Chapter 4: The Cave of Wonders
Before I knew what was happening we were out in the middle of a sandstorm. The old guy was on a horse with Abu and Al and I walked ahead of the horse. I was starting to wish I had stayed in the dungeon when the sandstorm finally died down.
"Stop here." The creepy old guy said and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I had nearly forgotten he was there. He had remained so quiet the entire time we were walking, thankfully. The only thing worse than him talking was the odd hump on his back that never seemed to stop moving. He pulled something out of his pocket and then tossed it into the air. The 'thing' flew through the air and went into the sand. I was about to call it a dud when the ground began to shake.
Stumbling around, I managed to grab hold of Al and he tried to steady us both. To our shock a large tiger head, made entirely of sand rose up from the ground, roaring loudly. I cowered behind Al, who I could feel trembling a little. I felt a bit better knowing that he was just as freaked out as I was.
"Go on, boys." The old man stated and I scowled.
"You brought us out here to be eaten?!"
The man gave me a disturbing smile. "No, dear boy. You must enter the Cave of Wonders."
"And you failed to mention it was a….large tiger head!"
Al grabbed the back of my vest and tugged me over to him.
"Who disturbs my slumber?" The head boomed at us and I squirmed out of Al's hold to move behind him. Aladdin stepped forward, Abu hiding in the back of his vest.
"It is I A-Aladdin." He swallowed and then looked at me. I shook and then moved forward.
"And I-I-Alaric." The cave studied us for a moment as if considering our answers.
"Proceed touch nothing but the lamp." It said and then opened its mouth wide revealing a set of stairs. Al started towards the stairs and I started backing away. Al sensed my nervousness and he turned and grabbed me by the arm gently. I shook my head, not wanting to down there.
"I change my mind. I'm not going."
"Relax. It'll be fine."
"What's he need a lamp for? Can't he go buy one?"
He gave me a reassuring smile and gave my arm a tug as I dug my heels into the sand. "C'mon Rick."
"I'm staying out here." I pouted and Al arched an eyebrow.
"Suit yourself." He said with a shrug. "Let me know how you enjoy staying around that old man."
I took one look at the old geezer and shuddered. "No thanks, I'll take my chances in the living, breathing cave."
Al pulled me next to him and threw an arm around me reassuringly. "I'm right beside you." He whispered and he pulled me closer. I felt a bit better knowing Al was with me, but it was still frightening.
"Remember boys," Creepo called. "First get me the lamp, and you shall have your rewards."
"Yeah, that's not ominous." I muttered. "Cave says don't touch anything but lamp and then he wants to give us rewards. So where's he gonna get it?"
Al rolled his eyes. "You need to learn to have more trust. Not everyone is out to get you."
"You don't know that. We've only been with that guy for two hours!" I argued and he snorted. I heard an eerie cackle and I took once last look at the creepy old guy before we went down into the cave. He was watching us with sly calculating eyes. Oh, great. Yeah, Al, not everyone is out to get us, but he sure looked like it!
'Why oh why do I get myself in these situations.' I thought over and over as Al practically toted me down the long flight of stairs. I really had a bad feeling about this cave. It didn't sit well with me at all. We finally reached the bottom, Al let go of me and I walked behind him looking around. We found a large doorway and entered the lit room.
"Would ya look at that." Al said in wonder and I pushed past him to see.
"Whoa." My eyes widened and I grinned. The room was filled to the brim with treasures of all kinds. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and mounds and mounds of gold filled every corner of the room. I felt my jaw-drop as we went deeper into the golden room.
"Just a handful of this stuff, would make us richer than the sultan." I nodded in agreement then I saw Abu make a wild dive towards the gold.
"Abu!" Al and I shouted at the same time. Aladdin walked over to the little monkey and bent down to look at him.
"Don't… touch… anything." He scolded. "We gotta find that lamp." Abu sulked as we walked past him and I snickered quietly patting him on the head.
"Again I question where this supposed reward will come from." Al grumbled under his breath and I sighed. "Can't blame me for asking."
We were in a few minutes of our walk and I could still hear Abu mumbling angrily behind us. A noise came from behind us and Abu ran and jerked on mine and Al's pants leg, screeching like crazy.
"Abu knock it off." Aladdin said shooed the little monkey away. A few seconds later and Abu was back. He slammed into Al and knocked him over.
"Abu are you crazy?" The little monkey grabbed his chin and made Al look behind him. I turned to see what had Abu all riled up. My jaw dropped. A moving patterned rug was peeking at us from behind a mound of gold.
