Buried Alive in the Blues
“It is your mission to bring people here. To hell. Or whatever this is.” The Old Man’s bones knocked together. The end of his finger fell into a sort of Grand Canyon underground, gobbled up by darkness. It pinged along rock ledges until I couldn’t hear it falling anymore.
“I hope you didn’t need that.” I tried to be sympathetic.
“People will pay to see whether or not I can reclaim that piece of finger. Among other things.”
“But, that means I have to get out of here. Alive.”
The Old Man raked his bony fingers across dead space. “Enough. If I show you the way, will you bring people to this place? Will you show them the wonders of my grave?”
Is a version of hell eeny-meeny-miney-mo, where I play tour guide to the damned?
I smiled. “What does that mean, exactly? “The wonders of your grave” might not attract a large audience as a tag line. Rather morbid, if you know what I mean.”
He knocked his fingers against his chin. Nodded his empty head. “I see that. Yessssssss.” It hissed through his gumless teeth. “So, you’re alive. You tell me. How would you attract the living to a crypt?”
I took in the glittering rock walls. The gaping drop-off next to my feet. The labyrinth with underground rooms that soared to heaven and depths licked by the flames of hell. Level ground for a still, concealed from prying eyes.
“If I charged admission to this place, I’d have to have moonshine available for sale. And, maybe firearms for target shooting. The reverberation of sound would drive people mad for the experience.”
His spine creaked when he nodded. “Go on.”
“They’d want to crawl along the ledges of these canyons like I did. With you. The possibility of death lingering at every humid turn. With complete darkness for just long enough to make them a little crazy.”
“If I show you the way out, will you return? Create this underground empire in my honor? Will you do it?”
Could I make a living leading people through the dark?
A fiction series to explore a place. Who knows where I will go, but it will NOT be Wonderland. Read the first installment here, the second installment here and the third installment here.
Barnum & Bailey Underground.
Could be.
I do not know what to say. LOL….
I’m glad it took one of those speechless turns, James.
And, of course, the answer to his question is a resounding yes!
“Tennessee is home to the most caves in the United States, with over 8,350 caves …” http://www.forbiddencavern.com/ Today, many make their living,guiding people through them. I’d guess it will be awhile before they figure how to make a buck from this one, however: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0203/q_n_a.html
I’m glad this fellow has begun to see the light. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVr0M7WCBu4
That National Geographic article was pretty awesome, Karen. It made me squirm just reading it. I don’t think I could ever do that.
Well, I haven’t read it all yet, but I did see something about getting on your belly to squirm thru someplace. I think THAT would be beyond me!
“Could I make a living leading people through the dark?” Of course you can! That is exactly what authors do every time they write.
You think? I suppose that’s true……
As someone who is slightly claustrophobic this whole series has me a little breathless! But what fun.
I’m more than slightly claustrophobic. I remember the trip we did in the Columbia Gorge, though, where you walked under an overhang. You were brave.
I’m not sure you could get me to go down there. I’m claustrophobic so bad that I don’t even have a door on my bedroom. Ha. So much fun along with a chill that runs down my spine.
Really? No door on your bedroom?
Nope, No door. Makes for sleepless nights when Sterling comes home…he’s such a night owl.
Reminds me of the signs one sees all along the roadside in Virginia: See Luray Caverns! or Perhaps this one from W. VA. http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/10/16/opinion/smokeholecaverns.533.jpg
What is a “dolly sod”? By the way, I am right down the road from you for a couple of days at the Tides, doing some Rotary training. Cheers!
I love those old signs. It is a pity that so many of them are disappearing.
Cool premise. I’m hooked.
That’s a compliment, coming from you. xo
Loving this story, Andra!
The cave-dweller is reminding me of my Inner Zombie, however… bits of him fling off without a moment’s notice!
He is like your Inner Zombie, isn’t he? Losing digits and such. That made me laugh.
Amazing tale.Scary cave ,unknown places always a mystery attracts the reader.Great post.jalal
Thanks, Jalal. It is fun to set stories in places like this. I hope the place becomes a character.
Here you go, this is what you have made me think about all day….
Goody.
But of course you could.
I don’t see why not – most newspapers do:)
Haha. Very true.
The sympathetic comment made me cackle!
Ha. Me, too.