Remnants — Episode 12

A tall spruce crackled into fiery light a hundred feet below. Its quick heat warmed his face. Sparks shot up, drifted on the wind to fall upon pines above and around him.

Eli turned, forced himself headfirst into the narrow crack, cried out. He was stuck. He lunged harder. His flannel shirt ripped on the jagged edge, then he was falling. He reached back to grab the rock but it was beyond his grasp. His head bumped the rock side then his left shoulder wedged between the narrowing stone walls. Eli twisted around, and his legs dropped painfully to the ground. He shifted to look up at the cleft ten feet above.

The forest fire was directly on top of his lair. The crevice’s red mouth blew hot, foul air at him. To escape the heat and stench, he pushed into the black space at his back, felt cool air.

He’d guessed right … a cave. He swung his legs around so he faced the cool dark.

Eli yelped in surprise as the floor beneath him declined. He slid down a narrow shaft that dropped away at a steep slant. Arms reaching overhead, he tried to pull himself back up the slope. The grade was too severe. He slipped farther. Momentum increased, and Eli rushed down the chute. The crevice opening, his window on the world, shrank as he plunged lower. Already the wildfire was hurrying on and the light fading as it passed.