Inexperienced Heart

Chapter 20: Playing with the Agogsims

Take a deep breath. Blow. Tie a knot. Repeat the cycle. This is what Landa and Logan were doing on Galadriel's instructions. They were blowing up balloons. The wizard suggested they use balloons instead of balls. They used balloons of every color, red, blue, yellow, green, purple, white, black,...

When they had twenty balloons with strings attached to them, they went into the woods with Landa holding the balloons, Logan carrying a basketball, and Galadriel carrying shovels and spades. Goldtin decided not to come.

When they were some distance beyond the secret hideout, Galadriel instructed them to start digging. Soon, they had uncovered a rusty piece of metal. Galadriel pulled it towards him to reveal a chute leading into the ground.

Galadriel told Logan to go down the chute and not scream. Landa followed. She was surprised at how smooth it was. She thought it was like a fun slide. Then, it was the wizard's turn. Grabbing hold of the rusty door and sliding into the chute, he closed the door, let go of it, and slid down. He met at the bottom of it with Landa and Logan, who stood waiting for him, not saying a word.

"Start bouncing the ball," Galadriel ordered Logan.

"It's called dribbling," Logan corrected him playfully, but he obeyed the wise wizard.

The tunnel looked old and archaic, even ancient. It felt damp and humid to the humans. There were icicles dangling from the ceiling. A few bats fluttered past them, creeping out Landa. The Agogsims growled nearby.

Soon, the humans saw a rickety bridge with several pieces of wood missing, giving you no place to set your feet. Below the bridge were about a hundred Agogsims with their heads looking up. Landa, frightened, turned away and hugged Logan, who patted her gently.

As Logan was slowly quitting on dribbling the ball, Galadriel ordered harshly, "Keep dribbling that ball!" After a pause, he continued, "I can't send Landa down there. Logan, would you mind getting the medication?"

Logan looked at his surroundings and was scared, but decided to give it a try.

"Good," the wizard said. "Landa, you can throw the balloons down to them."

"What will you be doing?" she questioned in a shaky voice.

"I will be helping Logan get down to the treasure." The wizard moved to the edge of the bridge. Logan followed, with Landa still holding on to him tightly, her face buried in his shirt.

"Why don't they have a railing? Someone could fall in," Logan said angrily. It was true. The wooden platform they were standing on had no railing. It would be very easy to pet one of the Agogsims below, if that was appealing to anyone.

"Because they want people to die. They, being, mainly, Mr. Palson and his accomplices," explained the wizard. "They don't want anyone to be cured."

"Now it is time for you to be lowered down, Logan and you, Landa, can start throwing the balloons. Don't be wasteful," instructed the wizard. Slowly and reluctantly, Landa released Logan.

Landa walked onto the bridge and threw a balloon onto each side. The Agogsims were playful, to Landa's surprise. The Agogsim with the balloon made a loud noise that sounded like unintelligible muttering which Landa thought was their way of saying 'Mine' or 'I've got it'. This Agogsim would bounce it on his foreheads for a while and pass it on. The next Agogsim would do the same. And the next. And the next. The last one would do the same and after he had his fun, he would open his big jaw, revealing huge white teeth that even looked deadly and that made Landa almost faint with horror, and then he would grab hold of the balloon gently with his teeth, and finally, dramatically he would pop the balloon. Then, he ate the rubber. Landa then threw two more balloons. "I'm playing with the Agogsims," she thought.

Soon, she got bored and restless watching the hideous creatures. She turned her attention to Logan. The wizard had a thick piece of rope in his hands. He was tying it tightly, but carefully, around Logan's slim waist. Then, the two of them walked to the very edge of the platform and Logan sat down with his legs dangling over the mouths of the Agogsims. They sniffed him and nudged him.

Slowly, Galadriel let go of the rope, a little bit at a time. Logan was now standing on the gravel among the Agogsims. Landa checked on the Agogsims every once in a while to make sure they were still playing with the balloons.

Logan was walking on the ground, Galadriel giving him more and more rope. Logan reached a huge metal box and stopped. He looked up for help, but could only see the Agogsims towering over him. Landa could see Logan from where she was standing.

"Open it, Logan!" she yelled to him. Logan looked wildly around for the voice. He shrugged and took a step forward. He grabbed hold of the handle on the top of the box and lifted it with a lot of struggle. "It must be heavy," Landa thought. Logan then reached in and held a bottle in his hand.

"He's done, Galadriel," announced Landa, but she also just lost her footing that instant and plunged, with a scream, into the pit of hungry mouths. She waved her arms and legs wildly about and screamed. In her terror, she let go of the balloons which were enthusiastically gobbled up by snapping jaws.

To Landa's horror, the Agogsims decided to throw her in the air and pass her on! She did not think this was funny! She saw Logan back on the platform next to Galadriel.

"Relax! Landa, the important thing is to not panic! Landa, grab the rope!" she heard someone yell. She found the rope and grabbed hold of it with both hands tightly, holding on to it for dear life. She felt herself slowly being lifted up, until she realized she was on the platform.

Everything else was a blur. She was feeling the full shock of a near death. Someone quickly grabbed her hand and dragged and ran with her. Then, she passed out.