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“It doesn’t have to be expensive,” I say as we make our way down the narrowing tunnel. Any champagne sounds brilliant right about now. Maybe I’m not as adventurous as I want to be. It’s quite scary.
“What?” He seems confused.
“Some of the best things in life cost nothing.” He stops and turns toward me. It’s dark all around us, but the lights attached to our heads are bright, and I wonder what he’s trying to find in my expression. I’m certainly not good at masking how I feel.
“I agree with that. I’ve been all over the world and I ran from home so fast and so hard that it gave me whiplash, but if I’m being honest with myself and with you, I haven’t felt this happy in a long time. Maybe what I was seeking all along was actually here. Maybe I didn’t need to run anywhere.”
It’s the most honest thing I remember Blaze saying. I should respond, should lift my hand and caress his cheek, should ask him to expand on what he’s saying. But I chicken out, and the moment is lost . . . once again. He turns and begins walking. We’re mutually silent as we move farther along the path until it opens into another cavern.
“I thought I heard running water,” Blaze says.
We carefully move forward and find an underground stream. I lean down and feel the water. It’s ice-cold and I’ll bet it tastes divine. I’m not going to test my theory, though. There are too many fears of what might be in it.
“We’re in the right place.” Blaze pulls out the map and shows it to me. “Look for the rock cropping.” The two of us circle the large cavern until we find the shape on the map, a pile of rocks. We dig into it... and find a box.
“I can’t believe it’s here.” I jump with excitement as I hold the box in my hands. “Is this the treasure?”
Blaze looks at the small item. “I doubt it. If so, this game has been a heck of a lot of work for a tiny prize.
“It’s not about what the item is, it’s about the journey. How can you not be excited about this?”
“Maybe because I’m irritated about the whole thing. I’m not sure how Gramps coordinated this with some strange woman, but it sucks that he’s making us jump through hoops even in his death.” Something in his tone tells me it’s much more than that.
“I think it’s more likely that you miss him.” I quietly hand him the small wooden box.
Blaze is silent for several moments. “Maybe I do. Maybe I should’ve made a few different choices in my life.” This is more progress than I could’ve hoped for.
“Open it please before I die of anticipation.” I’m unable to contain my excitement.
Blaze lifts the lid and we both gaze inside. There are only three words — “Shi Shi Beach” — and an envelope with another map.
Memories flood me of our time at that beach. We spent a lot of time there. How in the world is this adventure leading us back? How had this woman who wouldn’t have known we’d be together, brought us to this location? It can’t be possible. Blaze’s gramps had to have changed whatever was in those boxes. It’s the only thing that makes any logical sense.
“It looks like we’re heading back to the beginning just like the poem stated.”
“So the hunt’s still on?” I’m so grateful to hear this.
“The hunt’s still on,” he tells me with a chuckle. “We might as well get out of here. By the time we get back to the mainland, I’ll be ready to chew off a leg. I’m already hungry again.”
“I have granola bars.” I take off my pack and pull out a couple of them and hold them out.
Blaze accepts one and, with our newest piece of treasure tucked into his pack, we begin to make our way out of the tunnels. He’s strangely quiet as we make the two-hour trek outof the cave. When we finally see light again, it’s later than we realized.
The sun’s low in the sky; we’ll be hard-pressed to make it to shore before dark. I don’t mind a sunset boat ride with Blaze at the helm. My emotions are already messed up. What will more confusion hurt?
We begin the path down to the boat, and that’s when things go severely wrong. I hear the rattling too late. Blaze is several feet away and I turn in time to see the snake’s head coming toward me. I stumble back, but not far enough.
The thing strikes fast, latching onto my leg, and immediate pain makes me scream before I fall backward. Blaze catches me before I hit the ground. He kicks the snake and it goes flying into the woods.
“I’m right here, Cori,” he tells me as he cradles me in his arms, and then begins running down the trail to the boat.
It doesn’t take long to get there, but my leg’s on fire. He climbs aboard the boat and lays me on the deck. He doesn’t hesitate a single second before ripping the bottom of my pants to see the area better.
“I need to grab the first aid kit. I’ll be right back.”
I can’t stop tears from falling down my face. I’ve never been bitten before, which I’m grateful for. The pain’s excruciating. I reach down to rub the spot, but Blaze is back and pushes my hand away.
“Don’t touch it. I need to clean the area and we need to get you medical help.” The panic in his voice isn’t reassuring me. “I should’ve been faster,” he says as he washes the area, tying a dressing a few inches above the bite mark.
