Serial Micro Fiction: Zamy and Landric – Part 3

Zamy and Landric tried to look around at their surroundings but they were unable to see very far, as dark as it was. Zamy picked up the stick that her friend had dropped down and held it like a sword. She could feel Landric tremble a little and she knew he was wondering what he had gotten them into.

“Like that’s gonna do much,” he mumbled.

“What’s wrong Landric? We’re doing what you wanted to do. I thought you’d be excited. You sure were up there!”

“I’m having second thoughts, okay? I didn’t know it would be so dark and we don’t have any torches. Let’s just go back. I need to get home.”

One of Zamy’s secret powers was to turn mental defeat into confidence and success. She knew if she agreed and they left that Landric would lose self respect and would be embarrassed that he dragged her along and then quit.

She stood next to him and put a hand on his arm. “Landric,” she started. He pulled away and turned slightly, but did not move when she stepped in front of him again and touched his arm.

“Landric, look at me.”

He hesitated but followed her instructions, shadows hiding those parts of his eyes that were most vulnerable.

“What do we do, nearly every single day?”

“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Pretty much anything we want.”

“We go on adventures, Landric. The grandest adventures! Think back on all the sights we’ve seen. The places we’ve been, the things we’ve found along the way.”

She could see her words were having an impact, so Zamy continued. “Would you give any one of those up?”

He shook his head slightly.

“Of course you wouldn’t! We’ve been in bigger messes than a little cave without a torch. Remember being in the tree, right above the Blektross hunting party?”

His grin informed her that he did.

“You wanted adventure and excitement, Landric. You wanted to find out what was in this hole in the ground. Let’s explore!”

At this, he stood up straight and pulled a fruit biscuit from his pocket and took a bite.

“You’re right, Zamy,” he said. “Thank you.”

With those words, he began looking around at whatever surroundings he could see in the near darkness. There was nothing but a covering of leaves upon the ground, and hard-packed dirt beneath that as he raked them aside with his foot. Roots descended from above and would aid in climbing out when they were through, however the tunnel they found on the western wall promised that they would not be leaving soon.