Within the Dead Space Read online

  His thoughts turned to Marco. He’ll think that I have left him. The little guy thinks I’m his brother. I couldn’t ever tell him the truth. He had nobody until I showed up. Besides, I like him around. He’s as good as any brother could be.

  Everyday Chaco practiced climbing the rock face. At first he could only get a few feet off the ground but slowly he increased it until he climbed at least thirty feet off the ground. The shocking reality was coming back down. Twice falling about fifteen feet off the face and nearly killing himself, but he didn’t give up.

  As the weeks went by his body became rock hard. His hands were unbelievable. He could hang from the rock face for several minutes at a time with only his fingers dug into the smallest notch in the rock. He reached a point where he began to increase how high he would climb. Every day he went higher and higher. His confidence increased until he was climbing several hundred feet at a time. Somebody had climbed this cliff before and chipped miniscule indentations in the rock allowing for places for hands and feet. The day was quickly approaching when he would leave.

  The cave remained a real mystery. He knew there were secrets to be discovered and he searched for them continuously. He found some gourds behind a movable rock in the cave with symbols and geometric designs carved on them. He worked diligently trying to figure out what they meant. He would discover what one symbol might mean or one design but it was taking him too long. He had to go get Marco tomorrow.

  Chaco had decided he wouldn’t sleep in the cave but this particular night he was too tired to go outside. He closed his eyes and fell instantly asleep. The dreams began immediately. His mind was in a circle of nonsense and craziness. The dreams went on and on. Suddenly, it all became clear.

  He sat up. His mind was crystal clear and he blurted out, “I used to be an Inca king in an earlier life! If that isn’t the damnedest thing anyone could ever say. I am a reincarnation of several Inca kings. It explains the marking on my arm and now I know everything about this place.”

  He walked over to the stone structure in the center of the room and ran his hand across the face from one side to the other. Instantly, the room was bright with light. Chaco walked about the cave touching here and there and finding all sorts of hidden ledges and alcoves. He went to one corner and waved his hand near the floor revealing a secret passageway.

  I can’t believe it. They were running from the Spanish over four hundred years ago and discovered this valley by accident. Two hundred people lived here for forty years after that. They originally used ropes to transcend the cliff from above and then burned the ropes to prevent anyone from leaving and this insured their safety. When the water flow began to decline rapidly they couldn’t escape from here. They would still be here except for the drought. The king was the only one living at the end. He lasted another year by himself. He was an old man when the last of the water dried up and he apparently tried to climb out of here. I don’t know what happened to him. I’m going to search the base of the cliff in the morning for his remains.

  I can’t believe all of the technical knowledge I have. I know how these doors work and why they work. I always felt that my head was full of thoughts that others don’t experience…..but this is crazy. The only thing I care about now is climbing that cliff tomorrow and finding Marco. A lot of good being a reincarnation of a bunch of dead Inca kings is going to do me in this world.

  He sat at the stone table and visualized much of what had transpired in this village hundreds of years earlier.

  Chapter 10

  Chaco didn’t get any sleep the rest of the night and at first light he examined the base of the cliff looking for remains of any poor souls that didn’t survive the climb. It wasn’t long before he discovered a mangled skeleton near the waterfall.

  “Well, that’s a promising start for my climb. I think it best not to look for anymore dead bodies today. It just might give me a bit of a negative attitude.”

  Chaco put everything back to the way he had found it in the cave and turned off the flow of water. He placed a small amount of food in a tied up cloth around his neck and hurried to the wall. He couldn’t see the top of the cliff from the valley floor. He could see the top of the falls but he was sure that it wasn’t the top of the cliff.

  “Well, I can’t wait any longer.”

  He stretched his arms and legs and began to climb.

  It was effortless at first. His fingertips seemed to be glued to the mountain and his confidence was overflowing. He reached the top of the falls and the cliff wall looked like it continued upward all the way to the heavens. Without thinking he continued his climb. Several hundred feet further he reached the end of the indentations in the wall that the previous Inca climbers had carved in the cliff.

  “This must have been where the poor soul fell from,” Chaco speculated.

  Everything got a lot harder. Each handhold, each step had to be tried before releasing his previous position. He found a small crevice in the cliff wall that ran somewhat vertical up the face. He followed it and learned a helpful technique of climbing that he had never thought of before. He would slip his hand into the crevice and then turn it and close his hand. It was very painful at first until his technique improved and after a while the pain eased. The mountain proved to be formidable but as long as he could find a crevice there was no stopping him, or so he thought.

  Booooommm.

  The thundering noise just about knocked him off the mountain. His foot slipped and he was dangling on the cliff face with only one hand lodged in the crevice holding him stationary. He panicked for a second before he finally got a foothold. He looked straight up the rock face and could see some serious clouds drifting above him.

  “Now what? If there is rain in this storm I’ve got a serious problem.”

  He quickly surveyed his immediate vicinity for any type of shelter. There was none to be found. He felt the first drop of rain on the back of his neck.

  “This is a real fix I’ve got myself into now.”

