Chapter 5: Discovery

A discovery is made, but at what cost?

Jack stared at the murky abyss below him. His heart pounded in his chest, about to burst. He swung his head back down the tunnel, thinking if he should get the others. Jack had no idea what was down there; there could be ten more of those creepers, or something even more sinister. But something stopped his common sense from functioning. Something told him adventure, and it wasn't a very smart something.

So Jack tiptoed near the edge of the stone. Looking down, the ground wasn't very far. He could easily fall down and remain unscathed. Bracing himself for the impact and an earful from Michael, Jack fell beside the tracks, right next to his torch, feeling his knees wobble. Filtering through his inventory, Jack made sure he had all of his other torches at hand. He laid one a few feet ahead, illuminating the once dark passageway and revealing a labyrinth of tracks. The light made everything seem a little more friendly. He could only think that this used to be some sort of mineshaft that wasn't in use. Obviously. Or, it was still running somehow. He shivered to the ghost tales in his own head.

"Ami? Michael?" Jack called up the tunnel. A distant voice responded.

"Are you in trouble?" Ami's voice echoed. "I'm on my way!"

"No, no!" Jack urged, smiling to himself. "I think I ended up in some sort of abandoned mineshaft. Er, that is, if it's still in use. Then it's a bit more of a problem."

A loud thump came from Ami's end. "What?! That's so not fair! All I've found is coal and sweat! I'm coming over there, now." she went quiet for about a minute, until Jack heard pounding footsteps thundering down the corridor. He couldn't wipe the grin off his face. Ami's figure came into view in no time, almost skidding when she turned into Jack's mine. She flew into the corridor, until she came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the stone, teetering, and gazed down at Jack.

"Whoa," she breathed, immediately losing her balance and stumbling onto the stone in front of Jack.

"That looks like it hurt." Jack snickered.

"That was stone cold, Jack." Ami rolled onto her back, her face a bit gritty from the fall. Smiling, Jack offered a stub to help her up. Ami sighed, but accepted it and grunted as she got to her feet.

"What's going on over there?" Michael's voice rang through the mine.

"Jack found a mine shaft, you should come with us and explore!" Ami grinned.

"I know what he found, I'm not deaf. I was busy fighting off some monsters - they're dead - so stay right there, I'll come shortly." It took a bit longer for Michael to arrive than Ami, if not for the fact he sauntered the entire way there. Ami had started pacing in a circle around Jack as she grew more impatient by the second.

"Ugh," she made a face. "He takes too long." Jack shook his head. "It's been a minute. Not even."

"UUUUUUUUGH." Ami let her head hit a wall of stone and started to roll around. Thankfully, Michael dropped in beside them smoothly, hardly shaken from the drop.

"Finally..." Ami whispered mostly to herself. Michael shot her a look and turned to Jack.

"Sorry for the wait, but I'm glad you called us. Let's go, I think I know where we can get some valuables."

"But isn't this new territory?" Jack questioned.

"A lot of these places are...similar," he said. Jack said nothing and let Michael take the lead as he marched into the darkness with his head held high.

---

"Have we looked over there yet? Hey, that reminds me. You haven't even told us what we're looking for in the first place. Michael, are you just dragging us around here until we get lost?" Ami went on, her voice reverberating around the room. She wandered a few paces ahead of the group.

"Would you come back here before you get yourself killed? And no, we haven't looked there. Besides, what we want to find is a chest - mineshafts usually have one kicking around someway or another. There's a small chance it could contain diamonds - and those are beauties among beauties." Michael scanned each corridor they came up to with sharp eyes, adjusting his glasses every now and again. "See anything, Jack?" he asked, not even taking a glance at him.

"Not yet," he replied, following just behind Michael.

"Well, I'm going over there, because that looks like a good time." Ami shrugged, strutting down the path to her left. Michael groaned, unwilling to catch up with her. He looked to Jack. "How do you two get along so well?" he exasperated.

"Get along? Us? She's...spunky, I guess. A nice person, most of the time."

"Spunky," Michael mused. "You could say that. Here's hoping you play your cards right." Jack felt his cheeks flush. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when Ami suddenly appeared in the light again, pale as a polar bear.

"So remember when you said we needed to preferably find a chest, like, five seconds ago? It's not a fun time down there anymore." She solidified beside Jack and stared into the abyss ahead. The boys approached it and Jack felt his insides lurch. One by one, more than a dozen red eyes appeared and blinked back at the trio, submerged in darkness. Jack tried to count them all, but they moved around too much to place a number. Just barely visible behind them was a silver lock - attached to a chest.

"I think my spidey-senses are tingling," Jack chuckled nervously.

Michael sighed, pulling out his sword. "There's too many...maybe a spawner..." he muttered to himself. Jack mimicked him and spoke. "Better think fast, it looks like we don't have long to wait." The black creatures emerged from the darkness, their bright eyes gleaming a bloody red. Walking on eight legs, at least ten times the size of what a normal, good-natured, proper spider should look like, came a horde of spiders that skittered closer in a threatening cluster.

"Michael," Jack warned. "Should we, I dunno, get out of here?" He saw Michael's eyes moving rapidly from behind his glasses. "Good idea," Michael finally said, backing away from the creatures. The spiders were faster now, some lunging ahead of others.

"Let's go!" Ami cried, sprinting back down the way they came. Jack and Michael only hesitated a second before following her, a stampede of a hundred legs charging after them.

