Dog Days of Summer
Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious
A/N:
Chapter 22 (Ancient Tunnels)
Beyond the expansive graves, the entrance to the network of tunnels built by her great-great grandfather was dark and musty. Jade walked behind her, whining about the strange wet parts of ground that she was stepping on. "What possessed your grandfather to make tunnels down here with whatever equipment he got his hands on, I'll never know."
"I told you, he was terrified of the war. When World War One came, he created these tunnels for protection." Jade winced after her paw splashed into a puddle. "You know they're still completely open. When it rains, the water still comes in here."
"So. Dark, wet, I can see why you wouldn't want to be alone down here."
"Yeah." The lighting in the tunnels had been provided by Clarence many years ago when he decided to put some electricity in case he ever had to go down into them. They turned on all the tunnel lights when burying Shadow, and these lights were still on. "We must have forgotten to turn off the lights, still relatively dark further down though." She swallowed hard as her body started to shiver from the drop in temperature. "Grandpa Peter was only eleven when the war started. I heard grandpa tell stories about how Peter and his sisters helped Raul with these tunnels."
"How did they even build these?"
"Raul was a foreman at a factory, or some construction agency." Tori turned her head and groaned when she saw the shadow of a rat run past them. "There were a bunch of tools on site that allowed them to break through the side of the hill out there and create that alcove and these tunnels."
"Interesting. It must have taken them some time to finish." It did take a long time. The tunnels had begun to be constructed before the war began, but finished just months before it ended. "What do you expect to find? Do you even know?"
"I'm not sure." She paused at an intersection where there were three possible way to go. "Some of the tunnels were added on when Peter was grown." Jade dropped her head and groaned loudly. "Grandpa would tell me stories about his father during the prohibition years, Peter would use these tunnels to brew bootleg liquor."
A squeak echoed from nearby, causing Jade to jump and shriek. "Just point the direction to wherever it is we're going. I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible." Tori laughed, amused by how easily Jade was frightened. "What's so funny? There's things down here! God knows one of these tunnels could collapse at any time!"
"Grandpa tried to prevent that by putting concrete through the walls and the ceilings of the tunnels in the past, but of course he never finished. There was one room he got to that he said was so important, but I don't remember why-I don't think he ever remembered either."
"Why do those businessmen want this land so badly?"
"I don't know." She turned to the tunnel on the left and furrowed her brow as a strong feeling seemed to pull her in the direction. "Let's keep moving. This way." She was just as nervous down here as Jade was, but she was doing the best she could to ignore the anxieties regarding these tunnels and focus on the end goal. "I don't know what's down here, I just know something important is down here."
"Not exactly the most reassuring thing, Vega." Tori exhaled and looked up at the ceiling. They were getting close to the older part of the tunnel. She wasn't sure how she knew this, but it still gave her the sense that they had to be extra careful beyond this point. "Oh look, another crossing up ahead. Which way now? Left or right?"
"Hum…" Tori stopped and glanced from side to side. Her eyebrow rose and she slowly looked to the right. "To the right." Jade moved forward and hung close to the wall as she glanced around the corner.
"You're sure you're not just guessing?"
"Something tells me the left is a dead end. Sometimes you just have to follow instinct, that is what Shadow said."
"So you say. Frequently." Tori shrugged and hurried on down the path. Jade followed, then let out another shriek. "I think I just stepped in rat dung or something!" Tori rolled her eyes and looked back. She didn't know of any animals that would have detectable crap left over down here, though rat poop could be noticeable for a dog. "Oh, nevermind, just more wet ground…"
"Jade. Shouldn't I be the one panicking down here and not you?" Maybe it was Jade's nervousness or the unknown destination that made her calmer than she would be normally. Jade bared her teeth for a second and ran up next to her.
"Not funny."
"Not trying to be. Feels like we're getting close." As they neared the end of the long tunnel, there was a curve which led them to a small tunnel with an old wooden door with rusted hinges attached to a stone frame. The girls slowed their pace and Jade started to whistle as they moved past the door.
"Careful here Tori, the ceiling looks worse here than anywhere else."
Tori studied the roof just near the entrance. It contained rocks, branches, and other dangerous material. "Yeah…We must be in the oldest part of the network Grandpa Raul built. No one's been this far in since Raul, I think."
"Holy crap. Tori, look at the walls." Tori turned to the walls in front of her and gasped as Raul's spirit entered to light up the room. When this happened, several gems shone along the walls. "Diamonds, rubies, your grandpa must have discovered all this."
"Do you think maybe it could keep the farm in the family?"
