Vanish (ONC Finalist)

3. The Flash

Aled shaded his eyes and stared at the area he thought the flash had come from. There! A bright light, shooting skyward, as if something shiny on the ground had caught the sun.

He turned for one last look back into the granite outcrop but could see no sign of the black hole or portals of any description. Then he picked his way through the scrub, grateful that he was still wearing his combat boots. Not only did they making climbing easier but they'd provide protection against snakebite. Just in case. He had no idea what sort of animal life was present on this world, but if he'd been in Australia in this sort of country, he'd be looking out for snakes.

He'd lost sight of the flash as soon as he descended the hill and began walking through the scrub, but he thought he had a good idea of the general location. The bushes were different from those at home, the leaves were more olive-coloured rather than green and some of them had tiny yellow flowers. He jumped as a brown feathered creature burst noisily out of a bush next to him and fluttered away. So, they had birds then. No snakes—so far.

The bushes were too low for shade and the sun was hot on his back. He stopped for a moment to take a sip from his canteen, then wondered if there was any fresh water around here. And if there was, would it be drinkable? He carried a packet of chlorine dioxide tablets but they wouldn't last long. So far he was operating more or less on auto pilot, just doing what seemed to come next, but sooner or later he would have to sit down and make a plan. His mind skittered away from that thought. How could he possibly make a plan when he had no idea where—or when—he was and not a single clue as to how to get home?

The scrub began to be dotted with stunted trees and there were occasional patches of white limestone showing through the groundcover. Surely it can't be much further, thought Aled.

"Help!"

He stopped suddenly, listening intently. Had that been a faint cry, or merely a bird?

Aled cleared his throat. "Hullo? Is anyone there?" Immediately, he felt stupid. Even if there was someone nearby, how the hell would they understand him? How could they possibly speak the same language?

"Here! I'm over here!"

The sounds came from ahead and to his right. Aled froze, blinking and shaking his head. Maybe he was hallucinating. That sounded for all the world like plain English. Sure, the words were spoken with a strange accent but he could understand them quite clearly.

What the hell was going on here?

Cautiously, Aled crept forward, he had absolutely no idea what he was going to find. Automatically, his hand went to his empty holster, and failing that, slipped around his utility belt until it found his knife. He drew the knife from its pocket and slipped off the sheath. The leather handle felt comfortingly familiar in his right hand. Immediately he felt better.

"Help!" The cry was close, quite distinguishable now. Aled pushed through between two bushes and almost fell into a dark hole about the size of a stormwater drain.

"Hello? Are you down there?" He called out.

"I'm down here," the husky voice floated up from the hole. A man. Probably.

"Are you injured?"

There was a tiny pause. "Nothing's broken. But I can't see. Everything is pitch black."

A funny tingle went down Aled's spine. Another portal?

"Do you have any idea of how far down you are?" called Aled. "Can you tell?"

"I'm not sure. You sound close if that's any help."

Aled pulled out a long piece of rope from one of his pockets and tied one end to the trunk of the sturdiest tree he could find that was close enough.

"Step back," he called. "I'm going to toss down my rope." The rope was knotted every half metre, and Aled was soon able to work out that the stranger was only three metres below the surface. He relaxed. That should be easy enough to get the man out. Always presuming he's a man, or human-shaped at least. The wayward thought slid into his mind.

"Stay back, I'm coming down," Aled warned, gripping the rope with both hands and lowering himself into the hole. He let go of the edge and swung wildly midair for a second until his feet reached the ground. He turned to face the trapped man and felt a mingling of relief and disappointment that he looked just as human as Aled himself. Except for the fact that his eyes were closed.

"Hi, I'm Aled," he introduced himself. "What happened to you?"

"My name is Marius. I've been walking through these tunnels for ages, trying to find a way out. I stopped when I felt the sun coming through here and I used the blade on my dagger to try and attract attention."

"It worked. I saw the flash. Got lost, did you?"

"Something like that," agreed Marius.

An odd answer, thought Aled. Still, they could talk more when they were both out of here. "I've got a rope. If I put your hands on it, do you think you can climb up? Are you feeling strong enough? I can give you a boost up if you like."

"That might be helpful. Is it far?"

"About a couple of armspans above your head. Maybe a little more."

"That, I should be able to manage," said Marius with a smile.

Marius's hands felt warm and strong in his as Aled guided them onto the rope, the gesture unexpectedly intimate.

"There you go," said Aled, briskly. "Put your foot into my hands and I'll give you a leg up."

A few minutes later, Marius was hauling himself over the edge of the hole and Aled was following right behind him. He pulled up the rope and tidied it away in his pocket, then turned for a good look at the man he'd rescued. His eyes were still shut but there was something... Aled stepped closer for a clearer look and only just stopped himself from throwing up on the spot. Marius's eyes weren't closed, they were sewn shut. With large black stitches.