Part Four: Lost In The Cave and The Poachers

Part Four Lost in the cave and the poachers.

Time in a cave moves at a different pace. Without any sun to guide you it’s very difficult to know when exactly it is. The temperature is the same and it’s very very dark. The darkness is what made them extra sleepy, and held them while sleeping in it’s arms.

    Morning came with a panic because while they were sleeping Fionna had gotten up and was nowhere to be found. Neither was her flash light.

Lost in the cave.

    “Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! What are we going to do? I’m so scared for her. I mean she’s just a little girl anything could happen.” exclaimed a panicked Cody.

    “Calm down Cody. Everything’s going to be fine.” Mama (Macy) tried to calm him but he was off and running.

    “What are you talking about? She’s just a little girl, and there are poachers around, we’re in a dark damp cave, there’s probably bats, and did I mention she’s just a little girl?” Cody asked sarcastically.

    “Yes, I think you have mentioned that a few times now. Sit down and try and relax, and by the way I am not requesting this.” She forcefully pointed to the rock that had been his seat last night and he sat. “Lets look at this logically. She is the one who found the footprints last night, the sand we are walking in is very soft so we will be able to follow her footprints, and there is no weather in here to make the prints disappear. You see. We will find her. Now, if you will be so kind as to calm down and help to break camp we will be on our way.” She reached down to where he was sitting and gave him a hug. He got up and didn’t say another word, but started to break camp. He felt safe having Macy around and a little silly for his outburst, but in the small amount of time that he had known Fiona he had gotten quite fond of her.

    With the two of them working it didn’t take long to get things all packed and strapped on their backs. They started looking right away and did find her tracks leading away from camp and into the tunnel just as Macy had predicted. They followed her footprints into the tunnel and continued down it for a long while till they saw a light and heard strangers voices, but they couldn’t make out what they’re saying till they get closer. Macy and Cody got closer to the light and found that the tunnel has ended abruptly and in the small room are three cages with Fiona, and her parents in them and one man pacing back and forth talking to himself.

    “He should have been back by now. Where is he?” the strange man just kept repeating this same thing over and over again. He had a rifle leaning up against the wall which frightened Macy and Cody. Fiona’s parents seemed to be in pretty good spirits. They just kept petting their daughter through the cages. It was Fiona who spoke up because she noticed her friends signaling to her from the door to the room they were in.

    “Why not go looking for your friend if you think he’s lost in here. We’re not going anywhere.” she said a bit sarcastically.

    “Yes, that’s a good idea.”, and he grabbed his flashlight and out he went. Macy and Cody just had time to hide in the shadows as he went by. They rushed in not wanting to waste a minute, because who knows how long he’s going to be gone. They let the family out of their cages and went to the door to see if he was coming back.

    “Come on gang we have to move quickly before he comes back.” exclaimed Mama Macy. Quick as a wink she was out the door Fiona and her family were next and Cody took up the rear. The whole group worked very quickly together and went as fast as they could. Before you knew it they could hear the waterfall getting louder and then they were in the room directly behind it. The water pounding down and the whole gang climbed back out into the daylight. They had made it out of the cave squinting in the brightness and now had to go to town, but first they chanced a small break. “We made it!” Macy continued. “I’m so very glad to have found you and your parents Fiona. We were so worried when we woke up and you weren’t there.”
    “I’m sorry Macy but I woke up and heard my mother and father talking to that man. I couldn’t stop myself. I had to see them and that’s when he caught me.”

    “It’s so so good to see you darling,” said Fiona’s mother who picked her off the ground squeezing her in a hug so big Fiona could hardly breath.

    “Yes, this day has made me supremely happy.” said her Father who in turn picked up Fiona’s mother and her and gave them both a big squeeze. Cody sat with Macy and tried not to cry in happiness, but Macy was to busy watching the bushes moving.

