Map: Part VII
Aaron stepped backwards and spun in a circle, flashlight flitting over the room. He was still alone.
Afterwards, he felt a little foolish that he was so easily spooked, and even chuckled to himself. But it was forced, and his heart was still hammering.
Gingerly, he approached the back wall again, shining his light over the letters. There was more text that he hadn't noticed engraved under the ominous ‘BEWARE’.
‘Brave explorer: Your next task is behind a door in this room. Find the door and you will have proven yourself humble.’
Aaron looked around. He just had to find a door? He could do that.
He felt along the wall, working clockwise. He passed by all of the stone sculptures: a pedestal with a crown, a knight, the hand with sword, what looked vaguely like a horse, and a coat of arms. No doors, and, as far as he could tell, no clues.
After some more searching, he finally found something: a panel not of stone, but metal, on one side of the throne. He knelt down and pressed it. It didn’t move, but he heard rocks tumbling. Jumping up, Aaron looked around. There was a crack in the wall behind the crown pedestal.
Heart pounding, Aaron squatted and pressed into the panel again, peering around the throne and at the wall. It did nothing. He set down his flashlight, gathered his strength, and leaned into the panel as hard as he could. He kicked it. He pushed it again. He attempted to pull it.
He ran to the wall. He tried to pull the crack open. His fingers slipped against the cold stone, his cut hand left a smear of blood on the wall. Turning, he rushed to the other side of the throne, and saw it: another panel. But even after a lot of pushing and swearing, the ‘door’ did not budge open any more.
Aaron paced the room, wondering if he should get Rosie. What if she was gone? he realized. No matter, she had made her decision. He could do the rest alone.
With renewed vigor, he lapped the room, looking for more panels. When he found nothing, he returned to the throne, trying once more to brutally force them into opening the door. When nothing happened, he finally gave in.
“Rosie?” He could barely see in the midday light after being in the dark for so long. Actually, he had no idea how long he had been in the throne room.
“Rosie!” he called again, his heart sinking. She was gone.
“What! What?” She was just a shadow in the circle of light above him, but she was the most wonderful shadow ever.
Aaron practically sighed in relief. “I need your help,” he told her. “I found the next clue.”
He couldn’t see her expression, but he could hear her blow out a breath. “But then we’d both be trapped down there,” she said.
Aaron reached a hand up towards her, beckoning. “Oh stop it. You want to have some fun, don’t you? I know you’ve been bored out of your mind up there.”
She barely contemplated her answer. “Get out of the way so I don’t fall on you.” So she hadn’t lost all of her childhood playfulness.
He was grinning and stepping backwards as she slid down the hole. Much like he had, Rosie slowed her fall with her hands and arms, but still landed in a rather ungraceful heap.
“Come on,” Aaron said, reaching out his uncut hand to help her up.
She pushed hair out of her face and looked up at him. For the first time, she, too, was smiling. It was laughter, he realized. She knew she was crazy to follow him. Still, she took his hand and stood, then continued down the dark passage behind him.
Read part I: https://theprose.com/post/243841/map