DISCOVERY OF ANOTHER COLOURED ARROW

CHAPTER SEVEN

 DISCOVERY OF ANOTHER COLOURED ARROW

Pete and Jenny had gone ahead to return back through the passage or corridor with entrances that led into golden chambers they had earlier entered before falling into the hole. They took caution as they moved from one passage to the other, then suddenly at the end of a corridor; they had just entered, strapped with weapons of all sorts. Ahead of them were several creatures marching directly towards Pete and Jenny.

Pete asked Jenny to stand back while he took on the creatures one by one.

"I have longed for this day," he said. Then he started shooting the creatures nonstop; when he ran out of ammunition's, he would drop the weapon and switch to another type of weapon. Jenny followed behind him chopping each and every creatures head from their bodies after Pete shut and killed the creatures she would also chop off their limbs and while doing this, Jenny would say: "I chopped of your head; I chopped off your limbs, so you can never return into the land of gold to hunt for me.

"And these creatures in their multitudes kept dropping to the floor as Pete kept shooting them one after another never missing an accurate and precise shot to their heads; then Jenny finishes the job. At a point, Pete asked Jenny if they were running out of weapons and bullets. She answered in the affirmative. Therefore Pete instructed his sister to shoot only when it was a matter of life and death; while they ran as fast as they could to and fro from one passage or corridor into one chamber to the other.As they headed on, pressing forward and not looking behind, only when they have reached the end of any passage with an entrance to a chamber, they would stop briefly and then look behind them.

It was on one of those occasions they had stopped to look behind, Jenny now said to Pete,"I noticed anytime you shot any creature and I followed behind to chop off their heads and limbs, they would instantly lose all the golden glow they had as statues or paintings." Not only, she added, "Then they would not return back to statues again. But rather, they started decomposing as would any other natural animal that was killed and left in the open land and not burnt or buried."

"Did you really observe that phenomenon after you chopped off their heads and limbs? "Pete asked."That must mean that these creatures did exist for real, but not in our own dimension of reality in our world, I want to believe we have entered a portal into an unknown dimension of existence to us, "Pete concluded. As they took a right turn, jumping some obstacles lying on the tiled floor; Jenny had noticed a certain new and distinct passage way with a red arrow indicator leading to different new chambers.

This was quite different from the regular black arrows they had followed all along. Then she called Pete's attention to her discovery and said: "Pete, look there is an arrow with a red colour at that passage way, on the wall of its entrance. Do you remember we had seen five colours at the beginning of our journey in the land of gold? They were black, red, blue, green and yellow arrows on the walls of five different passages ways we had earlier on noticed out there before we had started running from those deadly creatures following us behind.

"Then Pete said to his sister,"I think we should try going through the passage way with the red arrow indicator this time. What do you say Jenny?"

"If you say so, Pete, I am very tired and hungry about now, I feel sick and I justwanttogetoutofthisplace.Ihavefinallyexhaustedalltheproteincakes I brought with me, in as much as I ate just one each time I felt hungry, Pete," Jenny cried.

"Don't worry, I had reserved a couple of my cakes just for a rainy day like this my dear Jenny, I can see you are not feeling too well, I will try to see if we can find any form of food in this new chamber we are about approaching. I believe there must be food in here, because those creatures must have fed well to become so plenty and so big.

But I cannot say how they became statues or paintings on those walls around and within the land of gold."Then they continued their journey into this new chamber that they had found by following the passage way with a red arrow indicator; as they came out of the passage way and stepped into this new chamber. Pete and Jenny realized how different the chamber was from the others they had entered within the land of gold.

Right in front of them was a flowing crystal clear water pool. Above this pool was a very high wall with two waterfalls named the 'valley of the twin water falls'pouring down directly into the pool of crystal clear water. There in the chamber were several gardens growing strange trees, plants and flowers. Some of these trees looked so old and they were peculiar because of their unusual short heights. Also, Pete and Jenny could see very large pythons on these typical trees coiled up on the branches, the leaves had all been made of gold, while others were naturally green.

"I can see a place over there written friends and enemies, "Pete said to Jenny. "I can also see many different statues," he added.

