Hide and Seek Part Two
Mires navigated the winding maze with caution, scanning the ground for any signs of footprints. He spotted several trails branching off in various directions. Choosing one set, he decided to follow them, only to find they led him to a wall. Pausing to investigate, he carefully examined the surface. As his gaze traveled downward, he noticed a small hole at the base, nearly concealed. A nearby rock partially obscured it from view. Mires poked his head inside to take a glance. He could clearly see the disturbed earth where a body had lain. Assuming he had simply missed their departure, he stepped back and continued his search. Mires remained unaware of the tragedy that had just unfolded. So near, yet now so distant. Poor Thyron—his hopes for rescue had just walked away. He followed a different set of tracks, this time leading towards coral. The markings were partially faded, making it difficult for Mires to discern the right direction. The footprints were intertwined with those of others, adding to the confusion.
He paused to survey his surroundings and noticed a solitary shrub. Recognizing the tracks he had been following, they continued on, vanishing into the dense foliage of the tiny bush.
"This was too easy," Mires thought to himself. He inched closer, locking eyes with the terrified gaze that met his. The shrub quivered and shook.
"I've found you. Come on out now; you've been spotted. Good effort, but it's a classic move for beginners to hide in the bushes. Better luck next time!" Encouraged Mires.
Coral emerged from the bush, carefully following mire's footprints in his search. "I have to be the first," she asserted.
Mires continued to move, his gaze fixed on the ground as he searched. Now, he had an additional companion by his side. "Yep, you're definitely my first fallen victim," he said.
Coral flinched at his words. She was clearly a nervous person. With a stutter, she hurriedly asked mires.
"What do you mean by 'victim'?" she inquired. He chuckled, recognizing that he had chosen his words poorly.
"I don't mean that literally. I just mean... well, forget it," Mires said, attempting to clarify.
He was now tracking a third set of prints, possibly even a fourth. It seemed there were two sets running parallel to each other, each with distinct patterns. One set appeared larger than the other, which Mires suspected was made by penelope. The second set seemed to vanish into thin air. Coral noticed Mires' sharp eyesight and soon joined in, helping to follow the trails. Together, they advanced toward the expansive open cavern.
"The sacred chamber where Zarda encountered the Creator," Mires said, gazing upwards and around in awe.
Coral watched in astonishment as her gaze followed his. Although they couldn't spot anyone, they were convinced the tracks had brought them to this very spot. One set of tracks continued onward, while the other vanished into nothingness. The walls of Rock Hill towered high, making it impossible to jump over them. Mires could only conclude that someone had climbed over, which suggested that there was indeed an upper level accessible. Similar to a ledge, the very one where Theena was hiding. Mires located her position and silently gestured upward for Coral to take a look. Although they couldn't see a body, there were distinct signs of a struggle along the side. He cautiously approached the wall and crept toward the edge. Looking over, he spotted his next target: Theena. She lay motionless, her eyes tightly closed. Initially, a wave of fear washed over him, but then he noticed her small chest rising and falling.
"Boo!" Shouted mires.
He startled Theena from her sleep, causing her to nearly jump off the high ledge. If she had fallen, the injury from that height would have been severe.
"I've got you now. You have to come with me. Coral is here as well; she was the first one I found, and you're the second," Mires declared.
Theena, still shaken by the scare, took a moment to steady her breathing, which was somewhat uneven. She felt a wave of relief wash over her now that it was over.
"Wow, my brother must have an amazing hiding spot if you found me before him," she said.
Mires raised his shoulders in a shrug. "Maybe. Or maybe not. There are still many places to conceal ourselves and plenty of trails to investigate," he responded.
He reviewed the situation in his mind. Two had been found, and three remained, he thought. He then turned to the other two and said, "Follow me."
Theena and Coral trailed closely behind Mire, sticking to him like glue as he made his way into the tunnel leading to the third set of tracks. They were eager to discover who they might encounter next. Penelope was starting to feel hungry and weary as she sat alone. The wait seemed to stretch on forever, and it was somewhat frightening as well. Just one well-timed jump scare could leave Penelope sitting in her own urine. Her patience with this game was wearing dangerously thin. While she was happy to join in the game, Penelope couldn't shake the feeling that hide-and-seek was quite dull. She had positioned herself against the back wall, looking out towards the opening. With her elbows resting on her knees, she rested her fist against her right cheek. As Mires stepped into the room with Penelope, he paused, his gaze sweeping across the walls. Meanwhile, Coral and Theena examined every inch of the space, mentally considering where they might conceal themselves if they were in Penelope's position. Mires directed his attention to the floor; his tracking abilities had served him well thus far. He followed the footprints that meandered around a large rocky wall before him, carefully placing his foot in each impression until he reached an opening in the wall.
