Cave Dwellers (12 page)

   It was, in fact, thousands of years ago that water had poured through those openings and carved the cavities. The same water flooded the tunnels, slowly enlarging them. At some point, seismic activity had changed the water’s flow, directing it into the waterfall that Zaac and Ramira could see.

   They moved on to the next bifurcation and chose the tunnel bearing to the right, and after a zig and a zag, it opened onto the other side of the lake. They came out about eighty feet from the falls just above the vegetation on this side.

   “Let’s see what’s growing,” Ramira said.

   They found some radishes, then some cucumbers, onions, small dwarf like cabbage and tomatoes. All of them looked as weird as the first plants, just about completely white in color.

   “I have never seen white tomatoes or cucumbers,” Zaac said picking a tomato. “Even the cabbage is white.”

   “Without normal photosynthesis from the sun, I don’t see how they’re growing down here to start with,” Ramira said. “They must’ve adapted to this environment. How lucky is that? They’ll provide food for us until we find a way out.”

   Zaac picked a couple of cucumbers and radishes, cut the leaves off the radishes and trimmed the roots, and took all of them to the edge of the lake to wash them.

   Taking out his knife, he peeled one of the cucumbers and split it to share with Ramira. While they ate, they checked out this side of the cavern. A series of ledges and tunnels looked interesting.

   “There’s no telling where they go,” Zaac said.

   “We’ll find a way out,” Ramira said, sounding more confident than she felt. “Until we do, at least we’ll have plenty to eat. We might have to become vegetarians for the time being.”

   Becoming a vegetarian wasn’t part of Zaac’s plan. “You might become a vegetarian, but I am going to find some way to catch some fish.”

   “A lot of vegetarians eat fish,” Ramira said laughing. “We can always throw in a few bugs for variety.”

   “Once a person gets use to them, they aren’t that bad. I wouldn’t like to eat them for the rest of my life, but for now, they serve a good purpose.”

   They started walking along the edge of the lake toward the other side. A tunnel opened onto a ledge a couple of feet off the floor. They stepped up and were getting ready to enter the tunnel when Zaac noticed two piles of bones. He climbed down from the ledge and went to get a better look. Ramira was right behind him as he picked up what looked to be a leg bone.

   “I wander what kind of animals these bones belonged to.” Zaac held up the bone. “Whatever kind they were, they were not small.”

   “It looks like there are two different types. The bones aren’t the same.” Ramira wondered if they had died fighting each other.

   Zaac wondered the same. “If these walls could talk, I bet there would be some good stories told,” he said.

   They started into the passageway. After about fifty feet, a small cavern opened on the left. They stepped inside and stopped dead at what they saw.

   “Is this what I think it is?” Ramira asked.

   “It gives me the creeps,” Zaac said.

   Along the wall on either side were the remains of six human bodies.

One pair of skeletons had what looked like an adult and a child tucked between them. There were a total of ten people’s bones in all.

   “This must be a primitive burial place,” Zaac said.

   “Exactly what I was thinking. I say we let them rest in peace.” Ramira headed back toward the entrance.

   Zaac didn’t waste any time following her. They hurried past the animal bones to the end of the lake.

   “Let’s not go back into that tunnel,” Zaac said. “I might even carry some rocks over here and seal the entrance.”

   “We’ll have to find rocks that aren’t too heavy. Maybe as we search the tunnels, we can carry back small ones with us.” She knew it would take time to acquire enough rocks.

   Clearly Zaac was more distressed about their find than Ramira. “The sooner we get that entrance blocked up the better for me.”

   “I agree. In the meantime, try to picture it as a primitive cemetery. Maybe that will help.”

   They stopped when they got about half way from the tunnel to the end of the lake. A mid-level ledge ran from that spot along the wall to the spot where the lake started. One tunnel emerged onto the ledge. The upper level ledge that the megapetomeinon lived came out over the mid-level ledge about forty feet and went to the opposite side of the lake.

   Fifty feet from the edge of the lake on the ground was another tunnel. They walked across to it and entered. It went seventy feet beyond the rock wall and opened into a small cavern. The cavern was around 850 square feet in area on the floor. The cavern floor stopped at the edge of the continuation of the underground lake. The height of the cavern ceiling was nine feet at the edge. It expanded twice the distance over the lake as it was in the cavern. The water disappeared under the far wall of the cavern.

   “There’s no telling how far this body of water goes,” Ramira said. She knelt on the bank.

   She glanced down and noticed what appeared to be clay along the bank. She scooped up a sample in
her hand, wet and mushy. “I think I’ve found our clay. This must be what the people used to make their pottery.”

   Zaac was about to respond when a fish broke water and splashed heavily back into the lake. “Wow. I need me a fishing pole. What I wouldn’t give to land a few of those. All we would have to do is figure out a way to cook them.”

   “If we can find the means to build a fire, we could probably cook them on the flat rock above the fire pit.” Fish would definitely be a nice change.

   “I have to figure out how to make a line.” Zaac’s mind started to work on the problem. “Are you ready to head back?”

   “Yes. Let’s grab a few vegetables on the way.”

   As Zaac got ready to join her, he saw a couple of small rocks and picked them up to carry with him. Passing the tunnel with the bones, he tossed them over by the entrance. They gathered a few vegetables to take back. Ramira picked a couple of tomatoes, a couple of cucumbers and a small head of cabbage. Returning to the other side, they went up to their cave and dropped off the food.

   Neither was aware of the surprise that they were about to encounter.

11

   The time was about three in the afternoon. Zaac and Ramira were pleased with their discoveries. Knowing there was a primitive cemetery across the lake didn’t make them happy, but once it was sealed up, it would be just like living close to a cemetery in real life. Neither of them was superstitious. They knew you didn’t have to worry about the dead. At least that had been their experience. It was the living that caused the trouble.

   After dropping off the vegetables, they went down the incline and headed toward the remains of the pottery oven. The megapetomeinon were flying over the lake as usual. The birds had not attacked or tried to eat them, but Zaac and Ramira were still cautious as they crossed the floor.

   One of the adults caught a fish and took it back to the young birds. This time it was the male who left the female maneuvering over the lake. These were the parents of the female younger one that was so playful. She was the smaller of the two.

   The younger male’s parents were the other adult megapetomeinon. They were also out looking for a meal.

   The younger megapetomeinon caught a fish and landed on this side of the lake. It wasn’t long before they consumed their catch and started their playful routine of chasing one another. The movement of Zaac and Ramira attracted the male’s attention. They were a new addition to the cave’s environment and offered an opportunity for fun. He forgot his parents’ rebuttal the previous day. Curiosity got the best of him.

   He ran toward them and the female caught on quickly to the new game and joined him.

   There is one personality trait that the young birds, along with Zaac and Ramira, were soon to find out. The megapetomeinon are very protective of those they care for. In this case, it was their younger ones.

   The parents came down between their young and Zaac and Ramira. Sensing that the intruders were a potential threat, they started to attack. The parents were just as fast as their young ones.

   Zaac and Ramira were caught between the old pottery oven and wall with no possible escape. With one parent coming toward them in front and the others on either side, they were left with one option. The wall was their only means of escape.

   Without realizing what they were doing, motivated only by panic, they climbed the wall with little or no effort. At the upper ledge, Zaac had started into the tunnel when Ramira turned and saw that the birds didn’t pursue them. The parents sensed that the immediate threat was gone and gave up the pursuit.

   Zaac stopped. Ramira was looking over the edge with a shocked expression. He took a quick peak himself, ready to make a dash for the tunnel at the first sign of danger. Suddenly he realized why she was making such a face.

