Status: Finished
The Sidewalk
Chapter 2/3
I quickly looked up for something, anything, that would help me get back up onto the ledge from which I dangled. I could barely make out a fist sized rock sitting almost within reach. Whether it was grounded or not was a total gamble. I forced one hand forward, putting all my weight on my four right fingers, and grabbed hold. When I pulled back, the rock stayed firmly mounted. I almost laughed in relief. With a new handhold it was easier to pull myself up, it made my arms burn, but I had to. The ledge scraped against my chest and stomach, I was almost to the pivotal point of my hips when I felt my earphones pop out and clatter to the rock. I froze, if I moved anymore the cord that was pressed between me and the ledge would slip and I'd lost my only source of light to the bottomless pit below. My arms didn't want to pause, my muscle said it was all or nothing. I quickly mashed my face against the rock; biting the cord, along with dirt, before using the last of my strength to pull the rest of me up.
Instantly I scrambled away from the ledge, holding onto my earphones like a dog. Slowly as my adrenaline subsided I picked up my iPod. My hand screamed in pain, burning and stinging from scrapes. As I sat there, a few feet from what had almost been my dead, I chucked a pebble over the edge. I listened, and listened. Straining my ears. But I didn't hear it hit the bottom. Either it was too far, or it really had no end. I had to know, though, just how deep that cavern was. I took a bigger rock, almost the size of my head, and chucked it over. Both of my hands and arms told me I was done for today, but I ignored them as I waited for the collision. If I was smart I would've set the stopwatch on my iPod, but I didn't think it'd be that long. I had started tapping on my leg to count, and added ten seconds for compensation. CRACK. Ninety seconds later. Ninety. I strained my tired mind to remember just how deep that was. "Miles" I thought."Miles and miles..."
As I got up to get away from the pit, freezing cold and tired, I hear a strange sound coming from it. It was almost like a rattlesnake's tail, but had crackles and growls. The hair on my neck stood straight up as I felt my feet moving without command away from the noise. As I reached level ground again my iPod's light severely diminished. My battery was dying. Before I could cuss I heard the sound again, and whipped what little light I had left towards the source. A smaller tunnel. I felt my stomach twist. What kind of thing made such a noise? I really didn't care to find out. I started moving toward what I thought was the way I came, until I came to a swell in the tunnel I hadn't noticed before, it was round and had tunnels in all directions. Now I really wanted to scream every profane word I knew but somewhere in the back of my head something told me it was a bad idea to make noise. I gripped my iPod tight, staring hard at the tunnels. "Straight, right?" I thought in frustration. "I'd have just come straight." But I slowly recalled some twists and turns in my journey, what I thought were simple angles like a hallway could've been huge forks like this! I whimpered and sank to my knees, just staring at the tunnels. In reply, I heard the crackling hiss right behind me.
Instantly I scrambled away from the ledge, holding onto my earphones like a dog. Slowly as my adrenaline subsided I picked up my iPod. My hand screamed in pain, burning and stinging from scrapes. As I sat there, a few feet from what had almost been my dead, I chucked a pebble over the edge. I listened, and listened. Straining my ears. But I didn't hear it hit the bottom. Either it was too far, or it really had no end. I had to know, though, just how deep that cavern was. I took a bigger rock, almost the size of my head, and chucked it over. Both of my hands and arms told me I was done for today, but I ignored them as I waited for the collision. If I was smart I would've set the stopwatch on my iPod, but I didn't think it'd be that long. I had started tapping on my leg to count, and added ten seconds for compensation. CRACK. Ninety seconds later. Ninety. I strained my tired mind to remember just how deep that was. "Miles" I thought."Miles and miles..."
As I got up to get away from the pit, freezing cold and tired, I hear a strange sound coming from it. It was almost like a rattlesnake's tail, but had crackles and growls. The hair on my neck stood straight up as I felt my feet moving without command away from the noise. As I reached level ground again my iPod's light severely diminished. My battery was dying. Before I could cuss I heard the sound again, and whipped what little light I had left towards the source. A smaller tunnel. I felt my stomach twist. What kind of thing made such a noise? I really didn't care to find out. I started moving toward what I thought was the way I came, until I came to a swell in the tunnel I hadn't noticed before, it was round and had tunnels in all directions. Now I really wanted to scream every profane word I knew but somewhere in the back of my head something told me it was a bad idea to make noise. I gripped my iPod tight, staring hard at the tunnels. "Straight, right?" I thought in frustration. "I'd have just come straight." But I slowly recalled some twists and turns in my journey, what I thought were simple angles like a hallway could've been huge forks like this! I whimpered and sank to my knees, just staring at the tunnels. In reply, I heard the crackling hiss right behind me.