Chapter 12
Two weeks later Eliza is just striving as she can't believe everything that has happened. On this day her parents are starting back up on filming near a tiny town in china. "Mom! Dad! Are we almost there?" Eliza yells across the motor home just thrilled to be back to normal. "Yes sweetie," Marianne says to Eliza who is watching out the window. "Just a few more minutes and we should be there," she adds to her youngest daughter. "Darwin can you believe we are back in China?" she says as her plans take place. "Yeah it's just so wonderful!" Darwin says sarcastically yet he is just so grateful to have his best friend back again. "It's just so good to have you back Eliza. It was really hard trying to do normal things," he says for the millionth time but she hasn't grown out of the attention. "Of course, it was so scary and yet I can't remember anything from the day it happened. According to mom no one was close enough to see what happened. Donnie was off doing his own thing," she says as Donnie jumps into her lap as he hears her chattering with Darwin. "Huh Donnie you were doing your own thing," she says patting him on the ten minutes later do they make a stop in the middle of the jungle. "Well I'm outta here!" Eliza says trying to run off with her best friend and little brother. "Eliza be careful please," she hears her mother call from behind. Eliza sighs hard before answering back. "Sure mom!" she calls back. "Is it just me or has mom gotten really overprotective suddenly? Ugh I can't wait till she has the baby then maybe she will start acting normally!" Eliza says really frustrated about her mom. "Come on Eliza let's just get out of here and try to forget about it," Darwin says as they start off into the forests of China.
Marianne and Nigel are somewhere along a river a few miles down searching for a rare rabbit that lives in China. "Well so far we have seen about ten different species of rabbit but not the one we are looking for," Nigel says as they walk a little farther. "I don't know how much more I can take of this Nigel," Marianne blurts out as Nigel finds another rabbit but quickly lets it go realizing it's a species he has already seen. "What?" he says not exactly hearing what she said. "I said maybe one of the girls can help you tomorrow I'm feeling really tired," she says trying to stay upright and not fall. "Marianne you look horrible are you sure you can make it the rest of the day?" Nigel asks more concerned about her health then anything. "Yes of course I can," she says going into the 'I can do anything attitude.' "Well ok," he says not sure whether he can believe her or not.
At lunch time Eliza, Darwin, and Donnie find a small cave with a stream running through it. "Hey guys come on!" Eliza waves at them from behind trying to get them to follow. "Uh uh," Darwin starts "you do remember that one time where the cave collapsed right?" he says cowering outside the cave. "That was ages ago Dar would you rather be out here all alone?" she says in her tone that only freaks him out more. Donnie is way ahead of them and starts into the cave wandering around. Minutes later Eliza drags Darwin inside and they start exploring around. Donnie starts chattering towards one of the walls and Eliza bravely walks close as she notices something strange. It's a marking that she just can't make out. Suddenly the three of them are thrust into another chamber that is so dark they can't see their hands in front of their faces. Darwin cries out in fear as Donnie huddles close. "What just happened?" he screeches as Eliza stumbles around for her flashlight. "I don't know but this place is amazing," she says like she isn't terrified.
"Wonderful! We are trapped!" Darwin shouts at his friend again. No I mean look it's really amazing," she says as she looks around the chamber. It looks like a lave tube that at one time had natives living inside. There are pots, pans, tools made of stone, and even some places look like beds. Eliza then notices markings on the wall. "Get a load of this," she gasps. Darwin still looks terrified and is sticking close to his friends afraid something much worse could happen. "People lived here Darwin and look at those markings," Eliza says in awe. She notices a marking that has a person standing near an animal and he is holding what she thinks is a fiery weapon. "Dar-win," she says like she's seen a ghost. "What ?" he says. " I don't think I like this place anymore," she says cringing and stepping away from the piece. "That animal is going to be killed and that one they are trying to throw off a cliff and that one there is a mob, and that one…" she says but Darwin cuts her off. "Eliza those pictures are graphic enough I think we should just leave the rest alone. "I don't want to know what the rest could be I would rather figure out how to get out of here," he says. "No I want to look around some more and get away from these images," she says as they start off down the cave a little more. She comes to a stop when she realizes they are on the edge of a ravine. "Wow how far down do you suppose that goes?" she asks. "I don't know and I don't want to find out," Darwin says hanging onto his friend.
