Torch

Betrayal

I clawed my way up the sloped tunnel, squinting my eyes, attempting to make out any figures ahead of me, hoping I'd see light. I pushed my right foot against the wall, and scooted up the tunnel about six inches, then slid back down to where I began. I laid my head down on the wet stone, regaining my energy. I felt something pressing against my chest and realized I had put the bracelet in the inside pocket of my old, worn coat. I quickly reached inside my pocket and touched the lit torch and the dark cave grew brighter, until I could see the wet, stone walls. I began to climb up again, this time looking for crevasses to put my foot in boosting myself up.
    I climbed there for, who knows long, maybe thirty minutes? My face was dripping with sweat, so I decided to take a break. My mind began to trail until it landed on the thought about the girl. I wondered where she could possibly be. It hurt me to know that she would leave me defense-less, I felt as if I was a weak child, and she, my guardian. I couldn't do nearly as much as she could against evil forces. I shook my head until the fuzzy image of her face dissolved from my train of thought. I continued to climb the damp slope, making my way towards the surface. Slowly the stone around me began to to turn to rich, black, soil. My spirits lifted because I sensed I would soon see the land. I dug my fingers into the dirt, clawing for the land. I punched the dirt, making weak dents in the surface. I began to grow full of fatigue, so I gave one, sting swing at the soil and it burst. A hole the size of my fist burst through the soil and the one thing I did not want to see, came into my vision. Water.
     The clear, ice cold, liquid rushed down the hole, making it hard to climb. I reached for the dirt to hold on to, hoping I wouldn't slip. Unfortunately, the dirt had now turned to black mud. My fingers ran through the mush as I slipped on my stomach down the tunnel about six feet. The water surged straight into my face, filling me with panic. I bent my knees and with my last bit of confidence I pushed up, and slid up only a foot, I groped the surface hoping for a miracle to happen.
     You could say what happened is a miracle or a curse. As my hand reached as far as it could go, a hand grabbed mine and yanked me up. I surged toward the surface in glee, but that feeling would not stay on my heart. My head broke the surface, and my eyes are blinded with white light. As my eyes adjusted, I realized I was laying on bleach white sand. I was facing a pink-orange colored sky, dotted with blue clouds. I wheezed in the fresh air as a grin grew upon my face. I slowly stood up, turned around and that smile quickly melted away.
    The first thing I noticed was the girl. She was laying upon green grass, and she looked miserable. Her chocolate brown hair was in a messy braid, her clothes torn and covered in what I hoped wasn't blood, but her face was the worst. She had a giant gash on her forehead, and there was a deep cut on her lower lip. Her face was caked in dusty dirt. There was an old torn cloth tied around her mouth which made me realize I was in trouble. I looked up and saw about five members of the feared SunLock tribe standing next to the girl.
     One of the taller girls of the group walked over to me and began to tie my hands behind my back but I made a mad dash away from them. I had almost escaped when a golden light shimmered around me heating me up and my bones felt as if they were water. I could see fine but I couldn't move.
The girls crowded around me looking down and laughing. The girl who looked the strongest, obviously the leader , reached down and took my bracelet. I began to panic and I began to plea, asking them to give it back. One of the girls, who was significantly short, looked quite irritated and lifted her foot and kicked my head, and my vision immediately darkened. Leaving me in the dark, feeling alone and helpless.