Chapter 3: The Mine

"This is awesome!"

Riley brightly skipped in the mine despite the limp in her leg, the light of her headlamp swirling all over the depths of the mine. Thankfully, despite how sudden it was to Alex, he had remarked that it would be fun and tagged along with her and Sabrina.

With Sabrina, exploring the mine was awesome. With Sabrina and Alex, exploring the mine was paradise.

"Um, watch your step," Sabrina said uneasily. "Can't have your limp coming into play."

Riley stopped skipping to turn around and look at Sabrina. "Seriously, will you quit worrying?" she said lazily. "We'll all be just fine."

"You know, why exactly do you want to go to a mine for your birthday?" Alex quipped.

Riley shrugged. "I want to prove to everyone that this mine isn't haunted, and perhaps even gain a little respect around here. That, and, well, going to a mine in general seems cool."

But Alex wasn't paying any attention. He had looked behind him nonchalantly-

His heart skipped a beat.

Alex reeled in a deep breath. "Um, guys?" He wasn't quite sure how to explain this...

He then shook his head rapidly, knowing that he'd have to get himself together, and quickly. After all, they didn't know anything-

"RUN!"

Alex's sudden yell jarred Riley out of her own little imagination and sent her head whirling about. "Wait, what-"

Then she saw a pale figure in the distance. One that looked to be of a girl...

Suddenly she could hear another voice, likely from her. "Nu-uh-uh!"

Wait... a ghost?! Were the legends true after all?

The girl lifted her arm, and out from it shot a comet-like burst, aimed at the ceiling. The burst split and solidified into ice once it contacted the ceiling, then shattered abruptly. As a result, the whole mine seemed to shake horrifically and large rocks began pelting down.

Alex's eyes widened, and his lower lipped dropped open. Then he shook his head rapidly. "MOVE!"

With that Riley watched him break into a sprint, putting as much distance from the girl and the collapsing rocks as he could. She also watched him unearth a small, stick-thing that she couldn't make out very well-

A pulsing rumble above her broke her out of her thoughts. Riley looked up-

The mine ceiling was collapsing.

For a second, Riley was too awestruck to do anything. But when she pushed herself out of her small trance and came to her senses, it was too late. The rocks were already upon her.

Sabrina also noticed this. She had ran out of the way in time, following Alex's lead. She threw her head behind her-

Riley.

She was going to get crushed!

As if her body had a mind of its own, she spun around on her heel and dashed towards Riley at the speed of light. "Riley!"

Riley looked to her left to see Sabrina running towards her, and the next thing she knew, she was thrown on the ground-

Suddenly all was quiet.

Riley hacked a few coughs, slowly coming to her senses. What... what had just happened?

She grunted as she helped herself up to her feet and looked around. It was so dark in here... Riley then realized that the impact of hitting the ground must have done something to her light.

Riley was barely able to breathe as she readjusted her light, adrenaline coursing through her veins. What about Alex and Sabrina? Where were they? Were they safe? Oh gosh, she shouldn't have come here-

The headlight now fixed and secured around her head, she directed it at the wall of rocks. Riley scanned the new change in the mine slowly-

Sabrina.

Riley gasped, instinctively taking a step back. There was her friend, buried under all of the rocks, bloodied and battered up, eyes closed and body limp...

"SABRINA!"