    “Hey there’s something over there,” she whispered to Cody “in the bushes there see.” Before he could move to investigate out came four police officers, and quick as a wink they had the little group surrounded. Macy and Cody told them all about what had happened and where they could find the poachers. They went into the cave and captured them with ease bringing them to justice and cages of their own.

A few days later.

    Fiona, Cody, and Macy are all outside the Bed and Breakfast. It’s Macy last day she flies home early tomorrow morning and everyone wanted to have a big celebration to say goodbye to her and welcome Fiona and her parents to town. It was early evening and the sun wasn’t so blazing hot. People were all sitting around after their supper feeling full and chatty. Fiona’s mother got a job right away as a school teacher and her father started working as a maintenance man at the same Bed and Breakfast that Macy was staying at.

Macy and Cody were saying good bye early because he was leaving tonight to go back to Montana.

    “It’s been really great getting to know you Cody and I’m sure glad that you’re going home to visit your family. Family is important. When’s your flight?” asked Macy.

    “In just a couple of hours so I really have to skidaddle, but I wanted to invite you to Montana for your next vacation. Here’s my contact info let’s stay in touch.” he said.

    “I’d like that too said Macy.” who took his card and put it in her pocket. With that he picked his bag up and put it in the cab and off he went a cloud of dust trailing behind. She would be doing the same the next morning, and as the day waned down and the stars came out her thoughts returned more and more to home. She was anxious to see her humans again, and see the photos she’d taken. After everyone had said good bye it was just her and her old friend cleaning up. “Ok, now I’ve come to see you that means it’s your turn to visit me in Minnesota. Come in the Autumn. You used to like that season a lot.”

    “Yes, I’ll try and make it later this year perhaps. It has been great to see you again Macy.” The two old friends hugged each other, and Macy went off to bed. The next day came and she was gone on the long flight home wondering what adventures awaited her next.

The End

Part Three Camping in a Cave

    Little Rhino’s love to play in the water and the sun with their families. It’s among their favorite things to do,  mine too. It’s so much fun for them to dive and splash and chase fish and their brothers that they could do it all day. Fiona was no different. She loved to play, but was still so little that she couldn’t stay far from her mother and father for long. She had been a good daughter and followed them across the big grassy plain and then down into the valley by the water and behind the waterfall, but then she got separated and she couldn’t find them anywhere. All she wanted was to have one more dive into the water. They had told her they were bringing the whole family somewhere safe and secret, but of course had neglected to say where that was. Now, with them gone she had nowhere to go and since the bad men were following them hunting them she couldn’t very well go roaming about outside this little cave. It had been two days and she wasn’t excited about swimming, or eating anymore. She was just lonely and sitting in the dark, damp cave. Engrossed in these thoughts it’s no wonder she didn’t hear someone come into the cave until to late.

    “This is amazing!” the lady said to her friend a rather big cat. “I just can’t believe I’m standing behind the falls.” The lady cat was quite a bit smaller than the other one.

    “Neither can I” said the big one “It’s truly remarkable and look how far it goes back.” he held up a flashlight and the light danced all around the cave insides until it finally fell on her. She had been sitting in a dejected crumple on a rock. Cody and Macy jumped as she moved. They had thought she was part of the rocks

    “That’s bright. It hurts my eyes.” Fionna exclaimed at the same time the others gasped and she shielded her eyes with her arm.

    “Sorry, about that. Hey what’s your name and where are your folks?” asked Mama Macy taking charge. Having raised her children she still loved to mother everything she could.

“My name is Fiona and I don’t know where they are.  I was playing in the water over there and we were hiding in this cave I came up and they were gone. We were being hunted by those bad men and they showed up the night before which is why we were staying in here. You don’t think they got them do you?” asked little Fionna and started crying. She had been brave long enough and now that someone was going to help her she just wanted to cry. It’s ok to cry after all. It’s a healthy release and we usually feel better afterward.

