A New World- ( Charmed & Skelace)

[Charmed]

Kate moaned, turning over as she tried to find a more comfortable position. She couldn't remember her mattress being so hard and lumpy before....? After a few more unsuccessful attempts, she sighed and cracked open a single green eye... and gasped.

Oh my god! The cave! And that's when it all came rushing back........

The walls lining the southern section of tunnels inside the monstrous underground cave system were covered in ancient hieroglyphics.A fascinating history depicting the daily life of a cave dwelling race that lived thousands of years ago. It was only the first day on a 5 day excursion and already they'd seen the most amazing things. After she and her companions, a handsome and very physically fit man named Nathan Burton- who incidentally, she noticed, was not wearing a wedding ring...and their quiet but knowledgeable guide who simply went by "Hawk", had lingered a while studying the ancient writings, it was decided that they'd head back to the cave's entrance where they would make camp for the night.

They had been walking for a good hour or so, the heavy-duty flashlights they each carried- their only source of light, when the first trace of natural light became visible in the distance. They picked up their pace, "Hawk" leading in front, Kate in the middle and Nathan at the rear- as they were eager to be out by nightfall. Finally, a large cirle of daylight lit up the cave when they neared the massive opening. However, when they were only about 50 or so feet away from the entrance, a sudden rumble echoed throughout the cavernous tunnel. Then another one, much louder than the first that was accompanied by large, crumbling pieces of the cave's ceiling that fell dangerously ontop of them. The last thing Kate heard before darkness engulfed her was Hawk's panicked order to "RUN!".....

"Hel...hello?!" she yelled. Or rather, she tried to yell, before a coughing fit momentarily overtook her as her lungs fought against the dust and dirt gathered there and in her throat. Once it passed, she tried again, "Helloo?" As she looked around the area in which she currently lay, there was nothing recognizeable save for crumbled rock debris. When her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, she was able to make out a faint spot of light ahead of her. She gingerly sat up, rubbing at her aching back and running her hands along her body in search of any injuries. The absence of any pain other than her stiff muscles and joints was a welcomed relief as she slowly got to her feet.

 

[Lost Legacy]

Nathan's head was pounding. He could barely breath, something was pressing on his chest. His eyes were fluttering as he regained consciousness. When he saw the rocks and debree around he realized quickly what had happened. Damn cave. Collapsing when we were nearly out.

He looked to his chest to see when was squeezing down on him. A large piece ceiling had collected there now compressing his body. Nathan groaned as he pushed the stone to one side. How long had he been out? He looked around for anything familiar, he saw a blurred shape begin to move into view. He heard her voice calling out but he could only reply in groans.

He lifted his arm to waved his hand so she could see him. He was still trying to get a base of where he was looking around to find some light that would promise and exit.

 

[Charmed]

As Kate took her first tentative step forward, something...a sound made her pause and slowly turn around. There! Just a few yards behind her...was that an arm? Then she heard the sound again, and thanks to her years of experience hearing "groans" of all shapes and sizes in those she treated in her medical practice, she recognized it right away. " Nathan?" she called out as she made her way back through the piles of rubble, trying not to trip and fall on her ass. It had to be him she thought, it would only make sense since he was behind her when
the cave in happened.

" Nathan! Are you o.k., can you hear me? It's Kate." she asked as she came upon his prone form and knealt down beside him.

 

[Lost Legacy]

Nathan saw her blurred figure above him, he couldn't remember who she was just that he knew her. He tried pushing himself up but crumpled back down in pain. His chest hurt as if it was on fire. He tried talking but the words only came out as grunts again. At least she knew he was alive that was all that mattered.

He tried to think of another way to communicate with her, but his head was hurting to much. How did she get away unscathed but he got pounded with boulders. It didn't matter now, he just wanted to make sure they were safe, and from what he could tell from his blurry sight that that they were not safe in anyway shape or form.

 

[Charmed]

" Whoa..whoa, easy there- just keep still a minute......" Kate said as she helped him lay back. " I'm a doctor and I need to check you out for injuries, O.K.?" She first checked his pulse and was relieved when it proved to be steady and strong, perhaps just a bit fast but that wasn't unusual in a situation like this. Next, she needed to visibly check for any external injuries but with the dim lighting that wasn't so easy to do. So instead, she ran her hands all along his body feeling for any wetness that would likely indicate a bleeding sight. " O.K., that's a good sign" she said more to herself than to him when she didn't feel any signs of blood. " Nathan? I'm going to try and lift you to a sitting position now O.K.?" The possibility that he had a punctured lung or broken ribs was in the forefront of her mind but she really needed him coherent and able to tell her if and where he hurt.

After she got him into a better position and had removed some more debris, she leaned him against the cave wall. A bead of sweat formed and rolled down her face and for the first time since she'd "woken up" she noticed the humid temperature inside the cave. Shit she thought to herself, they really needed to get the hell out of this place- and fast. By the faint trickle of sunlight that she could see shining into the mouth of the cave, she could only assume that atleast a full day had likely past since the cave in. " Do you think you can walk Nathan? We really need to get out of here...who knows if another quake or even an aftershock might trap us in here completely"

 

[Lost Legacy]

Nathan nodded, trying to sit up, with her help. He let her check him a bit more before she decided they should leave. He was trying to find his voice, god he was thirsty, the heat in the cave not helping. His voice croaked out, "Yrea..." He wanted to say more but his dried throat wouldn't let him. Her voice was the only way he knew he just in a dream.

Leaning on her and the wall heavily he got to his feet. The pain in his chest was tremendous. He'd had broken ribs before back when he was a kid, but he couldn't tell if his ribs were broke or just unused to the lack of pressure. Was it possible they had permanitly bent? He couldn't think straight yet. Crazy things shot through his mind. He put his arm around her, hobbling, through the maze of debris, that led to what little light he could make out. It hurt... a lot plain and simple.

He couldn't tell why but the pain seemed to reside as he moved through the cave, maybe adrenaline. "Where's the... guide?" His breaths were heavy and his words were hard to get out as they moved towards the light. He began to chuckle as he played the idea in his mind, they were running towards the light. Oh if only he wasn't in this situation he would make a smart comment.

 

[Charmed]

" I..I don't know...he was leading us..in front..maybe he's closer to the entrance or perhaps he made it out......" The words
got caught in her throat when, as they reached the widest part of the cave where the sunlight shone through an opening just wide enough for
one person to crawl through, a skeleton laid beneath a cluster of rocks. " Oh My God!" Kate mumbled as she stepped carefully
closer to the remains, her arm still wrapped around Nathan's waist. She recognized the tattered blue bandana that was wrapped around the skull's forehead as that of Hawk's. And yet, it was almost impossible to believe. She and Nathan were fine, other than some treatable injuries...how did Hawk end up that way? But most importantly, considering the time it took for human flesh to decompose.....how long had they been unconscious inside the cave..?

Her medical curiousity in the strange mystery would have to wait...atleast until they were able to get help, afterall it was obviously too late for Hawk but it wasn't too late to get Nathan to a hospital. " Come on, we're going to have to go out the entrance one at a time, I know you're hurting but just hang on a little longer..we're almost out.."