Chapter 36

They fell down the pit till they landed with a thud. They groaned in pain when they stood up.

They looked around to see they were in a dark cave. It reminded Amelia of the dark room she saw in her dream a few days ago.

"Where are we?" Helen asked, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness

Suddenly, the room lit up

"Welcome" a voice said

They screamed when they saw what it was.

Standing tall was a creature with the head of a woman, the body of a giant lion and the wings of a bird; a sphinx

"I thou-thought th-they weren't real" Helen stuttered

"I say we make a run for it" Edward whispered

"There is no escape" the sphinx said "I've lived here for hundreds of years. You seek the golden apples, yes?"

They nodded, too afraid to even speak

"I say we make a run for it" Edward repeated

"There is no escape. Many people enter here through various ways. You're the first to come here through the ground" she replied