Chapter 85: Into the Unknown

~ Jaden stared out across the rocky mountaintop through the curtain of rain that poured over their ledge and couldn't help noticing that a sense of uneasiness was settling itself around him.

"How long are we going to stay here?" he asked without turning around.

"Hell Jay, you sound like you have someplace to be," said Andrew. Jaden paused before answering, listening for any signs of... well, anything really, but all that he could hear over the heavy rain was the occasional clap of thunder.

"I don't feel right here."

"Anything in particular that's bothering you?" asked Andrew, immediately attentive.

"I don't know... Just a feeling I guess." Andrew turned to Takyle.

"We should think about our next move as soon as possible then. As a general rule Jaden's feelings tend to be pretty spot on."

"Ok, Jaden, can you be any more specific at all?" asked Takyle.

"I think that part of it is I don't like the fact that we're stuck in this corner and we wouldn't be able to hear, or hardly even see anything that happened to come near. Maybe I'm just being too jumpy, but I feel damn uncomfortable about this."

Takyle opened her mouth to respond, but didn't have to chance to actually say anything before the ground dropped out from underneath them. They plummeted downward into darkness and the only thought on Jaden's mind was: "If this fall doesn't kill us, it's not going to do any favors for Andrew's stomach." And then he hit the ground hard and his breath was knocked right out of him. Above them the piece of rock that they had been sitting on under the ledge slammed shut again, leaving them in absolute night.

Before Jaden could manage to draw enough breath to say something, he heard Takyle moan quietly, and then Andrew's voice.

"Ow! Freaking hell, ow... Ow."

"Jaden, are you ok?" asked Takyle, her voice sounding faint and small in the black void.

"I think so," he gasped. He had managed to go somewhat limp before hitting the ground, and so seemed to have avoided any major injury, but when he tried to sit up, a shooting pain speared into his back. He held his breath until the wave passed, and then tried again, but slower this time. "Yeah, yeah I think I'm ok. You?"

"I'm fine, but I lost my pack in the fall. Do you still have yours on?"

"Yes."

"Where the hell are we?" moaned Andrew.

"Inside part of the mountain I guess. I think that my flashlight is broken. Yours?" Takyle asked. Jaden could hear her moving around, groping for her pack. A hand grabbed his leg and he yelped.

"It's just me," said Takyle. A beam of light cut through the darkness and played across Jaden's eyes.

"Oh, sorry," said Andrew, quickly directing his light elsewhere. The small torch sent very little illumination into the blackness that surrounded them. ~