Nine people have been invited to an all-expenses-paid island resort. They are the only guests at the resort. Who invited them? Why were they chosen? What do they have in common? After dinner on their first evening, one person is missing. The following morning, their mysterious host, Max, announced he planned to lead the group on a tour of the cave at the far end of the beach.

The cave didn’t look threatening at all. The group walked across fluffy beige colored sand and stopped in front of a wide entrance that allowed dazzling sunlight to radiate like breathtaking crystal against walls of damp rock formations.  Max, holding a battery-operated lantern, stepped forward and gave instructions.

“As we walk through the cave, you will find there are several paths or passages you can follow. Each path culminates in an impenetrable stone wall indicating the end of that particular passage. When you reach the end, turn around and return here to wait for everyone else. If you feel you have lost your way, you all have whistles. Don’t hesitate to use them. If you wish, you can follow me along the most exciting, but challenging and lengthy passage, or you can venture off along other paths which are shorter. You are free to explore as you choose. I hope you all enjoy your venture underground.”

Peter Langston, the oldest in the group asked, “How deep underground does the cave go?”

“I am going to the bottom, which is six hundred feet down and three miles long. A few spots will require you to hold onto a man-made handrail as you negotiate undulating ground going downward.”

With a sense of mystery and adventure, the group carefully walked into the cool temperature and refreshing mild breeze of the cave.

“This doesn’t look frightening at all,” Jake whispered to Cassidy as he took hold of her hand.

“The sand in here is really slippery,” she noted. “I wish I had worn sneakers like you, instead of these open-toe sandals.”

As the group ventured deeper into the cave, the rock walls narrowed, becoming rough and jagged. The air became damp and humid with an earthy, musty smell like stagnant water. In the distance, the sound of dripping water echoed through the atmosphere. Natural light began to fade.

The group proceeded in total silence. “When we turn this corner,” Max said, as he faced the group, “you will enter total darkness. I’m carrying a lantern, but you will need your flashlights. We will travel half a mile beneath beautiful rock formations called stalactites, hanging from the ceiling. We will then have to climb our way through stalagmites rising from the ground and connecting to stalactites, forming columns. Flashlights must be on.”

Olivia, struggling to keep her balance walking over gritty, wet sand and rock, whispered to her husband of twenty-five years, “You realize we are all in a horror movie. We could have been invited to this resort to die.”

With his brow furrowed, Mark put a reassuring arm around his wife’s waist, bending close to her ear. “Stop with your wild imagination. This is an adventure. Let’s try to enjoy this. Plus, it’s free.”

“Mark,” Lori called out in the dark. “Can I walk with you and Olivia? This is becoming a little scary. Since Lary decided not to come, I’m all alone.”

Mark turned around and saw Lori ease her way in front of Noah Reed. He shined his flashlight on her face, smiled, and inadvertently moved the light down her body. She was wearing tight denim shorts and a thin cotton blouse he realized he could see through. With his light focused on her blouse, his lips curved into a cunning smile as he watched her wiggle her way close to him. He thought of the night before when he slid his hand across her knee under the tablecloth during dinner.

Olivia turned around to respond. “Sure, Lori. Please join us.”

Lori quickened her pace and slithered up beside Mark, allowing her chest to brush against his arm.

“Up ahead,” Max stopped and instructed, “are two short passages, each about a half mile long, with very unusual winding rock formations. If you wish, you are free to explore either one of them. However, I’m going to continue to the bottom of the cave. There is a surprise for anyone who follows me.”

“I’ll bet there is,” Olivia whispered to Mark. “There’s probably a pit he pushes us into.”

Annoyed, Mark bent down to whisper in her ear. “I told you to stop your ridiculous comments. We’re here to have fun and enjoy ourselves. In fact, I want to try one of the short passages.”

“No, Mark. It’s better to stay with the guide, even if we don’t trust him. At least he knows what to do in case we run into trouble.”  

When they reached the first side passage a beam of light was visible in the distance. “I’m going this way,” Mark announced. “I want to see where the light is coming from.”

“That’s not a good idea, Honey,” Olivia hissed through her teeth. “We need to stay with the guide.”

“I’ll go with you, Mark, if you like,” Lori volunteered, swaying from side-to-side with each word.

“Sure. I would like,” Mark said.

“Mark Stanton,” Olivia barked, but quickly changed her tone to sound calm and sweet. “Would you leave your wife to fend for herself underground?”

“Of course not, Sweetheart,” Mark said as he returned his arm around Olivia’s waist. “We’ll stick with the guide.”

“I’ll go with you, Lori,” Noah said, and they both left the group to explore the passage with the beam of light.

A half hour after Max and the remaining five tourists continued walking, they heard a blood curdling scream echoing through the cave. “What’s that?” Cassidy screamed.

Max casually turned to face the group. “It’s probably Lori. She must have shined her flashlight upward and disturbed the bats.”

“B-B-Bats?” Cassidy stammered, visibly shaking. “Jake, let’s go back. I’m terrified of bats.”

“It’s not much farther,” Max advised. “We’ll all be going back.”

“Jake, please,” Cassidy insisted. “Please Jake. Let’s turn around. My feet hurt in these sandals.”

“Okay, Babe. We’ll go back.”

Mark and Olivia Stanton, along with Peter Langston continued to follow Max, as Lori’s continuous screams grew more distant. Within fifteen minutes, the group was standing at the bottom of the cave, 600 feet below ground level. They were standing in a large 20 by 20 foot open space with a 10 foot high ceiling. “This, my friends,” said Max, “is called a Dead Pit Room.”

“Noooo!” shrieked Olivia, her eyes stretched in fear.

Ignoring her, Max continued. “That means this area was naturally formed with no passages extending beyond this point. Caves have a variety of names for types of natural open spaces. Now, as promised, I have a surprise for you. You will not be climbing 600 feet back up to the cave opening.”

“I knew it,” Olivia snarled. “Mark, I told you we wouldn’t leave this cave alive. You wouldn’t listen.”

“Madam, please,” Max said, his nostrils flaring with contempt in his eyes. “If you follow me around this bend, there is an elevator.”

When the group exited the elevator, Max led them to the front of the cave. “You three may go back to the hotel while I go back into the cave to find the four guests still scurrying around.”

When the Stantons and Peter Langston reached the hotel, the concierge, Celeste, ran outside to meet them. Almost breathless, she said, “Lary Benson is missing. The chef prepared lunch for him, but he was nowhere to be found.”

Author Notes

This chapter is part of a book created by our own Begin Again (Carol). Did Max find Cassidy and Jake, or Lori who left the group with Noah Reed? Was the scream heard throughout the cave as a result of Lori's fear of bats? Where is Eve? What happened to Lary Benson? If you have answers to any of these mysteries, contact Carol to write Chapter 7.