de secret of sweet water cave

8/14/2019 De Secret of Sweet Water Cave

1/129

The

Secret of

SweetwaterCave

By Thomas Graham


2/129

For Molly and Rory

Copyright 2008by Thomas Graham

All rights reserved. This publication may not bereproduced in whole or in part without written

permission by the author.

This book is pure fiction. Any resemblance tonames, places, businesses, events or persons

either living or deceased, is coincidental.

The Secret of Sweetwater Cave/ Thomas Graham


3/129

1

Chapter I

Tim Duggan was in grade eightand having a good year so far. His subjects were

interesting, his marks excellent and the teachersalways had positive things to say about him in hisreport card.

Behavior and attitude very satisfactory,wrote

Mr. Davis.

A joy to have in class,wrote Mrs. Paulson.

A bright, inquisitive student,wrote Ms. Keeper.

Tims parents were pleased. They told him

often how proud they were of him. It should have

been enough for him but he found it wasnt. Hesighed. They dont understand, he thought. They

dont know the whole story.

The truth was that Tim was becoming a bit of aloner. He had his two friends Steven and Jeremy

but no one else wanted to be his friend. He knewwhy. Im not cool, he thought. Im no good at

sports except for swimming and I study too much.

It wasnt fair. Why does getting good grades haveto mean Im not like everyone else? I like ordinarystuff too.


4/129

2

Tim couldnt see how different he had become.

He was in fact much more serious than the rest ofhis classmates. His experiences had done that tohim. The incident with the rams head and the near

disaster with the time machine had had a profound

effect.

Tim didnt think about it that much but when hedid, he wondered why they had happened to himand not someone else. He had no answer. It was a

mystery as much as the rams head and timemachine had been.

It was May. Ms. Keeper announced in class that

they would be splitting up into pairs or threes to doprojects.

Were going to focus on where you live. I wantyou to prepare a display on one aspect about your

neighbourhood, your community or this town.

Weve talked about history, business, geography andthe like. Pick something that you find interesting

and go with that.

Steven and Jeremy were Tims first choice whenit came to project partners but they were all set to

work with another friend. Tim tried to find anothergroup but was shut out. He remained at his desk

and stared at the chalkboard. He didnt know what

he was going to do.

Ms. Keeper approached him. Well Tim? Whathave you decided?


5/129

3

Im sorry Ms. Keeper but I havent got myself

into a group yet. He didnt want to tell her that noone wanted him.

Ms. Keeper looked across the room. She could

see her students sitting down to discuss their ideas.She noticed one other lone pupil.

Theres Kelly over there. Why dont you gettogether with her?

A girl? Tim thought. I dont want to do a

project with her! Uh...I dont know, he saidslowly.

Kelly? Could you please join us? Ms. Keeper

called out to her. Kelly came over to Tims desk.

Kelly Baron was very smart. She had a lot in

common with Tim. She didnt have too many

friends either and didnt think she was popular withthe rest of the girls. Her parents were divorced and

she lived with her mother.

She had to be the best at everything. She triedto outdo them all. She always did better on tests

than Tim, which annoyed him. She practiced herclarinet for the school band religiously. She even

dressed conservatively. Tim thought she was

snooty.


6/129

4

Since neither of you have found a project group

yet, I suggest you form your own, Ms. Keepercontinued. She smiled at both of them.

Kelly stared at Tim. You have gotto be kidding,

she thought. I dont need anybody. I can do aproject just fine on my own. Hes just going to get

in the way!

Ms. Keeper? Kelly asked. Couldnt I work

alone?

Thats not the idea here Kelly, her teacheranswered. Working and planning with someone

else is partly what youll be learning.

But...

Now why dont you pull up this chair and sit

down with Tim to discuss it. I want to know your

plans by next class, Ms. Keeper said pleasantly andwalked away to another group.

Kelly sat down in the chair next to Tim. Theyavoided eye contact. They had nothing against eachother. They neither liked nor disliked one another.

But if this was for marks then they wanted to dothings theirway.

How am I going to work with her? Tim thought.

How am I going to get what I want if hesbreathing down my neck? Kelly wondered.


7/129


8/129


9/129

7

Before Ms. Keeper could say any more, Tim

asked her. You want us to do a project on that?

