hole. Shad acknowledged him and waved his hand above his head in reply. With the torch in one hand, Pound unraveled the rope and tied one end around his waist, since he dare not tie the rope around the untrustworthy trees in the surrounding forest. Then he lowered the other end of the rope to Shad down in the hole below, and since Pound had to hold the ever shortening torch in one hand, he was forced to hold the rope with his other hand. As he did so, he felt the heat of the torch growing closer to his hand, and he realized that his torch had only six good inches left before it would need to be replaced. The inches were going fast, and acting quickly, Pound searched the ground with his eyes for another dead branch for replacement. Upon finding the nearest dead limb located back at the edge of the trail, he set the torch down and stretched out his free hand to reach for the replacement. It was then that Shad placed his weight on the rope and jerked Pound out of reach of the dead branch toward the hole, leaving his torch on the ground behind. Pound slid clumsily forward toward the gaping hole in the ground, and he leaned backward on the rope with all of his might. His feet dug into the dirt and rocks, and thankfully he gained his composure before tumbling headlong into the pit. He would have to use the strength and speed in his legs to get Shad out of the pit before the light of the torch that lay on the ground could go out. If that happened, the monstrous insects would converge on him, and he did not want to think for too long on that outcome.
Determined to retrieve the little man at all costs, Pound leaned backward with the rope tied around his waist and both hands gripped tightly on the lifeline. Digging in his heels, he leaned back toward the torch and the dead limb that he had sought to retrieve before sliding forward, and he pulled on the rope with the strength of an Olympian. Tugging with all of his strength, Pound inched slowly away from the pit and toward the torch, and as he moved outward from the gaping hole, a gust of strong wind cut across the trail. The torch flickered on the ground with the fierce blast of air, urging him onward to his goal. As Pound turned his head and eyes away from the wind and toward the perishing light, he took one hand off of the rope and stretched it out to reach for the dying torch. It was a desperate effort to protect the flame from the negative effect of the wind, and it almost caused him to falter in his purpose. When he inclined with the extension of his body, he did not realize that the resulting friction caused by his feet with the ground had changed significantly and that the contact area between the bottom surface of his shoes and the ground was reduced in half with this positional change. Within two seconds, Pound’s feet slid out from under him, and he fell face first to the loose pebbles on the ground where he could gain no grip with his fingertips. Shad’s weight tugged on the rope and overcame the exhaustive work that he had used to lift him out, and Pound began to slide backward toward the hole. With a last desperate effort, Pound grabbed onto a dead root that was poking out of the ground, and he stopped sliding just ten feet from the hole. As he held on tight to the root, Pound watched helplessly as the torch burned out. Darkness enveloped him in the dead forest. The hissing sound that oppressed the background of the night grew louder, and he could feel the vibrations of movement coming from all sides as he lay there sprawled out alone in the dark. Silently he lay prone along the surface of the ground, holding his breath for what he knew would come next. When he felt the light touches of pointed feelers and the soft wet massage of mechanical gnawing on his arms, Pound made the only intelligent decision available to him. With wet pinchers still wrapped around his wrist, he let go of the root and slid over the edge of the precipice and into the hole.
The free fall to the bottom was short and uneventful. As he fell, Pound grabbed the six legged creature attached to his wrist, and he angled its body between himself and the ground below. When they hit bottom, there was a sickening, juicy crunch, and Pound felt the legs of the insect begin to twitch and slap him repeatedly as slimy fluid oozed over his body. With lightning quick reflexes, Pound leaped out of the crunchy shell as it gyrated on the ground.
“Dis-gusting!!” Pound howled out as he wiped off the thick layer of slime that coated his arms and midsection. Shad lay on the ground next to him with a torch light held up high so that he could see.
“I thought you were going to pull me out?” the little man asked as he held up the limp rope that he had been holding onto.
“That was the plan. Now I don’t know what we’re going to do,” answered Pound as he coiled up the rope and slung it over his shoulder. “Do you know the way out?” Shad returned a look of disgust and simply pointed up. “Right,” said Pound and shook his head at their predicament. “Well, the area we’re in looks like a tunnel. Perhaps it’s part of the colony’s nest, which would be unfortunate for us. If we pick a direction, we can see where it leads,” he explained as he gazed nervously at their surroundings in the cavity.
“That’s a simplistic view, don’t you think? There are five tunnels, and every one leads down,” said Shad. “It would have been better to go up on the rope, but since we have been robbed of that option, then let’s go this way!” he said angrily. Pointing down a dark tunnel that looked essentially the same as the other four, Shad started down the path, rubbing his backside as he went. Pound guessed that he was sore from the fall so he made no further comments and quietly followed the surly little fellow down the incline in hopes that they would soon find their way back to the surface.
Looking up at the ceiling as they walked, Pound noticed the tips of tree roots dangling down into the caverns, and this phenomenon helped to explain the condition of the forest.
“The whole forest must be sitting on top of very thin ground,” he commented. “It’s a miracle that the area has not caved in under the weight of the wood.”
“You’re full of good news,” Shad retorted and then continued to grumble below his breath. Pound took this as a warning, and the two walked down the slope, disappearing behind a corner.
Unseen, several pairs of eyes skittered along the wall behind them.
Chapter 2
*
Up and Away