Skreee!

Jack heard Michael yell in pain after what Jack could only assume was a spider's cry. He wasn't aware that spiders could make a sound, much less that screech of hell. He shot a glance over his shoulder to see a spider fall back and burst into dust, a sharp sword retreating from its body. Michael limped towards Jack, trying desperately to keep pace. He was heavily slowed; a sickening green goop dripped from a deep cut in his right leg, turning the entire wound a sour yellow.

"Go!" he urged, paling.

"I won't leave you!" Jack rushed back, thrusting his sword into the gaping jaws of the enemy. He hoped he'd never have to think about a spider's 'gaping jaw' ever again. Jack slashed, panting and backing up - there were more than he counted on. He swore and ran ahead to where Michael was. He had fallen to the ground in a coughing fit, now looking quite green. Blood had started to trail from his nose. Jack wrapped his arm around Michael and helped him limp across the cave. He saw the lights up ahead had come to a stop; that had to be where the hole was. Ami was quickly building a way up with some cobblestone.

Jack had looked a little too long, however, because before he knew it he was ripped from Michael's side and pinned to the ground, large, clicking pincers were reaching for his face, a green slime nearing his face. Jack's chest grew tight; he struggled against the spider's binding hold. The green ooze trickled closer to him and Jack quickly rammed his stub into the spiders jaw and shut his mouth tightly. He barely held the vomit inside him and was starting to lose strength, the pincers nearing the bridge of his nose. He heard Michael coughing something up, maybe blood, and felt...fear. Jack sat in the face of fear, terrified of what would become of him. Was this really how he was going to go? He was certain that he would make a horrible sushi, covered in that green ooze as though it were soy sauce. Jack squeezed his eyes closed, yelling madly.

Ftwang.

Skreee!

The pressure on Jack's chest lifted as the spider exploded into dust and string. Jack gasped deeply, scrambling to his feet quickly and taking a quick glance behind him where Ami stood, holding a drawn bow and arrow. The bowstring wobbled from the shot. Relief washed through him as he dashed to Michael, who was on his knees.

"Can you walk?" Jack grasped his shoulder firmly. Michael took his hand, staring at the ground. "I'm fine." He wobbled, using Jack as a wall as they got to the entrance to the hole. Ami shot one spider after another, often missing and cursing when she did. She let Jack help Michael up into the mine they came from. Jack offered his hand to Ami and lifted her into the mine, flinching as an ivory tsunami rushed towards them. He quickly threw as much stone towards the entrance as he could, barricading the path inside. Several 'Skreee's' were heard and a million thuds against the wall. Breathing again, Jack turned to his friends who were both out of breath.

"You could say that wasn't a fun time," he panted. Ami wheezed a laugh as she sank into the wall. Michael grinned, chuckling and soon grimacing, seeming as though he could turn to ash in mere seconds, his face hollow and white. Jack rested beside him, gulping.

"What exactly is it?" Jack asked. "Poison?" Michael nodded, straightening and nursing his wounded leg. He gazed down the corridor grimly. "I have the antidote back at home. I'm a fool for not bringing any. I...just need a break before we continue on." Jack nodded, relaxing. He shifted his gaze onto Ami, who was stabbing the ground with the butt of her bow.

"Thanks for back there," Jack smiled. "I would've died if you didn't do anything."

"I know," she gazed at him through sad eyes. "Lucky a Skeleton dropped the bow and arrows." Jack felt as though a spider was creeping up his back. "A Skeleton?"

"Thought you'd be used to it by now, considering." Ami giggled. "I just rolled with it and struck that sucker down. Guess it didn't have a bone to pick with me anymore." She seemed rather proud of herself. Jack smirked to himself, a picture of Ami charging at full speed while flailing a sword dancing in his mind.

"It doesn't surprise me as much as you think." He took a deep breath, his stomach suddenly growling. His mouth watered at the thought of food, so he searched his inventory for any spare potatoes he might have. Scowling, his stomach made a loud protest when he found nothing.

"Do you have any food left?" Jack asked Ami. She screwed up her face as if in a deep thought, scanned through her own inventory and sighed unhappily. "Nada. I think I went through it pretty fast." Jack turned to Michael, who was finishing off a warm loaf of bread.

"What?" he spoke with a mouthful of pastry.

"Do you have any-"

"No. Last one. We should move, then. I'm good to go on." Without waiting for a response, he stood up and stretched briefly, almost falling over. He recovered and cleared his throat, giving a swift nod and started down the path to the entrance. Jack and Ami exchanged glances and followed.

A breath of crisp, fresh air dove its way into Jack's lungs as he breached the surface once again. He took gulps of air, thankful to be breathing it at all. Ami had sprawled herself on the ground, rolling in the dirt like a fish in water. She cheered took great breaths of the earth,, the smell of fresh grass seeping into her senses. Similarly, Michael took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He frowned, gazing at the small house just barely visible on the horizon.

"Lighten up," Ami told him. "Relish in the breeze, or something."

"I'll ketchup with that later." he smiled and walked towards the teensy house. "Come on, then." He limped on his own ahead of them. Ami and Jack looked at each other and smiled, spending the rest of the walk home swapping different eight-legged jokes, much to Michael's dismay, as the sun above them blazed on.

Author's Note

Tell me what you think! Any and all criticism will be taken.