Why not? She bent down and lowered her

voice. Its the perfect thing for the two smartest

students in the class. You can tell us not only whatthe mystery is but give me and the rest of the class

the answer too. She straightened up.

She knew they wouldnt back down from a

challenge, especially if she appealed to their pride inbeing A students. It worked.

Kelly was the first to respond. Ill do it, she

said.

Tim looked at her. Shes going to need my help,he thought. I will too.

Excellent! Ms. Keeper said cheerfully. Good

luck! She walked away.

This should be fun, Tim said to Kelly.

Uh huh, Kelly replied somewhat suspiciously.I still dont know about having him for a project

partner, she thought. I hope he doesnt mess thingsup. I want a good grade.

Tim was more concerned about how he andKelly were going to get along than what kind ofgrade they would get.


10/129

8

Chapter II

Kelly returned to her desk and took out somepaper and a pen. She sat down and began writing.Tim wondered what she was up to. He came to her

desk and bent over to see what she was writing.Kelly looked up at him.

Do you mind? she said. She was annoyed.

I just want to see what youre doing, Tim said.

Im making notes, she said curtly.

About what?

About the project! What do you think?

Now it was Tims turn to be annoyed. Kelly,you dont have to be that way. I need to know.Were partners.

Kelly made a noise of disgust. She ignored him

and kept writing. Tim could tell she just wanted him

to go away. This has got to stop, he decided. Itsgoing to stop right now.

Kelly, if you wont let me see what youre doingthen Im going to tell Ms. Keeper that youre not

cooperating with me.


11/129

9

Kelly looked up at him. You wouldnt!

Yes I would.

Kelly was frustrated. She didnt need this. She

was already concentrating on organizing herself.Tim was distracting her. Now he was threatening to

tell on her. I dont want any trouble from Ms.Keeper either, she thought. She had an idea. Sheraised her hand.

Yes Kelly? Ms. Keeper said as she came up to

her desk. What is it?

Tim and I need a quiet place to work. Couldwe go to the library?

Thats fine. Ill give you a pass. She handedher a library pass.

Come on, Kelly said to Tim as she gathered upher papers. Tim followed her to the library.

As they sat down at a table in a corner of thelibrary, Tim asked, Whats this all about? Why arewe here?

I dont want you running off to tell Ms. Keeper

every time you dont get your way! Kelly whispered

fiercely.


12/129

10

I wasnt going to do that. I just wanted us to

start off on the right foot. You cant do it all byyourself.

Yes I can! Kelly wanted so much to tell him. All

right. Lets get this settled. Ill share everythingwith you if you promise to let me do the organizing

and be the project leader.

So what do Ido exactly?

Ill break up the project into sections and give

you stuff to do. You leave Ms. Keeper out of it.

Tim thought about that. I dont know if I wanther to be the leader. Why cant we both decide?

Because I know more about Sweetwater Cavethan youdo!

She doesnt know that much more than I do,Tim considered.

Kelly was anxious. Is it a deal?

I guess. Tim held out his hand to shake on it.

Kelly was caught off guard. Whats he doing?

She frowned.

Come on, partner. I give you my word. Letsshake.


13/129


14/129


15/129

13

Well meet at the library, she said

emphatically. Nine oclock.

That early?

She was ready to give up. I cant believe this.How are we ever going to get anything done?

Whats wrong with nine oclock?

Its too early. Lets say ten thirty.

No.

Ten?

No!

Nine thirty?

Tim...

Kelly, you have to give a little. Im willing to

meet you at that time.

All right. Nine thirty but not a minute later andwere notgoing to shake on that.

Tim rubbed his hands together. Good. I

promise Ill do my part. Well get this done, Kelly.

Were going to solve the mystery and get an A.


16/129

14

You mean Ill solve the mystery, Kelly thought.

You probably wont do much at all. They returnedto the class.

Tim walked up to Ms. Keeper. What can you

tell us about Sweetwater Cave?

Not too much. For all the secrets it has anenduring quality. Everyone seems to have heardabout it at some point. Its a cave but no one

knows how to find it. It has a strong associationwith the town. From what I know, it was an

association that was beneficial. Some say it wasmuch more than that.

