Cave of Terror Read online

  "Let's go check out the souvenirs.” Mandy grabbed my arm and dragged me over to the main souvenir section filled with rubber bats, explorer helmets with lights, plastic toys, pencils, jewelry, and all kinds of gemstones.

  I grumbled under my breath. She could be such a dork at times, but she's never boring. That's for sure.

  Rocks and gems organized into a rotating type structure nestled in dividers. I picked up a tiger's eye looking stone and rolled it around in my hand. The cool, smooth surface felt good on my palm. I dropped it back into its bin and reached for a pink quartz crystal. It was somewhat rough to the touch, but beautiful. Maybe I'd get one after we returned from the tour.

  Mandy snatched a rubber bat from the display and dangled it from the elastic cord. She bounced the creature in front of my face and made goofy eerie sounds.

  "Take a picture, Cheyenne.” She held the bat in front of her face and smiled.

  "You are seriously warped,” I said as I snapped the picture. If she only knew how close she came to discovering my secret. Out of all the crap she could have picked up, she chose the bat. Ironic, huh? That's my life—one irony after another.

  "That's why you love me.” She dropped the bat back where it belonged and proceeded to pick up every little trinket, making some silly gesture with each one. She put on a green explorer hat and struck a pose, expecting me to take another picture.

  "Yep, that must be it.” I had to laugh. She's such a goof. And, of course, I took the picture. Oh, okay, I took one of myself in a pink hat, too. What can I say? Some things are just too hard to resist.

  I strolled to the other side of the building near the entrance, Mandy following on my heels. Several novelty machines that predict your future and tell what kind of lover you are by squeezing a handle stood against both walls nearest the door.

  "Oh cool. I love these games. I wanna try the loooove tester. Got any quarters?” Mandy grinned and presented her upturned palm.

  I dug in my purse and pulled out a few quarters. She snagged two out of my hand and took off toward the love tester against the wall perpendicular to the entrance.

  I picked a love meter, too. I slid a quarter in the slot and grabbed the handle, then squeezed. Red lights flashed in a rotating motion, lighting up each level.

  Please don't land on ‘blah.'

  I'd never live it down, especially since Mandy had just yelled she was ‘burning.'

  The lights quit flashing and only one remained lit—'harmless.’ Great. Harmless. Just what I wanna be. My hands stay cold, that's all it was. Not accepting the ‘harmless’ label, I plugged in another quarter.

  A whiff of vanilla or maybe almonds wafted by my nose. It smelled a lot like some lotion Mandy had received for her birthday a few months ago. I didn't remember smelling it on her earlier though. And I sat right next to her on the bus. Weird. And then came a faint whiff of cinnamon mixed with the almonds, creating a comforting aroma.

  I grabbed the handle again and squeezed. The lights started rotating, my glance following the mesmerizing pattern.

  An arm snaked around from behind me and a warm masculine hand wrapped around mine. I swallowed a squeal, my heart slamming against my ribs. A static pop crackled in the air. I would've jerked my hand back from the force of the zap, but he it held hostage. Electric currents raced through my body. My skin heated and tingled. Warm, moist breath caressed my neck where my hair had separated and fallen forward. I gasped from the chill moving up my spine—goose bumps popping up over every inch of my skin.

  The lights surged and grew brighter, dancing with my own pulse—hypnotizing me. Never had I felt anything so powerful or so intimate. The flashing stopped and the only remaining light prominently displayed ‘uncontrollable.'

  Unsure of what to do next, I slowly turned my head. My belly flip-flopped, and my heart beat a crazy rhythm to some unknown melody.

  Full lips spread into a smile as a stranger gazed into my eyes, rendering me speechless. “Now, that's what I call chemistry,” he said.

  He was the hottest guy I had ever laid eyes on—tall, dark, and oh so gorgeous. He had clear blue eyes you could literally drown in—so inviting and beautiful. And there I stood like some lust struck idiot with drool dripping down my chin. Yep, I was a class act all right.

  He released my hand and stepped back. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Sparkie.” He winked, then spun around, leaving as quickly as he had appeared.

