My Trip.... To Nowhere - Chapter Ten

The dungeon was like a maze – with twisting passages and dead ends. How Rio knew his way around, I don’t know. I decided now was not the right time to ask, and just followed close behind him with Nicky by my side. Everyone was as quiet as mice. I could barely hear our footsteps as we ran lightly through the passages. I could only hear us breathing, and the loud thumping of my heart. At last, we came to a stop at three doors. I expected for Rio to go through one straight away, but he stood still.

“What?” I asked. “What is it?”

Rio stayed silent, thinking.

I waited, and then turned to Nicky, who was also looking at the doors in confusion.

“Two of the doors weren’t here before…” Nicky said. “Are you sure we went the right way, Rio?”

I saw Rio nod. “Definitely.” He looked at the doors. “They are new. And so one must be old.” He walked to one of the doors, and peered at it as if to check it out.

We all waited as he peered and checked all three doors.

He turned around with a satisfied smile. “And so… the old one must be the right one.” He turned back and made to open the middle door which I noticed looked slightly battered and had a small scratch at the side.

“Wait.” I suddenly said. A thought suddenly came across my mind.

Rio stopped and turned slightly so his head was turned to the side to look at me sideways.

“If they have made new doors… it might mean that the doors lead to a different place…” I said.

Rio turned around fully to look at me.

“…so how can we be sure that that door is the right door?”

Rio frowned at me in recognition. I could feel the others holding their breaths. I then realized that no one has dared questioned Rio as their leader. I looked at him carefully, and felt Nicky move next to me.

He nodded at me. But it did not seem as if he was saying I was just right. It also seemed to say that he had a different opinion of me – a higher opinion.

“You’re right.” He said, finally.

He nodded again, and looked at me. “You are definitely right. We are screwed.”

I looked at him with surprise. “Screwed? But you can think of anything! You brought us through the right passages through the dungeon, and it was you who thought of all of this!”

Then we heard voices from the other side of one of the doors.

“Hide!” He hissed, and led the way to a nearby cell which was in the shadows. I marvelled at his quick thinking of cover. We all crouched low in the back of the cell. Just in time, as the door to the right opened and a guard came out, saying over his shoulder to someone we couldn’t see,

“I won't be long – just going to see where old Shorty had got to – bet he got himself lost again…” still grumbling, he made his way through the dungeon in the direction where we just came from.

I looked at Rio for assurance.

He simply looked at me.

“Surely… surely there's something else we can do?”

He shook his head defiantly, and looked straight into my eyes, with encouragement and defeat. It was as if me questioning him just now was a huge deal. Then, he said,

“It’s all down to you now.”


TO BE CONTINUED…