When youre doing your research, dont forget

to get out of the library and ask around. You mightcome across someone who can tell you more aboutit firsthand. You could get a lead in a direction that

you hadnt thought of before.

Tim and Kelly thanked her for the advice. Tim

was getting more interested by the minute. Heknew Kelly was driven to success and that meant agood mark. He was intrigued. I would really like tosolve this mystery, he thought.


17/129

15

Chapter III

Saturday morning came and Tim rolled over inbed. He yawned. He loved Saturdays. It was sogood to sleep in. He was awake but relaxed, eyes

closed. He was already thinking about summervacation. Then, it dawned on him.

He whipped around and sat up, peering at hisalarm clock. It was just a couple of minutes beforenine. He remembered. Ive got to meet Kelly at the

library!

He bolted out of bed and quickly got dressed.He grabbed a snack bar from the pantry cupboard

and scooped up his backpack with his notebook. Hedashed out the back door, stopping after only aboutthirty feet. I forgot my wallet! He had his bus pass

in there.

He ran home, got his wallet from his desk andwas out the door again. He ran down the street to

the bus stop. He knew the bus would take him right

to the front door of the main library. To his dismay,

he could see that it had already arrived and was justpulling away from the curb as he got to the street.He had no chance to catch it. He was still on thewrong side.


18/129

16

Tim groaned. Im going to be late, he thought.

That wont put Kelly in a good mood. I dont wanther on my case all morning. He got to the bus stopand waited impatiently for the next bus. It was

quarter after nine.

Kelly was sitting at a table in a section of the

library that they had arranged to meet at. She knewshe was early but she expected him to be there nolater than nine-thirty. When he didnt show up on

time, she began fuming.

Where is he? She thought. He promised hewould be here. We cant waste the morning! Tim

was five minute late, she saw. Then he was tenminutes. At quarter to ten, she finally saw himstrolling down the aisle to her table. Well its about

time!

Kelly glared at him as he casually sat down and

took out his notebook. Where have you been?She said angrily. Do you know what time it is?

I know, I know. Im sorry Im late. The buswas...early. Tim tried to pass that off as an excuse.

Ive been waiting for half an hour!

Im only fifteen minutes late, Kelly.

I got here at quarter past nine to get us atable! The least you could do was show up ontime!


19/129

17

I said I was sorry.

We have lots of work to do and if youre goingto keep me waiting every time we... Tim had to

interrupt her.

...Which is why we cant spend any more time

talking about me being late. I really am sorry. Ipromise I wont do that to you again.

Kelly looked at him. Tim was telling her thatshe had made her point. She gave him one more

icy stare and then looked down at the table. Shecomposed herself then looked up at him again.

Tim could read her expression. You better not

be late on me again, she was telling him. Hedecided to get their session under way. So whatdid you come up with?

Kelly sighed. Not very much at all. The localhistory books dont have a lot to say about it. I

didnt get any new information, just a rehash ofwhat I already know.

Same here. I mean, there are several other

places that have a Sweetwater Cave but there wasnothing on a cave in our city.

Great. Were nowhere for all the time wevespent so far. She paused. This is harder than Ithought it was going to be.


20/129

18

Tim had to agree with her. It didnt look

promising. Should we tell Ms. Keeper that we wantto do a project on something else?

Kelly thought for just a few seconds. No, she

said. I dont want to give up just yet. We have tokeep at it.

Okay. Lets ask someone for help. He got upfrom the table and walked over to a station where a

library worker was seated.

Can I help you? The man asked Tim.

Yeah. We need information on the history ofSweetwater Cave. Weve checked the books here

and the Internet but we dont have enough. Weneed more.

I see. You could scan the microfilm from the

newspaper for information. The only problem is youwould have to know what days in the past are

important to your search in order to narrow itdown.

We have no idea.

Then I suggest you pay a visit to the town

historical society. They may be able to help you.

Heres the address. He wrote it down on a piece ofpaper and handed it to Tim. He took it.


21/129

19

Thanks, Tim said. He walked back to Kelly.

He explained to her what he and the library workertalked about.

Kelly was surprised at Tims initiative. I think

thats a good idea. I should have thought of thatbefore. She looked at her watch. Should we go

see if theyre open today?

Im ready if you are. Tim and Kelly left the

library. They caught a bus.

