Here Lie The Toumbs of The Five" in swurvy, swirly letters. I looked back, seeing how far away the others were, and decided, let them run.