Devastation Erupts Read online

  Aidan yanks the industrial-looking metal handle and kicks the narrow wooden triangle propping it open into some nearby wilting grass. The enclosure looks as though a strong wind could blow it over, but the door framed within it stands strong. It reminds me of the heavy-duty kind you’d see at a doctor’s office or a school office. The sight of the dank interior sends a rippling wave of doubt through me, but there’s no going back now.

  Once we’re all inside, Aidan pushes past me roughly, grasping the interior handle and slowly coaxing it back into its frame. “It locks automatically,” he pants, pushing the mask under his chin to gulp in air.

  We lower each of the bags to the ground, relieving our overloaded shoulders and backs. I fight the urge to drop it all in place around me, but I remember that some of our belongings are breakable.

  Riley plops Snickers to the ground, who practically pushes off of her in his eagerness to escape her grasp. His tail wags frantically at being set free to explore his new surroundings. He stays close, but happily sniffs the stones and ground.

  Eyeing the rusted bolts along the doorjamb, I ask, “Aren’t you going to use all the locks?” My words rush out in a tone harsher than I mean. I force a few deep breaths, both to recover some of the oxygen my body craves from our mini sprint and to slow my frazzled nerves. If the police know we’re here, will they make us leave? Or what about those shelters Sergeant Bowen told us about? Would they make us go there?

  He shakes his head frantically. “No. It’s too loud. They squeal when you slide them shut. It’s not worth the risk of announcing that we’ve taken up residence here.” Narrowing my eyes, I tilt my head in question. Right about now, I want as many bolted locks as I can get.

  Ignoring my clear disagreement, he says, “Wait here and stay quiet.” His voice is low and commanding, leaving no room for negotiating. “I’ve gotta tell my dad that someone saw us. We didn’t want anyone to know we’re here.”

  Sensing the charged air, Snickers unleashes a low growl, his posture stiffening. Watching us, he awaits our reaction—perked ears anticipate soothing words promising everything is okay or a command to attack. Aidan takes one step, then turns back toward us. “I’m taking the dog. All we need is for him to start barking right here.”

  Not even waiting for a reply, he swipes Snickers into his arms and bolts down the stone steps. The growling echoes in their wake, quickly chased by shushing sounds. I’m sure Aidan’s trying to calm the dog, but dashing down the steps at warp speed isn’t exactly setting the mood for anyone to relax.

  Nothing about this place feels familiar, but at least I know why we’re here. Poor Snickers just got part of his family back and now he’s whisked away by a stranger, their destination a dank hole in the ground. I know he’s safe with Aidan, but I wish I could explain to him what’s happening.

  I distract myself by focusing on the immediate surroundings. The steps Aidan disappeared down jut from the ground, smoothly carved from the rock. It’s strange to think that I visited this place as a kid and have so little memory of it. Maybe I wasn’t in this part of the cave? It doesn’t exactly look like it’s part of a tour.

  The faded walls bear the peeling remnants of a moldy avocado-green layer of paint. Exposed lightbulbs dangle from the ceiling, casting the narrow space in a sickly yellow gleam. Must and mildew compete to fragrance the air. A chill washes over my skin, which I attempt to shake off along with the heebie-jeebies. How are we going to stay here for weeks? And what lives down here already? Because I can’t imagine anything that likes this environment would welcome us with open arms. Or claws. Or multiple legs.

  Warring thoughts clash within my mind. Maybe Riley and I should go with the police right now and go back to Aunt Robin’s house. Without us, she’ll be completely alone for whatever comes next. And we’re going to be trapped underground like moles.

  But then there’s the ash. Aidan said the only thing that will clear the air is time and we just have to wait it out. I nearly forget that I’m not alone when Riley tugs on my sleeve. Following Aidan’s orders to a T, Riley remains silent but motions toward the door. She mouths, “Someone’s out there” and we huddle together, staring at the lone barrier between us and what must be the police.

  Leaning as close as we can without actually touching it, we both strain to hear the voices muffled by the door. A thundering knock rockets us both into the air like frightened cats. Somehow, we both manage to restrain from vocalizing our surprise.

