The Life and Times of Bonnie Chance

Escaping Babylon

The Babylonians were panicking watching the Tower of Babel burn and crumble to pieces.

"The tower... became a column of fire."

"The moon god is enraged."

"The gods are angry!"

"The burning column fell."

"Retreat!" Neketo ordered the Egyptian soldiers. "Take this time to retreat out of here!"

"The waterway! Let's go around to the entrance to the waterway that leads inside!" Bonnie pleaded with Izmir.

"... All right," Izmir said after thinking it over. She looked so desperate, he had to do something. "We'll go investigate it, but if it seems like it might be collapse... I won't let you go in!"

"Okay, let's hurry!" Bonnie said. 'If Carol's going to escape, I'm sure it'll be through there! I can at least make sure that the exit stays clear for her...'

"The ceiling has collapsed, we're being buried alive, Ruka!" Unas said anxiously, huddled in a tight spot with Carol and Ruka inside the tower. Carol had fallen unconscious.

"There is also fire over there," Ruka said nervously. "Unas, the tower has caved in so much that we're trapped."

"Ah! it's hot!" Unas exclaimed. Black smoke drifted in their direction. "Oh, no! There is smoke coming towards us."

"There is smoke coming towards us. Damn, we can't even find an exit," Ruka said.

"Ah!" Carol gasped as she woke up. "I'm still alive. Phew! The air is so thick and hot." More rubble came down. "Wah! The ceiling is sinking again!"

"Nile's daughter!" Ruka said.

"Ah! Next time, it will totally collapse!" Carol said anxiously.

"Carol, hurry and run towards that pit," Unas said, directing her to the only safe spot he could see.

"Wha!" Carol cried as more of the ceiling fell. They all coughed as the smoke came closer to them. "Can't breathe. The air is so hot! So uncomfortable."

'Is there really no way out?' Unas wondered. "No matter what, I will rescue Carol."

"Nile's daughter! Nile's daughter!" Ruka said, holding her protectively.

"Wah!" Carol cried as the floor crumbled beneath them. "Wah! It's falling! Falling down!" They landed with a splash. "It's cold!"

"It's water!" Unas said.

'Water!' Unas and Ruka thought.

"Unas, could this be the underground water that flows in from the outside?" Ruka asked.

"Ah!" Carol gasped.

"Yes! There could be an exit," Unas said.

"Unas!" Carol said when he dived into the water to check. Unas found the way out and resurfaced. "Ruka! There is a waterway, even though it seems near to collapsing, but it may lead to outside."

"Waterway!" Ruka said excitedly.

"About to collapse?" Carol said. Rubble fell down from the floor above them. "Ah! The ceiling is going to collapse again!"

"There is no time to investigate, Carol," Unas said anxiously.

"I..." Carol said, wavering. "What if halfway through, it collapses on us!? Also, if the path is too narrow, we won't be able to swim through."

"Carol, please follow me," Unas said, getting ready to enter the waterway.

"Waa! What to do? There is no way we can escape," Carol fretted. "I will swim in the back. Ruka, you go first."