Chapter 11 - Through Dangers Untold

Chapter Eleven: Through Dangers Untold




Chantal groaned. "You again?"

Jareth shrugged. "What can I say? I like you two."

"You like to torment us, you mean," Chantal snapped.

"Chantal! Shhhh!" Stephanie told her friend fiercely. "Don't aggravate him, we are so close to getting out of here."

"She is right you know," Jareth said smiling. "You are very close to the castle. Now to just figure out this little puzzle." With that, he disappeared, leaving the two girls standing there.

Chantal sighed. "That guy sure gives me the creeps sometimes. Now let's see. He called this a puzzle. Wonder if that was a hint to help us of to throw us off?" she asked as she stared down at the interlocking blocks on the road.

"You never know with Jareth," Stephanie said as she looked around for a clue on how to get out.

"So very true! That guy is so unpredictable," Chantal said as she bent down to examine some of the stones.

"Well he has to be, he's the Goblin King," Stephanie told her friend.

"Yeah, but why torment us? We never asked to come here," Chantal said as she lifted a brick out of the road. Underneath it, was a small handle. "Hey! I think I just might have found out way out!" Chantal took hold of the handle and pulled on it. A hidden door opened up, leading down into underground tunnels.

"Where do you think it leads?" Stephanie asked, peering over her friend's shoulder.

"I'm not sure, but hopefully out of this loop," her friend replied as she pulled off her backpack and pulled out two small flashlights. "I'm not sure how much power the batteries in these have, but it will be better than nothing." Chantal handed Stephanie a flashlight.

"I knew you had a flashlight in that bag of yours," Stephanie said giggling. She jumped down into the tunnel below and Chantal followed her with Serek around her neck.

Once in the dark tunnel, they could see that it was tall enough for them to stand. "You lead the way Steph!" Chantal said motioning to her friend to go ahead. Stephanie pointed the flashlight ahead of her, looking down the path. The two girls walked down the dark tunnel for a way, trying not to stumble over the uneven path.

"Wonder where this leads to," Stephanie said.

"I don't care as long as it leads us closer to the castle and not around in circles," Chantal said grinning.

Stephanie stepped over a small boulder and continued down the path. "Yeah..."

Chantal stepped around the boulder and continued to follow Stephanie. She flashed her light up at the ceiling and looked up to see the stalactites.

"Okay. Well, which way shall we try?" Stephanie said as she pointed left then right.

Chantal looked down to see that they had come to a fork in the road. "I don't know," She replied as she shone the light down each tunnel.

"Eenie, meeny, miney, Moe," Stephanie said as she pointed right then left then right again, to each tunnel. "This way!" Stephanie declared, pointing left after she had finished off the rhyme. They quickly made their way down the new path and came across a ladder leaning on a wall of a dead end.

"Here, hold this," Stephanie said as she handed Chantal her flashlight. She started to climb the rickety wooden ladder. Chantal held the ladder as she watched her friend climb it. Stephanie reached the top and paused. "Hey there's a door here!" She then tried opening the hatch by pushing on it. After a moment of pushing on the hatch and noticing a handle to turn with some struggle, it opened and Stephanie peeked out.

"What do you see?" Chantal asked.

Stephanie peeked out more, heard some screams and her head nearly got hit by a plate!

She ducked. The plate crashed onto the wall behind her. Another object crashed beside her and Stephanie quickly grabbed the handle of the hatch and almost fell down the ladder in her haste."Pasta Vazoo!" Stephanie said as she landed on her feet next to her friend. "Definitely the wrong way."

"I guess so. Let's backtrack and try the other way!" Chantal suggested.

"Some goblins have good aim," Stephanie commented. "Next time it's your turn."

"Gee thanks!"

"Maybe you won't get hit by dishes."

"I hope not. I don't need any bruises," Chantal said grinning. She handed Stephanie back her flashlight.

"Thanks," Stephanie said as they headed back down the path. They rounded the corner, and walked down the tunnel. The two girls walked down the path and chose the next one. Suddenly one of the flashlights started to flicker. Chantal gasped.

"We'd better hurry," Stephanie said as they neared another ladder. There was a tunnel beside the wall where the ladder rested. Chantal started to climb up the ladder. She pushed open the trap door and quickly ducked before any dishes or other objects would fly at her. There were no encounters with dishes. Chantal looked at her friend with a questioned shrug, Stephanie motioned her to continue and check. She turned off the flashlight when her friend disappeared above her to save the batteries.

Chantal looked around the small room. Three of the walls had shelves that held jars, boxes and blankets. Chantal spotted the door and walked towards it, she jiggled the handle but the door didn't budge. "It's locked!" she told her friend.

Stephanie had climbed the ladder and looked at her friend through the floor opening. "What?"

"The door is locked. We can't get out of this room," Chantal replied.

"Damn," Stephanie said.

"There must be another way out," Chantal said moving back towards the trap door. Stephanie climbed down and waited for her friend to come down, she turned on the flashlight.

"There is another tunnel," Stephanie said.

"Cool!" Chantal said after following her friend down the ladder. The tunnel was long and narrow. At some point, the two girls had to squeeze their way through it. Getting a few scrapes from the rough surfaces. After a few minutes, Chantal thought that the tunnel would not lead them anywhere and just waste their time. The same flashlight flickered dangerously again.

"This doesn't seem to be going anywhere Steph," Chantal told her friend.

"I know," Stephanie sighed.

"I just hope that this tunnel doesn't lead us to some huge hungry ogre," Chantal said.

Stephanie laughed. "But you never know in this place,"

Finally, the two girls reached a dead end, there was no ladder or door to get out, and the only way was the way back.

"Now what?" Chantal asked. Stephanie let out a short scream of frustration and kicked the wall in front of her. She stopped. Pressing her ear against the wall, she kicked it again. Her foot made a hallow sound as it struck the wall.

"Woaaaa! What was that?" Chantal asked. Serek tightened his grip around Chantal's neck.

"There's something there," Stephanie said.

"A way out maybe?"

Yeah! Like a door or something," Stephanie took a step back and examined the wall.

"A door? Now to find the door handle."

Stephanie looked at the wall, trying to figure it out. She set the flashlight on the ground and felt the wall for a handle or anyway to open the hidden door. "I can't find a handle," Stephanie said after a moment. She stepped back to fully get a better view.

"Hummm. Maybe we can knock it down," Chantal suggested.

Stephanie walked back towards the door and brushed back a few large piece of moss, she saw a small crack where dim light shown through. She tried pushing on the door. It budged a bit. "Chantal, come help me push."

Chantal came over to the hidden door and helped Stephanie push it open. Beyond the door, there was a flight of stairs made of light stone, winding around a corner and out of sight. Torches lighted the way. The girls turned off their flashlights and Chantal returned them into her pack. "This must be it. The way out," Chantal said with a grin.

"Yes," Stephanie said as she started going up the stairs in a rush, sometimes skipping a step at a time. Chantal was struggling to catch up. Stephanie had a smile on her face, for she knew that they were in the castle, no doubts about it. Unknown light illuminated the archway she stopped under. Stephanie slowed her pace when she passed through the main archway and stopped at the edge of a platform. Chantal rushed in beside her, and stopped quickly before reaching the ledge. Stephanie grabbed her friend for good measure. Serek let out a squeak.

Stephanie's eyes widened in amazement. The two girls were in the Escher room.

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment