Map: Part VIII
Rosie and Aaron walked down the tunnel in silence until they reached the throne room. Aaron realized the second time around that the passage sloped downwards, meaning the throne room must be fairly deep underground. Thinking about that made him picture the ceiling, or rather, the dirt from above, collapsing onto them. He shivered and pushed away the thought.
“We need to find a door,” Aaron explained when they reached the room. He showed Rosie the message on the back wall and the panels on the sides of the throne, then explained how one of them caused the crack in the wall to appear.
He could barely see her in the darkness. “Give me the flashlight,” she finally said. He stood silently as she made her way around the room, inspecting everything. “This really isn’t an elaborate prank?” she asked, circling around the horse sculpture.
He laughed a little. “Don’t flatter yourself; it’s not like I have the time to dig out a giant stone room for you.”
“Well, this is amazing if it’s real.” Rosie came back towards him, her footsteps echoing.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Aaron said back. “Maybe try pressing the panel on that side of the throne,” he said, pointing, “and I’ll press the other one at the same time.”
He pressed his palm firmly into his panel, and he couldn’t see what Rosie was doing, but he heard the sound of shifting stone.
“What was that?” Rosie asked quietly. The light flashed around the room; she was frantically searching for what had changed. Aaron stood helpless without the flashlight.
“Lemme see the light,” he said, but she had already settled the yellow beam on the wall. Another panel.
The stone on the wall behind the knight had been lifted, and behind it was a metal panel. On the opposite side of the room, by the horse, they found another one.
“Humble,” muttered Aaron.
“What? Should we press these?”
Aaron plucked the flashlight from her hand and pointed it at the back wall. “Yeah, we need two people, that’s why it’s a test of humbleness. To make sure you’re not alone.”
“Ok,” Rosie said, as if she was bored. Only Rosie could be bored at a time like this. “I’ve got this one.” She pressed her hand flat against the metal.
With the help of the flashlight, Aaron maneuvered across the room and to the other panel. His heart was pounding. He touched the panel--
And the world crashed down around them.
Rocks tumbled from above, and the whole room felt like it was shaking. Aaron fell to the ground and threw his arms over his head. When the world fell silent again, he sat up. His side of the room was a little crumbly--the knight seemed to have lost his left arm--but most everything else was the same.
He ran over to the other side of the room, but could barely make it past the throne.
“Rosie!”
Her half of the room had been blocked off. Stone bricks must’ve come down from above or up from below. Either way, there was now another wall, one that went all the way from floor to ceiling.
“Rosie!” he shouted again, digging at the stone, trying desperately to move them. They didn’t budge. What if she was crushed underneath?
He clawed at the stone and he couldn’t even feel the cut on his hand, but it was bleeding again. “Rosie,” he said again, voice thick.
“I’m here.” Her voice was muffled, and Aaron nearly choked on his relief.
“Are you ok?” He struggled to hear her voice.
“Yeah, it’s just... dark. What happened? Where are you?” He could hear fear in her voice.
Aaron looked around the room. “I think we triggered something. You’re walled in; I can’t get to you.” He sighed, eyes on the opposite wall. The crack was no longer so small. It had opened into a doorway. So this was the puzzle. “I think... I think I have to do the next step.”
“Don’t leave me here!” Rosie’s voice became uncharacteristically shrill.
“The next part, I think it will undo this.” Aaron tried to sound sure, but he had no idea. He didn’t know what this was anymore. He had been right; it wasn’t a game. It was dangerous.
“It’s too dark, I can’t see!”
Aaron squeezed his eyes shut. “I have to go look. I’ll be back in a second, ok? I promise I’ll get you out.”
He could hear her breathing. Ragged. “Aaron, please. Please get me out of here.”
A chill seeped into Aaron’s bones as he crossed the room. With a final glance back, he stepped through the doorway.
Read part I: https://theprose.com/post/243841/map