On the ride to the historical society, neitherperson spoke. Tim thought it was weird to sit next

to a Kelly on the bus. He tried not to come incontact with her but the bus sometimes lurched or

turned a corner hard and they bumped into eachother on occasion. Tim would say sorry but Kelly

just ignored it.

He often wondered what was going through hermind. What does she think of me? Am I nothing

but a bother to her? Is she anxious to get theproject finished so she doesnt have to work with meanymore?

He noticed he had a funny feeling. She coulddrive him crazy with her obsession about

organization and time but for all the exasperation,

he admired her. He wanted to please her and showher he could do more than just tag along. Hewanted to impress her with his ability to help solvethe mystery. He didnt know it yet and wouldnt


22/129

20

dare admit it if he didknow but he was starting to

like her a little.

Kelly was aware that she had strange feelings of

her own. She realized that Tim could stand up for

himself like he did in class and insist that she shareher notes but he could also apologize when he had

been in the wrong, like when he was late. He reallyisnt so bad, she thought. She turned to give him abrief glance. Hes also good looking, she

considered. I like his hair. She saw him look backat her and she quickly looked away.

What was that about? Tim wondered. Was she

going to say something? He saw Kelly lean over andpull the cord to signal a stop.

This is it, she said. Time to get off. The busstopped and he followed her off the bus.

They walked a half a block to the small buildingthat held the office of the historical society. They

walked in.

A representative from the society was bent overin front of a filing cabinet. He stood up and looked

at them from his side of the counter that separatedthem.

Im afraid I was just about to close up for theday. We arent usually open on Saturday. Youllhave to come back another day.


23/129


24/129

22

It seems to me that the talk was that it had

some sort of healing power. Crazy stuff like that.Like I said, it was too far-fetched to be anythingmore than a fairy tale or a kids bedtime story. He

straightened up and looked down at Tim.

But if you really want to know more, I suggest

you go see Mrs. Comrie at the retirement home outon Englewood Street. She was a past member andalways insisted she was an expert on it.

Tim looked at Kelly. Shall we?

Kelly had her doubts. I dont know if this is a

good idea anymore.

But this is exactly why Ms. Keeper suggested it!She wants us to dig for the truth! Well blow heraway with what we find and get a top mark!

Kelly couldnt resist a chance to earn another A.She was willing to give it another shot. Okay, Tim.

But if we dont get anywhere with Mrs. Comrie thenwe have to change directions.

All right. I see what you mean. Now come on!

Times a wasting. Tim led them out of the buildingwith Kelly following this time.


25/129

23

Chapter IV

Tim and Kelly rode the bus once more. Theretirement home that the historical society clerk hadtold them about was a considerable distance. The

pair had time to talk about how the project wasgoing so far.

You know, Kelly was saying, Im not thrilledabout this subject for our project. I would prefersomething easier. Why are you still so interested?

Tim thought before answering. Im not surehow to explain it. I guess the mystery of it all isgetting to me but thats only the half of it. Theres

something thats kind of...urgent about it as well.Its like I shoulddo it. Its important in some way.

Well I sure dont feel that way.

Kelly, I have to ask because its bothering me. Are you upset that you have to work with me on

this?

Kelly looked at Tim. She didnt know what tosay. The question took her by surprise. No Tim.Im not upset. Im just not used to working with anyother kids. She paused. Im sorry I gave yousuch a hard time about being late.


26/129

24

Thats okay. You had a right to be angry with

me. We agreed on a time and I didnt keep my endof it. But I think you need to relax a little more. Iknow you want to get a good mark. Dont worry so

much about getting everything done all at once. We

have to give ourselves a chance to work on it.

I suppose youre right. I cant help it. Ivealways been that way.

Well be fine. Youre very good at organizingthe work. Im glad youre on my team.

Kelly was struck with silence for a second time.

Thats so nice of him! She thought. She smiled. Thanks, Tim. Im kind of glad youre on my team

too.

They sat for a few more minutes without talking.

Then they heard the bus driver call out the stop that

they had requested.

Here we go again, Tim said. He got up andKelly was right behind him as they got off the bus.

They entered the building and went up to the

main desk.

Were here to visit with Mrs. Comrie, Tim said

to the receptionist.

