Tyler’s eyes widened and he began yelling Help Someone help His screams echoed off the walls of the cave Gabe put his hand over Tyler’s mouth We already tried yelling I’m turning off the light Gabe said I don’t think we’re getting anywhere If we were going in the right direction we would have come to the entrance by now Both boys fell silent for a moment In the total stillness they heard a scuffling sound Tyler’s face lit up They found us Hey we’re over here Something about the odd rustling made the hair on the back of Gabe’s neck stand up He caught Tyler’s arm Hold on he whispered I don’t think that’s Ben Of course it is Tyler said pulling away Ben Sean Listen Gabe hissed Tyler fell silent They heard odd breathy 8
snorts That isn’t Ben Gabe whispered He pulled Tyler backward away from the sounds A low deep growl replaced the snorts Behind them the snorting and growls grew louder The boys ran then as fast as they dared to in the shadowy cave Then Gabe saw that the ground ahead of them looked dark too dark Wait he said pulling Tyler who would have run ahead I think that’s a hole They crept close It was a deep chasm that stretched across the whole passage There was no way around it Maybe we can jump over it Tyler suggested Gabe shone his feeble flash beam but it didn’t reach the other side I can’t tell how wide it is Behind them the snorting and growling sounded closer We have to do something Tyler said Gabe looked around flashing the weak beam into a deep crack in the wall of the 9
passage He hurried over to it shining the beam in hoping it was a side tunnel It wasn’t The flashlight picked up a dead end only a few feet in Still it might give them someplace to hide In here he said to Tyler As his friend passed Gabe pulled open Tyler’s backpack and took out the umbrella I don’t think it’s going to rain in there Tyler whispered Gabe didn’t answer he just pushed Tyler to the far wall Crouch down he whispered The boys wedged as close to the ground possible and Gabe opened 10
the umbrella in front of them and turned off the light The shuffling snorting sounds grew louder and Gabe could feel Tyler shaking beside him He couldn’t see anything at all in the complete darkness of the cave Gabe held his breath as whatever moved through the darkness grew close and sniffed A low growl vibrated through the umbrella handle Gabe closed his eyes and waited for the attack to begin 11
