The Van Til House: STRAF SABBAT
Chapiter 18

Hendra's body wriggled into the hole and vanished. More and more lumps of earth and stone rolled down through the mounds towards them.

The last thing Magisna saw was Hendra's boots.

"Lu want to go first?" ask Magisna.

"Wait a minute" Alexza replied. "He'll tell us if it's safe."

Okay, thought Magisna. Choose this one or the other.

They waited for a few seconds, but heard nothing.

"The hydra?" call Alexza.

There's no answer.

"Hendra?" it repeats, harder.

There's nothing.

Magisna wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and clasped the torch. How much longer do they have to wait? Why didn't Hendra say it?

Maybe he couldn't answer, he thought.

"Ndra!" Alexza yelling. "Shut, Satan!"

Hendra's head appeared through the hole. "What the hell?"

Magisna sighed in relief.

"Lu scared the cave," Alexza nagged. "Why aren't you nyaut?"

"Cave abis ngerangkak much earlier," said Hendra. "Come naek. Ati-ati, but. Here's the rada gokil,"

Hendra's head disappeared again.

"Lu first," Magisna offered.

"No way" said Alexza. "Lu aja first. The cave's still not sure if the cave can..."

"Lexza," Magisna looked into the girl's eyes. "Lu can do it. Must. You can't stay here."

Alexza nodded. "Yes, cave of tau" he whispered. "But you go first, gih! Ntar gua nyulus."

Magisna nodded back. He didn't know if Alexza was really going to follow him or not. But there's nothing he can do.

Except pulling his neck, he thought.

"Okay," said. "See you on the other side of our lives" he lapsed.

Alexza nodded again.

Magisna turned towards the pile of land again.

He took a deep breath, and began to climb. He immediately slipped backwards. A new lump of earth collapsed from the ceiling.

It was like sand, he thought. How did Hendra get through this?

Fast, he said.

Fast motion with ankles like this? I guess not.

But he has to try.

He retreated backwards, away from the mound, diverting the torch to his left hand. He strengthened his heart by counting.

One. two...

He jumped. He climbed the ground with one hand and both knees.

Don't drop the torch! his orders to himself.

The hole is getting closer now. A cold lump of earth fell from the ceiling.

But he can't stop. Notnot now.

He tried harder, dragging his feet up with all his might. He did not care about the ground that collapsed. No pain in his ankle.

He concentrated deeply for the final burst of energy, then threw himself into the narrow tunnel.

He knew immediately that he could not stop.

In the tunnel there was nothing but land. The ground flowed around him, making his torch bounce. It can dig it-but every time it digs a handful, another collapses in its place.

All he can do is move forward, and hope Alexza follows.

Fear gripped Magisna's stomach.

I won't make it, he thought in horror. The tunnel is too narrow. It's gonna collapse!

His movements became jolted, like a seizure.

I need to calm down!

But he can't. He breathed faster and faster. He didn't get enough air. There's not enough air in the tunnel!

His lungs were raised even stronger. His feet are burning. This tunnel has no end.

"Ouch!" he shouted, while spitting out the ground from his mouth.

He shook his head violently, trying to shake the ground from his hair. The light of the torch flickered gloomily in front of him.

Magisna twirled her tongue around her mouth, fusing large lumps of mud and spitting it out, spewing it out.

More and more ground fell into his hair.

I have to move, he said in his heart. Or I die down here!

His feet kicked with a scuffle in the ground. He pushed the thick pile to the side with his arm. Like swimming through sand.

Then suddenly, he could breathe again. Fresh air up there. And he saw another flickering torch.

Magisna let out a long sigh and crawled forward.

He appeared in a low-roofed room, just like all the other rooms they had passed through. He blinked and looked around, trying to determine where he was. At first he saw Hendra under him, lifting his torch.

Magisna dragged her body along the way with a grunt. He slid down past the mound of earth on the floor, holding his torch in front to keep it burning. He stood up, and immediately felt a difference of air. Not as dense as the air along the Doolhof. Not damp by rainwater and rotten garbage. The smell is not so bad either. Not too rotten as from the past...

"What did you see?" magisna asked, his eyes still red with dust. "Have you found a way out?"

"Somewhat," replied Hendra without the slightest burden.

Before long Alexza slid down past the mound behind them. He screamed, and landed hard. Torch's loose.

"Lu why?" ask Magisna.

"Gua kelabun land plains semban-gaban," said Alexza fierce. "The cave thinks it's dead!"

Hendra turned his head and knitted his eyebrows. "What's a mess?"

"Snack, t o l o l!" Alexza.

Hendra chuckled amusedly.

Magisna suddenly stiff. "Is the tunnel clogged now?"

Alexza glared at Magisna now. "Kok is more worried about the tunnel than the cave?"

"When the tunnel is clogged, where do we go out if at the other end there is no exit?" Magisna glared back at him.

Alexza gave a rough sigh. Then shook his head. "I don't think it is, but it's close."

Hendra helps Alexza stand up. He was covered in earth, and Magisna imagined himself not much different from it. Alexza patted her body, but it didn't help.

"Where are we?" ask Alexza.

"Wherever we are now, this is definitely not a place that we arepin," Hendra said.

"Why?" magisna asked suspiciously.

"Look at yourself."

Magisna stared back at the twinkling shadows, but saw nothing.

Then Alexza's breath gasped.

What are they looking at? ask in the heart. He quickly wiped his eyes with the tip of his sweater and tried to focus his gaze.

Then Magisna saw it.

Oh, no, he thought. No way. This is impossible!

But that's.

Magisna knows they have finally accidentally discovered the Doolhof's secret.

And all the stories are true.

Ice is not bragging, he thought.

He covered his mouth with his hands to hold the scream..

In front of them lay thirteen rotting brown human skeletons.

Magisna. Skeletal. The decomposing human corpse. Trapped in this hole. He wants to leave. I want to run now and never look back.

But he couldn't even stop looking at the skeleton.

Their clothes are tattered. Some of the skeletons were sitting with their backs leaning against the wall - as if they were waiting for someone to come - anyone. The others lay with their jaws wide open. Their bones are the color of the grave ground.

But the most Magisna could not forget was their eye sockets...

Blank. Darkened. And.. die!

He held back his screams. He could not believe his vision. Thirteen people are dead!

Who are these people?

The foremen? 

Big foreman?