Daughter of Rebels

Chapter 12.5 - The Quiet Game

To Mara's relief, Eli returned well within the hour. Barely twenty minutes had passed before the sound of footsteps heralded his return. He tromped through the tunnel with a great deal more noise than he did when they were walking together. Perhaps he did it for her benefit.

"It's clear," was all he said when he took a knee beside her. "I'm going to wake Nick up. I don't think the forest will frighten him."

She hoped he was right. Nick's somnolent quiescence was a heavy weight pressing down on her shoulders, and the thought of bringing him out of his stupor brought a well of gratitude and hope rising up in her chest. Nick loved to be outside with his hands in the dirt. Knowing she ought to take him to the park more often had become one of those constant, nagging voices in the back of her mind. Part of the chorus that sang songs about her inadequacy as a mother and wife.

She nodded her approval and shook Nick awake, smiling when he blinked his big green eyes open and found her in the darkness.

"Mama?" His voice was small, scared. As much as she hated to hear the fear, she relished in the clarity.

"Yes, my love. Are you ready to go for an adventure?"

He sat up, rubbing at his eyes with his fists. He looked to her, then to Eli. "Where?'

"We're going on a trek, Nick," Eli said. "Have you ever been on a trek?"

Her son shook his head silently.

"You'll love it," Mara piped up, helping her son to stand and offering him a drink of water. "Your dad used to love treks when he was your age."

"Dada?"

Her chest pinched, and she rubbed it away with the palm of her hand. "Yes, he used to go on all kinds of treks, didn't he, Eli?"

"All kinds of treks," he echoed. "Through forests and deserts and mountains. Would you like to see the forest, Nick?"

Nick hesitated and then nodded, looking to Mara. "Walk."

"Okay, love. You can walk. Would you like to hold the light?"

He nodded. She draped the twine-wrapped crystal around his neck, and they set off down the tunnel, slowly to accommodate Nick's smaller steps.

"Soon we're going to come to a ladder," Eli said to Nick, who trotted along at his heels. "I'm going to climb the ladder and open the secret door. Then you'll come after me, and your mom will follow. You like to climb, don't you?"

Nick nodded so hard he staggered, and Mara reached down to keep him from careening into the wall beside him. It was hard to tell in the shadows, but she thought she saw Eli's cheek dimple with a repressed smile as he nodded. "Okay, good. After we go through the trap door, we're going to play a game where we see who can be the most quiet. Have you played that game?"

"No."

"Alright it goes like this. We're going to walk as quiet as we can and we're not going to talk. If anybody makes a noise, they get a point. Whoever has the fewest points when we finish with the game gets to eat one of the cookies I got from Sister Beth."

"Cookies?" Nick breathed, already whispering.

"Mmhm. They have caramel in them. Do you agree to the terms of the game?"

"Yeah."

Eli looked over his shoulder at Mara. "Do you agree to the terms of the game, Mara?"

She smiled. "I suppose."

Alright. Remember, we start when we reach the top of the ladder. Nicky, I'm going to have you ride on my shoulders for a little bit once we start, okay? That way you can pay close attention to the noises and help me keep track of the points."

"'Kay."

Just as Nick answered, they rounded a slight bend, and Mara saw the ladder he'd been referring to. It wasn't very high, to her relief. Maybe twice her height. Not so high that she wouldn't be able to catch Nick if he fell.

As planned, Eli went up first, pushing open the trap door overhead. Once he'd crawled through the opening, he leaned down and she passed his bag up to him, and then her own. Then Nick climbed up, a little too fast for her liking, but within seconds he was safely in Eli's arms and it was her turn to clamber up out of the cool, still darkness of the tunnel into the wet, messy moonlight of Loftland.

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This is the end of Part 1!!! If you've stuck with me thus far I am absolutely flabberglasted and so, so grateful!!! 

Part 2 (Loftland) will begin posting on Monday at 8am EST. And if you want advance chapters, you know how to get 'em ;)

Love!

Liz

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