  When some semblance of my senses returned, I glanced around the building, looking for Mr. Hunkola. I had to point him out to Mandy. She would so not believe me.

  Mandy had her back turned to me, now playing the palm reader game. I raced to where she stood.

  "Mandy! Oh, my God, you won't believe what just happened to me."

  "Must have been good, cause your pissy mood seems to have evaporated.” She lifted one eyebrow in question and waited for me to fill her in.

  "I was over by the love tester, playing the game and—"

  "You got the ‘blah’ level, right?"

  "Do you want to know what happened or not?” I put one hand on my hip and glared at her.

  She rolled her hand in a forward circular motion in front of her chest, indicating for me to continue.

  "Well, I squeezed the handle, and this guy reached around me and grabbed my hand, causing this shock of static electricity. The machine went crazy and the light landed on ‘uncontrollable.’ I turned around to see who had zapped me, and it was this gorgeous guy. He was like BAM! I about fell over.” I scanned the building, trying to find him. “I don't see him now though."

  "I guess he just disappeared?"

  "Something like that. But, the best part ... he called me Sparkie and winked. He winked. He was tall and had these beautiful blue eyes. You would just die."

  She crossed her arms over her non-existent chest. “I'd love to see the guy who made you go all gooey inside. He must be something."

  While I searched around the building for my gorgeous game partner, Mandy took off toward the snack bar. She's forever eating something. I swear if she didn't do gymnastics five hours a day she'd be as big as a house.

  After realizing my search was futile, I joined Mandy at the snack bar. “Whatcha buying?"

  She held up a rock candy sucker and waved it around. Sheesh. That girl has always had a serious sweet tooth. Not that I didn't or anything.

  "Hey!” I nudged her shoulder. “I thought you didn't have any money?"

  "No, I didn't have any quarters. Duh."

  We sat on a bench near the cable car entrance to wait for the tour to begin. My heart still thumped so hard from the strange encounter I thought it would bust straight out of my chest and keep on going right out the door. What if I never saw him again? I'd just die if I didn't.

  Mandy pulled out a pink sucker from her bag and handed it to me.

  "Oh, thanks. I didn't know you bought me one, too.” I grabbed it from her and stuck it in my mouth. Good thing it didn't have a wrapper.

  "Yeah, I'm sneaky like that.” She smiled and bit into hers. “Not to mention unbelievably sweet."

  "Whatever!” I busted out laughing. Mandy sweet? Not!

  "What? Can't you see my halo?” She mimed shining her make-believe halo.

  "Yeah. But, you better hide the horns that are poking through if you expect anyone to buy it."

  "Five minutes until the 10:00 o'clock tour. Please make your way to the far side of the building past the souvenir area. Stan will be your tour guide,” a voice said over the loud speaker.

  "That's us.” Mandy stood and extended her hand. “Come on.” She grabbed my wrist and pulled me up.

  "Yeah, yeah."

  We lined up at the door where we'd board the cable car that would take us deep into the cave. I took one more look around. No sign of the hot guy. Shiznit! But, I couldn't shake the feeling he lingered somewhere close. My stomach tightened and twisted at the thought.

  A man climbed into the cable car and announced, “My name is Stan, and
I'll be your guide for the duration of the tour. When I start the car in motion, you'll feel a jerk, then we'll make our way into the cave."

  We lurched to a start, then slowly descended. The scent of fresh earth—and almonds—infiltrated my nose. Strange. I'd never noticed that smell in the cave before.

  "Did you put any of that almond smelling lotion on today?” I asked Mandy.

  She crinkled her nose. “Nope. Why?"

  "No reason. I thought I smelled it earlier—and then again just now."

  The light faded in increments as we moved farther into the cave until darkness prevailed. The brakes groaned as we shuddered to a stop, rattling my teeth and bones.

  As soon as I stood, an overwhelming dizziness overtook me. I swayed and had to sit again. I've had claustrophobic attacks before, but this wasn't the same feeling. It felt more like my senses were short circuiting. A high-pitched sound pierced my eardrums. Nausea welled inside my stomach. I clutched my middle and bent over. The sickly sweet smell intensified the roiling of my guts and I moaned.

