Dreams, Memories & Keys

Chapter 52 - An Excursion for the Younger Generation

The next day, the Friday after Thanksgiving 2015, was the day of the family's planned excursion down into the cave. Everyone was up early to get ready, including Greg and Susan. Although they weren't going on this particular excursion, they knew all too well how important it was to be prepared and to get an early start, especially with so many of the children going.

Richard, Marion and their thirteen-year-old twins arrived while most of the family was still having breakfast.

Neil had his family ready first. While he and Rosemary were checking on things at the top of the shaft in the cave, taking readings coming from the detectors located at the bottom, just to make sure it was safe, Greg and Susan were keeping an eye on the children. Several other family members were with them as they finished breakfast and cleaned up in the kitchen.

Rosemary and Neil's two girls stood together in the family room, discussing their upcoming adventure. Eight-and-a-half-year-old LeeAnn was telling her four-year-old little sister Diane about what lay ahead of them.

"You have to go down a lot of these really tall ladders. And then there are these stairs that are really a bridge. Someone named Bobby made those, a long time ago I think," LeeAnn informed her.

"How could she possible know that?" Julie asked Susan and Greg when she overheard the girls talking from the kitchen.

"It is possible she remembers the story from when the stairs were built," Greg suggested.

Julie nodded, falling silent as they continued to listen.

"Then is it the bottom?" Diane asked her sister.

"No. Then there are a few more ladders, after that, then you get to the bottom. That's not the end of the cave, but it's a good resting place and there are a lot of chairs there. Daddy will probably stop to look at the computer Grandpa Greg keeps there," LeeAnn told her, just as Alan and his family came up the stairs, ready for the day's excursion. Immediately Olivia, Noah, and Sally joined the youngsters in the family room in discussing their adventure.

"After we rest some, when Daddy says it's safe, we climb down some more ladders then walk all the way to another cave through a tunnel. Daddy says it's a lava tube, but it's really just like a tunnel," LeeAnn went on.

"Yeah, except there's the ocean at the end," Noah added.

"Except for that," LeeAnn agreed.

"Is it like at the beach?" Diane asked the older children.

"No, it's not like that. It's all rocky instead of having sand, and it's dark inside because it's in the cave," LeeAnn replied. "There are still waves though, so you have to be careful."

"Okay," Diane agreed.

Noah frowned. "That's not even the best part, Ada. It's the glowing things in the water."

"Why do you call my sister 'Ada'?" Diane wanted to know.

"Because, that used to be her name, another time, a long time ago," Noah told her.

"When?" Diane asked. "Was I there?"

"I don't know," Noah replied.

"Why?" Diane asked.

Noah shrugged. "I dun know. I only know about Ada because I knew her. I was Bobby then."

"That's the same name as the man who built the stairs!" Diane declared.

"Yup. I built them." Noah paused frowning some. "I was really old then. I made Grandfather take me down to the end of the cave anyways because I was trying to make a memory."