  Reserving every last molecule of air in our lungs, we don’t dare breathe or blink. Pounding explodes again, this time followed by a confident announcement. “State police. We need to talk to you.”

  We freeze, a pair of trembling teenagers attempting to mimic statues. The muffled conversation returns and after one more round of knocking and what feels like an hour’s pause, all sound fades completely. Maybe something else drew their attention away, or maybe they chalked it up to a wild goose chase.

  Chapter 59

  A gentle echo resonates behind us. Aidan’s form emerges from the shadowy depths. He slinks his way up the steps, stopping abruptly at the top and staring intently at the door as if willing his eyes to acquire X-ray vision. He motions toward it and raises his eyebrows as if asking, “Are they gone?” Riley nods and whispers, “We think they left. They knocked on the door and demanded to come in, but we didn’t make a sound.”

  Blowing out a relieved breath, Aidan says quietly, “Phew. Well, you two should come down and meet everyone. I think we’re okay for now. Besides, the police should have better things to do than sit around watching a door that may or may not have people hiding behind it.”

  Taking one last glance at the door, I ask, “Should we bolt the other locks now?” He shakes his head. “No, better if we stay quiet. It’ll be fine, let’s go.”

  As Riley and I cautiously follow Aidan down flight after flight of narrow stone steps, horror movie scenes flash through my mind. Why did I have to watch that one about a group of friends trapped underground about a thousand times? They were spelunking and lost their way in a cave system. While trying to find a way out, they discovered they weren’t alone in the seemingly peaceful darkness. The movie didn’t end well for them.

  Shadows drift closer the further we go. A single string of lightbulbs drapes along one side of the cavern. Almost every third light is either dimming or burned out completely. Between that and their sporadic placement, the growing dimness radiates an ominous tone.

  Aidan attempts to throw a reassuring glance over his shoulder, but he nearly topples down the slickened steps before righting himself. His shoulders hunch in defeat and probably a splash of embarrassment. Gravity seems to tug harder the further we descend. By the time we reach the bottom, my cramping legs crave flat land, or better yet—a big, soft bed to curl up on.

  I fully expect the ground floor of this place to be some pit of doom, so the unexpected view just a few feet from the landing injects a slight spring in my step. The stairway leads to a tunnel completely carved from the rock. Its perfect curvature—from the inviting opening to the smoothed ceiling, is stunning, even in the dim light. Mouth gaping, I can’t mask my amazement. It reminds me of the covered bridges just a few miles from here, above ground.

  Having already tugged his mask off, Aidan brandishes a full smile, clearly pleased that I can appreciate the surrounding geology. My cheeks flush but I doubt anyone can see. He raises a hand in the air, palm up and asks, “Shall we?”

  I can’t help it, a giggle slips through my lips and I nod, placing my hand in his. I glance at Riley, who rolls her eyes while a dopey grin overtakes her face. A chill in the air sweeps through me. I’m glad Aidan told us to dress warm.

  We trot through the opening. The tunnel’s wide enough that Aidan and I can walk side-by-side while Riley trails behind us. Just a few yards long, it leads to a large opening that branches off in three directions. From this vantage point, I can’t tell where the tunnels lead or even how deep they run. We’ve stumbled upon th
e hub of activity, though.

  Half a dozen people move about the cavern, mirroring a human-scale ant farm. They carry boxes and crates from a pile in the center through various openings that branch off from the main room. At the center of the room sits a black fire pit. Its stubby legs raise it about two feet off the ground and a domed mesh screen contains about a half cord worth of small logs I’m suddenly itching to burn.

  When he notices us, a tall muscular man strides over, wiping the palms of his hands across his thighs. The dark denim, coupled with the dim lighting, camouflages any dust or dirt his hands deposited.

  His messy dark hair and bright blue eyes bear a striking resemblance to our escort. “Hello,” he says, eyeing me and Riley. “I’m Scott, Aidan’s dad. He said you’d be joining us. Now which one of you is Quinn and which one is Riley?” A playful smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.

