Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Ancient deity

Frank knew that the cave was towards the right side of the

house which was a great relief as he did not want to go

anywhere near Re’s place . Richard caught up with him .

He was beaming at him and said , ‘your dad was so kind he

was worried about you asked me where you were going ..’

Frank was alarmed He knew how his father thought and he

never worried about anything least of all about his son! . so

Frank gave him a curious look and asked him what he said

.

. Richard still feeling happy said , ‘of course I told him

that we were planning to go to the places where we played

as children…’ and gave a sunny smile and involuntarily

Frank smiled

Frank walked fast on the road that led to the right side of

the mountain range. Here the mountain rose straight up

without any incline ..There were many trees rather than

shrubs and no ravine to separate it from the road

Richard stopped and exclaimed, ' how everything seemed

to have changed..'

Frank was puzzled because he did not remember these tall

trees or the darkness that was there As soon as they left the

road ,It was dark under the trees ...In Tim's Land the nature

was the priority so the noise of the birds would be there

always . Everywhere many birdfeeders could be seen

throughout the estate and staff would go around in an

electric car to fill the feeders in the mornings and evenings..

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So it was all the more weird that there was pin drop

silence..

Neither bird’s song nor insects' chirping noises could be

heard .

There was no path but Richard remembered a path but he

had not come here for a long time. Frank kept walking in

the front and he thought once they arrived at the rocky

mountain , they could recall the cave..

Richard stopped suddenly as he could see a bird watching

him intently . He called to Frank and pointed at the bird. He

had never seen a bird like that .. it was grey with red head

and beak ..it was so unlike any bird that he has seen..It had

long neck and round body and longer tail ..Its eyes were

like that of an owl !

The bird did not move ...Frank took a small pebble and

threw at it ..but yet it looked on, rolling its eyes ..

A feather from the bird fell down..Frank tried to catch it but

it moved away...After few minutes he understood the

feather was taking them somewhere...

Richard remembered the way to the cave now he sounded

excited, ‘ Frank it is somewhere very close'

But Frank knew by this time that the feather was taking

him to the cave..He walked fast behind the feather and it

stalled for a second in mid air...He stopped behind him and

Richard almost dashed against him ... There was a fallen

rock and the feather settled on it slowly..

Frank looked at the rock and Richard pointed at a crack

running like a lightening from top and both of them

remembered!

The dark cave was here as they used to explore everywhere

except this place . They used to run away as soon as they

came near this place as they secretly called it as devil’s

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house and elders would get very annoyed if they told them

they had come anywhere near here .. in fact the eastern

section of the mountain was taboo for everyone..

But now they couldn’t find the cave . they searched along

the mountain wall but only a solid rocky wall was there

except for the fallen rock where the feather fell down.

Frank picked up the feather and looked at Richard .

Richard understood and both together moved the rock

which was resting on the mountain .. As the rock moved to

one side the opening behind it looked like a dark hole .

They pushed off the rock completely from the opening as

it was not heavy or big. The opening was just 3x3 feet and

Frank knelt down to peep in but couldn’t see..

Richard was too curious to maintain the respectful distance

and he bent ,keeping his hands on Frank’s shoulders …

‘Frank , you don’t go first ..let me go there first..’

Frank got up slowly and was touched that Richard could

think of his safety first ,’Richard , I am going in , you

follow me ...switch on your cell phone torch’ and he started

crawling into the cave ...

The torch light showed him a polished pathway ..so it was

easy to crawl .. he could hear Richard behind him and

moved further in side . he should have moved few feet

when he came to an enormous cave. ..so he stood up to see

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a vast cavern which was at least 50 metres high and but he

couldn’t see how far the cavern went in ..

Richard banged on him ,so he moved in so he could stand

up.

Richard gasped as no one would have expected to see such

a big cave . he shouted and it echoed back..

Frank looked up at the ceiling and it was high above . He

walked in and remembered the old man’s caution that many

tragedies had happened here ..He walked further down and

when he reached the end of the cave ,he pointed the torch at

the wall over there to see if any other entrance was there

.

.but couldn’t see any other holes or tunnels and started

walking near the wall of the cave . Mostly it was uneven

rock formation and roots of some unseen trees were there .

He kept walking, when Richard yelped...very strange

strangled sound ..Frank ran to where Richard had fallen..

He knelt beside him … Richard was in total fright.. he

pointed something on the wall but Frank couldn’t see

anything there . ‘Tell me Richard what did you see ..?’

As he was asking him Richard eyes stared at the wall and

screamed and fainted .. Frank made sure he was alive and

stood up to see the wall where he pointed . but there was

nothing .suddenly one side of the wall lit like a LED screen

and then he saw the rock drawings ..

It was amazing how few lines drawn strategically could tell

so many things! The first drawing was of group of people

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carrying things like some plates , pots ,bunch of bananas

and things that he couldn’t interpret ..

In the second one the group was kneeling …and the next

one was very confusing as some were on the floor and

some were holding some weapons and looking up!!

Then the drawings were not very clear . .. The last one

showed some people looking up at some round objects ….

Frank felt something near him but couldn’t see it though

…

There was a buzzing noise all around him and it become

louder and louder. Then abruptly it stopped and he could

feel Re’s pendent vibrating and looked so bright in the

dark..

Frank heard it clearly in his mind , ‘Frank, you don’t know

many things about us . we are here for hundreds of years

and our men take their invisible form when they go out or

in the form of some birds ..we are using this place for a

long time to gather things ...’

‘

I will talk to you later..your friend is in deep sleep it will

take some time for him to come out..If we give a higher

dose he dies …don’t share the knowledge about us to

anyone please’

Frank was shocked , ‘Re more than you, I know what

would happen if our people come to know of your

existence ..but don’t steal or kill anyone .. if you want

something .just let me know …’

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Re replied, ‘yes Frank, and Ro may connect with you

sometimes Ro trains us and keep us knowledgeable . He

can answer your questions . remember in all these 1000

years or more ,you are the first person we had asked for

help ..so we will listen to you ..’.

Frank could see the glow of the pendant was no more ..

He circled around the cave again and thinking about what

Re told him .. So he guessed correctly about the bird .. the

bird was directing him to this cave . another thought struck

him ..so all Re’s people could connect with him and know

his thoughts . It made him little uncomfortable ..

Then he thought of the ways that he could keep his

knowledge away from his dad and others .

He could not find anything but loudly he said

‘hello birdie where are you ?

to his utter surprise the bird floated above him.. It looked

strange because it was flying without flapping its wings .

the wings remained stretched but it just glided as an eagle ..

‘What do you want’ Frank heard it as clearly as if it

spoke aloud ..he said ‘I want to know everything about

you’

‘Ro will explain’ and it flew away

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Richard was coming out of his stupor as he could hear him

mumbling and he waited for him ..

Richard stood up so suddenly ,he fell down with the thud ..

His fright was in his voice when he asked, ‘Frank.. Frank..

where are you?

Only then Frank realised that he had switched off his torch

after the bird flew away so he switched on his torch again

and called Richard

Richard came running and hugged him and said , ‘felt like

floating and making merry… but it became dark..what

happened’

Frank was amused , ‘you slept simply slept and waited for

you to wake up.. Nothing is here ..come let us go ..

They came out and stood for sometime.. behind them the

rock once again closed the opening without anyone’s

assistance..

Richard looked at it with fear and ran from there .. Frank

walked slowly thinking about everything that happened ..

*

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