The Red-haired Adventure

The red-haired Ashley and Cara had been challenging each other to adventures since childhood. Sometimes it was to climb the great branches of the old oak in the middle of the pasture estimated to be one hundred fifty years old.

Once they dared each other to sneak across a neighboring property and steal a watermelon from old man Hailey's patch.

They had ventured into Miss Beatrice's cane patch under cover of darkness at midnight one year and almost didn't make it to safety as the barrel of Miss Bea's shotgun exploded showering buckshot pellets into the shadows.

Even their escapades into supposedly haunted houses on Halloween didn't compare with the adventure before her now. Cara had found a cave opening that had been closed off for at least fifty years and challenged Ashley to explore this hollow place inside the earth that had been formed by Native Americans in another generation searching for arrowheads, spears, old pottery or whatever treasures of another world might hold. Who knows, she might even discover something worth lots of money as well as historical value.

Ashley's heart was beating wildly as the bat brushed against her bare skin. The old musty cave seemed like a good place to explore when Cara dared her. The deeper she went into the bowels of the earth the less it seemed so.

Fingers touching the walls of the cave let Ashley know it was damp all the time here. She could smell the rank scent of mold and decay though she saw no evidence of anything or God forbid anyone dead.

There was a drip, drip, drip sound echoing causing her to wonder if there were an underground pool. Just as she began this thought process she tripped over something and real fear gripped her as the flashlight she was carrying went sailing into unknown whereabouts.

Okay. Okay. Don't panic. Breath. In and out. In and out. Calm. That's it, calm down and find that flashlight or a way out." With easy, gentle feeling motions, Ashley put one hand out touching firm ground in front of her. She began a slow crawl feeling in a sweeping motion before her for the light.

She counted to ten as she inched forward. No light. She crawled backwards as she counted to ten. Rotating slightly she began her forward crawl counting to ten again. She continued this process over and over never finding the light.

Her only option now was to inch her way along searching for an exit point. Time seemed to stand still. How long had she been in here and WHERE was Cara? How long would Cara let her wander around in here before searching for her or getting help? Oh, my God, what if Cara thought it would be funny to leave her here alone.

Terror beyond all she had ever experienced grabbed her when she heard a hissing sound. Ashley had an unnatural fear of snakes and even the idea of being in such close proximity of one caused her throat to close.

One step. Another step. Breath. Slow. Breath. Calm. Calm...

Unable to even see her hand in front of her face, Cara stepped in gooey mud. The mud swallowed her...Swoosh...she popped out an opening to the cave with Cara standing there laughing. Cara knew all the time!!

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