The Chronicles of Tenroha

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Jäkob and the others stood in total darkness. He was unable to see anything or anyone, even though they were standing next to him. He blinked several times and rubbed his eyes, trying to see. Nothing happened. It was still dark. "What happened? Where is he?" asked Jäkob in a panic. No one answered. He reached into the darkness trying to feel anything. His hand brushed something. He heard a girl shriek. "Nìa, was that you?" he asked. "No," said Jessie, "It was me." "Where did he go? Where is everyone?" Matáo asked.

"Is everyone here? Is everyone alright?" he asked with concern in his voice. Jäkob heard as everyone sounded off. Matáo told everyone to try and feel around and to try and find a way out. Jäkob reached behind himself and felt the cold, damp wall that was behind him. He started to feel around the wall. "Jäkob, did you bring any of your candles with you?" asked Jonah. "No. I didn't know I was leaving. We left everything back there," he replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Where are we Jäkob?" asked Nìa. "I don't know," he said. "I've been in that cave lots of times, but this has never happened before."

The group started to move forward slowly. They each had one hand feeling their way along the wall with the other hand feeling the air in front of them to make sure they didn't bump into someone or something. Jäkob was feeling his way along the right side of what seemed to be a tunnel with Jessie and Nìa. Matáo, Joel and Jonah took the left. They had been traveling for quite some time, slowly inching their way forward. None of them knew where they were going, but they all wanted to find a way out of the darkness. Every drip of water, every step they took, every sound they heard, was repeated over and over as it echoed down the tunnel into the unknown.

Every so often, one of the older children would ask the others if they were doing or feeling alright. The tunnel wall was wet and smooth. Jäkob had felt no jagged or sharp edges on the wall and it was slippery in spots, as if there was moss growing on it. It had bumps and holes like a cave wall, but it seemed to be going in a straight line. After what seemed like the tenth time to to him, his hand brushed against something on the wall that was slimy and he let out a yelp of disgust.

"Yuck," he exclaimed. "I think I just put my hand on a slug," he said as everyone began laughing at him. He began trying to wipe it off on his pants. He felt his compass that the twins had given him for his birthday in his pocket. In the darkness, he had no sense of which way he was going. "The compass could help. If only we had some light," he thought to himself. "I NEED LIGHT!" he yelled. Just as fast as he said it, an orb of light formed in front of him and hovered just below the top of the tunnel. Jäkob began to feel dizzy.

Everyone gasped and stared at the orb. They began looking around. Their eyes burned from the brightness of the orb after being in the dark for so long. Their eyes began to adjust and Matáo asked, "Where did that come from?" "I don't know," said Jäkob along with everyone else. Matáo tried to grab it, but it floated away from his hand before he could touch it. Matáo and Jonah began walking around it, trying to figure out anything about it. Then Jäkob said, "at least we aren't still in the dark." The orb vanished and it was dark again.

"Jäkob, say light again," said Matáo in a curious tone. Jäkob waited a few seconds and said, "Light." The orb reappeared in front of him again. "Now, say dark," requested Jessie and Joel at the same time. Jäkob did as they asked and the orb vanished once again. "Are you magic?" asked the twins with curious amazement. "I... I don't... think so," he said sheepishly and almost questioning himself.

Even though it was dark, Jäkob could feel everyone staring at him. He was uncertain what to say next. They stared at him in the darkness with a gaze that made him feel uncomfortable. They were not staring with fear or disgust, but they stared with awe and amazement towards him. "How long have you had magic?" asked Jonah. "I don't know," he replied with a tone that suggested that he didn't want to talk about it.