The earth in this tunnel was loose and damp. It crumbled as they crawled. “Can you see anything ahead?” Rico asked Ziggy.
“No, just more darkness, mon.”
Suddenly Ziggy screamed. Jerome, who was right behind him, bumped into him and yelled, “What was that?”
“I think it was a rat, mon! It ran right past us!” Rico whispered over and over, “I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home.”
They continued slowly through the tunnel, the dirt becoming mud that squished through their fingers.
“I think I see a light ahead!” shouted Ziggy.
“Do you think it’s a way out of here?” asked Rashawn.
“I’m scared,” admitted Jerome. “Suppose there’s no way out and we’re stuck here forever!”
“Stop talking like that!” snapped Rico. “Ziggy, what do you see?”
“It can’t be a streetlight, mon,” Ziggy reasoned. “Maybe it’s some kind of light that’s used when the sewers are checked.”
“If we’re near the sewers by the river, we’re close to a way out!” exclaimed Jerome.
“All right! Yes!” they all cheered. Ziggy was so relieved that he forgot that they were in a narrow tunnel and tried to stand up. His head bumped the top of the tunnel and his outstretched hand knocked the side of the tunnel wall. Suddenly, with a thunderous roar, the wet dirt that had been holding the tunnel together for over a hundred years collapsed. Dirt and darkness covered the four trembling boys.
Rico, terrified of the darkness, cried, “Help! I can’t see!”
Rashawn and Jerome coughed and screamed, reaching out, trying to find each other in the thick blackness.
Ziggy shook the dirt from his head and face and felt a flashlight under his foot. He reached for it and quickly turned it on. The thin beam of light flickered weakly. The four boys sat huddled together in a space just large enough to hold the four of them.
Mud and tears streaked their frightened faces. The tunnel they had just come through had completely collapsed behind them. It was now just a huge pile of muddy dirt. The tunnel ahead of them that led to the light they had seen earlier was also blocked with dirt and debris.
“There’s no way out, mon,” whispered Ziggy desperately. “We’re trapped!”
“Is that another one of our flashlights?” asked Rico hopefully. A faint whisper of light filtered through the rocks and mud.
“No!” cried Rashawn. “That’s the light we saw earlier! Let’s see if we can dig through some of this dirt. Who brought the tools?”
“I did,” replied Jerome.
“Good, get them out!”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?” asked Rico with rising fear.
“Because my book bag is under all that dirt and mud. I don’t even know where to look.”
They all sighed. “Let’s just use our hands, mon,” suggested Ziggy. “Maybe we can dig an opening big enough for one of us to get through.”
They took turns digging with their hands, but were only able to make a small opening. They could see a faint light in the distance, but the hole was only big enough for a hand, not a boy, to fit through.
“Do you think anyone is looking for us?” asked Rico. “My mom is gonna be really worried when I don’t get off the late bus. I always call her if I’m gonna be late.”
“What time is it, anyway?”
“I don’t know. Nobody has a watch.”
“It’s getting really late—it seems like we’ve been in here a really long time.”
“I’m hungry!” complained Rico.
“Me too,” agreed Rashawn. “Ziggy, what do you have in your book bag?”
“I’m not sure, mon. Not much. All I have are some broken pencils, a green tennis shoe, and … Wait! I forgot I had this—it’s my sandwich from lunch!”
They all cheered as Ziggy carefully unwrapped his sandwich.
“What’s that green, lumpy stuff?” asked Jerome, who wrinkled his nose.
“Oh, that’s the broccoli,” said Ziggy cheerfully.
“Broccoli?” jeered Rashawn. “On a sandwich?”
“Sure,” Ziggy said with a grin. “Doesn’t everybody eat broccoli and potato chip sandwiches?”
They groaned, and laughed in spite of themselves. Ziggy broke the sandwich into four pieces. It was surprisingly delicious.
“That’s the best sandwich I ever had in my life!” exclaimed Rico as he licked his fingers.
“We gotta get out of here,” said Jerome. “When Ziggy’s food starts to taste good, we’re in serious trouble.”