"A magic carpet!" Al and I said at the same time. A real magic carpet was floating right in front of us. "Come on. Come on out we're not going to hurt you." I coaxed the carpet. It came out slowly and a little shyly from behind the pile of treasure. The carpet came towards us and scooped Abu's fez off the ground, dusting it off. He held out the hat towards the little monkey and Abu screeched wildly. He clambered up onto my shoulder, chattering in my ear.
"He won't bite you, Abu. He looks friendly." Instead I took the hat from the carpet and handed it to Abu, who snatched it and shook his fist at the carpet screeching angrily. Looking hurt the carpet wandered away, looking forlorn.
"Oh, now look what you did." I scolded the monkey. "He was just trying to be nice."
"Hey, wait a minute. Maybe you can help us." Al said and the carpet paused and turned to us.
"Yeah! You see we need to find this lamp thingy." I said and the carpet looked excited. He flew over to me and Abu and circled around us making us dizzy. I laughed as he set us back down.
"Hey, I think he knows where it is!" I said and Al grinned. We followed an eager Carpet as he led us through to another room. I walked behind them as Al and Abu followed Carpet. I was still feeling a little down, about the whole jinx episode in the dungeon, but I didn't say anything. I've bared it alone before, I can do it again.
We soon came to a large open crevice and saw a pillar of stone across from us. There at the top was a golden lamp that gleamed in the dim lighting. Several stone steps led to the pillar over a small stream of water.
"Wait here." Al said and I nodded as he started across the stones to the large steps of the pillar. I then turned to Carpet.
"So, uh, you must be pretty lonely in here." Carpet nodded a little sadly and I patted him.
"I'm sorry. I know how that feels. But, um, maybe you could come with us? Be our new friend?" Carpet engulfed me in hug and I hugged him back, grinning. "I would like that, I don't have many friends." Carpet indicated that he didn't either.
"Abu will learn to like you too." I said after he pulled away. "Yeah, he just needs to-" I paused upon seeing Carpet looking frantic. "What's the matter?" I turned and saw what had him in a panic. Abu was slowly making his way over to the large golden statue in the corner. I could practically see the greed radiating off him as he spotted the large red ruby in the center.
Carpet grabbed the monkey and I grabbed Carpet as Abu tried to jump up. He was stronger than he looks, proven when he practically dragged us with him. 'Hurry up, Al!', I thought as my feet dug into the ground. Suddenly Carpet's grip slipped and we both went flying back as Abu latched onto the ruby.
"Abu, no!" Al and I yelled at the same time, he apparently had spotted our furry compadre.
"Infidels!" Boomed the cave and Carpet and I hugged each other in fright. "You have touched the forbidden treasure!" Abu attempted to put back the ruby but to our horror it started to melt along with the golden statue.
"It's a little too late for that, Abu!" I yelled and the little monkey whimpered.
"Now you will never again see the light of day!" The cave roared and I yelped in terror as the statue burst into flames.
"Aladdin!" I screamed as a bout of lava came pouring towards me. I ran over to where the step stones started and I groaned as I saw that Al was still trying to come down the pillar steps. Suddenly the steps disappeared and he slid down the smooth rock and into the air. He came falling towards the now lava filled stream and I closed my eyes in fear. Something flew past me and I opened an eye to see Carpet had caught Al. I sighed with relief.
Screeching caught my attention and I spotted Abu in the middle of the stones. One on the end exploded as the heat from the lava warmed it up. One by one they busted until the one Abu was on was the only one left. Al swooped down just in time to grab the monkey and then he came and pulled me onto Carpet as a large wave of lava came towards us.
I gripped Al around the middle as Carpet flew us out of the crevice and towards the treasure room. Abu grabbed Aladdin's face in a screech of terror and Al tried to pry him off his face.
"Abu this is no time to panic!"
I looked around him at the upcoming wall. "Well, what about that!" I yelled and he finally got Abu off his face.
"Okay, start panicking!" He shouted.
We all screamed as Carpet easily maneuvered us past the wall and through the air. We got into the treasure room and each pile of gold we passed burst into flames. I gripped Al tighter and he tossed an arm around me as some of the flames came a little too close for comfort. Carpet flew us up towards the cave entrance and we were almost safe when a rock came and knocked Carpet out from underneath us.
"Carpet!" I cried out as our new friend was knocked out of sight.