“There there,” said Macy and ran right over to the little Hippo and petted her affectionately on the head comforting her. Normally she would have hugged her but Fiona; although little for a Hippo, was still way bigger than Macy. “I don’t think they got your parents because they would have had to go through the town and come right by us on the way and we didn’t see anyone.  That means they didn’t get them but I am wondering something. Do you think the poachers knew about this cave, and might have come to investigate in here? What if while you were swimming they snuck in and surprised your folks? They would have had to run deeper in the cave. They could be back there right now looking for you.” Macy explained her idea to Fionna whose tears had started to dry by that time.

“Hey now that sounds like a fantastic idea. I bet if we look around we could find footprints. Yup, here they are.” Cody pointed and everyone came over to look. “It looks like two humans and there are your parents hoofs. It looks like they did go deeper into the cave. The humans with them, so I’m betting they’re both lost in the cave.” he guessed and looked at Macy who had been listening.

“What a great idea.” said Macy “I think we brought along some spelunking gear didn’t we Cody.

“Yes ma’am we did. Should I go and get it?” He had been very keen to explore this cave, but never had the chance to.

“No, we’ll have to do it tomorrow. It’s getting late and we need to eat, and sleep.Come along everyone.” Macy started walking out and everyone else followed in line. Soon they had a fire going, food cooking and a place for Fiona to sleep with Macy.  Fiona felt content, happy, and safe for the first time in many days. She felt sure that she would soon be seeing her parents again.  Mama Macy, and Cody were chatting outside the tent after the sun went down.

“What do you think Macy? Will we find her parents? That cave probably goes on for miles and miles down through the mountain.” said Cody.

“I don’t know, but if we don’t look we’ll never find them. I’m more concerned with finding the poachers. What are we going to do if we find them, or they find us? Hey maybe we’ll wake up and her parents will find us?” she said with confidence.

“I don’t know what I’d do without your confidence Macy and with that I’m going to bed. Do you want to stay up longer or shall I put out the fire?” he asked.

“Oh, I’m very tired too. We sure had a big day. You can put it out.” she sighed as she got comfortable next to the tent with her blanket. Fiona was little for a Rhino but she was still big enough to take up the whole tent, and even bulge it out a bit around the edges, so Macy slept outside and whispered “Good Night” to Cody as he put out the fire and zipped his tent up. Before she knew it she was fast asleep and so was Cody. The moon came out that night and all the stars too. It was a perfect night for sleeping to the sound of the falls and the night birds.

Sometimes morning comes softly as the sun rises and the watchful stars disappear. The songs of the night animals change slowly into the songs of the day animals. The security of a dark tent and being zipped up in your sleeping bag, a warm happy tiredness embracing you, exchanges for a moment of gray and a gradual increase in light. The colors of the tent are coming into few as it gets lighter and there is more activity outside.  You suddenly realize what you have to do that day and the list begins. Other mornings happen quite suddenly. Instead of the gradual shift to daylight the sun is suddenly up beyond the horizon and the birds are around  singing, eating, and dancing. You wake up with the same fierce brightness as if you swallowed the sun whole and it’s shining out. Today was of the first variety for our friends. It was the slow gradual awakening that was happening to Fiona, Mama Macy, and Cody. The slow movement from darkness to gray to sun, along.

Fiona, had friends around her she wasn’t all alone anymore. After her parents disappeared she was so lonely. No one heard her calling out no one helped her. There just wasn’t anyone around. She was very scared. Now though she had her friends around, and she could hear Mama Macy outside the tent. She was making a fire and beginning to cook breakfast. Cody was sitting somewhere near and they were chatting like old friends. Fiona felt cared for again, but she still missed her parents. She wondered how they would find them if they were so far into the cave. How were they going to find them?

“Fiona!” Macy called “It’s time to get up. Breakfast is ready and we have a big day ahead of us.” Macy found herself wishing they had a door she could knock on, but you can’t very well knock on a tent flap can you?

