Everything was completely dark.
Suddenly what appeared to be multiple torches magically lit up the room. The torches were lit alongside what were large stone staircases evenly built against the left and right walls of the room.
Directly to Charlie’s left was a staircase marked with a large number 1 in blood. To his right but placed farther out of sight than the one to his left was a staircase marked with a large number 2, also in blood.
Judging by what he was seeing, he assumed that a staircase with the number 3 was even farther down the room and on his left, followed by 4 on his right, even farther. It was like a puzzle. And it looked too simple....
Charlie repeated the three numbers in his head he had chosen earlier from the cave keeper’s jewel bag. 3, 7, and 11... 3, 7, and 11... I have to get to staircase 3.
Each staircase climbed to either the left or right side of the room walls, each ending at some sort of dark cloud of smoke. Charlie was unable to make out what they each led to.
The bloody numbers of staircases 1 and 2 gave him the creeps.
Okay, here I go, he thought. And he began to walk down the room past the first couple of staircases.
The room gave off one of the most haunting vibes Charlie has ever felt. Goosebumps crept over his bare arms and neck, and his face turned red.
Thoughts began to race throughout his mind. Well Will, you’ve always believed the story that that old well was supposed to be haunted, and you were half-right. Those four teenagers did disappear in the well and this is where they went. A dark demonic world they call the Underground... the Underground? Is this really under ground? Does this world know that the Earth, in fact, has a core? Or have they not been told here yet? And Will, as soon as I make it out of this hell hole, we’re going to party like no there’s no other. Mom, Tara, I love you. Lauren, um... I don’t know you.
Charlie laughed a bit to himself in his head at that last bit of thought as he continued on his way past the staircases, eying staircase 3 on his left.
Indeed, all of the staircases were in numerical order.
He made his way over to staircase 3 and stopped at the bottom stair. He took a deep breath then began to climb.
Up the stairs Charlie climbed. He eventually could see staircases 4, 5, 6 and 7 in the distance.
Staircase 7, he thought. If anything goes wrong here I’ll make my way over there as quickly as possible. Hopefully it will bring the best of luck.
He eventually reached the top of staircase 3. Before the cloud of smoke was what appeared to be the top stair stretching toward the wall at the other end.
As he inched closer to the wall he began to see a little beyond the smoke what was a strange text on the wall. The smoke began to clear.
As soon as it was gone Charlie could clearly make out the bloody writing. It was some sort of chant. He read it aloud:
“SPIRITS OF THE AIR
YOUR TIME HAS ARRIVED
WITH A POISON SO RARE
YOU WILL RETURN TO YOUR LIVES”
With a poison so rare? He thought. What does that mean?
Without warning a heavy breeze then knocked Charlie out of balance. He fell off the surface of the staircase but caught onto the ledge desperately. If he were to let go it would be a long fall to his death.
Come on, come on, pull yourself up, he thought. Don’t let go now.
Charlie then heard what appeared to be ghostly whispers coming from every direction of the room.
What’s happening? Why am I hearing voices?
He struggled as he held onto the ledge with both hands, using all of his arm strength to pull himself back up onto the surface.
He pulled himself up, using his elbows to support him. And as soon as he had his head high enough to see the surface again, what was an evil skeletal-like spirit greeted him from the top of the staircase. The spirit grinned at him with a demonic stare. It was by far the creepiest thing Charlie had seen in his life!
Charlie lost his grip for a moment but was soon back to holding the ledge by his hands again. Swiftly Charlie brought himself up to his elbows again then swung both legs to his left and up onto the platform, rolling over to find himself laying atop of the stairs, face down.
The chilling spirit was right behind him, but what were three or four more haunting figures were making their way towards him from the bottom of the stairs now.
He turned around to see the first spirit right next to him, and the strangest and most painful thing happened… the spirit began to somewhat touch his skin. At the same time it let out some sort of cry, and Charlie’s skin began to burn!
“Ahh!!” he responded, in pain.
He quickly got back up to his feet, clutching his left arm within his right, and began to race to the bottom of the stairs… towards the other spirits, which were now a group of at least a dozen or more!
Charlie reached the bottom of the stairs, making his way past the group of evil spirits wanting their lives back, his skin burning severely. It was like his body was being poisoned!
