Chapter 57

Right. Her decision made, she started off along the tunnel. The floor beneath her feet was smooth stone except in a few low spots where sand had migrated. She wished more than once that she’d worn shoes. There was no remedy, however, and she continued along, pausing about every 20 feet to listen. Twice the tunnel turned sharply and she hugged the wall and peeped around. At the third such turn a cool breeze flowed around her and she peered around the turn.

She was surprised to find that this adjoining tunnel ran both right and left. The frown crinkled her forehead and she rubbed at the furrows. She had to be well beyond the house now, near the cliffs. Where did this tunnel go and which way should she go? Sam leaned against the wall. The torches continued in both directions but how far was the real question. And how many of these things might she run across. I would be easy to get lost if she continued making turns down random tunnels.

The solution to mazes could often be in which way you turn and how many times. “So,” she whispered, “Right.”

The breeze stiffened as soon as she turned the corner, ruffling her dress and her hair. The taste of sea air was unmistakable. She didn’t know how far she traveled probably five minutes she saw a large dark arch ahead. She reached it, and stared out at the starlit ocean. Looking down, she gasped and grabbed the side of the tunnel as she looked into the yawning darkness below. The sound of waves crashing told her she was somewhere above the beach, on the face of the cliffs.

Sam stepped back and looked behind her. How did they get down from here? She looked out and down again bu it was too dark to see anything on the face of the cliff. There might be stairs or this could just be an old cave that had been found when they built the tunnel from the house. She sighed. Honestly, she had no idea how it all worked or how it got here.

“Now what?” She leaned back against the rock wall, her hands behind her, and rested her head against the wall.  Another sigh and she closed her eyes to think. She could go back and see where the tunnel ended. She could go back upstairs and go to bed and tackle this tomorrow.

Sanity, Sam. What’s the smart thing to do? She stood and retraced her steps. When she came to the first junction, she paused. It wouldn’t take long to find out where it went. Surely it wasn’t very far to the end, and there were plenty of torches making it easy to traverse. A quick look and she’d go back to bed. With a last glance along her return route, and she moved past, in the opposite direction from the cliff opening.

The floor of this tunnel was all sand. With each step it shifted and it was warmer against her feet than the stone. She noted that it also sloped downward a bit, not much, but enough that she knew she was descending. The torches were spaced farther apart here, causing pools of darkness between them and after a dozen or so yards, she no longer liked them. What if she fell into a hole? Or what if there was some sort of trap she couldn’t see. If she got hurt down here, it might be hours or days before anyone came along to help her, if they helped her.

She was surprised to realize she could hear herself breathing, and she paused to take several slow, deep breaths and quiet her racing heart. Already she knew she’d come farther than she had when she left the house and walked to the sea opening. She would be well beyond the house now, and closer much closer to sea level.

The tunnel curved and as she rounded it, she saw a bright opening ahead. It seemed to lead to a well lighted room. As she approached it, she could see a far stone wall and lantern hanging from the ceiling. She slowed her steps. If there were people in there she doubted they’d be glad to see her.

When she reached the opening and looked out she realized she was at the stairway that led down into the storage cavern she and John had found on their trip to White Beach. She remembered watching her cousin ascend the stairs. Staring at the wooden landing at the top of the stairs and with the realization of the extent of these tunnels, she wondered how many people were involved in this enterprise.

And where was her cousin? She had no way to know which direction he’d taken.

She listened. The only sound she heard was the slight sound of the wind as it came along the tunnel. The natural chimney effect created by two caves attached by tunnels would allow wind to constantly move along the corridors. Caves were already cooler than above ground and it made sense to use them for storage, particularly if there were perishables. There were a few businesses in town that used some of the caves along the cliffs there for that very reason. Were they as extensive as these tunnels and caves?

Cautiously she stepped onto the landing and started down the stairs, clutching the railing so tightly her knuckles turned white. The stairs seemed much taller than the first time she’d seen them and a fall here was not something she would relish.

Halfway down, the sound of voices from below startled her and she stopped and clutched the rail with both hands the until the bones in her hands ached. Someone was coming along the tunnel from the beach cave. Raucous laughter echoed around her. Sam turned and hurried back up the stairs to the tunnel. As she stepped into the corridor she came to a skidding stop.

“Hello, Cousin. Did you find anything interesting?” Alaina stood blocking her path, a feline grin curved her lips but did not reach her eyes.

Somewhere in the center of her chest, Sam felt her breath catch and she gasped and struggled to breathe. The room seemed to darken and shift on its axis.

“STOP!” Ian rushed toward them and jerked Alaina around. “I told you not to do that again. Leave her alone.”

The pressure released and Sam wilted in relief and drew in great gulps of air.