Back outside Marianne and Nigel have made very little progress except for the exercise they are getting for the day. "Hope we find it soon so we can leave," Nigel says to his wife who just looks so exhausted. "Marianne are you sure you can make it? You look worse," he says so concerned. "Yes I'm fine we just have to find that rabbit," she says more determined than anything to finish finding that animal. "Well then let's just relax for a little bit ok?" Nigel says as they stop for a short while so she can regain some strength for the day. "Nigel I'm really sorry about all of this I should be out there finding this animal so we can get through quickly," Marianne says disappointed in the little she can do. "No, don't be sorry I expected all of this from you you are doing amazing. I'm so surprised you are still going," he says cuddling up to her trying to make her comfortable.
Back in the cave the trio make their way down the cave and find themselves in another chamber but this one is much more open and directly below the chamber they were in earlier. "Well it doesn't seem anything great is here so how about we just keep moving," Eliza says looking around. "Eliza what if we don't get out of here and end up like that!" Darwin screeches as Eliza looks over to her right and finds bone remains of a person. "Ahh!" they yell out and make a run for the other side where they take a left down a long corridor that empties into a huge lake. "Wow isn't this amazing!" Eliza says to Darwin and Donnie. "Amazing," Darwin repeats and Donnie jumps in and Eliza follows after him. "Come on Dar this water is amazing!" she says as she looks under and sees pretty rocks far down below them.
The three of them swim around for awhile not sure how they will get back but Eliza isn't too concerned. A bit later Eliza decides it is getting a bit chilly and gets out on the side while dragging Donnie along. "Maybe we should start heading back," she says realizing she has no idea where she is and that it is cold. "Surly t here is a way out we are in an underground lake it should drain somewhere," she adds as they start heading down the cave some more. After walking through the cave Eliza hears a roaring noise and sees a tiny bit of light. "Darwin! I think I see a way out!" she yells to them who are still wandering close. They head towards the light as the noise grows louder and as they reach the edge of the cave. What they see takes their breath away. They are at the edge of a waterfall that runs down hundreds of feet and beyond that they look out to the forest. It is so thick and beautiful. In the distance the three of them spot the tiny town on the far eastern side of a distant mountain. The sun is hanging low in the sky and threatening to go down. "Hey Darwin we should head back now I'm just not sure how to get down," Eliza says looking for an easy way down.
In the woods Nigel spots his chance and grabs the next rabbit to cross his path. "Got one dear!" he shouts to his wife who is sitting on a nearby tree branch. She is feeling a tad bit better from earlier but is just ready to leave. "It's the one were looking for!" he says as Marianne gets the camera ready so they can at least get something for the day.
It is starting to get really cold out and Nigel does his best to finish his show for the day before it becomes nightfall. Marianne gives him the thumbs up letting him know he is close to the half-way point of the segment.
The sun starts to creep lower in the sky as Eliza finally finds a shallow way down. "Hey guys over here!" She calls Darwin and Donnie over. The piece has a more curving slope so it won't be quite as bad going down. She has Donnie go down first to test it since he isn't afraid of anything he slides down first with virtually no problem and then she goes down next sliding on her butt coaxing with her hands. She reaches her brother and then calls up to Darwin. "Come on you can do it!" she says watching him cower from the high cliff. "Darwin! We don't have long the sun is setting and it is cold enough as is!" she yells at him. He gives her a look like she is crazy but fearfully he slides down and nearly loses his balance a dozen times on his way down. He trips over a rock right before he reaches them and rolls down the rest of the ten feet . Once down the hill Eliza gets her bearings straight and starts heading away from the sun. "Wasn't that great Dar? Today was just incredible so what should we do tomorrow?" she says to Darwin as they head towards their campsite somewhere on the other side of the cave they were in.
"You're asking me?" Darwin begins. "Well then I say we should stay put tomorrow," he finishes. "Ha ya right! That'll never happen," she says laughing at him. A wind blows through the trees making the temperature drop drastically . "Whoa! We really got to get back now being winter the temperature is going to go down fast," Eliza says as she picks up the pace a little bit while checking her compass now and again.
Nigel wraps up his presentation with a tiny bit of light to spare. "I think we could be home a little bit before the sun goes completely down," Marianne says as they load up for the evening. "You did fantastic dear," she adds as he lets the rabbit run off into the wild. "Of course this job is so easy," Nigel says so proud of himself for all he has accomplished that day. "Sure it is," Marianne says sarcastically. "Aw I knew you would agree," Nigel adds as they leave for the evening.
Eliza gets back home moments before her parents do and so she gets changed so she can get warmed up before she gets sick. "How was your day Debbie?" she says to her sister who is just sitting around. "Lovely," Debbie says as Eliza watches her parents get back home.
To be continued… I hope this was alright I had to end this chapter somewhere. So their will be a few more chapters just not sure how many yet. 5 or 6 tops
