• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

After passing two more dirt clogged windows above their heads, they find one that’s free of dirt. They pause beneath it as James tries to shine the light from the orb into the opening. “I think there may be a way through here,” he observes.

“Looks like it,” Jiron replies. He glances to where the area they’ve been following continues further into darkness. “Should we continue down or try the window?”

“Continue down,” decides James. “If the rest of the windows have been filled with dirt, it isn’t likely we’ll get too far that way.”

“You may be right,” agrees Jiron. Casting one last look up into the opening, he turns and resumes leading the way.

Not far past the open window, large blocks of stone stand in their way from where the wall that had been their ceiling had broken. Dirt fills most of the passage, leaving only a narrow gap beneath two large stones resting against each other. The gap is large enough to allow a man to pass, barely.

“Well?” asks Jiron coming to a stop. “What do you think?”

James eyes the gap with reluctance. He moves to the edge of the gap and holds his orb so the light shines into it. “It extends further than the light will show,” he says. Turning back to Jiron he adds, “Might be alright.”

Jiron moves to his side and takes the orb. He then squeezes in between the two stones and begins working his way through.

Another orb springs to life on James’ hand. He stands there at the opening and watches as Jiron makes his way through the gap. As he stands there, his stomach grumbles with hunger. He takes out some dried beef from his pack and chews on it while he waits.

Just before he takes his second bite, he catches the scent of fresh baked bread. The aroma makes his stomach cramp even further. Can’t be, he thinks as he takes his second bite. As he chews he sniffs the dried beef but it just smells like dried beef. Thinking his imagination is playing with him, he continues watching Jiron’s progress.

Then the smell comes again, this time with a hint of cinnamon. Holding aloft his orb he glances around, trying to figure out where the mouthwatering aroma is coming from. He finally determines it’s emanating from the passage they just came down.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he begins moving back down the passage as the aroma leads him on. It gradually grows in intensity until he reaches the open window they passed under before. Once he passes by the window, the strength of the aroma begins to diminish. Retracing his steps, he realizes the mouthwatering aroma is coming from somewhere on the other side of the window. Stopping just below, he gazes up and tries to see what lies further beyond the window.

Reaching the far side of the passage, Jiron comes to an open area. Easily a hundred feet wide and two hundred long, it looks to have been the interior of some important building at one time. All four walls are still standing and each shows delicate carvings that the builder had used for embellishment.

Glancing to the roof, he finds most of that is intact except for one of the corners where the side of another building had smashed into it. The roof there had caved in revealing the wall of the building that struck it. A pile of broken stones lies below the impact site. He scans the room and discovers two doors, one to the right and one to the left. The door to the right is closed but the one on the left stands ajar.

“James!” he hollers back through the crevice. “I’m through, come on.” He waits a moment but no answer is forthcoming. “James!” he shouts again. When James again fails to respond, he curses and reenters the crevice to work his way back through.

Exiting from the other side, he’s dismayed to find James gone. “James!” he yells and begins running back down the passage. A knife leaps into his hand as he starts to fear the worst. He slows when he sees the light from James’ orb ahead of him. Illuminated by the orb’s light, he sees James standing there looking up into the window above him.

“James!” Jiron hollers. “You had me worried.