Badlands
“Someone explain to me why I have to get out of bed when even the sun has yet to decide to make an appearance?” Monique yawned to demonstrate her sacrifice. Except for a small rim of light on the Eastern horizon, the skies were still dark.
She leaned against the car, watching Connie tie her hiking boots. Mia and Derek checked their backpacks.
A thirty-something man with a sun-burned face approached the group. He smiled at Monique. “Because it'll be an all-day tour.” He cleared his throat and approached Derek. “Glad you could make it.”
Derek nodded. “Ladies, this is my friend, Patrick, archeologist, avid caver and our tour guide for today. Patrick, the dark-haired beauty complaining about too little sleep is Monique”, she glared at him, “and this lady is Constantina and her daughter, Mia.” They shook hands.
Patrick’s face brightened at the sight of Mia’s tall beauty. He smiled his best smile at her. Derek put his arm around her shoulder. Patrick sighed.
“Where are the others?” Constantina looked at the four other vehicles closer to the cave entrance.
“Ah, yes, that.” Patrick ran his hand through his disheveled blond hair. He cleared his throat, again. Monique raised her eyebrows. Something was up.
“Earlier this week we found an undiscovered pass that led to a massive cave. We’ve been exploring all week. The others aren’t part of a tour, they’re scientists, students and a couple of others.” Patrick gleaned toward the cave entrance; his facial expression disconsolate.
Derek picked up on his friend’s hesitation. “If this is a bad time …”
Patrick shook his head. “It’s not that. The tour I’m taking you on won’t go near that area. It’s just …,” he sighed. “Never mind. We’re doing this. It’s been too long since we’ve had a good caving adventure. You’ll love it, the path goes all around the inside of the mountain, there’s pools and the water’s clear and clean, you’ll never swim in anything else again.”
He clapped Derek on the shoulder.
“Welcome to the Badlands.”
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