Rick shuddered. There was a distinct change in energy here. Something in the very air felt different to him.
“¿Qué es eso?” Luis asked.
“I think we’ve just stepped into the unknown,” Rick whispered reverently.
They all set their waterlogged rucksacks down.
Juan and Carlos huddled with Javier, whispering in Spanish.
The cavern resembled a cathedral. It was an extraordinary sight. The sheer size and scope of it made them all feel and look very small. No longer surrounded by damp earth and dripping wet rock, the soaring, smooth walls of the cavern glistened like polished white marble with strange, dark, broad, undulating veins of sparkling minerals running through them.
One of the most striking features of the subterranean chamber was the towering grouping of imposing stalagmites at the center of it, growing up from a large, naturally elevated section of the cavern floor. The stalagmites were composed almost entirely of the mysterious dark, sparkling minerals.
The air in this cavern felt warmer and drier. Across the cavern at opposite sides, were two triangular-shaped openings, both slightly smaller than the one they’d entered through. The edges of the cavern were littered with boulders of varying sizes, with the central part of the space mostly cleared of boulders, leaving only smaller rocks scattered about.
“Are those other passageways?” Rick asked.
“Si,” Javier answered, “but they branch off into different tunnels and series of chambers and spread out for miles. It’s very easy to get lost, so don’t go wandering off without a guide.”
Rick nodded. “Understood.”
He then stepped closer to one of the walls and shone his flashlight on it. The dark veins had a shimmering effect to them, reflecting the light. He touched one of the veins. To his surprise, it felt warm. He touched the light part of the wall. It was cooler and felt like sandstone. He figured the warmth in the cavern was coming from the dark veins, but he wondered what kind of minerals they might be composed of.
“This is part of the Tayos Caves system, isn’t it?” Rick asked. He knew the extensive subterranean tunnels and caverns were rumored to stretch out for over 100 miles, and were spread out in many directions. By far, most of it was unmapped, and as far as he knew, unexplored. This place sure wasn’t in any photographs he’d ever seen. His mind started racing over the possibilities of this bizarre, but breathtaking cavern.
Javier nodded. “Si.”
Rick let out a long admiring whistle. “Wow.” He walked around, shining his flashlight at various points along the soaring cavern walls. The dark mineral deposits were laced throughout the entire cavern.
He walked up to the dazzling grouping of dark-hued stalagmites, shining his flashlight on them. They shimmered in the light as well. It was a beautiful effect. There was a cluster of close to thirty of them, spanning fifty feet across the cavern, towering high up on a nearly eight-foot tall rocky protrusion. There was a long, smooth section of surface, with odd repeating rectangular patterns seemingly carved into its front. Then, a few feet in front of that was a roughly three-foot high sandstone outcropping, about two-feet in diameter. It also had thick, wavy striations of the darker mineral running through it.
The stalagmites varied in height, with the shortest being about five feet tall and two feet in diameter, while the largest stalagmite standing at the center of the grouping was an imposing twenty-five feet tall and at least six-feet in diameter.
“What on earth?” Rick said, as he gazed at the highly unusual mineral formations. He’d never seen anything like it. He felt something too, like a faint electrical charge in the air near the stalagmites.
He then noticed something else. In this space there were no signs of animal life. No bats. No tarantulas. No snakes. Nothing. Not even insects.
Strange, he thought. Very strange.
“We can rest here,” Javier said, drawing Rick’s attention back to the group. “We can discuss what to do next after we’ve had a break, ok?”
“Si,” Sofia said, grateful that her father could finally rest. The older man was getting a little unsteady on his feet.
Sofia motioned to Luis and together they walked off to the side to tend to Diego’s injuries and change the wet bandages on his forearm and lower leg. Using their flashlights, they found some boulders to sit down on at the edge of the cavern. They all took some water and Sofia gave Diego a granola bar and some trail mix. They huddled together, speaking softly in Spanish, hearing more details about Diego’s capture and time with his captors. They also filled their father in on what had happened to lead them here and told him all about Rick and how the three of them had met, starting with his chance encounter in the alley when Luis was being attacked.
A few minutes later, Rick came over to check on them and offer his assistance. He sat down next to Diego.
Diego grabbed him and gave him a big hug. “Gracias, gracias, Señor Rick,” he said, squeezing him, and patting his back. “They told me what you did for Luis, and for me. Familia is everything. Gracias.”
Rick was deeply touched and hugged the older man back. “De nada,” he replied, a soft smile on his face.
Then, Javier came over and knelt down in front of Diego. Speaking in Spanish, he apologized for not being able to rescue him, himself, when he had first come across him in the jungle. He told Diego about the events leading up to him finding him there.
Diego understood. He replied that Javier had been alone. He would’ve been no match for his captors and they would’ve both ended up as prisoners. He thanked Javier for helping to rescue him this time.
Just then, they heard the sound of footsteps. Startled, they all spun around.
“Javier?” a young woman asked, as she emerged from one of the other entrances to the cavern.
Javier let out a huge sigh of relief. “Mari!”
He