"It means something, that's for sure." Jade walked over to what looked like a dusty step. She sniffed it, then sneezed. The rush of air from the sneeze caused dust to fly into the air. Tori moved over to her, holding her breath so as not to breathe in the dust. Jade groaned softly and moved her paw up to her snout. "Who put a bloody chest down here?"
"Who do you think? Only one person's ever been this far in…" Tori found the line on the chest and nudged it open with her nose. What she saw startled her into a state of silence and shock. It was a document, at least a hundred years old.
Jade stared at her for several seconds, then peered into the chest. "What's in here?" The girl huffed and pulled her head back, blinking multiple times. "Is that the fucking deed? Locked in here all this time?" She shook her head and groaned. "Got to be kidding me."
"W-We need to get this back to Trina! Now!" Just as she mentioned Trina, she heard her sister's voice calling out for Cleo and Artemis. Her heart stopped and she turned around to see the light of a flashlight moving towards them. "She followed us."
"Must have seen us come into these tunnels." Jade hurried towards the entrance and Trina stopped just in front, shining the light down at the dogs.
"There you two are. What are you doing all the way-" Tori barked and Trina glanced over to her. A wrinkle formed between her eyebrows as she moved the flashlight to the chest. "Is that what I think it is?" She inched forward and knelt down before the chest. Carefully Trina lifted the document out of the chest and held it in trembling fingers. "This-This is the deed and the proof of ownership. Raul must never have mentioned putting it here."
"I think I'd take a dog treat now, sis." Tori laughed and Jade shook her head. "Aw come on Jade, this is a good thing! We get to keep the farm now."
"I just wish your grandpa would have mentioned it." Jade rolled her eyes and exhaled slowly. "Would have saved us the trip of having to come down here. I hate this place. I want to leave these tunnels."
"Oh all right. There's not much we can do, let's just leave when Trina does." Trina was now looking at the crystals in the wall, amazed by the treasure. There was a pickaxe in the wall, indicative that Raul possibly wanted to dig deeper in.
"You know what?" Trina looked down at the dogs and chuckled dryly. "If those businessmen had any inkling about all the stuff down here, it would explain why they've been so adamant. They probably did too." Trina shone the light on another patch of gems and sighed heavily. "Grandpa said when Raul got older and started losing his mind, they put him in a retirement home where he was telling people about all sorts of things he found in these tunnels…nobody took him serious because he was just a 'crazy old man'."
"Not so crazy as they thought." Jade barked and Trina turned around.
"I guess you two want to get back outside. I don't have phone service here, I need to call dad and let him know about all this."
Jade started barking once more, happy to finally be on the move. Tori laughed as Trina started moving towards the entrance. Tori took a final glance at the walls before continuing. When she did, she heard a strange sound and glanced up to the ceiling near the entrance.
Jade glanced up as well and let out a shrill cry. "Look out!" As Trina stepped beneath all the dangerous debris, Jade rushed forward and leapt up towards Trina's chest and abdomen.
Tori screamed as Trina stumbled backwards, narrowly avoiding all the stones and branches that fell with a great amount of dirt. She ran to her sister's side and began examining her for injury.
Trina opened her eyes with a cough and looked towards the entrance. "Shit." The debris now blocked the exit, but what more, it all landed on Trina's leg and locked her in place. "I can't move." Tori looked down and whimpered as she nothing but mounds of debris from Trina's waist and down.
"No!" She rushed down and started digging frantically. "No, no, no!" Her heart started to race as her body tensed with fear. To her right, she heard more coughing, but only beyond the debris. "Jade? Jade is that you!"
"Y-Yeah, I'm outside. What's going on?"
"Trina's trapped underneath everything! We can't get out." She looked back to her sister and winced as Trina attempted to reach the flickering flashlight beside her. Tori's heart stopped and she let out a mournful scream. "We're losing light! Jade, you need to get help!"
"Help? Who all's out there?"
"Just do something, please!"
"Okay, hang tight. I'll be back." Within seconds, there was only silence. Trina's body was shivering and the girl was groaning painfully. Tori let out a weakened whimper and moved up against her sister's chest, curling beside her.
"Cleo?" Trina wrapped her arm around Tori and winced. "Where is Artemis? I can feel my leg, but I can't tell how much debris fell out." It was all rock above the dirt and branches. If Jade hadn't managed to push Trina back some, it could have been much worse. "I'd be able to dig myself out if I were at least on my back."
Tori whined once more and looked towards the exit, half blocked by the debris. All they could do now was wait for Jade to get back with help, if she found anyone.
She heard Trina groan once the flashlight flickered off. Considering this part of the tunnel was its darkest, Tori could only reply with a frightened whimper. "Hurry Jade…"
They found the deed as well as a few underground gems, how lovely all this treasure in such a dark place. Well, now the sisters are trapped with little oxygen and little time. Run, Jade, run.