The Van Til House: STRAF SABBAT
Chapiter 17's

"So, what now?" Hendra asked.

"We're going to go out and finally come back here" Magisna thought. "Doolhof is like a vicious circle" he muttered. "But there's one alley that we haven't traced yet."

"Whatis that? Angel circle?" ask Alexza impatiently.

Magisna took a deep breath. I can't believe I finally proposed this, he thought. I must be crazy, but maybe this is our only hope.

"The gang on the other side of that brick wall," Magisna replied.

"Where did the creature appear?" spray Alexza ketus. "Not to!"

"It's just that alley that we haven't explored yet" Magisna said.

"He may be real" Hendra chimed in.

"The cave doesn't want to go there" Alexza said. "The cave cannot. Oh, that's it!"

"When Novi ilang," Hendra reminded. "We don't know if they're alive yet..." He stopped for a moment, then fell down. "Kalo grotto says we tried it. We're out of options" he said sourly.

Magisna agreed. "Maybe there's a way out. If there is no. We might be able to know where Dika same Novi brought. Who knows, we can know the truth about that thing, too."

"It's called suicide according to the cave" Alexza said.

"You don't have to do anything" said Hendra. "Lu can stay here if you want."

Alexza's face seemed devastated to hear Hendra's words. Magisna could see in Alexza's face that staying here was not an option.

"So then, a deal was reached" Hendra decided.

Alexza just shrugged his shoulders. Doubtful to follow, but clearly unwilling to be left behind.

"OK," murmured Hendra. "Now the road!"

They stepped once more into the tunnel to the right. Hendra left the Novi torch in the room, putting it on a piece of cloth.

"Simply the same light can help us see the way back here again later," Hendra explained. "You need!"

It was a waste, Magisna thought. The ladder is gone too. There's nothing here to go back to.

But there's no point in arguing about that either.

When he turned to follow Hendra, Alexza suddenly grabbed his arm.

"What?" magisna asked in surprise.

"Gua... just. want to apologize," Alexza stammered.

Magisna raised her eyebrows. "Make...?"

"Gua has encouraged you until jatoh time naek ladders." Alexza's eyes glazed in the dim light of the fire. "You could have been killed by a cave... Cave intent, the creature..."

Magisna shrugged her shoulders. "You're gonna push the cave, you're gonna get killed."

Alexza's view turned murky, but Magisna did not care. It is not easy to apologize at this time.

But he reminded himself, Alexza already apologized.

He sighed at the bitter thought. "No pa-pa, Lex. We forget all that is already."

"It looks like the cave can't afford to forget all this" Alexza said.

Yeah, thought Magisna. I don't either!

As they walked along the tunnel, Magisna let Alexza walk next to Hendra. He hopes to be by his side too. Hendra is very brave. And Hendra also helped himself feel brave.

By the way..Where is he now? ask in the heart. Where is the fog now?

He trembled, remembering the heat as the fog touched him. He raised his hand near the torch.

The skin of the hand is red now. And it stings almost like a sunburn.

They're stopping.

Magisna heard a familiar splash of water. Pool. They arrived at the pool.

Hendra looked at Magisna. "Are you sure you're ready to go there again?"

Hendra nodded and stepped onto the ledge. Magisna followed behind Alexza. He continued walking, setting his feet carefully. The water looked so scary before. It hardly bothers him at all. Except for the memory of that shabby little girl who hugged him in the water. Magisna. But he managed to cross.

It didn't take long for them to be on the other side.

"Liat it," Hendra encouraged. "Easy, right?"

"The cave has begun to train" Magisna replied.

"That's it" whispered Alexza.

That part of the brick wall was right in front of them. The shattered bricks were scattered on the ground. The hole is still there - big enough to climb through it.

"That's a big one" Alexza said.

"Gua likes a quiet place" said Hendra. "Come on!" He stepped over the hole, holding a torch in front of him.

Alexza groaning.

"There is nothing here" whispered Hendra as he stepped forward.

Carefully he slid into-and disappeared.

"The cave can't see him" whispered Alexza.

Magisna looked deeply into the dark hole. There was no sign of Hendra's torch, "We have to follow him" Magisna said. He tried to sound braver than he felt.

He held his breath and stepped through the hole.

The tunnel behind the brick wall turned sharply to the right. Then suddenly a dead end. Huge mounds of land and ruins clogged the alley entirely.

Hendra stood looking at the mound.

"Wards?" ask Hendra.

"It's that, anyway" Magisna agreed. He had never seen an avalanche of that magnitude in his entire life. But what else if not an avalanche?

"Look," said Alexza, pointing. "In the upper corner there's a way through."

Magisna lifted her torch and peered into the darkness. At first he saw only the cobwebs and dust. Then he saw it. A small hole above the mound on the left. Big enough for people to crawl through.

"What do you think?" ask Hendra.

"There is no other way" Magisna replied.

"When the creature appears here we will be destroyed" Alexza warned.

"Out there too we will be able to mampus if the creature appears," Hendra chimed. "What difference?"

Alexza did not answer.

Hendra began to climb the mound, while trying to keep his torch high. The mound of land was loose. Every two steps up, Hendra sags down a step.

A new landslide collapsed from the ceiling.

Hendra stared, his gaze fixed on the source of the small avalanche.

"This idea is not too. pinter," said Magisna. "It can collapse at any time."

"yeah. The cave brain isn't too pinter either, forget it?" sahut Hendra's.

"Ndra--" Magisna scolded him. He hated someone who was self-deprecating.

"It's fine, though," Hendra said. He started crawling up the mound again. He moved faster this time, and only a small amount of ground fell onto his body. Finally he reached the hole. He stuck out his torch and peeked.

"Look something?" ask Alexza.

"No" he replied. "Cave to get through this hole."

Magisna and Alexza exchanged agitated looks. But Magisna knew they had no other choice. He's going to get into that hole too, he decides. That's the only way.

"Lu kudu cepet motion," Hendra instructed. "Let the mound not fall."

"Good," Alexza grumbled.