{Just before we continue with our story I would like to remind everyone that if you have missed any chapters to this, or the previous, story in this series, go to my homepage and look under the heading “20/20 Investigations, Inc” and you will find links to all of the chapters.  Thank you so much for reading!}

When these iron grates crashed down poor Rossana fainted and Sophia started screaming hysterically.  I reached over and gave Sophia a good hard slap.  She was stunned, but it did actually stop her screaming.  Wasn’t sure if that would actually work, but was she ever filled with anger at that point.  However, she stayed quiet which was good.  I certainly wouldn’t be able to think with her screaming like that.  Muffin, see if you can wake up Rossana.  Meow.=Okay.  She goes over and pushes Rossana’s nose with her paw a few times and Rossana slowly revived.  It worked, I wonder how she knew to do that?  Is that why I keep waking up at night? 

I start looking around, I need to work fast or both of them will be screaming.  I don’t think I could handle that.  Why did I bring them along in the first place?  Meow, meow.=Work fast, don’t like loud screaming.  I whisper to Muffin, she does that little giggle again.  Not sure how she learned to do that either.  Hey, look at this, another small hole, but I haven’t seen any iron bars around here.  Maybe I should have brought the other one along.  Sigh.  Meow!=Over here!  I shine my flashlight in the tunnel ahead of us and there is another iron bar in a groove in the wall.  But I can’t reach it.  Can you get it Muffin?  Meow, meow.=Yes, take off backpack, which I do.  She squeezes through the bars on the grate and just manages to pull the iron bar out of it’s groove so it falls on the floor of the tunnel.  I can reach it now.

I put her backpack on again and push the bar into the hole.  I was expecting the iron grate to open but instead another stone slides down revealing another tunnel.  This is some wacky place, must have had a fun time building it.  This tunnel has a slight upwards slope to it which will make things a bit tougher, but it’s the only way to go right now.  Well, let’s go everyone.  Poor Rossana looked like she was ready to faint again.  Hopefully she doesn’t faint inside the tunnel, that would make things a bit hard.  In we go and upward.  Hmm, the upward slope seems steeper than it looked, definitely not easy pulling ourselves along on our stomachs.  Then I noticed the tunnel has started curving it’s way upward like a spiral staircase but not quite so dramatic, and it’s getting steeper all the time.

Sophia calls out, I can’t do this, I need a rest!  I need to rest too, says Rossana.  Okay, we’ll stop for a bit.  I didn’t want to say anything, but I noticed the tunnel is also getting smaller and that’s not good.  I ask Muffin to go ahead and check things for us while we rest.  Don’t go too far though, I say to her.  Meow.=Okay.  Off she goes and disappears quickly from view.  I’m a bit worried about the tunnel getting too small, my backpack barely fits now.  Muffin is staying away too long, I hope she’s okay.  Finally, after nearly 10 minutes, she returns.  What took you so long Muffin?

Meow, meow.=Tunnel long, stops going up soon though.   Meow, meow.=Another dead end coming too.  Meow, meow.=At top is small room to sit, then tunnel level after that.  Meow, meow=But tunnel very small.  Will my backpack fit?  Muffin looks it over very carefully.  Meow, meow.=Hard to say, maybe rearrange it at room ahead.  Not far.  Okay, good girl Muffin, I give her some petting and she purrs and rubs her head on my cheek.  Now go stay with Rossana again, she looked like she was close to panicking.  Well, what is that stupid cat meowing about now?, yelled Sophia.  Meow!=I go bite?  Not now Muffin, and stop sighing like that.

To be continued to Chapter 20: The Conclusion.

Steve and Muffin.

© 2020 Steve McLeod.