Chapter Four

Using my weight and momentum, I swung from its sturdy branch and jumped for the next tree. The rough bark hurt my hands, but I didn’t care. The adrenaline rushing through me numbed the pain and kept me going. With another heave, I threw myself at the branch ahead of me. I pulled myself onto the branch and looked up. The ledge with the glitter was right in front of me. Shifting my weight, I tested the branch’s strength. It remained firmly in place.

It would be a clear jump to the ledge, but it would also be a very close one. I closed my eyes, bent my legs, and leapt up. My hands just barely grasped the ledge, but I held on tightly. Slowly I managed to pull myself up far enough that I could see what was in front of me. Just as I expected, a golden key rested on the grass in front of me. With a sigh of relief, I continued to pull myself up.

Suddenly the small plant I grasped let go of the dirt. Scrambling, I tried to hold my position on the ledge. Slowly yet quickly at the same time, I found myself hanging by only my fingers, hanging on for dear life. It was possible for me to fall to the ground without being hurt, but by the time I returned I would be tired and my hands would be sore from swinging on the bark. No, this was a now or never moment.

With a sudden burst of energy, I lifted myself higher. This time I grabbed a limb which was a little sturdier and pulled myself over the edge and on to solid ground. I lay in the grass for awhile, just catching my breath. It was very soft, relaxing my tired hands. Looking at my palms, I saw that they were torn up a bit from the bark, with small little scratches with droplets of blood forming. Wiping them on the grass, I sat up to get a better idea of my surroundings. I was roughly fifteen feet off the ground, slightly higher than the center part of the valley.

As my eyes raked the scene, I noticed something I hasn’t seen when I walked by it earlier. I small structure was nestled in the corner, seemingly built into the wall. It was a small tower of sticks, with a small platform at the top. On the edge of it I could see what appeared to be some kind of explosive. This was more proof of life than I could have expected. Not only were they here at some point, they also seemed to be intelligent. Well, intelligent enough to build these strange structures.

Holding myself off the edge of the ledge I had been standing on, I looked down. It was fifteen feet to the ground, but with a proper landing, I knew I could walk away unharmed. With that thought, I let go and fell. As soon as I felt the ground below me, I ducked down and did a roll. Aside from a little dirt, I was untouched and unharmed.

With the key in hand, I climbed up the slope and crossed the walkway. The padlock responded to the key immediately, snapping open as the door began to rise. Behind the door was a narrow tunnel. Ducking down, I began to walk through it. The first light blinded me for a moment. My eyes adjusted, revealing the powdered sands of another beach.