SUNGLASSES AND ROCKETS Part 1 : New Moon

THE CAVE

"Please!" Darwin pleaded. "Start up!"

The engine roared at full blast. But we didn't move. Meanwhile, the huge black mass swallowed up and dragged along everything in its way, beastlike.

My friend and I quickly got out of the vehicle. We splashed around to the back and pushed the boat. The vehicle swayed. Suddenly, when it started moving, the mortal murmur of the avalanche became louder. In one reflexive movement, we jumped and got back in through the windows. Felix and the doctor appeared, hurling themselves hurriedly through the windows.

"Hold on!" he doctor shouted, his legs still sticking out.

The Discovery got stuck.

"We're caught on something!" I heard Darwin shout.

Suddenly, we felt a brutal jolt. The windows became covered in mud. One of them cracked from the impact. The water had picked us up and it dragged us dizzily along with the rest of the avalanche. It was terrifying. There was absolute darkness. With horror I felt the mud start to cover my body; in vain, I made an effort to grab onto anything. Hold on! you could hear in the middle of the chaos, we're in the cave!

A sonorous echo came to us from far away. It gave the impression that we were in a great enclosed space, a cavern. The level of mud inside the vehicle stayed where it was. Now the current dragged us steadily along.

However, I still couldn't shake off the panic: a stabbing pain gnawed at my ribs and a heavy mass squashed my head. I was asphyxiating. I found myself flat-out and horizontal in the back row. Squashed and tortured. At least the mud wasn't rising anymore.

"Are you okay?" the doctor's voice could be heard in the darkness.

"Uncle?" Melissa called.

"For the time being, I think I'm in one piece," Darwin whispered, his voice cracking.

"Okay?" I managed to stutter.

A light turned on. Darwin was sitting on top of my head.

"Hey!" I gasped.

"Oh!" he excused himself, getting off me. "I thought you were a coconut!"

I could breathe at last. Almost at once I felt a shooting pain in my ribs and then, as if by magic, the cutting, gnawing ache ceased. Felix was making his way towards the back compartment; after having supported himself on my ribs with the heels of his boots.

I made to get up, but we crashed spectacularly into something. Defenseless, and with my arms still pinned down, I managed to see Darwin's buttocks come speeding towards my nose.

After that, everything went black.