Al, Abu and I hit the remaining steps to the cave entrance and I scrambled to stay up. Al had landed further up from me and he turned his head and saw me. He reached a hand out and I tried to grab it was I was too far down. He looked panicked when I slipped down some more. Abu hung on to Al's pants leg with a clutch of fear.
"Help him out!" Al yelled at the old man, indicating me. The old guy frowned.
"Throw me the lamp!" The creepy man shouted back.
"We can't hold on much longer!" Al looked at me again as I slid towards the edge.
"First give me the lamp!"
"Just give him the lamp, Al! I can't hold on much longer." I said and Al gave me a panicked look. Figuring he wasn't going to win this battle he handed the lamp to the old guy to shut him up. Creepy lifted it into the air and I gasped as lightning flashed behind him casting an eerie sight. He cackled wickedly.
"Yes! At last!" Abu helped Al up a little and then the old man looked down at us. He kicked Abu out of the way and lifted Al by the wrist.
"What are you doing!" He yelled and I gasped as the old man lifted a crooked dagger into air.
"Giving you your reward!"
"Aladdin!" I yelled and he spotted the dagger.
"Your eternal reward!" The old guy continued and I noticed his voice deepened. Abu suddenly latched onto the man's thin wrist and bit down. The man howled with pain and let go of Al. Al went falling and he hit me. We both ended sprawling through the air. Something struck my head as I was falling and darkness started to cloud my vision. I knew no more.
"Alaric? Alaric?" I felt something touching me and my eyes opened slowly. Al, Carpet, and Abu were leaning over me, Al's hands patting my face. I frowned and shoved his hands away. He smiled with relief and helped me sit up.
"Are you alright?" He asked gently and I held a hand to my forehead. There was a slight pain there and I took my hand away to see blood.
"Err…maybe?" Al saw what I was looking at and moved closer, I ripped part of my pants leg and Al used it to make a makeshift bandage.
"Thanks, Al."
He nodded at me with a grim smile.
I sat there and stared at the ceiling feeling slightly scared. It was blank and smooth as if an entrance hadn't been there at all. Stupid jinx! Well, that was strike two. Strike three and we'll be dead for sure.
"Aladdin?" I asked and he whipped his head around, catching that I called him by his full name, which I hardly did anymore unless I was really scared or trying to get his attention. "Are we…are we going to die in here?" I whispered and Carpet hugged me, patting my head reassuringly.
Al shook his head. "No, of course not. There has to be a way out." He said reassuringly and he studied my scared expression. "We'll get out."
"Well there would be a way out. If it wasn't for…well you know."
Al scowled. "You know good and well that...two-faced son of a jackal!" He yelled making a fist at the ceiling. "It wasn't you." I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. We were going to die down here in the dark.
"Creepy old man!" I shouted and my voice echoed around the cave walls. Al laughed and ruffled my hair playfully.
"Yeah, see? Not you." I nodded slightly. I'd let Al have this one. "Well, whoever he was, he's long gone with that lamp."
I nodded. "Yeah, wonder why he wanted it?"
Abu jumped to the ground in front of us and pull it out of his vest with a wide mischievous grin. 'Ta-da!' I laughed and hugged Abu as Al picked up the lamp.
"Why you hairy little thief!" He laughed and then he held it up to look at it. I crawled over to peer over his shoulder. Abu and I squinted at the golden lamp.
"Looks like such a worthless beat-up piece of junk." He muttered and I shrugged.
"I dunno, looks kind of nice to me. Maybe someone lost it?"
Al shrugged. "There's something written here. Can you see it?" I shook my head.
"It's too dirty. I can't make it out."
"Yeah me neither." Al started to rub it, trying to get some of the grim off. Suddenly to our surprise and horror the lamp began to glow and shake wildly.
"It's a demon!" I shrieked, but Al didn't answer as fireworks shot out and exploded around us. Abu and I freaked out as one exploded near us and Carpet grabbed us and flew us behind a large boulder. We watched as Al just sat there while the fireworks continued to shoot out. "Al, don't just sit there! It's a demon!" Blue smoke began to rise out of the lamp and a loud yelling came too.
I gasped as a large blue muscled fist came up from the lamp, followed by a very large blue man. He stretched up towards the ceiling, yelling as he stretched.
"Oy! Ten thousand years, will give you such a crick in the neck!" The giant blue man said loudly as he felt the back of his neck. I trembled in fear. This guy was huge!
