Mastim's Curse

Chapter 23

 Not long afterward, I hear dogs barking in the distance and the hair on the back of my neck stands up straight at the sound of their ferocity. The sound is coming from the left and they're getting closer. I hurry along over the rugged terrain to put more distance between me and them. Sweat from the oppressive heat and my exertions soak me as paranoia starts to set in and I take up the habit of occasionally glancing behind me to see if anyone is catching up or maybe there's a pack of rabid dogs after me. I find a clump of trees and quickly cross though it to find a large area of disturbed ground with part of it covered with plywood. Next to it is a sign that says, 'Ice Bath'. In addition to the drone that is still following me, there are three poles with cameras around the perimeter of the area that are making me feel very self-conscious. Like an unwilling performer on a stage. Only the props on this stage can kill you.

Speaking of which, this isn't exactly what I expected. The plywood on the ground is in the shape of a square about fifty feet on each side with a small opening on each side. The ground is wet around the edges of the wood. It must be covering the ice pit. A closer look at one of the opening shows it's full of ice water all the way to the plywood. There's a large sign in the middle of the plywood square that has a red arrow pointed down and the word "Bell" written on it. It looks like the only way to the bell is to get into one of the openings and swim under the plywood to it. That sucks. It's a long way to swim holding your breath, especially in ice cold water. I'm not sure I want to do that.

There's no sigh of Sharon. Did she go to another one of the obstacles, or has she fallen victim to a trap or the dogs? Maybe she's under this plywood right now, about to ring the bell. How do they know if someone rings the bell anyway? Underwater cameras maybe? Stepping out on the wood gently with one foot finds it to be sturdy enough to bear my weight, so I walk out a few yards and get down on my hands and knees to listen for any sounds coming from below. I don't hear anything, but now I see there are small holes in the plywood about the same size of the piece of bamboo in my pocket scattered about. Taking the bamboo out, I put it into the small opening and confirm it fits. Puzzle solved. These must be air holes. The revelation fills me with a sense of accomplishment. Wow, the margin for error is here is really small. Miss one straw and you're screwed. I don't remember seeing Sharon pick up one of these before she ran off, so maybe she tried this but gave up and moved on to the next bell. There's still a chance I can be first to ring this one.

I sit at the edge to the nearest ice pit and take off my shoes and socks while judging the distance to where the bell should be from here. How long can a person be in ice water before hypothermia sets in? Hopefully, longer than I need. I peel my shoes off and all that remains now is for me to gather my willpower before getting in. I'm not hesitating, really... It's very important to get forced for this kind of thing. A few more deep breaths and then it's time to do this.

When I jump in, the shock of freezing water engulfing me is much worse than expected. The cold reaches deep inside me almost instantly. Before there's a chance to change my mind, I duck my head under the surface and push forward only to bump into a solid wall after only a short distance. It's too dark and cold for my eyes to see. I'll have to feel my way. My cold hands are thick and sluggish as they franticly search along the wall. There are openings to either side. There's no time to debate which way to go so I go to the right. It leads to a walled tunnel that takes a sharp turn to the left and then back to the right where it branches again in two different directions. Crap!

In a panic, I realize this place is a maze... those sadistic fuckers.

I need air, so I take out my straw and fumble with it at one of the holes in the wooden roof. It takes some getting used to but I'm able to tilt my head around to blow out the water from the bamboo tube and draw in air, much the same as snorkeling. God, this is making me feel super claustrophobic. I need to get this over with and get the fuck out of here. Fear that I might get trapped in here is creeping unwillingly into my mind and I have to fight the urge to turn back.

I push on. As warmth is sucked from my body by the icy water, frozen limbs struggle to keep moving as I work my way through the maze, pausing at air holes periodically to draw the substance of life through the small straw. The cold is numbing my mind. Making it hard to think and keep track of the way I've come. After a few more turns, I realize I'm completely lost and have no idea which way is toward the bell and which is the way out. It's then that panic takes the form of the ice covered incarnation of Death in a black cloak. He reaches his boney hand out to beckon me closer. Refusing his offer, I let pure instinct lead the way now as my numb hands fumble along the walls. Not to be denied, he calls forth Doubt which whispers to me that there is no bell as he floats around my head dressed in tattered green rags. This is a death trap that no one is expected to survive. I will die here, and will never see my family again. Their combined assault breaks my will such that I let Doubt take my hand and pull it toward Death whose skeletal face is grinning at me, his victory close now. My hand closes around his, giving myself to him, so this torture can end. But then, there is a muffled buzzing noise that pulls me out of my nightmare. Confusion fades to understanding that the hard object in my hand is not death's hand, but rather the bell.

Panic and doubt disappear and are replaced by Hope. Hope is a young woman in a flowing white dress. I follow the ghostly form as she leads the way through the dark, icy water. She shows me an air hole and waits patiently for me to refill my lungs. It takes a while because I can no longer feel my hands. Once done, she leads me further until a blinding light takes her place.

I'm not sure how long I lie in the mud with the hot sun driving life back into me before the sound of voices rouses me. My body is wracked by painful coughing as I choke out the remaining water from my lungs. Once the worst of the coughing is over, I look back at the ice trap next to me and am grateful to be alive. My gratitude is pushed aside by biting pain. My hands and feet feel like a thousand fire ants are singing them.

A woman says, "I hate being cold."

"It'll be refreshing," says a man.

"Sure... That girl looks all refreshed."

"She's probably not a good swimmer."

My eyes struggle to focus on the source of the voices. A young, athletic looking couple is standing next to another of the ice pit openings. The girl has long, blond hair tied in a knot behind her head and she's wearing the same sports clothes as me, only hers is red. The guy she's with is also in red and has close cropped hair like he might be in the military. Their tan, fit bodies are well suited for today's physical activities. They don't seem aggressive, but the man has a wooden spear that concerns me, especially in my current helpless state. Luckily, they seem content to leave me alone for now.

"You better hide that," the girl says.

"Good idea." The man walks to the edge of the clearing and buries the spear under rocks and sand. On his way back to the girl, he points directly at me and says, "My spear better still be there when I'm done with this swim, or you're dead."

"You're so mean," the girl says. "You don't need to scare her like that."

The man cocks his head at her. "Hay, this is some serious shit we got ourselves into and you better be careful of everyone around us. You can't trust these people. For all you know, that girl could be a criminal or even a killer."

She laughs. "Right... She looks so dangerous... Anyway, enough talk. Last one to the bell is a loser." The woman climbs into the opening.