Peering inside, Mires spotted the elephant calf sleeping against the back. He cautiously approached her, then suddenly leaped forward and grasped her by her elbows. Startled, Penelope raised her hands instinctively, striking Mires in the face. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his nose. Overcome with fear, Penelope wet her dress, just as she had dreaded. The odor was overwhelming and repulsive. Tears welled up in Penelope's eyes. She felt an overwhelming mix of fear and embarrassment. Her tiny heart pounded roughly against her chest as she tried to make sense of what just occurred.
"I'm really sorry. You startled me, alright? Are you okay? I didn't mean to make your nose bleed, honestly." she said.
Mires laid on the sandy ground holding what was now a bloody nose. Penelope rose to her feet, gazing down in horror at Mires, before glancing at her urine-stained dress.
Embarrassed and upset, "I believe it's time to finish this stupid game. Has everyone been found yet? Please tell me I am the last one to be found?" she inquired.
Mires got to his feet, pinching his aching nose closed. He responded by shaking his head no. The two girls could hear the sounds of what seemed to be distress, but they were unaware of what had actually occurred.
"Oh no, Are you alright, Mires? You're bleeding. What on earth did you do to him, Penelope?" Theena asked.
"He scared me okay. I flinched and may have accidently busted his nose out of fright. Sorry again Mires." replied Penelope.
Penelope took a moment to clarify her point, making it clear that she was ready to leave. "Let's find Thyron and Faden and head home. I'm hot, tired, and now uncomfortably wet thanks to you." she said.
Mires understood, but there was one slight problem. He hadn't found two of their hiding members. He looked to Penelope and replied, "Us going home isn't going to happen, until we find the others, which is what I was trying to do by the way."
The elephant calf shook her head no. "Fine, watch and learn, I know how to get them out." Penelope said as she walked away, shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Thyron, Faden, the game is finished. Please come out now; it's time to go. Where are you two? It's an emergency—we need to leave immediately!" Penelope shouted.
She hoped her plea would be received well and soon the two missing would appear. As soon as they did, they knew the game would be over. It had been a long hot game, and everyone was exhausted. The four waited listening for Faden and Thyron's return. Before long, a familiar face appeared around the corner—it was Faden, but Thyron was still nowhere to be found. The group scoured every corner of Rock Hill, searching everywhere for any trace of him. As Mires roamed around, he suddenly paused, recollecting the hole from the beginning.
"Hold on, there's something I may have overlooked. I traced all of your footsteps while I was seeking you all, and the initial ones I first found led to a hole beneath the rock base, close to the entrance. When I took a look inside, it appeared to be empty, but it was evident someone had been there. Something feels off. If your brother was still inside, I should've seen him, right. Yet all that was inside was the sand and old imprints." Mires inquired.
Theena was suddenly overcome by a deep unease in her stomach, a sensation that had been lingering within her all along. Frightened, she called out for her brother, her voice heavy with sadness and fear. "Thyron! Where are you? Please answer me! This isn't funny anymore; we're truly scared!" she shouted.
"I felt that something was wrong while we were playing. It was as though I could sense that my brother was in danger. What if my instincts were accurate? We're all here, but he's not. It struck me as strange that he wasn't the first one we found, even though, in reality, he was the first—he just wasn't there anymore when you searched. We need to go get help. Whatever happened in that hole, we don't want it to come after us if it's a predator, and I can't leave my brother to die alone" she said.
"What makes you think an animal was responsible? We would have heard something don't you think so? Everything inside rock hill echos." Penelope replied.
Theena shrugged; her thoughts limited to her own assumptions. She felt overwhelmed with worry for her twin. She had felt his fear and understood that the urgency she sensed while hiding was his silent plea for help, but she failed to recognize the warning in time.
"I didn't notice any blood or signs of a struggle. Everything seemed normal, when I peeked in the hole there was nothing left behind except what seemed like old footprints. I never saw anything further in, it was far too dark to see," Mires replied.
Out of nowhere Faden remarked, "What if it was a rock boa? It could have swallowed him whole—no blood, no struggle."
His remark only heightened the tension between them, making Coral's eyes widen with fear. Anxiety washed over her at the thought of their friend Thyron being devoured. However, they were close enough that it was impossible not to have overheard something.
Filled with overwhelming fear, Coral quickly replied, "I believe Theena is right; we need to go get our parents as soon as we can."