"Hold on a second." He said and he picked Al up and hung him by his vest on the wall of the cave. I jumped as he took his head off his shoulders and spun it around, hollering again. "Whoa! Does it feel good to be out of there! Nice to be back ladies and gentlemen." As he spoke Carpet went and pulled Al down from the wall and set him on the rock. The blue man's smoky tail had a strange object on it and he held it up to Al's face.
"Hi, where ya from? What's your name?"
"Uh-uh-Al-Aladdin." Al stuttered in shock.
"Aladdin!" The man repeated, as if it was something spectacular. As he spoke a large sign with bright lights appeared behind him illuminating words as he spoke rather quickly.
"Hello, Aladdin. Nice to have you to have ya on the show. Mind if we call ya Al? Or maybe just 'Din? Or how about Laddie!" I jumped as he poofed into a large dog wearing plaid colors. "Sounds like 'here boy'!" He whistled. "C'mon Laddie!" He started to laugh. I realized that he wasn't a demon, but I wasn't entirely sure that he wasn't going to harm us.
I started to inch out from behind the boulder and got up behind the one that Al was sitting on. He looked over at me and made a strange face.
"I must have hit my head harder than I thought." He whispered to me.
"If you see a large dog in plaid then we both must have." He grinned at me and then patted the rock.
"I don't think he's going to hurt us, Rick."
I swallowed. "Are you sure?"
"Do you smoke? Mind if I do?" The giant blue dog asked and then with a large puff of blue smoke he returned to normal. Abu freaked out by the nearness and slammed into my chest, knocking me backwards onto the ground. "Sorry cheetah, hope I didn't singe the fur!" I huffed at Abu from the ground and then my eyes widened as the genie leaned over the rock to look at me.
"Well, hi there." He greeted warmly. "Where'd you come from? Need a hand short man? Or two, three, four…?" He asked, making bunches of hands pop out to help me back up into a sitting position on the rock. I laughed as one of the hands started tickling me in the side. He slapped it irritably before making it disappear. He grinned goofily at me.
"Sorry 'bout that, unruly hands." I laughed again and then he cocked his head to one side eyeing me and Al. "So, what's your name?"
"Alaric, I'm his friend." I said clearing up the confused expression across his face. He made an 'o' with his mouth.
"Well, nice to meetcha, short man." I grinned and then he spotted Carpet. "Yo, Rugman! Haven't see ya in a few millennia. Slap me some tassel! Yo, yeah!" Carpet seemed happy to see him and eagerly did what the genie asked. Then he looked over at us.
"Say, you're a lot smaller than my last master." He indicated how short we were to him, by placing a large hand over our heads and pretending to squash us. "Either that or I'm getting bigger. Look at me from the side." He said and he made a large gut fall out which he tried to hold in. "Do I look different to you?"
"Wait a minute. I'm your master?" Al asked in confusion. The genie slapped a hat and scroll into his hand.
"That's right! He can be taught!" I laughed and Al rolled his eyes.
"What do you wish of me," he asked regaining our attention. "-the ever impressive." He changed into a big muscular guy. "-the long contained." He popped into a small box looking squished. "-often imitated." He was a man with a wooden doll genie on his lap. He made the mouth move when he talked. "-but never duplicated!" On the word duplicated more genies popped up and made a circle around us all saying 'duplicated' "Genie…of the Lamp!"
He popped up as a strange-looking man who bowed as other genies clapped. "Right here, direct from the lamp, right here for your wish-fulfillment. Thank youuuu!"
"Whoa! Wish fulfillment?" Al asked standing up, his eyes going wide as mine did. This was awesome!
"Like real, wishes?" I asked coming to stand beside Al and the genie nodded.
"Yup. Three wishes to be exact. And xi-nay on the wishing for more wishes." He popped into a machine of some sort and made three small strangely dressed genies popped out of it. "That's it-three. Uno, dos, tres."
He turned into a short grey man with a cigar and curly black hair. "No substitutions, exchanges, or refunds." A black and white duck dropped down with a cigar and a sign around its neck. I laughed again and Genie grinned. This guy was great.
"Now I know I must be dreaming." Al muttered and Genie heard him.
"Master! I don't think you quite realize what you got here!" He said and then he grew larger. "So why don't you just ruminate, whilst I illuminate the possibilities." He lit up like the sun and suddenly we were back on the rock. Genie started to sing.
Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves
Scheherazade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeve
You got a brand of magic never fails!
Genie popped down in front of us and made forty thieves come out of nowhere and surround me and Al. I hid behind Al and then jumped as Genie appeared in Al's vest using his own arms in Al's sleeves, knocking the thieves and sending them flying. Genie poofed us into a corner of a fenced off box then, with Genie massaging Al's shoulders, Abu was fanning Carpet, and I was holding a bucket of water and a cloth.