"Where?"Jenny asked.

"Over there, where those steps seemed to be leading,"Pete answered. "Ooh! Pete I can see them now, what do we do Pete?" Jenny asked.

"I think we should touch the statues labelled friends, and ask them to help us,"Pete said instinctively. In Pete's head, he was busy contemplating which of these statues labelled friends, he would go and touch as they climbed gradually upward the steps leading to where the statue had been left.

"Becareful,Petewhenyougototouchthestatueslabelledfriends.Don'tget them mixed up and mistakenly touch the wrong statue," Jenny said.

"Here Jenny, hold on to this weapons, if I touch a wrong statue, do not hesitate to kill it. There are other weapons on the other side of the chamber we had come from," Pete said pointing towards the directions the weapons had been painted on the walls. And Pete gradually drew closer to a number of statues named friends; and he stretched his hand and touched two particular statues his mind had directed him to touch, immediately, the statues came back to life and as it was written, they became his friends.

The first statue he touched said, "I am here to protect you from enemies in the land of gold." And the other said, "I would show you all the hidden secretes in the land of gold." Then he added, "I will also take you to where you would get good food, fruits, milk and honey and medicine to cure any sickness or snake bite?"

"Wow!"Jenny yelled."You don't mean it? Now I think this is the best thing I have heard since I have been here," said Jenny.

"I told you Jenny, we would find food here and maybe even a place to sleep and rest. The only issue, there seems to be no day or night in this place,"Pete concluded. As he turned to face their new friends, he mistakenly touched an enemy statue standing adjacently to him. Immediately, the statue came alive; Jenny screamed, ooh, "Pete, take your hands off that enemy statue, its coming alive." Before the statue would completely come alive, one of the statues named friends that had earlier on introduced himself as the protector, gave a max man precision shot aiming directly at the head of the enemy statue that was coming alive. It fell like a big log of wood; and to their surprise, it disappeared from the floor it had fallen on.

"Oh my God," Pete responded as it just disappeared. "Did you see that Jenny?" He asked.

"Yes, Pete, that is really amazing, the monsters decomposed when we kill them and the enemies disappear into thin air, ooh! What an amazing place the land of gold is," she ended.

One of the friends said to Pete and Jenny,"Let's quickly run into that upper chamber entrance at the right hand side of that door because another enemy would come alive again. When you kill any statue lebelled enemy, it disappears but another would appear to replace it."

"You don't mean it, how come an enemy statue becomes alive with out being touched?" Pete asked.

"Well, I am here to give you secrets about the land, its normal for that to happen because when you touch one enemy; it means a corresponding touch to all other statues labelled enemies and then you would have to kill all of the enemies to be free. I would advise we leave the killing business for now to that statue called the protector you touched after me.

"Hey, Pete, see another enemy coming down from those steps,"Jenny cried. Come on let's run now before more enemies appear, we have to go now the secrets revealer friend said, forget about the protector, he would be out numbered shortly and killed. Now hurry!"

"But we would need the protector,"Pete shouted."We cannot live him alone here. We have to help him fight all the enemies.

"No! Pete let's listen to the secret revealer friend, he just might be right. Killing these enemies should be left to the protector friend, if he succeeds in killing all the enemies, he would find us. "Then the three of them turned and headed for the entrance by the right hand side of the chamber, the secret revealer friend had told them to enter earlier on.They left the protector who had been fighting the enemies, as they kept appearing one after another, the sound of bullets, swords and other types of weapons covered the whole chamber. As they moved further away from where all the war was taken place, the noise gradually fades and dampened behind them.All the sounds were so faint that they could no longer be heard.

Back at home, Mr. and Mrs. Tolen had made plans to celebrate Mary's birthday and also her successful entrance into high school. Mary had grown up to become a very intelligent and beautiful girl. Her parents had given her all the best during her early years. Considering what had happened to their children,Charley,Pete and Jenny. However, they had still not told Mary the truth about her siblings, who had gone missing when she was still a baby. The Tolen's were behind their house, Mrs. Tolen was busy cooking food,making pastries and fruit drinks for Mary's birth day and Mr. Tolen was taken care of his garden.