Ziggy’s mood brightened a bit as he had an idea. “Let’s toss the rest of this stuff through the hole. Maybe someone will see it and find us.”
“Yeah, in a million years!” said Rashawn with a sigh.
“It can’t hurt,” Rico said weakly. He was willing to try anything at this point.
Ziggy took the rest of the things from his book bag and silently tossed them through the hole—two paper clips, the broken flashlight, several broken pencils, last week’s lunch menu—taking turns until everything was gone. The only thing left in Ziggy’s book bag was his green tennis shoe. With a shrug, he tossed that, too.
“Why not, mon?”
“Where’s the match to that shoe, Ziggy?” asked Rashawn.
“I think it’s at your house, mon. I left it there that day we took our shoes off to play in the rain.”
Suddenly the last flashlight flickered out, and the damp, wet darkness, like a shadowy monster, gobbled them up.
RICO STARTED TO SCREAM AGAIN, BUT THE DARK-ness seemed to silence all sound. Their hearts beat wildly, and all four boys were close to tears.
“I can’t stand this!” cried Rico. “I want to go home! I’m not ’shamed to admit I want my mama!”
“My granny’s warm blankets sure would feel good right now,” mused Jerome.
“I wonder if I’ll ever see my mum again,” mumbled Ziggy.
“I’m really scared,” Rashawn admitted. “What if we never get out?”
No one had an answer. There was nothing more to say. The boys sat silently in the darkness, listening to the silence and wishing they were safe at home. Time seemed to tiptoe.
Only their rapid breathing and faint sniffling could be heard at first. Then softly, slowly, faintly, they heard the sound of a pale whistling wind, almost like a song. They could feel no breeze, but they knew that the wind surrounded them, and it soothed them.
“What is it?” whispered Rico.
“It’s just the wind,” Rashawn said softly.
“There’s no wind down here,” Jerome reminded them. “No, it’s like … a song or something,” he added.
“I think it’s the ghost, mon!” Ziggy breathed quietly. “It’s Sun Spirit! She’s tellin’ us not to worry. We’re gonna be okay.”
“The ghost?” whispered Rico.
“I just have a feeling, mon,” repeated Ziggy. “Can’t you feel it too? It’s the River City Ghost!”
Jerome looked at Rashawn; they felt it too. The four boys shivered a little, then grinned.
“Awesome, mon!” proclaimed Ziggy.
No one argued with Ziggy. The strange breeze seemed to lessen their fears and helped them relax. It was like a song that warmed them from the inside out. The four friends sat huddled together in the darkness, frightened, lost, but somehow not completely alone. They slept. They dreamed.
Rico dreamed of a large, white house with tall, graceful columns in the front. It was surrounded by graceful trees and was filled with lovely old furniture and decorations. From behind the house, sad songs could be heard. On the wide, white marble steps in the front of the house sat a small brown boy, crying. His mother walked toward him, wiped his tears and hugged him. She whispered softly, “Tonight … tonight …”
Rashawn dreamed of dogs that looked just like his dog—but these were huge and mean and chasing him. He was running through the woods, and he didn’t have on any shoes. Rocks kept stabbi
ng his feet and branches scratched his legs. His side hurt from running and his heart was beating fast. The sun was going down, and he knew he could hide in the darkness. He felt strong because his dad was holding his hand, running with him. He knew he would not fall. Tonight, he thought. Tonight.
Jerome dreamed of two little girls who looked just like his sisters. They were in the Ohio River and were trying to swim. A huge boat with a loud horn was moving swiftly through the dark water, getting nearer and nearer to the wet and frightened girls. He tried to reach them, but the water was deep and cold. His granny appeared from beneath the waves and floated nearby, smiling. She wasn’t even wet. He heard his granny say, “We’ll rescue them tonight … tonight.”
Ziggy dreamed of birds. He was a huge golden eagle, flying in the sunlight, in the bright, clear air. He could see for miles, and his strong wings soared with freedom and pride. He did rolls and dives and laughed out loud as he flew upside-down just for fun. The earth and the air belonged to him, and he shouted to the sun, “Today! Today!”