Once at the bottom of the staircase Charlie knew exactly what he had to do. I need to get to staircase 7, he thought.
As painful as it was, every time his skin met contact with one of the several spirits he cared only about making it to the lucky staircase 7, in hopes that it would rid him of not only the chilling spirits but of the pain he was in. He needed an antidote.
Charlie quickly made his way past staircases 4 and 5, the haunting cries of the evil spirits surrounding the entire room now. They were gaining up on him from everywhere.
He was just about surrounded with very little hope when he finally came to staircase 6 on his right. Just a little farther, he thought. And there it was. Staircase 7.
He raced up the steps of number 7 without looking back. Up the steps and eventually past the cloud of smoke.
This time there was a cylinder-like object at the end of the last stair’s surface about half of Charlie’s body height. He stepped up to the object.
At the top of the object, glowing a bright blue color, was a ring, held in place by a short and thin metal stick-like piece with a branch-like end. A Blue Ring. Charlie’s very own.
Unable to wait any longer he removed the Blue Ring from its place and slipped it over his right index finger. The ring magically sized to his finger like before when he put Ted’s on before his training. But there was no time to wonder about the ring’s
mysteries.
Turning around, Charlie flashed the Blue Ring before the spirits. Instantly they began to back off, their cries louder than before. A giant light put off by the ring blinded them as they tried to block their faces with their hands.
Eventually they were gone and Charlie collapsed to his knees in pain. A major headache struck Charlie as soon as he rid himself from the spirits.
He remained on his knees in anxiety wondering if it was already too late to cure the poison. He could feel it throughout his entire body.
He looked down at his hands and began to realize something. His veins were beginning to bulge from his skin, turning an ugly black color.
I need to find an antidote, he thought. Staircase 11, you’re my only hope.
He made his way to Staircase 11, having a hard time keeping his balance. He felt almost drunk in a way.
Up the steps of the staircase he climbed, keeping his hands out in front of him to support him from falling. Every time he felt himself about to pass out from the intoxicating poison throughout his body, he almost fell to his hands and knees.
Once at the top he headed straight for the surprise waiting at the end, where a small cup was placed.
He walked up to the
cup and examined it. Inside the cup was a thick green substance. And it smelled horrible.
Well, hopefully this doesn’t kill me, he thought. He then quickly drank the substance down.
Charlie’s body then began to shake. He dropped the cup and grabbed a hold of the small table in front of him. What’s going on?!
Charlie was terrified. His body continued to shake, almost as if going into a seizure of some sort. The substance was taking over his body, and his body was unsure how to react to it.
He went into thought on his family and friends again. Mom, Tara, Will, I love all of you and I truly am going to miss you. I never would have thought my life was going to end here. I guess I’ll be seeing all of you in an afterlife sometime... hopefully.
That’s when he realized he was beginning to feel calm again. He stopped shaking.
He took a few deep breathes as his body was starting to feel normal again... and look normal.
Charlie stared down at his hands resting on the table in front of him. His veins were no longer bulging out, and his skin appeared normal again.
He let go of the table and felt his face. He took another deep breath and then let it out. He felt completely fine again. Whatever was in the cup was an antidote!
Whew! He thought. I didn’t think I was going to make it for a second.
He caught his breath for another few seconds, and then a voice echoed through the room.
It was the cave keeper’s voice. “Young man, you have successfully completed the first task. You may now stop and rest until you are ready for the next round. Please, exit through the doors on the far end of the room.”
On the far end of the room, two big doors appeared to be opening.
Charlie let out a big sigh of relief then began to walk back down the staircase. He reached the doors and stepped through.
“Charlie!” said a familiar voice.
“Ted!”
Ted greeted him from the other side. He was sitting down on what was a brown bench along the wall of the small room they were now in. “I told you, you’d make it, Charlie,” he said.
“I didn’t think I was going to for a second,” replied Charlie as he sat down on the bench next to him.
“Well, you did, and I’m proud of you. I see you’ve even managed to retrieve your own ring.” He eyed the Blue Ring Charlie was now wearing.
“So we just wait or what?”
“If you’d like, or whenever you’re ready, Charlie, we can enter the next room.”
“I say we wait a few minutes.”
“If you say so.”
Chapter 17