I was right. When I returned to our garden, Charles hugged me close in relief.
"Oh, Andee, I was so worried about you. I wish you wouldn't turn your phone off like that. Where were you?"
"I'm sorry, Charles. I met someone who was helping me chase down information on my Lao Hu. He was kinda cute."
I grinned and winked at him. His eyes narrowed for just an instant before he smiled back at me. Was he jealous? I certainly hoped not. We've always agreed that we are just best friends.
Zhan had promised to show me around the area again, so we started at the martial arts academy. Charles watched a board breaking exhibition while Zhan showed me some cool moves. Charles didn't think I'd be able to learn anything wearing my dress, but I showed him.
"Ha! What do you think of that?"
Charles looked genuinely surprised.
"Wow, Andee! I had no idea that dress would stretch that far!"
That night Zhan showed me how to meditate at the scholar's garden, and then we spent another amazing night together.
The next morning I was ready for more adventures, but Zhan walked me back to my garden hill top with an unreadable expression on his face. When we arrived, he broke the bad news.
"I'm sorry, Andee, but I have been called away on business. I don't know when I can return, certainly not before your visa is up. Take care, I will try to contact you if I can."
So the rest of our trip I was on my own, as Charles had signed up for classes at the academy. I just sort of wandered around most of the time.
One day I came across an old cemetery, and couldn't help but mourn the ancient spirits who were buried there. I might have mourned just a little more when I realized how much Zhan would love this place.
I found a mountainside with a great view of the ancient wall.
"Halloooo!"
"Haaalllooooooo"
I laughed out loud to hear my voice echo back, then laughed again when my laughter echoed back!
I found some amazing rare butterflies to add to my collection.
I even discovered some ruins that were actually open to the public.
But my exploration of the ancient catacombs came to an abrupt end when I discovered I was not alone down there. I was never so glad to see the sky as when I raced out of that cavern. Bugs outside in the open air are one thing, but bugs attacking your hand when you rest it on a cavern wall? No thanks!
After my days of wandering, I would meet Charles back at the garden in the evening. Our last evening, we roasted veggies over the fire pit, and I talked about some of the amazing things I had seen. He listened politely enough, but I could tell he wasn't really all that interested. He wanted to talk about his lessons at the academy, so it seemed as if we spent the evening talking at cross purposes, if that makes any sense.
Afterward we relaxed in the hot spring. Charles waggled his eyebrows at me.
"So... here we are. How about we celebrate our last night here?" he ventured with a grin.
But for the first time in almost forever I just wasn't in the mood. All I could think of was Zhan, and if I would ever see him again.
The first thing I heard when we arrived home was the sound of Papa Brook's drill. It sounded like it was out back in the garden, so I headed out back to say hi and let him know we were home. I stopped in my tracks in shock at what I saw when I opened the garden gate.
The scene before me was one of utter destruction. Drill holes were everywhere, along with a few giant boulders that had been dug up and carelessly flung aside. Papa was drilling away, oblivious it seemed, and Bennie was roboticly attending the few remaining plants, as if nothing were wrong at all.
"Papa!" I screamed as I raced toward him. In my panic I never saw the hole in my path.
Before I knew what was happening, I felt the loose dirt giving way beneath my bare feet.
"Papa! I screamed again as my fingernails scrabbled against the edge of the abyss. But the staccato blast of the drill drowned out my panicked cries.
I tumbled down a steep dirt bank for what seemed at eternity, before finally landing with thud in pitch darkness. I continued to scream until I was hoarse, but of course no one heard me.
As my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, my screams gradually diminished into hoarse sobs as the true gravity of my situation dawned on me. Waves of nausea swept over me as I surveyed my surroundings. No one knew where I was. It was up to me to find a way out.
I felt a ray of hope when I saw that I was not in a hole, but a tunnel of some sort. I carefully began to make my way through the blackness, my heart pounding in fear. I walked for what seemed to be a hours, hardly daring to touch the walls lest I run into a nest of nasty bugs.
I closed my eyes in defeat when I finally ran up against a dead end. All that work for nothing. Why had I thought this would lead anywhere?
My stomach rebelled again at the thought of being trapped forever in the darkness, never seeing the sun again, no one knowing what had become of me...
This time I lost control completely, and my entire breakfast ended up on the floor of the cavern.
Dizzy and panicked, I began to pound on the rock wall at the end of the tunnel, screaming again into the void. Part of me was telling my panicked self I was only going to hurt myself, but still I couldn't stop.
Suddenly I felt the rocks giving way. I pounded harder, not caring that my fists were beginning to bleed. Yes, there was light beyond the wall. I squeezed through the small opening I had made.
Oh Joy! I knew right where I was. The ancient crypt under our very house!
Suddenly Charles and Papa were right there beside me, and Charles was pulling me into a tight embrace.
"Andee! Oh, Andee. We were so worried about you. Are you all right? What in the world were you doing down here?"
I was still so scared all I could do was cling to him.
Papa was horrified when I told him what had happened. He had been searching for gems with his drill and had gotten a little carried away.
"A little carried away, Papa? The whole garden is destroyed!"
Papa Brook has such a good heart, but sometimes he just doesn't think before he starts one of his projects.
Charles immediately offered to stay with us for a while, to help put everything straight again, and Papa was all too happy to agree. As for me, I was much too busy trying to keep the remaining bits of my breakfast down. I would worry about the rest later.
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