Writing for Fun
March 2016
Rock Bottom - Diane Silverston
Incredible. Of all the places it could be. No one had even thought of there. No one had even considered such a possibility. There in that space at the bottom of this hellish hole. Why would anyone think of looking there for such things?
Incredible. After all this time, hours, days, months, years of search all over, by all and sundry, for any signs of life. Why on Earth had that particular spot been chosen? Who would have even considered it before? Who would have dreamed of its secrets?
The more we had stood there, looking and discussing, the more that word came into our minds and conversation. Incredible.
Here we had been in what looked like the most desolate place in the Universe. Nothing for miles, no colour, no growth, no life. In front of us just a void, a deep darkness, a hole.
Even with the torches on our foreheads as we travelled down there was very little light. Rugged, jutting rocks, deep dark crevices, the slow repeating drip of water, slimy sides, all made movement hard and sensations tingle.
Slowly dropping down, dangling on our ropes, knowing others were near but unable to see them, just able to hear their breathing and gasps.
How far down could, would, we go? Just as the feeling of failure overcame, a sudden change, a sweeter scent, a glimmer, the sound of moving water. Then incredibly we were standing on a rocky ledge with an underground river flowing beside us, and a glimmer of light was sparkling on the surface. Seeing at the bottom of the rock ledge glinting shades of colour. Could it really be?
Jewels trapped in the jagged rocks beneath our feet. Could we get them out?
Had we found our fortunes? With our knives we managed to dislodge enough.
Then we noticed the level of the water was rising. We needed to get out quickly. Tugging on our ropes we started to climb back through the darkness. Feeling hands way above us pulling, helping us. Harder going up than down, but we had the rewards in our pockets, and we were heading for the light.
Now here we are, standing at the edge once again in that desolate place, but we know what lies beneath our feet. The hidden world for centuries. The hidden treasures. What else was there waiting to be discovered?
It was just incredible.