Gradually the cold and the cramped conditions awakened the four sleeping boys. Jerome wiggled his arm because he thought he felt a spider crawling on it. Rashawn’s long legs felt like pretzels, and Rico really needed to go to the bathroom.
Suddenly Ziggy screamed. “What was that?” he gasped.
Fear grabbed the boys once again as they listened to a terrifying rumble in the distance. It was a grinding, growling noise that seemed ready to destroy them.
“What could that be?” Jerome wondered.
“It’s the ghost!” yelled Rashawn. “It’s gonna get us!”
“The ghost is not mean, mon. It’s gotta be something else! Maybe it’s a monster,” added Ziggy nervously. “Monsters live underground, you know.”
“What are we going to do?” asked Rico.
They could barely move in the small cavelike area that trapped them. They huddled together in the darkness, listening in fear.
From the other side of the small opening they had dug earlier, the terrifying sound grew louder and closer and more dangerous. It sounded like the growling and scraping of a very large animal.
“I bet it’s a bear!” cried Rico.
“There are no bears in the sewer, Rico. I think it’s a huge rat!” Jerome shot back at him.
“It’s getting closer!” shouted Rashawn with terror.
Each boy trembled, too afraid of the darkness and the approaching animal to move, even to breathe.
The scraping and sniffing and growling sounds were just on the other side of the opening now. The terrified boys could smell the damp, animal odor of the creature’s wet fur.
It scraped and dug furiously near the opening. The hole got larger. Large hunks of dirt fell away in a loud thudding crash, and the huge, wet, black animal bounded straight at the four boys.
They screamed.
It headed first for Rashawn. He could feel its hot breath approaching. Then it licked his face.
“It’s Afrika!” Rashawn exclaimed with relief and happiness. “Where’d you come from, boy? How did you find us?”
“I knew we’d be rescued, mon!” Ziggy shouted joyfully. “I was never even worried!”
Rico was more honest. “I’ve never been so glad to see that big, old, stinky dog in my life! I’ll never call him lazy again! I promise.”
The dog ran from boy to boy, licking their dirty faces, and letting them hug him. He seemed to know that they were lost and needed to feel safe again.
Ziggy exclaimed with a bit of his usual cheerful attitude, “Rashawn, let’s follow this wonderful dog of yours out of here, mon!”
The four boys quickly scrambled through the hole Afrika had dug and climbed down a steep hill. Afrika barked once or twice as he led them to what they could see was a sewer tunnel. He ran back and forth, making sure that each boy was following.
When they reached the sewer, they could hear voices coming from above. Rashawn’s dad was saying, “I hear the dog barking!”
Rashawn cried out, “Dad! Dad! We’re down here!”
His dad, with relief in his voice, shouted, “Rashawn! Are you okay? Are the other boys with you?”
“Yes, Dad. We’re all here, and we’re fine now. Afrika found us and saved us!”
Then Rico’s mom shouted through the small sewer opening. He could tell she had been crying. “Rico! Are you there? Are you okay, baby?”
Rico wasn’t even embarrassed to let the other boys know his mom called him baby. He had never heard anything more wonderful in his life. “I’m fine, Mama. We’re all okay, really!”
“Stand back, boys,” boomed Rashawn’s father. “Here comes the jackhammer. They’re going to open the sewer entrance so you can get out. This will be noisy, but it will only take a few minutes.”
The pounding sound of the jackhammer breaking the steel and concrete of the sewer pipe rattled the boys to their bones. The silence when it stopped was sudden.
“Ziggy? You down there, boy?” Ziggy’s mom shouted with worry in her voice.
“Oh, my mum!” Ziggy cried with a whoop of delight. He was the first to crawl out of the sewer and up into the street.
Jerome followed, with Rico and Rashawn right behind him. Jerome ran to his grandmother, hugged her with all his might, and finally broke down and cried. He even hugged his two little sisters.
The boys looked around in amazement at the crowd of people who stood cheering and clapping as they climbed out of the sewer. Rico’s mother, Rashawn’s parents, Jerome’s grandmother, and Ziggy’s parents and uncles all hugged the boys, the worry on their faces replaced by joy.