“Ok Macy. I’ll be right out.” Fiona said excitedly. She wasn’t sure about some things like finding her parents but she was very sure about being hungry and she wasn’t going to miss any meal any more that’s for certain. She pulled herself out of the tent and saw that Macy had made a makeshift table out of the top of a flat rock and a tablecloth from a blanket. She was sitting right next to Cody’s whom she went right up to and hugged and Mama Macy was next. “Thank you both for helping me out. I can’t wait to find my parents and tell them all about you. Macy and Cody smiled back at her returned her hug then looked at each other hoping they could help her find them, but not knowing how.

Once they were back in the cave and had brought the right equipment with them. Namely a couple of flashlights and a long length of rope that everyone tied themselves to, some heavier clothes, and a few blankets. They went deeper into the cave following the footprints. Deeper and deeper they went and it got darker and darker. Stalactites and stalagmites were beautifully decorating the floors and ceilings. Taking millions of years to grow here. Thankfully Fiona's parents had taken the easiest and biggest tunnel, so their trail was easy to follow and would be easy to get back out again. A few hours past and just as they were beginning to wonder if they’d ever find anything they heard new sounds. Up till now their steps were echoing off of the walls which were really near them. The sound told them so. If you listen inside a small room with your eyes closed it makes a small sound than if you do it inside a larger room. Well this happened to our friends just as it was lunch time. The sound of their footsteps coming back to them sounded much farther away.

“Wow, we must be in a very big room. It sounds giant.”, said Macy who had experience in caves before. “Can anyone tell me what the English word for caving is?” she asked. “Spelunking, and it’s just as dangerous as it is fun, so we won’t be going to far from each other in this big room. I was in a cave back home almost fell down a giant cliff in a room just like this. Let’s have lunch. I’ve made some cheese sandwiches and we’ll pass the water around.

As they were eating they made plans on what to do next.

“I think we need to explore this giant room a bit because they could be in here somewhere, and if it gets to late tonight I think we should camp out in here. I brought some blankets in our bags.” said Macy

“Yes, I think so to”, said Cody. “I’d like to begin walking the perimeter of the room and then maybe go inside. What do you think?”

“Good idea.” Macy and Fiona said together.

    With lunch finished and packed away they began their exploration of the caves room. It was a giant cave and they couldn’t even see the ceiling it went so high and it was so dark. The rest of the day went by as if in an instant. They had begun their exploration of the cave by going counter-clockwise. Picture where they had lunch being six o’clock. They decided to go to their right or counter-clockwise around the cave.

“This room doesn’t have many pathways from it. Which is wonderful because that means less to get lost in.” expressed Macy who was just beginning to feel a little nervous and had been hearing something ticking for the last few hours but couldn’t figure out what it was. “It is so dark in here just beyond the light I have to keep checking my rope to see if we’re still all connected.” They all agreed to the same thing. Everyone had been doing the same thing which made for a great laugh and broke some of the tension which had been building.

“Wait look at that!” said Fionna who had found something. It looks like a tunnel leading away from the room. Like it’s going back towards the waterfall, and there’s something else human footprints.” She was so excited she yelled her discovery to her companions who were only a few feet away from her.

“We’re right here dear.” soothed Macy as she stroked little Fiona’s ear affectionately. “No need to shout little girl.”

“Sorry, I just got excited.”Fiona explained.

“You should be excited. You just found a wonderful clue, and we will follow this clue early in the morning, but for now I think it’s later than we thought. I wonder if you could tell us the time Cody. It is your watch I’ve been hearing ticking for the last few hours isn’t it?” Macy asked.

“Yes, it is and it’s even got an alarm on it, so we can get up early tomorrow. It’s almost 7pm!” Now it was his turn to almost shout.

“There is a smallish indent in the rock wall back here a bit let’s put our things here and cook a meal.” said Macy. They put their things away set up camp and used their little gas stoves to cook a smallish supper. It wasn’t much but it was plenty to beat the cool of the cave back for a bit and give them energy for the morning. After crawling into their blankets it wasn’t long before our very tired crew of travelers were fast asleep.