"Be Not Driven to Despair, Tilda"

Tilda rappelled down the hole. She noticed the walls were even, smooth. As if someone had carved the tunnel out, and then sanded it down. She landed, and found both Ilai and Emma passed out, Ilai bleeding from a cut in his forehead. A strange smell hit her, and she knew right away she had to get out of there soon. She tried lifting Emma, who was quite petite - and got her up on her shoulders, which were quite broad for a young woman. She, too, was a strong one.

"Guys! Can you try and pull me up? Just help me a bit", she shouted upwards, and tied up a makeshift harness that went around her. They pulled, and it helped Tilda on her way up. Once up and out of the hole, they laid Emma flat out on the ground, and assured she was breathing. "Il passed out too down there, and he has a nasty cut in his forehead. We need to help him out fast, he could have gotten a concussion. Any suggestions? Remember, he's way to heavy for me to carry him out", Tilda posed to challenge her younger 'co-rescue men'. They all thought hard, one could almost hear their heads working and churning away.

Peik took to speak out his mind. "I can go down there, and tie the rope around him, and you can pull us up. I'll be quick", he said, and swallowed nervously after finishing that sentence. Tilda looked at him with a worried grimace.

"There is some kind of gas down there that makes you faint, I am sure of it. Cover your mouth and nose, at least. I have no idea what could happen to you if you stay there for longer than Emma", Tilda said. "But maybe it makes sense, since you're lighter and will probably have it easier to get up from there", she suggested. They agreed, and Peik made ready to go down to carry out this mission. Tilda loaned him a handkerchief to wrap around his hand on his way down to limit any painful friction.

He got ready: Lined his palm with the handkerchief, got over the rope as Tilda showed him, with his behind facing the hole, and took a sturdy stance, as he began walking backwards, and kicking away from the walls inside it - his entire body trembling of excitement for the unknown, as he vanished in the deep blackness. "I'm all the way down! I'm ok, putting the handkerchief over my mouth!", he shouted to assure them of his wellbeing. A strong wind hurled sand in their faces, the sun beginning to set. Then, silence.

"Guys! It's all 'glowy' down here!", he suddenly yelled, similar to what Ilai had said upon his descent on the bottom of this pit. The water line was at it's highest, the sea was ebbing. Or, rather, it had completed this process. A seagull caught a small fish, maybe herring.

"Guys! The 'gas thingy' is gone, I can breathe fine without covering my mouth!", he then said, at the peril of all the ones up there. "No!", they all shouted down at him in unison. "Keep it on, you might die!", Runa said. They waited, looked at each other. Everyone meeting worried, anxious faces. "I'm tying the rope around him - but seriously, I'm fine! I am breathing as normal", Peik shouted, with glee in his voice this time. They heard grunting.

"What... What happened?", they heard another voice saying.

"He's awake! He's fine, guys! Come on down, everything looks awesome down here!", Peik shouted yet again, overjoyed.

"It could come back, Peik. We could all be trapped down there, unconscious. It's too dangerous!", Tilda responded. "Ilai, how are you feeling?", she asked.

"I am ok, I think. You guys should come down, let's explore this place further! It looks awesome down here!", he said.

"No, come up here and let us check your head first - and then, we can all discuss together what to do next. It's getting late and dark. Ok?", she asked them, carefully. But maintaining her firmness, sincere as she could be.

The boys climbed out of the hole, somewhat disappointed at the missed chance of an adventure. Ilai first, then they pulled Peik out. Tilda hugged Ilai as hard as she could, and they examined his wound. It looked like it was a small cut, so it was most likely fine, they decided. They agreed on that they should get a night's sleep, monitor Ilai to make sure he did not have a concussion, and muster up some energy, sleep on whether they should go into the tunnel or not, and bring masks or bandanas to cover their mouths. A lot to happen from one day to another.

The five walked up from the beachside, and had enough time to run their fingers trough the grains of the yellow straws all along the pathway while walking into town, and Emma picked some fresh wild flowers. Tilda and Runa went home, and Ilai decided he was better off at their house as well, where Tilda could watch over him through the night.

The three got home again, where Tilda's and Runa's mother was sat in the couch, watching some new reality TV show. She smiled slightly upon their entry, and agreed to have Ilai sleep over - but reacted to the gash in his forehead.

"What have you done to your head? Are you ok?", she asked, concerned and paying full attention to him. She had done some medical training, so she offered to clean his wound and bandage it up good, then checked his pupils, had him do some balance tests and more. He seemed fine, so they had supper and went to sleep.

While sitting around the kitchen table, the young ones pondered on whether or not to tell her about all the action they had come across, but all stayed content, and decided to keep it to themselves. Mum would surely talk them out of going back down there. They all were intrigued over what tomorrow would bring, and hurried up their meal and nightly rituals, so they could be fully rested and maybe even get up early to continue their exploration.