|
 There
were two caves. To save time, Simon insisted they split up and explore
one each.
Ross took a coin. “Heads you explore the creepy cave that’s haunted by
the evil ghosts of pirates—Tails I explore the bright shallow one where
we shelter when it rains.”
“Okay,” said Simon. “Just hurry.”
Ross threw the coin—Tails.
Simon squeezed through the narrow entrance. Immediately the darkness
wrapped a hostile veil around him. The cold, thin air stabbed his lungs.
Reaching out to steady himself, his fingers met a thick gooey substance
trickling down the cave wall.
‘Dead pirate’s blood!’ Simon screamed but he was so terrified the words
stuck in his throat and refused to come out.
‘Don’t be stupid—there’s no ghosts . . . no blood,’ he assured himself.
Still, he avoided touching the wall as he crept deeper into the cave.
The passageway twisted this way and that and was strewn with rocks that
reached out to trip him up. After a long upward climb the path gradually
leveled out. Ahead, the cave opened out, lit by a shaft of light
shimmering from above. Simon instinctively sensed danger. Not ghostly
danger but definitely danger of some sort. His heart raced. Beads of
fear tricked down his cheeks. Desperately he fought to control his
breathing in case the sound of his gasping should betray him. He edged
towards the light with foreboding.
“Aaarghhh!” screamed Simon.
“Aaarghhh!” screamed the girl at precisely the same time. |
