Running Scared by Gloria Skurzynski Read Free Book Online

the lanterns were blown out, all except for Consuela’s. “Consuela,” Jack hissed, “blow your lantern out!”
    â€œYes. Of course. Sorry folks,” Consuela muttered, and with a quick puff of air she blew out her lantern. Jack found himself standing in absolute blackness. Except it wasn’t. Images of the cave walls and ceiling appeared in front of him, like visions from a flash that lingered long after the picture was taken. Ghosts of stalactites and stalagmites floated in front of him, almost real, but phantasmic. Was his mind playing tricks on him, or could he actually see in the dark?
    â€œHey, I see the walls of the cave,” a man in the crowd announced. “Is that normal?”
    â€œAbsolutely,” Chuck’s deep voice answered. “You’re seeing images your brain is painting, since your brain can’t decipher total blackness. The images would go away if you stayed in the dark for a while. Try waving your hand in front of your face. See anything?”
    Jack could feel a slight breeze from his hand, which was probably just inches from his nose, but his brain didn’t register. All he could see were strange phantom images that floated in front of his eyes. No hand, no nothing. Feeling slightly off balance with no visual reference points, he teetered a little in his sneakers.
    â€œJ-J-Jack?” Sam whispered, clutching Jack’s arm in a vise-like grip. “I’m scared!”
    â€œI’m right here, Mini-Me,” Jack answered softly.
    When Laura turned on her flashlight, it was surprising how much illumination one small light cast. “Now,” she said, “we’ll light all the lanterns again.” Both rangers flicked on Bic lighters, then went from one tourist to another, holding flame to candle until all the lanterns had been lit. It felt like a solemn religious ceremony, ending with illumination that now appeared startlingly bright.
    When it was over, Laura asked, “Before we resume the tour, does anyone have any questions about the part of the tunnel we’ve already seen?”
    â€œQues…,” Consuela began, raising her hand. “When is the bird?”
    â€œI’m sorry?” The ranger cupped her hand to her ear. “What was your question?” She frowned as though she weren’t sure what she’d heard. “Something about a bird?”
    â€œThe bird. From the…in the car…. You know. Gloves.”
    As Jack stared at Consuela in disbelief, her hand went slack on his arm. Almost in slow motion, she crumbled and slid to the floor of the cave with a gentle thump.
    â€œMove back!” the tourists began shouting. “A woman’s fainted here. Give her room! Give her air!”
    The ranger who’d been guiding the tour knelt next to Consuela’s unconscious form. “She’s breathing,” she murmured. The other ranger rushed to Consuela’s side and put his ear to her lips. Raising her left wrist, he checked her pulse, while the rest of the group strained forward to see what had happened.
    A tall young man unzipped his backpack and said, “I’ve got my cell phone in here—do you want me to call somebody for help? It looks like she’s really out of it.”
    The ranger answered, “Your cell phone won’t work in this tunnel. But if you’ll go to the Big Room as quick as you can, there’s a phone in there that connects to the visitor center up above. Tell them we have an emergency here, and we need a crew with a stretcher to be dispatched right away. And tell them they’d better call Station Four to send an ambulance.”
    Ashley cried softly to Jack, “What do you think is happening to her?”
    â€œShe passed out,” Jack told her. “But she was talking and acting funny for at least ten minutes before we got to the tour group. Her feet were, like, all wobbly—she was hanging on to me like she couldn’t