Kelly was amazed at how easily Tim talked tostrangers. If it had been her, she wouldnt have


27/129

25

been so confident. She was glad he was good at

talking to people. She was more at home sitting ata table in a library studying by herself than mingling.

Are you relatives? The receptionist asked

them.

No, Tim replied. Were doing a project forschool and we heard that she knows a lot about oursubject. Is that all right?

Well I must say this is rather unusual but I see

no harm. Youll find her on wing B. Thereceptionist pointed them in the direction of the

ward where Mrs. Comrie had her bed.

Thank you, both Tim and Kelly said.

Kelly was quite happy to let Tim take the lead.

He once again spoke to the nurse at her station and

explained their purpose. They werent prepared forwhat the nurse would say to them.

Mrs. Comrie is...not always easy to talk to, Thenurse started to say. How do I explain the conceptof senility to two kids? She wondered.

Tim and Kelly looked at each other. What do

you mean? Tim asked.

Well, shes in her eighties and her mind isnt assharp as it used to be. Shes forgetful and confusedsometimes. She has her good days but they are


28/129

26

getting to be rare. I doubt if shell be able to give

you any information. But let me introduce you toher. The students followed her to a lady sitting in achair by a window.

Mrs. Comrie? You have some visitors. This isTim and Kelly.

Mrs. Comrie turned to look at them. Hello Mrs.Comrie, Tim said. Kelly also said hello.

The elderly woman smiled and asked, Do you

know the king of England?

Tim gave the nurse a puzzled look. What do Isay to that? He wondered. The nurse responded

with an expression that said do you see what Imean?

Kelly decided to try. Uh, Mrs. Comrie, we dont

know the king of England. Could you uh, well, tellus anything about Sweetwater Cave?

I thought he would come see me, Mrs. Comriesaid to them. I want to see the king. I want tomeet him.

The nurse spoke in a soft whisper. I dont

think this is a good time to talk to her.

I want to see the king of England, Mrs. Comrierepeated.


29/129

27

Im sorry that he isnt here for you, the nurse

said to Mrs. Comrie. But see who did come! Somevery nice children.

Its a pleasure to meet you, Tim said. Kelly

said nothing. Tim elbowed her.

Yes, Kelly said. Its good to meet you.

Mrs. Comrie was silent for a moment or two

then she clapped her hands. Oh look, Melissa!Pappys home!

The nurse explained to the students. Melissa

was her younger sister and shes talking about herfather.

Melissa, come quick! Pappys going to take usto the candy store for some treats!

This isnt getting us anywhere, Kelly thought.She wanted to leave. Tim wasnt sure what to do.

The nurse sighed. No one said a word.

The nurse motioned them over to the station. As they walked away, Kelly heard Mrs. Comrie say

very quietly, Pappy said hes been to SweetwaterCave, Melissa. He told me never to tell.

Kelly stopped. Tim and the nurse continuedtowards the station. She went back to where Mrs.Comrie was sitting. She asked, Your father wentthere? He knew where it was?


30/129

28

Oh please dont tell him! I promised! I

promised I wouldnt tell a soul! Mrs. Comriebecame very agitated. The nurse returned to calmher.

Its all right, Mrs. Comrie. Kelly means noharm.

I know I shouldnt say anything. Youunderstand, dont you? Mrs. Comrie looked at

Kelly.

We thought you were an expert on SweetwaterCave, Kelly said to her.

Mrs. Comrie half whispered to Kelly. Pappy

said he found it when he was just a boy. He said itwas a good thing he did. Everyone was grateful.She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes and

didnt say another word.

I think we should leave her, the nurse said.

She tires easily.

Okay, Tim said. That was interesting.

Kelly didnt want to go now. She wanted somuch to talk some more with Mrs. Comrie but the

nurse was leading them away. Kelly looked back

over her shoulder.

I wonder why her father said she should nevertell anyone about it, Kelly said to no one in


31/129

29

particular. Why was everyone so grateful? Kelly

looked at the nurse. Could we come back foranother visit?

I dont want to upset her, the nurse said. Give

her a few days. Ill have to see if its too troublingfor her to talk about it. She told Tim and Kelly her

work schedule and advised them to see her firstbefore they talked to Mrs. Comrie again.