  He climbed two feet higher on the cliff to an area where the crevice seemed the largest. It was a couple of inches wide. He slipped his feet sideways into the crevice and then anchored his hands into place by slipping them in the crevice and turning them. The rain began to fall harder. He lowered his head and held on for dear life. The lightning and thunder was brutal. The sheets of rain flowed down the cliff wall trying to dislodge him.

  This is insane, how did I ever get myself into this dilemma?

  It rained for several hours, well into the night. Chaco was glued to the rock face. His joints felt like horses were pulling them apart. Somehow during all of this he fell asleep and dreamed about flying on the wind.

  Chapter 11

  The sun on his back awakened Chaco and pains shot up and down his arms and legs. He was frozen to the face of the mountain. He slowly moved one arm, then a leg, and on and on until the blood was flowing again. He ate the rest of his guava and then he was ready to continue his climb.

  It was slow at first and he kept looking up the cliff face hoping to see the top. Finally, he quit looking. All he would think about was to reach with his hand, get a grip, move one foot, and get another grip with the other hand and then the other foot. No hope, no fear, just continuation and endurance.

  Multiple slips and small falls, and with plenty of scrapes he continued upward. He reached his hand up for the millionth time and this time something was different. There was a ledge. In a split second his heart raced and his mind thought, can it be? He scrambled up over the ledge and rolled onto the flat surface. His heart continued to rush while his mind grasped what he had accomplished.

  When his energy returned, he inched out to the ledge to see where he had come from. He couldn’t see the valley below. The cliff formation protected the valley from ever being found.

  Chaco was in awe of himself when he looked at the route that he had traversed. The only trace of his climb would be the trail of blood and it would be gone with the next rainfall. He mapped i
n his mind a nearby landmark and hurried off to find Marco. He didn’t have any idea how far away from the village he might be. He knew which direction to go and began walking.

  A day and a half later he was in familiar territory. He had to be cautious now. With great care he approached the village. He hid in the bushes until dark and then sneaked up to Maria’s house and knocked on the door.

  “Who’s there?” asked a female voice inside.

  “It’s Chaco. I came back to get Marco.”

  “I thought you were dead. Marco’s not here. Go away.”

  “Where is he then? I’ve come to get him.”

  “He’s dead. Now go away. I’m going to get Pasquez if you don’t leave me alone.”

  “He can’t be dead. You’re lying to me.”

  “He got ill and died. Now go, and leave me alone.”

  Chaco was stunned, he couldn’t say anything more. He knew that many of the kids in the village died from starvation and disease and it was very possible what she said was true. She had no reason to lie.

  Chaco stumbled away from the door in shock. It was very dangerous to be walking about during the night because the jaguars are out. He hurried to his small house with grief overwhelming him.

  He was still sleeping when a strange noise from outside awakened him. He jumped to his feet and grabbed the nearest available weapon, a heavy old stick about four feet long that he sometimes used to double bar the door.

  Thud, came the muffled sound of a large body slamming against the door. The door didn’t budge.

  “Open this door!” screamed Pasquez.

  “Never, you pig,” Chaco yelled back.

  It was quiet for a moment and then Chaco heard Pasquez say, “Burn him alive.”

  Through a crack in the wall Chaco watched two men hurry off to get some brush to start a fire. Pasquez stood guard at the door. He was a large and fearsome man.

  Without thinking, Chaco quietly removed the brace on the door, ripped it open and rushed out into the bright moonlight.

  Pasquez was ready. He had his club raised and rushed forward. This time he wasn’t facing a scared boy. He was facing a boy who knew no fear.

  Chaco effortlessly avoided the club coming at him. He stepped close to Pasquez and gave a tremendous blow to the side of his right leg. Pasquez tumbled to the ground. Chaco slid his hands on the stick to one end and swung his club landing a huge blow across Pasquez’s face breaking his nose. Blood was everywhere. Pasquez lay flat on the ground with his hands clutched to his face. Chaco stepped over his enemy and raised his stick with both hands and thrust it downward at Pasquez’s heart, like an Inca warrior. If it had been a spear he would have killed him.

  The two other men heard the commotion and came rushing back. They rushed toward Chaco. He didn’t run like they expected. Instead he raised his club and stood ready. They both stopped at the same time ten feet away. They looked down at Pasquez in his pool of blood and this boy standing there. Their bravery left them and they backed off. This was one fight they weren’t ready for.

  Chaco stood there for a moment longer and then turned and walked away. The fight was over. He disappeared into the forest.

  Later that day he rehashed in his mind what had happened. He had felt no fear and somehow he had become an Inca warrior.

  Chapter 12

  Chaco was starving and went straight to Pasquez’s farm and took several eggs. He hurried from the village until he was a couple miles away before stopping to eat. He climbed the tallest tree he could find and spent the night confident that he was safe from the jaguars.

  The next morning he left for Lima. He had never been to a large city, but without Marco there was no reason to stay here. He had no money except for a couple of small gold coins he had taken from the cave and the clothes on his back. He knew of a town about thirty miles away that had a bus line. He walked all day and part way into the night to get there. He was bound and determined to get on that bus tomorrow. He slept in an alley near the bus terminal all night.

