"This one's just a baby, Will. I heard on the news that a whole three bedroom house got swallowed up last week." said Jerry, as he admired the pristine wilderness which stretched out in every direction.
"A baby? It looks like it's a bottomless pit, Jerry. Are you sure it's safe?" asked Will, as he peered into the inky blackness.
"It's been here since this time last year, maybe longer. I found it when I followed a doe and her fawn through the swamp. Never got the perfect picture, but I did stumble across this beauty!" Jerry said happily.
"Be glad you didn't stumble into it instead." grumbled Will, wondering what his friend was getting him into this time.
"I'm glad I didn't! Without a rope, I don't think I could've gotten out. But now we're prepared." Jerry said confidently.
"Like we were prepared when you flushed those fireworks down the toilet at Freemont High?" Will asked doubtfully.
"We were fifteen! Are you ever going to let me live that down?" asked Jerry, laughing.
"You know I won't." laughed Will.
"Let's get going, I've got everything set. Betty knows exactly where we are, and I tested the ELT yesterday. It's working perfectly." said Jerry, changing the subject.
The mood becomes serious as the two men descend into the sinkhole, headlamps flooding the area with light.
"This place is amazing... It's like Journey To The Center Of The Earth!" said Jerry in awe.
"Let's hope not. My boss expects me to be at work first thing Monday." replied Will, still serious as his feet gently touch the soft earth at the bottom of the sinkhole.
"You won't believe this! I found a tunnel." exclaimed Jerry.
"What are those words?" Will asked, examining the writing above their heads.
"I don't know, it's not in English. I'll take a picture, and try to translate it when I get home." Jerry said.
"This looks like a natural tunnel. But that writing... Someone has been down here." mused Will, as the two men proceeded.
"It's possible that this tunnel was an above ground cave when it was occupied. Some of these sinkholes are massive. explained Jerry.
"I think we're coming to another chamber." said Will.
"More like a cavern!" whistled Jerry, unable to find either the ceiling or the other walls, despite his bright light.
After walking several hundred yards more, both men stopped and gasped.
"It's a freakin' lost city..." whispered Jerry in awe.
"Just look at it. Except for the river flowing through here, it's quiet as a tomb. And yet those benches over there look like they could have been used yesterday. Weird not to see any plants, this was obviously a park at one time." Will said, his eyes as big as saucers.
"What's that floating in the water close to the left bank? Shine your light." instructed Jerry, in hopes that both beams would be powerful enough to cut through the complete darkness.
"I don't see anything, it was probably just a piece of wood. Nothing could survive down here, there aren't any plants to support an ecosystem." said Will.
"I guess you're right. Maybe it was just a piece of wood, but I could have sworn it was swimming... I don't usually have such a good imagination." Jerry replied.
"Really? This place is creepy enough to give me nightmares for a month, and you're wondering why you might imagine something? You really should have been born back in the days of King Arthur! At least there would have been enough action for you." Will said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Well since we're here, let's take a look around. And get some pictures, otherwise nobody will believe us." replied Jerry, eagerly moving forward on the stone path.
Will reluctantly followed. "One day he's going to get me killed. I just hope it's not today." he muttered under his breath.
"Did you say something?" asked Jerry, slowing enough to turn slightly.
"Yeah, be careful, buddy. You don't know what might be down here. There are some species of cave dwellers that don't need sunlight." Will replied, in hopes of instilling at least a little caution in his best friend.
"There's a building up ahead." Jerry said excitedly, after about ten minutes of walking.
"The writing looks similar to that in the tunnel." Will noted, as he studied the ornate stone door. The realistic twin alligators carved into the handle made him shudder.
Jerry carefully opened the door, after taking a picture of the handle and the writing. "It's a palace!" he gasped, shining his light around to see the majestic archway, and the beautifully carved marble furniture.
"Is that gold we're walking on?" asked Will, shining his light down.
"I'm not sure. But if not, it has me fooled." said Jerry, eagerly trotting forward now.
The two friends came upon a set of double doors, this time hardwood. "I wonder what they used to treat that wood? No sign of rot whatsoever." thought Will idly. Then he noticed the carving, and his blood ran cold.
"Uh, Jerry... Maybe we shouldn't be here." Will said, putting a hand on the crack between the doors, to prevent his friend from lifting the complicated latch which allowed access from either side.
"This place has been abandoned for centuries. Possibly thousands of years! We're the first ones to lay eyes on it. A carving of alligators defeating the enemies of the Queen can't do us any harm." Jerry said reasonably.
Will lowered his hand. "I guess you're right." he agreed reluctantly.
The two friends entered together, and saw a throne room. Except for the ornate furnishings, the only thing in sight was a gold throne, and a matching table beside it. On the floor was a scroll, encased in a thick glass bottle, sealed with a cork.
"I wonder what it says?" asked Jerry, quickly making his way across the room. The bottle had the same scene which had been carved on the door engraved on it.
"Seems alligators were pretty popular around here, Will." said Jerry.
Silence.
"Will?" he tried again, this time shining the light back where he had last seen his friend. Sliding the bottle into an inner pocket of his vest, Jerry removed a flare gun, and fired it close to the snout of a very real, living breathing alligator!
"Jerry, don't move. They're all over the place, there's one in back of you too." whispered Will, as the gator which had been stalking him retreated.
"On the count of three, I'll fire another flare in back of me. When I do, we both make a run for it." said Jerry, somehow still calm.
"I'm all for getting out of here!" agreed Will fervently.
The two men leaped over and dodged gators all the way out of the palace. "They're everywhere!" panted Jerry, as he shut the main door.
"Let's get back to the tunnel." suggested Will.
Retracing their footsteps, they arrived at the tunnel. "Oh, man! There must be twenty of them guarding the exit, and each one as big as a saltwater crocodile." grimaced Jerry.
"I don't think the flares are going to scare those monsters." said Will, disappointed.
"We need to find another way out. I've been thinking, those gators aren't getting their food down here. They have to be going up to the surface somehow. The most likely way is the river. We need to either make a raft or find something that floats." Jerry replied.
"Did you bring that bottle you were looking at back there?" asked Will.
"Yeah, it's right here." replied Jerry, opening the bottle, and handing him the still supple parchment.
"It's a map of the city... A treasure in its own right, but maybe our ticket out of here too. If it's right, there's a boat landing a short way past the palace. Perhaps we can find a seaworthy vessel..." said Will.
"It's worth a shot!" said Jerry, leading the way.
"There! Over by that pier, there's a solid looking skiff. I think it was treated in much the same way as the door in the palace." said Will, placing the tiny craft in the water with Jerry's help.
Soon the two men were floating downriver, knocking the occasional alligator on the head with an oar.
"Hey! Is that light up ahead?" asked Jerry, as he turned off his headlamp.
"I think it's sunlight, let's row faster!" exclaimed Will, as he dug in enthusiastically.
Several minutes later, they found themselves deep in the swamp. The ever present alligators still accompanied them, but at least there was sunlight!
"According to my GPS, we're about thirty miles into the preserve, and 25 from camp. I hope you don't mind roughing it for a night or two? " asked Jerry.
"After that?" Will replied, laughing. "It'll seem like a vacation!"
Cover image made in Canva using their gallery