  "Cheyenne? You okay?” Mandy sat back down next to me and put her hand on my shoulder.

  I took a deep breath and willed the queasiness away. “Yeah. I think I just stood up too quick and got woozy. I guess I should've taken the time to eat breakfast, not just a pure sugar sucker."

  "Come on, girls. You're holding up the group,” said my biology teacher, Mrs. Krammer.

  "We're coming,” I croaked.

  I swallowed several times, took another deep breath and then stood. Okay, I felt a little better.

  Mandy gave me one of her concerned looks. “You gonna make it?"

  "Yeah. I'm good. Let's go before Mrs. Krammer has a cow."

  Our group stopped in front of the chain that blocked further entrance into the cave.

  Sharp sounds continued to ricochet in my head. I reached up and rubbed my temples, my stomach churning.

  "You still look green,” Mandy whispered.

  "Thanks.” Great. I feel like crap, and I look like crap. At least I'm consistent.

  Stan gave his speech about how oil and dirt from our fingers would damage the formations in the cave. Like anyone had the urge to molest a formation. Whatever.

  "Remember, a strict no touching rule is in effect at all times. It's a Federal offense to take anything out of the cave, so there will be a full body cavity search at the end of the tour,” Stan said.

  Several people gasped, but no one laughed.

  I leaned over toward Mandy. “It's called a joke. Hello."

  She sighed. “I swear, our class is full of dorks."

  Stan raised his hands in front of him. “I'm just kidding."

  Then, everyone laughed.

  He unhooked one side of the chain and let us pass. “Make your way toward the square box and wait for me to catch up."

  Mandy and I stayed back and let the group move ahead so we could talk without getting reprimanded.

  Stan caught up and led us into a large opening referred to as the Introductory Room. “Almost all formations found in the cave are represented in this very room.” He pointed his light at each one and gave a brief summary. Then, he walked over to a crevice in one of the walls. Everyone crowded around as he pointed his light into the crack.

  A tiny bat was all tucked into the crevice, hiding from the light.

  "Awwwwww ... it's so cute,” one of our classmates crooned.

  "That's what all the girls say. If you notice, this bat is brown in color, which means it's a male,” Stan informed us.

  As far back as I can remember, I've been intrigued by bats. There's a bridge near where I live where bats congregate during certain parts of the year. When they come out after the sun sets, they look like puffs of smoke rising into the air. I've spent hours watching them.

  After what I learned on my birthday, my fascination with bats makes sense.

  "This has been a very unusual day for us. Since there are no longer any natural entrances, a colony of bats will never form again in this cave. We consider it lucky to be able to point out a few bats a day, especially one so close. But today, Halloween of all days, we've already seen at least six bats. We even found one farther back in the cave than we've seen in years. Bats that do come in tend to stay close to the opening.” Stan pointed his light on the limestone ceiling where another bat hung. “See that furry gray chicken nugget? It's a female bat."

  I caught a movement from the corner of my eye just in time to see a bat fly toward the back of the cave. A funny feeling settled in my stomach, and it wasn't nausea.

  "Wow, we even have a flying bat today. Y'all are lucky,” said Stan.

  One of the cheerleaders squealed and whined, “I don't like bats flying around my head."

  I rolled my eyes. Maybe she can have one of the hunky football players hold her wittle hand and protect her from the big bad bats. Paalease! I hoped one of them would crap in her perfectly styled blonde hair.

  "Nothing to worry about. They eat mosquitoes, not humans. Besides, what could a cute little furry chicken nugget do to you?” Stan turned and led us out of the room.

  Along the way, we stopped at the Soda Straw Balcony while Stan discussed how the straws formed from rings of minerals. The ceiling glistened from moisture, and water beaded at the tips of the soda straws. I stared at the delicate projections.

  A cold drop of liquid plopped onto the top of my head. I flinched and let out a startled yelp.

  Mandy whipped her head around, sending me a questioning look.

  I gave her a cheesy smile and shrugged. “A drop of water fell on my head. It was cold."

  Stan laughed. “That would be what we call a cave kiss. It's the purest form of water you'll ever come in contact with. Not to mention, it's considered good luck."

  If that's the case, I hoped cave kisses would rain down on my head. After what I learned the day before, I needed all the luck I could get.

  As we moved farther into the cave, humidity surrounded us like a cool blanket of moisture. The high pitched echo in my head intensified. I plugged my ears, but it didn't help. The scent of almonds became stronger as well—like an amaretto cake baking in the depths of the cave. What could possibly be causing such a smell? Mom wasn't kidding about the senses becoming more acute. A person could go crazy with the sensory overload.

  "Do you smell almonds now?” I asked Mandy.

  She wrinkled her nose. “Umm ... no. What's with your obsession with almonds?"

  "I don't know, but I swear I smell it."

  One formation, Temptation Stone, Stan allowed us to touch. We each took a turn. I waited until the end, just after Mandy. I touched it, allowing my fingers to run the length of the cool, smooth surface. Dampness from the humidity clung to the formation and slicked my fingers.

  A slight vibration moved through my hands, up my arms, and down to my toes. I jerked my hand away and paused, my hand hovering inches from the formation, then slowly put it back. The pulsation tickled my palm. Drawing back again, I glanced around to see if anyone else had felt it—no noticeable reactions observed. As many times as I'd touched Temptation Stone in the past, I'd never felt anything so strange.

  "Mandy,” I called.

  She turned. “What?"

  "Did you feel anything weird when you touched the formation?"

  "Like what, exactly?” she asked.

  "I don't know. Like a vibration or something."

  "No, can't say I did. Are you going wiggie on me? First the almond smell and now vibrating rocks?” She shook her head. “I'm starting to get worried about you."

  I was worried about me, too.

  "We're about to enter a long tunnel. Hope we don't have anyone that's claustrophobic.” Stan chuckled.

  Mandy glanced back at me like I didn't know I suffered from claustrophobia. And it wasn't like I hadn't been through it before—no big deal. I breathed deeply and prepared myself just in case.

  Please don't have an episode in front of the class.

  Halfway th
rough, the breath whooshed from my lungs. I blinked, trying to clear my blurred vision. My heart thumped inside my chest and my pulse expanded my veins with enough force to feel the blood surge through my body.

  No. Not now. Not here.

  The surrounding walls shimmered and compressed, squeezing out the space needed to move or inhale life-sustaining oxygen. I clutched at my chest and gasped for breath. A film of perspiration beaded my upper lip. My hands turned clammy. I paused a moment and attempted to take in a deep breath, then continued. Tiny dots of light flickered in front of me. I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened and blinked.

  No. No. No.

  With each step, my feet clumped along like lead blocks. One knee buckled, and I struggled to keep from falling. My lungs burned like crazy, but I refused to give into my ridiculous affliction, especially in front of this particular bunch of people.

  And then, the oppressive passage opened into a small room. Air freely flowed back into my lungs. My vision returned to normal. I exhaled a sigh of relief.

  Thank God no one noticed my near attack. How freakin’ embarrassing.

  Mandy turned, then frowned. “You look white, Cheyenne. Whiter than normal, that is."

  "It's just the lighting. I'm fine."

  "If you say so."

  "...the Texas Size Chip and Dip formation is the main attraction in this room. And if you take a good look, you'll find some trace fossils embedded in the surrounding rock.” Stan moved his light around to point out a few noticeable fossils.

  Mandy raised her camera. Flash. Flash.

  I held my breath as we passed through another tunnel, hoping I wouldn't freak again.

  "This is what we call the Breakdown Room. The Balcones Fault passes right through the cave.” He shined his light along the area.

  It wasn't much to look at, but Mandy lifted her camera and took some pictures anyway. Flash. Flash. I blinked several times to clear away the bright splotches of light dancing before my eyes.

  Stan ushered us forward while he remained by a light switch.

  Mandy whispered, “This is the part where the lights get turned off."