  After we introduce ourselves and endure his firm handshake, his eyes drift past us. “Isn’t there one more coming?” He scratches his head, glancing at Aidan.

  “Um…no sir, our aunt isn’t coming after all,” Riley stutters, toeing the ground with her sneaker. He gives a brief nod and straightens his red and black flannel shirt.

  “Oh, well, if she changes her mind, she’s still welcome,” he says. “We’ll do official introductions in a bit. I want to get everything settled first and then we can take a break. Lots more to do to get this place ready.”

  As we peer around the opening, Aidan’s dad continues. “This here is one of the touristy parts of the cavern. Guides bring groups here to explain the history of the cave and point out formations.” He motions around the space. Light bounces off the formations circling us. They’re all so harsh and ominous—like they’re waiting for us to turn our backs so they can thrust those spindly spears at us. “We’ll get deeper into the non-touristy parts too, but for right now, this is our main hub.”

  Before returning to the hive of activity, he points out the others as they breeze past us, scurrying to organize supplies. My thoughts drift as he rattles off names and relationships. Basically, it’s just Aidan’s sisters and mother, along with Jeff’s parents. A comfortable, cooperative air between them radiates through the chamber. They smile and murmur hellos when our eyes briefly meet.

  It’s like watching a perfectly-harmonized assembly line. They accomplish a greater task while enjoying brief moments of banter. Each plays a role with confident certainty. The bitter tang of jealousy rises in my throat. These people probably finish each other’s sentences, and I can’t even remember all of their names.

  I steal a peek at Riley. She smiles as Aidan’s dad speaks, nodding as if she’s hanging on every word. She probably is. If I was polite like her, I’d be listening too. Suddenly I wonder if we really belong here. They work in tandem, each move complementing another’s efforts. Can we meld into the connections sustained by years of familiarity?

  By the time I tune back in to the conversation, Aidan’s dad excuses himself and disappears down one of the tunnels. Before I can question what comes next, Aidan faces us both. “Let’s cart all your stuff down here to what my dad’s calling the main supply room.” He punctuates the last few words with air quotes. “Then we’ll go back up to the door. I’ve got to call Jeff again to see where he is, and the phone won’t work down here.” He starts to turn away from us when Riley taps his shoulder.

  “Wait, where’s Snickers?” she asks. How did I already forget about our dog?

  Aidan shrugs, “He’s having a great time exploring. Last I saw he took off down a tunnel, tail wagging the whole way.”

  “Alright, as long as he’s okay,” she says. Aidan leads us back up the steps. I wonder how many times we’ll travel up and down these rocks over the next few weeks. At least it puts distance between us and the deteriorating world above. My mind volleys back to accepting that this is the best place for us. Maybe I could even start running again. If the tunnels reach far enough into the rock to give me some distance.

  It takes us three trips to carry all but two of the bags to the supply room. It would have taken less, but Riley and I refuse to overload ourselves again. Too tired to care, we unceremoniously dump everything in a pile in the middle of the open space. And at least the bags on the bottom layer provide a nice cushion for the rest.

  There will be plenty of time later to unpack. For now, our only mission is to horde everything in this one space so it can be sorted and organized.

  With tired muscles, we force our feet to fight gravity and make the climb again. Snickers appears and excitedly follows on our heels, seemingly satisfied with his explorations for the time being. Impatient with our sluggish pace, he darts around us and launches up the steps toward the entranceway. Stopping when he reaches the top, he sits to watch our slow progress.

  When we crest the last step, Aidan slips the dust mask back over his mouth and nose and pulls safety glasses from his pocket.

  “I’m gonna go try to call Jeff. You two stay here and open the door when I knock.”

  Chapter 60

  “But how will we know it’s you and not someone else?” Riley asks. I nod, but it doesn’t adequately convey my dissent. Crossing my arms, I add, “Yeah, we should come with you. I don’t want to just stand here and wait, not knowing when you’re coming back.”

  Sensing a potentially hostile interaction, or perhaps bored with the humans on this level, Snickers rises and promptly asserts his short legs to carry him back down the steps he just conquered.