Rescue crews with large digging equipment, two fire trucks, several police cars, an ambulance, and a television news truck were assembled. Mr. Greene, Mr. Lyon, and Mrs. Powell stood together. Several students from their class at school were also there with their parents. Tiana smiled shyly at Rashawn. This time he smiled back.
WRAPPED IN BLANKETS AND SIPPING HOT CHOCO-late, the four friends sat in the back of an ambulance, a little overwhelmed by all the attention. Mr. Greene and Mrs. Powell walked over to the boys. On their faces was that look that grown-ups use when a kid is no longer in trouble—relieved, a little angry, but really glad that everybody is okay.
“What got into you fellas? Ziggy, if I thought you boys were going to try to follow that map, I never would have loaned it to you,” scolded Mr. Greene.
“We were just going to look around a little, mon,” explained Ziggy, speaking very fast. “Then the door got stuck and we couldn’t get out, and we got scared, and we followed the map until the tunnel caved in!”
“How did you find us?” asked Rashawn.
“At first, when your parents started calling the school and your friends because the four of you weren’t home yet, we had no idea where you might be,” explained Mrs. Powell.
“Then Tiana told your parents that she saw the four of you go backstage, but she didn’t remember seeing you come out. She thought that maybe you might be up to something.”
“When Mrs. Powell called me to let me know that you boys were missing, I knew it had something to do with that map,” added Mr. Greene.
“We unjammed the trapdoor and followed your path until we got to the cave-in,” Mr. Lyon said with fear still in his voice. “That’s when everyone got really worried and we called the police and rescue crews.”
“We heard the ghost, Mrs. Powell,” Rico said quietly. “She’s real, and she lives down there. I think she must have been a real comfort to the escaped slaves hiding in the darkness.”
“Ghost?” Mrs. Powell replied with wonder. “That’s just an old story from long ago. You probably just heard the wind.”
The four boys looked at one another and smiled. They knew that the whistling song they had heard was more than just wind. They had been touched by a voice from the past.
“Did you find the bundle in the Underground Railroad hidden room?” asked Jerome with excitement.
“We sure did,” re
plied Mrs. Powell. “You’ve stumbled across a secret that’s been hidden for almost a hundred and fifty years! It’s a very important, very valuable historical find.”
“Wait till you read my story, Mrs. Powell,” said Ziggy with a twinkle in his eye. “Now we really know what it’s like to travel on the Underground Railroad.”
“It’s dark, and it’s scary, and it’s dangerous!” exclaimed Rashawn. “Whoever left that small bundle was a very brave person.”
“Mr. Greene, do you think it might have belonged to your grandpa Mac?” asked Jerome.
“I doubt it, Jerome,” replied Mr. Greene, “but I sure would like to think so.”
“What’s gonna happen to that stuff we found, mon?” Ziggy asked as he stirred his hot chocolate with the pickle his mom had brought for him.
“Let’s call the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center right here in Cincinnati,” suggested Mrs. Powell. “I’m sure your discoveries will receive a place of honor in a display there.”
“That’s cool, mon.”
Rico said quietly, “I didn’t think we would ever get out of there. How did you know where to find us on the other side?”
Rashawn’s dad hugged his son once again and replied, “We knew that the tunnel probably ran down to the sewer lines and then down to the river. But we weren’t sure where to look. Mr. Greene gave us a general idea, but it was Afrika who found you.”
“He squeezed through a small opening in the sewer line and came back with one green tennis shoe,” added Mr. Greene.
“My green shoe, mon!” shouted Ziggy with glee. “That was part of my secret rescue plan!”
“Afrika then went back and dug until he found you,” explained Rashawn’s dad. “He’s a real hero.”
“Where is Afrika?” asked Jerome. “We haven’t seen him since he found us.”
“Look, mon,” said Ziggy with a laugh.
Curled up in the front seat of the ambulance, with a green tennis shoe under his paw, Afrika, ignoring all the noise and confusion, was fast asleep.