   He sat down on the ledge with his feet dangling over the edge while he asked, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

   She sat down beside him, bewildered. “How did we get up here? One minute we’re under attack by those giant birds and the next, we’re on the upper ledge. How is that possible?”

   The expression on Zaac’s face showed complete astonishment. “I have no idea. Nothing in rock climbing ever prepared me for this.”

   Ramira thought back over the things that had happened to them. “I know we were bitten by some bugs and we’ve been eating them. Would that make it possible for us to do what we did?”

   “That would give new meaning to ‘You are what you eat.’”

   The bugs that bit Zaac and Ramira did inject a substance into their bloodstream that started the transformation. This substance united with the nutrients from the bugs they ate, causing a chemical and biological change in their body. Tiny bristles or hairs formed on their hands, fingers, knees and feet. The same claw-like structures that are on the underside or tarsi of insects grew on Zaac and Ramira. These claws can be used to grip tiny irregularities on rough surfaces. The hairs have sticky pads known as arolia or pulvilli, which provide an adhesive action so an insect can adhere to the smooth surface.

   The adult megapetomeinon left their younger ones to finish their playtime. They caught their meal and returned to their ledge. Zaac and Ramira watched as they joined their family.

   “We got up here easy enough. Do you want to see if we can get down just as easily?” Zaac asked looking down the rock wall.

   “Climbing up, our lives were at stake. Who knows whether we can cling to the walls on the way down? Let’s try getting to the middle ledge first. Then we can try for the ground. Would you like to go first?”

   “I’ll give it a try,” Zaac said as he stood to start the descent down.

   He turned with his back out toward the cavern, tentatively placing his hand on the wall. He felt a grip that he had not felt on previous rock climbs. He placed his other hand on the wall feeling the same grip. When his knee touched the wall surface, he could tell that it helped to support his weight. Whatever was helping him to climb must be able to penetrate through his jeans. He quickly descended the wall down to the middle ledge.

   “You’re in for a surprise. That was so cool. Something has definitely happened to our physical function.”

   “You made it look so easy. Here goes.”

She placed her hands on the wall along with her right knee, but was hesitant to remove her left leg off the ledge. Her whole body would have to be supported completely by her. If she fell, she risked terrible injury not to mention death. Slowly removing her leg from the ledge, she found to her surprise that she was able to cling to the wall.

   She quickly joined Zaac on the middle ledge only to say, “I’ll race you to the bottom.”

   Before Zaac could even start, she was on the ground. “I thought you were an experienced mountain climber. I expected more.”

   “Go ahead. Have fun at my expense,” Zaac said. “We’ll see who’s the fastest when we have a rematch.”

   “Who said we were going to have a rematch? The time to quit is when you’re ahead.” Ramira started toward the cave with a grin on her face.

   Zaac followed behind, grumbling about “girls” as they went to the cave. When they arrived, he got a couple of the pottery plates and located the crudely made knife.

   “I have an idea. Would you mind grabbing a pot?” he said.

   “Sure.” She selected the pot they used to carry water. “What are we doing?”

   “I think I’ve found a way to have a temporary light source that can be reused. It works on the same principle as transplanting except we’re going to try and use it temporarily, then replant it at the same spot.”

   They went to a new section of moss and Zaac set down the plates and knife and took the pot from Ramira. He filled the pot from the lake and with the rock he had used before, cut two sections of moss that would fit inside the plates. He loosened dirt from the site and placed some on each plate. Laying the moss on the dirt, he splashed water over the two specimens, getting them good and wet. He handed a plate to Ramira.

   “Let’s see if this works.” He started for the dark tunnel.

   When they reached it, they entered. The moss emitted a faint luminescent glow, giving enough light for them to see. Even with the light from the moss, the tunnel appeared darker than the others.

   They had traveled no more than fifty feet when Zaac spotted the first chunk of small glossy black rock. It was about an inch across. As they walked further, he saw more and more small chunks of the same rock. He stopped after they had traveled 300 feet. What he’d been looking for he had found. This was the place where the people had got their coal.