"I want to make a trip in to the city of Kalkulta tomorrow,"Mr. Tolen said."I have been notified of some private investigator that could be of help to us regarding finding our missing children. It's now ten years since Charley, Pete and Jenny disappeared, the last report from the police search and rescue team had indicated there was no hope in finding my children.But, I won't just give up," Mr. Tolen concluded. Then Mrs. Tolen reminded him of the telephone service which had be end own for two weeks. "I think you should contact the telephone service providers to rectify the problem before you leave for Kalkultacity,"Mrs. Tolen said to her husband."If you do travel tomorrow I wish you success in your search and God speed," she added.

"Don't worry, after the birth day party for Mary, I would see Mr. Keppler who walks at the telephone company and notify him of the problem with our telephone service before my journey into Kalkulta city. I am very sure he would have it done in a day or two,"Mr. Tolen said. "But for now, I will call you on the public phone boot across the streets, if I do eventually get any information regarding our missing children in Kalkulta city that should be in five or six days from now."

Mary got back from school to meet a big surprise; her parents had arranged a surprise birthday party for her eleventh birthday. They had invited her friends from school, neighbours and some of Mr. Tolen's co-workers from the office. Even Mr. Pantane from the old gas company had also attended Mary's birthday party. There were so many goodies to go round and everyone in attendance was very excited. However, the situation was quite different for Mr. Tolen and Mrs. Tolen, as all through the party, they could only worry about their missing children. Mr. Tolen would start a conversation with his friends,but a short while into their discussion he would go completely silent.

"So, how has it been going with you Mr. Tolen, asked his friend Mr. Pantane, it's been a longtime we had not seen each other. The last time we spoke was over the phone, when you had told me about your missing children. How has the search for the missing children turned out? Mr. Pantane added, well, it's been very worrisome, my wife and I are completely exhausted and traumatized.In the last ten years they went missing, our lives as a family has been one of sorrow and pain; I have made so much money, Mary is going to start her high school any day soon. But, there seems to be an empty space that cannot be filled because of my missing children," Mr. Tolen answered his friend.

"It's a real pity, and I sympathize with you and your wife, just an unfortunate scenario, ten years and no information about their whereabouts? That is really strange," said Mr. Pantane.

As they sat down drinking and eating, others were busy dancing and children running around Mr. Tolen compound all through till the party came to an end.

The next day Mr. Tolen had woken up early and got his things set for the trip to the city of Kalkulta. He had a quick breakfast and then picked his bag and told Mrs. Tolen he would be leaving. Mary was still in bed at that time, it was later when she woke up from the exhaustion she had experienced from her eleventh birthday celebration. Then her mother told her about her father's journey to Kalkulta, and he would be returning in a week or two. Mrs. Tolen had earlier escorted her husband to the Zinatano city bus terminal, where her husband boarded a bus heading for Kalkulta city.

Mr. Tolen eventually arrived the city of Kalkulta; the bus terminal was so crowded, lots of hawkers, traders, mechanics and market women were busy doing one thing or the other. He picked up his bag and walked directly towards the entrance of a restaurant; on sitting down he called the waitress to order something to eat.As he ate his meal, he kept thinking where he would start his search from; since the city of Kalkulta was three times the size of Zinatano.

It was far more developed in its infrastructure and had very wide high ways, tall buildings, a lot of banks, organizations and institutions of learning. Then he recalled that he had been told of someone who once worked at the police headquarters in Zinatano, but had been transferred to the city of Kalkulta for operation training. He quickly checked his dairy and copied the officer's number on to a small paper, and then he went out of the restaurant and headed for the public phone boot opposite the restaurant to make his call.

They had spoken for some time on the phone. Mr. Tolen wanted the officer to describe to him the location of the private investigator he had come to meet in Kalkulta, and then he dropped the phone, came out of the phone boot and stopped a taxi. Describing his direction to the taxi driver, Mr. Tolen now entered into the taxi and they drove off slowly. Mr. Tolen was going to meet the officer he had called at the police training ground arena in Kalkulta city, so he could take him to the private investigating officer he came to meet.