Trip

Panic

I frantically looked around, trying to spot people who I could see were ok. Beck was fine, I was fine, although a sizeable rock had hit my shoulder.

Mr. Black stood speechless, beside Mr. Fence. Mrs. Harriet was nowhere to be seen.

I heard Patricia cough overly dramatically on dust, and Harris swearing his head off. Who else was here?

Scanning around, following the beam of light from my head, I was able to see who was on this side, trapped with us.

Suzanna was there, her clothes covered in dirt. Freddie was also fine, standing, but he was yelling for his friend.

"Jason!"

But as I turned I could see Jason, on the floor with a rock over his head. My eyes widened. He looked... dead.

"Everyone, settle down." Mr. Fence said in his thick african accent. Instantly, everyone silenced, seeking out help from the adult. Turning to the teachers.

Once it was quiet, it was somehow easier to see what was around us.

A large pile of rocks was in front of us, rocks upon rocks. Unscaleable.

Large teeth continued behind us, deep into the throat of the cave. Staligmites.

I was shaking, standing beside a cave wall for balance. I could clearly see who was here.

Jason's body lay in front of us, underneath the rocks. Others were also no doubt crushed under the rocks, but we had no way of knowing who.

The people left on this side were: Mr. Black, Mr. Fence, Patricia, Harris, Beck, Suzanna, Freddie, Fran, Christoph and Ritch.

"Right," Mr. Fence continued. "Looks like we are trapped. The others must be on the other side, so me and Laurence-" Mr. Fence shook his head, he was panicking. "I mean Mr. Black, will try to ring them."

A stony silence, if you'll pardon the pun, remained.

The teachers dialled their phones quickly, ringing for Mrs. Harriet.

Meanwhile, everyone stared at Jason's body.

"Oh my god." Patricia whined. "Jason is dead?"

"What do you think?!" Freddie whisper - yelled.

Ritch leaned down to feel Jason's pulse.

"No, I wouldn't do that!" Christoph hissed. "The police will get your prints."

"You prat Christoph." Suzanna said. "What if Jason is alive?!"

So, Christoph restrained his objections as Ritch felt for a pulse.

Ritch looked up gravely. "He is dead."

"Not surprised!" Patricia snapped.

"Will you guys just grow up?!" Fran snapped. "He won't be the only one dead. We need to accept that and stop behaving like absolute twats."

People quietened again, until Patricia threw something together in her brain. "So, do you think Kevin is dead too then, smart arse?"

Fran tensed right up, pouncing onto Patricia and smacking her face.

"You dare even mention my boyfriend ever again and I'll kill you. You're only saying that because your stupid little friend could be dead too."

"Whoa, calm down." Harris said softly.

"You're the one who got us into this mess anyway, you f***ing genius!" Beck yelled, shoving Harris to the ground.

"Right!" Mr. Black called. "We just leave you for a few minutes and you act like savages."

"That's because Jason is dead sir." Fran spat, she went and stood beside me, folding her arms angrily.

"I - I'm sure Kevin is f- f- fine." I stammered.

Fran nodded. "I know he is. He isn't in our half of the trip anyway." She smiled to herself.

Mr. Black gasped, looking down at Jason's distorted body, and shook his head. "We can't panic. Don't panic. Look, before I say this let me tell you that this cave continues. We have no choice but to venture deeper."

"Why?!" Patricia yelled.

"Because there's no signal. We are in a cave."