Into the Dark

                  Torben’s head pounded. He landed on his back, shoulder, and neck, causing a considerable neck strain. Torben kept rubbing his neck, hoping to make the pain go away. He could feel several other scrapes and bruises, with a minor cut on his hand. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he began to see more details of the pit he fell into.

                  He wasn’t seeing things. The flat boxy walls showed he stood in a handmade structure. As fascinating as it appeared to be, it meant the walls were flat with nothing to climb on. Even if he could climb up the walls, the ceiling kept him from reaching the hole above. He needed a rope.

                  Enok had his hands full. It would be awhile before he could come to Torben’s aid. Torben thought if he could find his own way out, then he could help Enok. Torben thought about saving the day. The idea of such glory pushed the pain aside. He stood in a large hallow structure. He wondered if the dark crevasse he slept next to in the back of the cave was something like this. If so, maybe he could find an alternative way out. Maybe he could even find a way down to the girls and lead them back up to the surface. They would consider him a hero if he could pull off such a feat

                  A smile slowly emerged. He liked the idea of navigating an escape on his own. Torben imagined the look on Ella’s face when he came to her rescue. That would be a summer to talk about for ages to come. His chest filled with excitement. They found themselves in a dangerous situation and he could make it better. He hurt, but he could ignore the pain. The more his mind churned over the plan, the more excited he became.

                  “Time to explore,” he thought to himself.

                  He quickly stood up and drew his sword to embrace his heroic moment. With a newfound confidence, he took his first step. With a slight trip, he felt a sense of weightlessness as the light faded above, then a jolt of pain. All went dark.