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The tunnel opening grew wider, the rushing louder, until it became impossible for them to hear each other. After passing beneath a low overhang, she was able to stand without bending. As she straightened, she drew back in amazement. A vast underground river coursed beneath Thunder Mountain. Ryan beamed his flashlight toward the ceiling then flashed the light across the river. Bits of debris meandered through its depths, some of it thrown up along thin sandy banks as it danced its way into the blackened interior.
Excited, Kate motioned him to follow as she stepped out. The flashlight he carried gave life to several embedded crystals that brightened the way. Treading lightly on the beach, careful of quicksand and other hidden dangers, she searched for the spot that caught her eye. Finding it, she knelt and began digging, flinging the sand behind her.
"What is it?" he shouted over the din of the river.
She waved him back and dug at the object. At first, she thought it was a shell of some type. Then, upon closer examination, she decided it was a fossil. Looking up, she checked the status of the river. The water rose and fell like the breath of a living mammal. On the walls, recorded in wet stone, were the inhalations and exhalations of the body of water. Those rocks closest to the river's head still contained the dark etching of dampness from the previous rise, and she didn't have any idea when the next might occur.
"There." She yanked the fossil from the ground.
Ryan's mouth dropped open. "What is it?"
The football-sized stone, covered with gray wiggly lines, looked like a brain. "Fossilized brain corral. Probably from one of the inland seas."
"That is gross." He moved closer for a better look.
As he bent down, she felt the rushing river echo in her head. Then the ground produced a bizarre vibration. A burble of liquid popped where Ryan stood and the ground began to liquefy. The earth trembled as a splattering of rock fell from the wall. "Shit!"
Shaking, Ryan seemed unable to maintain his balance. She dropped the stone, grabbed his arm, and steadied him. The water moved faster than she anticipated. "C'mon!" she yelled after spying a crevice in the distance.
The rising liquid pulled at her shoes. It was like running in quicksand. The gushing water sucked at her, threatening to pull her into its depths. She fought back, fear lending her strength. Several meters distant lay the opening. Water lapped at her shins then rose to her knees. She slogged through mud, water, and sand, holding fast to her son's arm.
Struggling forward, her eyes never left the portal back to safety. The freezing water chilled her to the bone. She struggled with numbing weakness and her hands cramped into frozen claws. Fighting against the roaring river, each leg weighed a ton. When the water hit her waist, the opening was upon her. She put out her hand and tested the intensity of the river flowing into the chasm. The great push of swollen water pulsated through with frenetic speed. Terrified, she had no idea what to do. Ryan waved one arm in the water to keep himself afloat. Gasping, she realized it was either duck and swim, or drown. She looked at him then toward the opening.
He nodded in understanding.
Kate took a huge gulp of air, then did the unthinkable. She threw herself into the current. Tumbling, she fell head over heels in the water. She struggled for air and fought the urge to take a breath of cold clear water. She prayed for strength, and prayed for her son. Her empty chest heaved and just as she opened her mouth, she crested the water. Taking a huge gulp of air, she opened her eyes. She saw the rock just before she hit.