You got some power in your corner now
Some heavy ammunition in your camp
Then everything went dark and I laughed as Genie turned into fireworks, exploding around Al and me. Abu clung to me afraid.
You got some punch, pizzazz, yahoo and how
Genie then shrunk inside his lamp and grabbed Al's hand, making him rub the lamp.
And all you gotta do is rub that lamp
And I'll say
Mister Aladdin sir
What will your pleasure be?
I jumped in alarm as he appeared in front of us, towering over us as a giant. I gulped and then Genie poofed into a waiter and sat us down at a table. He took out a notepad and using magic he made words come onto the paper.
Let me take your order, jot it down
You ain't never had a friend like me
Ha, ha,ha!
He elbowed Carpet playfully and gave me a wink as he disappeared again. Boy he was fast!
Life is your restaurant
Genie using a finger zapped a platter in front of Al. Al grinned at me and lifted up the top and I laughed as we discovered Genie's head on a roasted chicken.
And I'm your maitre' d!
Genie's ear grew huge as if he was really trying to hear us.
C'mon whisper what it is you want
You ain't never had a friend like me
Yes sir, we pride ourselves on service
Genie then popped into four smaller Genies' all of whom surrounding Al as he sat like a sultan upon a giant cushioned seat, while Carpet and I waved giant fans at him. I stuck my tongue out at him as he grinned at getting the royal treatment. Al was just about to take a bite of his food when Genie buried us in baklava.
You're the boss, the king, the shah!
Say what you wish, it's yours! True dish
How about a little more baklava?
Al and I were made to balance on top of a column and then we fell off and onto another one completely made of fruit.
Try some of column 'A'
Try all of column 'B'!
We fell again and landed onto a pillow that Genie held out in his hand.
I'm in the mood, to help you dude
You ain't never had a friend like me
Genie opened his mouth and his tongue rolled out as a staircase. I laughed as another Genie dressed in fancy white outfit with a top hat ran down with a cane. He shocked me as he pulled me along with him and then we started dancing! Genie made me do the same dance he was doing and I couldn't keep the smile off my face. It's the most fun I'd ever had and I loved every minute of it. I looked up with wide eyes as a large Genie hand came down and luckily he pushed me away before I could get squished. He was squished instead. Al grinned at me and I grinned back.
Can your friends do this?
Genie asked coming back and then he took his head off, added more of them and then juggled them all very quickly.
Do your friends do that?
He tossed the heads to Al, who caught them and did some fancy juggling with them before tossing them back to Genie.
Can your friends pull this out their little hat?
Genie then pulled himself in a loop in and out of Al's red fez and then into a pink bunny.
Can your friends go 'poof'!
From being a pink rabbit, he then transformed into a purple dragon, blowing fire at us. Harem girls appeared around us out of the flames and we grinned goofily at them. They danced around us and my face turned red as one of them winked at me and giggled. Al rolled his eyes.
Well looky here.
Can your friends go Abracadabra, let 'er rip!
And then make the sucker disappear?
As Genie pulled his face in half, he made the harem girls disappear as Al and I were ogling them.
So don't just sit there slack jawed, buggy eyed
I'm here to answer all your midday prayers
Genie turned small and floated in front of Al. Genie made his eyes bug out and his jaw dropped down to the floor as he spoke. He then jumped off of Al's hands and dove into the floor.
You got me bona fide, certified!
You got a genie for your charg d'affairs!
He turned into a giant paper and grabbed Al rolling him up into the paper. I laughed as he spun him around and let him go. Al stumbled at bit and frowned at my laughing expression.
I got a powerful urge to help you out
So what you wish I really wanna know
You gotta list that's three miles long, no doubt
So all you gotta do is rub like so, and oh!
Mister Aladdin, sir, have a wish or two or three
I'm on the job you big nabob
The three harem girls were brought back and Al leaned in to kiss one. When he got close enough to do so, the girl turned into Genie's head then and Al kissed him on the cheek. I laughed loudly at Al's stunned expression.
You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend
Genie made some dancing elephants appear.
You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend
Belly dancing camels next.
You ain't never
...had...a...
friend...like...me!
A lot of really neat stuff came up as Genie was singing. Abu was in a pile of gold and was shoveling gold into his small fez with a greedy expression, while I looked in amazement at all the different stuff.
You ain't never had a friend like me! Ha!
Review?