   Nearby was a rock that had apparently been used for a chisel. It had to be hard to withstand the wear and tear of driving it into the coal. One end was blunted. This was no doubt from years of use. There was a larger rock that must have been used as a hammer. Along the floor a scattering of coal had fallen. There was a pile of it beside the wall, ready to be used.

   “Would you mind carrying my plate out?” Zaac asked, passing the plate to her. “I’m going to grab some of this coal to use for a fire.”

   Ramira reached for the plate.

   Zaac gathered as much as he could carry. He placed a few of the smaller chunks on top. These would be easier to light. Once they caught, the larger chunks should burn more easily.

   “Lead the way,” he said.

  When they reached the cave, Ramira waited while Zaac took the coal up. When he returned, they replanted the moss in its original spot. She watered it from the water pot while Zaac got the rock, knife and plates.

   They were hungry and tired. Zaac grabbed a couple of potatoes, peeled them and washed them off in the water that was left in the pot. After eating them, they headed back to the cave and settled into their sleeping spots.

   Ramira held her hand up looking at it closely. There wasn’t any noticeable difference that she could see. She held her fingers apart and turned her hand one way then the other. She tenderly touched her fingers and her palm. She could feel a slight difference in the texture of her skin. She felt some hair like bristles protruding through her skin.

   Feeling past her palm along her wrist, she noticed the new growth apparently stopped at the edge of her palm. No one would notice it by looking at it, and she could hardly tell any difference in the feel. Whatever had happened, she could live with it. It definitely provided a new outlook on exercise. Who knew? It might come in useful after they were out of here.

   She noticed that Zaac was already fast asleep. It wasn’t long before she joined him.

12

   Ramira woke first for a change, and stretched out on the moss mulling over what the day held. Their discoveries would definitely come in useful. The vegetables would provide nourishment until they were able to find a way out. The coal would allow them to build fires. Being able to climb the walls would open up access to the tunnels on the higher ledges. Even troublesome areas like chimneys or ledges would no longer present a problem.

   The people who had been in the cavern all those years ago had some means of getting in and out. Something must have closed off their portal, or they would have continued to use it.

   Her thoughts were suddenly broken by Zaac stirring. She turned to watch him as he roused from sleep. She could get use to watching him. He had not tried to kiss her the previous day. The interruption of the birds had spoiled the moment when he first tried. There must be something about the male ego that when they fail, they are hesitant to try again. She might have to do something to help create the right moment again. She was sure that she would have the opportunity. Or, sometimes, you just had to create opportunities.

   Finally Zaac opened his eyes. “Good morning sleepyhead,” Ramira said.

  “Good morning. How long have you been awake?”

   “Not long. I’ve just been lying here thinking.”

   “Anything you care to share?” He propped his head on his hand.

   “Well I wasn’t thinking about anything in particular. I did think about what we found yesterday. Our new abilities and what they might allow us to do. Stuff like that. Then you woke up and spoiled my thought process.”

   “Well I could always turn over and go back to sleep. I would hate to go on record as interrupting a
genius at work.” He turned over with his back to her and pretended to snore.

   She laughed. She rose softly and tiptoed over behind him. Gently she took her foot and kicked him in the rear. She definitely got his attention with that, and took off down to the lake, where she bent to wash her face. Before she could start, however, she heard running feet coming up behind her.

   When he caught up with her, he asked, “Why’d you do that?”

   Ramira tried to act like she didn’t know what he was talking about, “Why’d I do what?”

   “Why did you kick me?”

   “Kick you? I must have slipped and my foot accidentally brushed your rear.” She responded looking all innocent.

   Zaac was not deceived. “It was mighty convenient timing for your accidental slip and the location of it. I guess your foot making contact with my rear helped you to maintain your balance and keep on going. I don’t guess my comment about your genius had anything to do with your slip, did it?”