– CHAPTER FIVE –
“Aaaahhhggghhh!!!” he shouted as he shot down the tunnel into an enormous cavern and landed with a huge splash in a shallow pool. Keegan's yell echoed off the rock walls and he was suddenly left in utter silence. He looked around at the stalactites and sinister-looking rock formations. In the gloom, weird shadows formed on the walls about him. Water droplets plinked and plonked into unseen pools. Keegan remained stock-still and flicked his eyes from side to side. He began to talk reassuringly, but unconvincingly, to himself. “OK, OK. You're stuck in a cave, you're soaking wet, you're late for supper and no-one knows where you are.” Keegan gulped. “That's the downside. And the upside? Well, at least there's no spiders.”
At that moment a large spidery shadow crawled across the cave wall. Keegan's eyes widened as he reacted to the sight of his personal phobia. He rapidly backcrawled out of the pool away from the approaching beast.
“Gahgggghhh!!!!”
Just as the enormous spider appeared as if it was about to lunge at him, Keegan glanced over his shoulder to see the giant spider-shadow was actually cast by a back-lit small crab that was skittering along the edge of a rock behind him. He sagged with relief. That was when he noticed the glow that cast the shadow in the first place.
“Light? Where do you find light? Usually at the mouthof the tunnel! Will I take a look? Yes. No. Maybe. Well, I’m here now and I’m sure Mr. Shama wouldn’t get me involved in anything dangerous.”
He rose and cautiously made his way toward the light, squelching through shallow pools of water in his soggy runners.