  Conflict flickers through Aidan’s eyes and he tilts his head as if weighing our words. “Okay, one of you stays and one of you comes with me. I’ll need help anyway. But we need someone to hold the door open.”

  Building on our rebellious momentum, Riley narrows her eyes and asks, “What is going on with Jeff? Why isn’t he here and what’s he doing?”

  Tugging the dust mask off, Aidan sighs before explaining that Jeff’s parents made a deal with a local sporting goods store. They offered the store owner an exuberant amount of money in exchange for a cache of supplies—guns, ammo, freeze-dried food, lanterns, portable flood lights. Basically, as many survival tools as he could fit into his dad’s truck. His parents sent him alone so that every inch of space within the truck could be filled. The store owner agreed to help load the truck, so all Jeff had to do was transport the supplies here.

  Once Aidan got us inside and settled, he was supposed to call Jeff and arrange a meeting time so everyone could help to quickly unload the truck and park it away from the entrance. Our little visit from the police altered that plan slightly. Now that we’ve had the quick tour and our visitors are gone—we hope—it’s time to get the last of the supplies here and unloaded and then seal up the door.

  Riley questions just how tight that door seal will be, in case our aunt changes her mind and decides to join us. Aidan shares that they’re trying to create a barrier between us and the poisoned air outside, as well as any potential intruders. When Riley audibly gasps at that last part, he claims that it isn’t likely to be a problem. Still, the fear it produces immediately relaxes our stance on leaving the relative safety of the cave.

  We promise to wait inside while Aidan phones Jeff. Reaffixing the mask and safety goggles, he slips out the door, quickly closing it behind him. Relishing the privacy, I turn toward my sister, confessing my worries.

  “Do you think we did the right thing?” I whisper. “I mean, they’re all like one big happy family and then there’s just…us…tagging along.”

  “I know what you mean,” she sighs. “I really wish Mom and Dad were here to tell us what to do.” Her eyes water, trepidation drifting through the deep brown irises. “They seem nice enough, but if we decide that things just don’t feel right, we can go back to Aunt Robin’s and stay with her. We’re not prisoners, so if we want to leave, then I say we do it.”

  “The only thing I don’t want to do is go back home,” I add. “It’s too depressing. I wouldn’t mind all my stuff, but I don’t want to s
tay there.”

  “Same.” She nods sadly.

  The door pitches open slightly. Aidan’s face fills the crack, his plastic safety glasses clinking against the metal. “Hey! I got a hold of Jeff. He should be here in about thirty minutes. Sit tight for now. I’m gonna take a walk around the perimeter and look for any sign of police, or anyone else who might have seen us come here.” He retracts from the door opening and pulls it closed without another word. He probably wants to avoid another discussion where Riley and I disagree with him.

  Lowering ourselves to the floor, we sit and wait. After a few minutes, Riley wanders back toward the steps, peering into the depths below. “Sniiiiiickers,” she calls. The sound resonates throughout the cavern. She clasps a palm over her mouth, likely envisioning the worker bees below stiffening, craning their heads trying to locate the source, which I’m sure they know is one of us.

  Her embarrassment quickly fades when the summoning works. Snickers returns her cry with a series of jubilant yelps. The patter of toenails clicking on stone carries through the chamber.

  A moment later a cyclone of fur blasts from the depths, swirling around Riley’s legs. At least the dog’s happy down here. When she returns to our makeshift seating, Snickers happily trots between us and settles with a yawn.

  “Well you’ve had an exciting day, haven’t you, boy?” Riley ruffles his ears. His eyes brim with love as he looks from her to me and back.

  For just a moment, the dingy space fades away and our little family consumes my every sense. At least we’re together.

  Soon enough the heavy door creaks open and Aidan’s voice carries toward us.

  “Jeff’s here. Let’s help him unload.”

  Chapter 61

  Affixing a dust mask, I rush out the door to help the guys. Riley juts a foot through the doorway, propping it open. I quickly catch up to Aidan and we stop short when our eyes land on the spectacle before us.