Chapter 42: Don’t Move

“Falc. Whatever you do. Don’t move...” says Forest, his hands starting to tremble.

“You… you don’t… don’t need to tell me… tw-tw-tw-twice.”

“Hunter, hand me that torch…”

Hunter hands the torch over. Upon receiving it, Forest extends his arm to his right and tilts the torch into the vines, lighting them on fire.

“Okay… that’s step one done.”

Slowly handing the torch back to Hunter, Hunter grabs it as Forest retrieves the canteen from his backpack. After gesturing for the torch back, Forest carefully poured the remaining water inside his canteen onto the flame, putting it out, soaking himself with the dripping water.

“Step two… done. And now for step three…”

Hunter takes a step toward me, “How can I help–”

Forest thrust his arm out to Hunter, “Don’t move! Not even a step, Hunter!”

Realizing the dire situation and his mistake, Hunter cowers, “Okay…”

Falcon’s legs have begun feverishly shaking back and forth as Forest hands over his backpack to Hunter. Accepting it, Hunter shifts his own over and wears a backpack on each shoulder.

“Falc, I need you to calm down. Deep breaths, we’ll get you out of this,” says Forest.

“What do you think,” starts Falcon, uneasily gulping. “Think will happen to me? Will I be ok? Please… I don’t want to die…”

Forest kneels, “Yes, you will be perfectly fine. We must be extremely careful about this, that’s all.”

Extending his arm, Forest cautiously pokes around the pressure plate with the bottom of the torch to scrape some of the dirt and dust away.

Falcon utters, “Be careful…please.”

His heart beating out of his chest, Forest can feel sweat sliding down his face, “That’s the idea. I’ve scraped around most of the perimeter by now, and it doesn’t look like a mine from my angle.”

Forest extends his hand to Hunter, “Hunter, your backpack, can you give it to me?”

A bit startled, Hunter responds, “Yeah… yeah, I can. Here…”

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Hunter takes it off and unzips it. Hearing the clinking of metal and plastic, Forest looks back at Hunter, noticing he’s trying to transfer the weapons we brought into the other bag.

“The weapons… put the weapons back in,” demands Forest.

“What… why?”

“It looks like he’s stepping on a pressure plate. If we don’t trade out Falcon for something that can hold down that plate… it’ll trigger.”

“Okay… okay, weapons going back. But I’m keeping one of the two swords.”

Annoyed and frustrated, Forest quickly shakes his head but thrusts his hand back out, “Fine, fine, whatever. We don’t have time to argue right now.”

Hunter passes over the backpack, hanging onto a sword and his canteen.

“Falc, listen to me. On the count of three, you will quickly lift your foot off the plate. I’ll replace it with the backpack the moment you do that.”

“O-o-o-okay, I can do that. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.”

“Falcon! Are you ready?! Going on three!”

Falcon closes his eyes and gulps as he nods

“One…”

Frozen in place, Hunter watches, engrossed with fear, as Forest gets into position to swap in the backpack.

“Two…”

Sweat drips off Falcon’s nose onto his shirt as he holds his breath.

“Three!”

Falcon quickly lifts his foot as Forest places the backpack on the pressure plate, which remains held down.

“Okay, I think we’re okay,” says Forest.

Falcon takes a step back, exhaling in relief while Hunter and Forest are breathing heavily.

“We should be safe for now,” says Forest, looking at Hunter. “Now, let’s get out of here.”

Hunter nods in agreement and starts walking back toward the entrance. Meanwhile, Forest checks on Falcon, who has a pale face and shivering skin.

“You still with me, Falc?”

Relieved, Falcon wipes his arm across his forehead, “That was… a close call.”

Smiling, Forest wraps his arm around his friend, “Let’s go home now.”

“No complaints here…”

They both awkwardly chuckle as they follow behind Hunter. Hunter, who’s already scurried over toward where the path turns left, completely stops.

“Guys! The way out… it’s not there anymore!”

Forest shouts, “What do you mean it’s not there anymore?!”

“The pathway! It’s blocked off!!”

CLICK!

Falcon and Forest slowly turn back around to see the pressure plate gradually rising back to the ground level.

Falcon mutters, “Oh shit…”

An arrow suddenly fizzes by Forest’s nose and staggers into the ground beneath me.

“Run!! Falc!! Forest!! Make a run for it!! Or else you’ll be crushed!!” yells Hunter, sprinting toward Forest and Falcon.

DUDUN. DUDUN. DUDUN.

Giant boulders begin crashing into the wall as they tumble down the path leading to the cave. The boulders start to teeter as the ground beneath Falcon and Forest begins to alter into a downward slope, with the boulders rising. Racing toward his partners, Hunter frantically runs away from the boulders that have begun barreling their way down.

“What are you two waiting for?! Run!! Run now!!”

Gaping in disbelief at the sight before him, Forest thinks.

This is the end… we… we’re going to die…!