Here is the second part to Chapter 3!
Previously…
Taylor sighed, then began to crawl through the rocks. Seth heard a small gasp. Then Taylor came back. “Uh, Seth-”
A low growl sounded from the side of the cave. Seth and Taylor turned to face it, then locked gazes. Uh oh.
A wolfish dog was standing in between them, about ten feet away. It was baring it’s large, pointy fangs at them. Its eyes were red lasers. Then he pounced.
“Run!” Taylor screamed. “Door! Stairs!”
Seth got the message, He scrambled towards the secret door in the back, flinging it open. He sprinted up the stairs, knowing Taylor was right at his heels. As they reached the top, Seth noticed that, apparently, Wolfdog was not good at climbing stairs. It was only at the bottom step.
“Okay,” said Seth, pulling out the rope. “We only have a few seconds.” He tossed one end to Taylor and kept the other. “Anchor this to the rock and stay to the side.”
“Got it,” she replied, tightening her ponytail. It was what she did to ready herself for something big.
A moment later the wolf-dog came bounding in. Taylor watched as Seth fastened the rope around his waist. The wolf-dog raced towards Seth. She bit her lip from screaming. Seth knew what he was doing.
At the last moment, Seth jumped off the boulder. The rope caught him, but the wolf-dog wasn’t as fortunate. It went flying off the rock before hitting the ground with a heavy thunk.
“Take that, Wolfdog!” Seth crowed. Then he glanced at Taylor. Untying his rope, he threw it up at her. “Here! Tie it around you and jump!”
“Um,” Taylor hesitated.
“C’mon, I did it, you’ll be alright.”
“Okay,” Taylor agreed reluctantly. She tied the rope around her waist and jumped.
It was amazing. Her breath caught in her throat at the exhilarating feeling. The air rushed around her and she felt like she was flying. Then reality came back to her as she hit the ground.
“Wow,” was all she could say.
Seth grinned. “I know.” Then he frowned, looking at the corpse of the wolf-dog. “Look.”
They watched quietly as the wolf-dog’s skin and animalistic features slowly disintegrated, leading a metal body with wires sticking out of it.
Picture: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee