It was Friday. I true to my word was going to spend the day with Jamie and several of his friends. I had no idea what there names were. I called them: hat girl, hat boy, scary girl, sport boy, and nerd. Of course their real names were Pippa, Caleb, Cupcake, Claude, and Monty, but I liked my names for them a lot better. Jamie really needs to get fewer friends with 'C' names.

There wasn't much to do in this town a few rivers, a small lake, the forest, the town of course, and the cave. I wondered if the kids had ever been to the cave. It was a cool place had a river running through it. As long as they were careful they wouldn't get hurt. I'd take them there with flashlights of course. It's also a long hike. I'd get their parents permission too of course.

"What are your plans with the kids?" Mike asked me.

"The cave."

Mike laughed. "We used to love that place. I guess Jamie can go. He's older than what we were when we went. Remember what Dad used to tell us?"

"You go in too far you'll be eaten." I replied imitating our father's voice. "We always thought there was a monster or something."

"Yeah." Mike said. For the first time I felt like Mike and I could finally go back to the way we used to be.


All the kids had a flashlight and I did too. We weren't the only one's at the cave either. There were plenty of other kids with parents and even a few teenagers. It was nice to see other people out and about.

"You know your Dad, used to be scared of the cave monster." I told Jamie as we 'explored'. There wasn't much to the cave. Mostly a giant opening with a river that was roped off in the back no one went past the rope. If they did they'd be swept away.

"Is there really a cave monster?" the nerd asked.

"No." hat girl assured him. "There is no cave monster. If there was I'm sure we'd be okay."

"Okay." Nerd said. Maybe I should call him the fearful one instead.

Suddenly loud popping and some adults screaming caught my attention. Some of the teenagers thought it'd be a bright idea to light some fireworks. Yeah like that would be a good idea. Sometimes I wonder about the next generation. I have a feeling that the whole 'YOLO' thing is going to their heads. Of course you only live once, but it doesn't say you only live once until you kill yourself.

"Look a centipede!" Sport boy shouted. His brother and him flashed their flashlights following the centipede's trail.

"SPIDER!" Nerd shouted he ran to hide behind Cupcake. Jamie and Pippa looked at some of the fossils that were in the cave. Most were of leaves and giant bugs. Mike and I used to love looking at those. We had once brought a book and tried to identify them. We weren't very successful, but we did pretty well.

The day was almost over. There wasn't much left for us to see. The kids got leaves to race in the river. I told them all to be careful. I of course was with them there wasn't much danger they could get it. At least that's what I thought.

"Tommy, that's not a…." A girl begged her boyfriend.

"It's a candle Claire!" He assured her.

"No it's not it's…"

"A candle!"

"Candle's don't have a fuse!"

That made me turn towards the couple. Whatever he was holding was not a candle. Several other adults stared to shout at the boy. They noticed the same thing I did. That kid did not posses a candle he had TNT.

"DON'T!" Nearly everyone screamed as the kid lit the candle with a lighter. It was followed by "RUN!" when we saw that the fuse was short. I quickly ushered my kids towards the entrance. We all were running I was staying behind them.

"My hat!" Hat girl shouted. I knew that it was from her father. He'd given it to her before he deployed. She turned to get it.

"I got it." I ran towards it not really thinking. She continued running for the entrance. As soon as I picked it up. It happened. The explosion. The walls shook and then the ceiling started to collapse. Sadly this was not an Indiana Jones movie. The cave started to collapse closer to the entrance. I ran towards the back of the cave. I couldn't out run the rocks. All I remember is a splash and not being able to breathe.


"Aunt Ellie!" Jamie shouted. His voice was lost a bit a few others had not made it out. Most of the adults ran back towards the entrance and started to grab chunks of the cave. They'd try and dig out anyone that may still be stuck.

It was horrible. Tommy the kid that had the TNT was the most in shock. He muttered to Claire all about the candle. Tommy was in denial about it. There was no doubt he had been that clueless to what he'd actually done.

Jamie started to cry and his friends looked on in disbelief. "I'm sorry, Jamie." Pippa said. "If my hat…"

"It's not your fault." Jamie said. "It's no one's fault."


A/N: Please don't kill me. It's not quite over yet. I know it's slightly unbelievable thing to happen, but...I couldn't think of much else. So here it is. Again don't kill me.

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