  The bus schedule on the wall said the bus would arrive at 10:00 a.m. It was almost eleven before the bus arrived. Several people boarded before him. He handed one of the gold coins to the driver.

  “What is this? This isn’t nuevo sol. Do you have any real money?”

  “It’s better than money….. It’s gold.”

  Everybody’s ears perked up including three rough looking older boys.

  The driver looked closer at the gold and then bit it. He was convinced that it was gold. “Did you steal this? I ought to turn you into the authorities. Hurry up and get on board.”

  “I should get some change back,” Chaco said.

  “You’re getting nothing back and if you keep bothering me I’m going to call the police.”

  Chaco had experienced justice handed out by the police before. “I do get to go all the way to Lima on this ticket, right?”

  “Yeah, yeah, get a seat. I don’t want to hear one peep out of you.”

  Chaco found a seat toward the back of the bus.

  Within seconds of boarding the bus one of the older boys moved to the seat next to him. He gave Chaco a mean look.

  When the bus started he put his arm around the back of Chaco’s seat and leaned closer and said, “Where did you get that gold?”

  “Leave me alone,” said Chaco.

  “You got anymore gold?” and he started to reach into Chaco’s pocket.

  Chaco jumped out of his seat and tried to move to another seat. The older and much larger boy wouldn’t let him through to the aisle.

  “Knock it off back there.” screamed the bus driver as he brought the bus to a stop. He turned in his chair and hollered. “If I have to stop again I’m throwing all you boys off the bus.”

  Chaco took the opportunity to move to an empty seat near the front of the bus. The older boys backed off for the moment. They were going to Lima and there would be plenty of time to take the gold.

  This was the first bus trip that Chaco had ever been on and he enjoyed it thoroughly. It took about sixteen hours to get to Lima with multiple stops. Watching all the different people come and go was enormous pleasure for him. When they stopped in one of the villages an older woman gave him some bread and a piece of fruit out of the kindest of her heart.

  They arrived in Lima at two in the morning.

  Chaco hadn’t noticed that the three older boys had moved up in the bus and were sitting just two rows behind him. When he stood to get off he saw them.

  Chaco hurried through the terminal. There were only a few people around at that hour. The three boys seemed to be following him. When he left the terminal he made a run for it. The other boys were surprised and took off after him. Chaco ran like he had never run before. He darted through streets and alleys but the boys still gained on him. Then he made a mistake and turned into a dead-end alley with tall buildings on two sides and a thirty foot brick wall at the end of the alley. He didn’t know what he had done until it was too late.

  The three boys spread out across the alley and slowly approached Chaco. The alley was lit and there was no way that he could get around them. Chaco paced against the back wall like a caged animal, thinking how do I escape?

  “Give us the gold and we’ll let you go,” hollered the biggest boy.

  Chaco thought about giving them his gold. He could survive without it.

  He looked closely at the three boys as they approached and saw they had knives in their hands. These guys were thugs and they were going to kill him.

  With catlike finesse Chaco turned toward the back wall, took two steps and leaped as high as he could onto the brick wall, his fingertips and feet searching for something to hold onto. With enormous strength he grabbed the edge of a brick with one hand, his foot on another brick at the same time and pushed and pulled upward instantaneously. He climbed to the top of the wall without stopping.

  The three boys stood in awe for a moment and then took off running down the alley. Chaco heard one of the boys s
ay, “We can still get him. Follow me.”

  Chaco went over the top into another dead end alley. He climbed part way down and then dropped the last ten feet. He was running when he landed. He ran out of the alley and looked back down the street and saw the boys in hot pursuit. The race was on again.

  I’m in big trouble here, Chaco thought to himself as he kept running.

  Pretty soon he knew he would be exhausted and they would try to kill him. Chaco started slowing down trying to preserve his strength, looking for a way to escape. He turned a corner and saw two pieces of rebar, each about two feet long. He grabbed the rebar, ran a short distance further and then stopped in the middle of the road. He would go no further.

  Chaco prepared for battle with a piece of rebar in each hand and waited. The three boys closed the distance quickly and encircled him. They were laughing and heckling him. Their knives were drawn. Chaco kept turning and moving, trying to keep them off balance.

  One of the boys lunged from Chaco’s blindside and barely missed cutting him. Chaco retreated backwards. Another boy attacked from his blindside again slightly cut his arm.

  I can’t keep this up, they’ll eventually get me.

  Chaco was ready when the largest boy lunged at him with his knife. With unbelievable ease he broke the boy’s hand with a quick swing of the rebar in his right hand. He spun around to his left and caught the boy in the throat with the rebar in his left hand. The boy tumbled to the ground clutching his throat. The other two boys had been caught off guard but they weren’t about to run. They wanted the gold.

  For a few moments they hesitated and then advanced. One boy got too aggressive and lunged further than before.

  Chaco blocked the knife with the rebar in his left hand and swung upward with the rebar in his right catching the boy between the legs. The boy crumbled to the ground. Chaco spun toward the third boy, raised the rebar high into the air with both hands and screamed out, cole asa noga un sol.