The Hole (Flash Fiction)

"Wake up."

She opened her heavy eyes. Sunlight had already found its way through the thick canopies of trees and tents towards her face. The lush vegetation appeared greener and more alive and some flowers bloomed from the touch of morning dew. The birds were chanting their songs.

"It’s time to explore," her boyfriend continued.

While she was asleep, he cooked their breakfast on the bonfire nearby their tent. After sharing the quick meal and cups of coffee, they tidied up their sleeping bags and utensils in the tent. The bonfire has been distinguished.

Few meters from their tent, in the heart of the forest, in a clear area devoid of flora, there was a huge sinkhole.The two found out on the Internet that the sinkhole was over a thousand years old with a diameter of 30 feet, according to experts, and it was filled with mysteries. Rumors have it that the foreign governor general who fought in the war 300 years ago hid his treasure in the hole before surrendering to the rebels, while other versions say bodies of prisoners of war were dumped there. For the tribes in the forest, the sinkhole was the den of the gigantic snake, the guardian of the forest. Some speculated that the sinkhole was a portal to a different universe or a rabbithole into the supernatural world. Others said that a sinkhole was a wormhole to travel across time.

They were here to explore the sinkhole and uncover the truth about its mystery. Both were explorers, treasure hunters, and bloggers. They met two years ago in the Catacombs in Paris and formed a friendship from their interests that turned into love. Exploring abandoned places, archaeological sites, and nature together became their bond and livelihood.

In the two huge trees embraced by moss and wild orchids, the trees nearest to the sinkhole, they attached ropes they would use to rappel down the hole. They packed their bags with the tools, medications, and food they might need later when descending through the hole.

They started rappelling down. Due to its age and being untouched, the soil in the sinkhole was hard enough not to crumble or erode. Nonetheless, the two were still cautious with their movement.

Over 100 feet below, they reached the end of their rope. This caused them to swing around in the air and disturb the wall of soil around them. Loose rocks and soil started to fall below.

They decided to unknot themselves from the ropes and jump. A few feet below them was clear water accumulated in the sinkhole over the years. The water splashed as they jumped into it. And the clear water turned cloudy from their disturbance.

Muddy water gushed from above as the rain fell. They immediately tried to climb to reach their ropes after they realized that it was raining. But the splashes earlier made the soft soil harder to penetrate with tools. As they tried and tried to climb, the soil eroded.

They treaded in the water to stay afloat for hours, with the hope of the water getting high enough to reach the rope. Their bodies got tired after hours of attempting to climb and stay afloat. After several hours, their bodies began to fail.

Their bodies sank further into the sinkhole. As they sank deeper and deeper, it got darker and darker. But everything became total darkness as they lost their consciousness towards the depths of the cold water.

"Wake up."

She opened her heavy eyes. Sunlight had already found its way through the thick canopies of trees and tents towards her face. The lush vegetation appeared greener and more alive, and some flowers bloomed from the touch of morning dew. The birds were chanting their songs. Again.

"It’s time to explore," her boyfriend said. Again.