Now Im really curious, Kelly said to Tim asthey left the building. Ive got to find out what she

knows.

She was acting like she was a little girl again,Tim said. She was afraid she would get into

trouble. But that guy at the historical society saidshe used to talk about it. I see what the nursemeant when she said she was confused.

Yeah, thats kind of sad. I hope we can catchher on one of her good days.

Thats up to the nurse.

So what do we do now?

I have a suggestion. Lets go check out the

caves in City Park.

What?!


32/129


33/129


34/129

32

Tim recoiled at her accusation. What are you

talking about?

Kelly continued to frown at him. Dont play

innocent with me! I should have known you would

do something so immature like that!

I swear I dont know what you mean! Whatsgot you so upset? Tell me.

Youdid this, didnt you? Kelly pointed to thetree. Tim came closer for a better look.

Oh, he said as he saw what she was pointing

to. He read T. D. loves K. B. Someone had carvedtheir initials.

I didnt do that! I would never mark up a treeeven if I did... he stopped. That was a stupid thing

to say, he thought.

Thats it. Were finished. Im going to tell Ms.

Keeper that I cant work with you anymore. This isharassment!

Oh great, Tim thought. Just what I need. How

can I convince her I didnt have anything to do withthe carving?

Kelly, you have to believe me. I didnt do this.

I dontbelieve you.


35/129

33

All I want to do is get the project done. Do you

think I wantyou mad at me? When I was late forthe library, I found out what that was like and it wasno fun at all. We need to work together in order to

finish the project. We cant do that if were going to

argue. So for the last time, I didnt do it.

Kelly stared at him a long time. Tim thoughtshe was trying to decide if he was telling the truth. So maybe you thought I would be pleased, she

countered.

No, Kelly. If I were you, I wouldnt like it. Thisis a prank. Then he thought of something. You

know, perhaps this isnt about us. It could besomeone elses initials.

Kelly opened her mouth to say something butdidnt. She looked away. I dont know.

Tim was encouraged. Good, he thought. Shehas her doubts now. Sure. That has to be it. This

is about some other kids. Its entirely possible.Dont give it another thought.

Kelly didnt say anything. She didnt look at him.

I dont know if I won her over with that, Timthought. I have to say more.

If theres one thing Ive learned Kelly, its thatIve come to respect you. I know we werent crazyabout having to do this thing together at first. Wefought at the beginning and that wasnt any good. I


36/129

34

felt so relieved when we started to really act like a

team. I meant what I said yesterday. Youre goodat doing stuff like this. Dont let this ruin it for us.

Kelly didnt want to talk about it. She simply

picked up her bike and said with no enthusiasm,Lets go.

Tim picked up his bike too and followed her.Im back where I started, he thought. I dont know

what shes thinking. She probably wants to just getit over with so she doesnt have to have anything to

do with me. He sighed.

Kelly wasnt sure what to make of Tim. She hadconvinced herself that he was behind the carving on

the tree. That would be just the sort of thing a boywould do, she thought. Ha, ha. Really funny.

But the more she thought about it, the more she

realized Tim was probably telling the truth. She hadto admit he wasnt like the other boys in her school.

What he had said to her just before they left was averymature thing to say, she decided.

The carving still bothered her. She didnt want

the other kids to think that she and Tim were goingout. She wondered what Tammy would say.

Tammy was her best friend. She was also themayors daughter. They had shared the sameelementary school then had gone to differentschools after that. She and Tammy didnt talk about


37/129

35

guys very much. But Kelly knew she could talk to

Tammy about this. Would she say that Tim wasright? Could it be someone elses initials? Ill haveto give her a call.

Tim and Kelly arrived at the park and continuedcycling to the caves. Tim stopped and drank some

water. He offered the second bottle of water thathe had brought to Kelly.

Thanks, Tim. She took it and had a drink aswell. After a short break they pedaled the rest of

the way to their destination.

Everyone called them caves but that wasmerely tradition. They were barely more than

tunnels. No one knew how long they had beenthere or whether they were even natural or man-made.

Parents of young children were always worriedthat some youngster might get lost one day if they

wandered off but that was almost impossible. Thetunnels didnt go far and most ended in one centralroom.

Kelly had said they were creepy because therewas a time when older kids were using them as a

hideout and had initiations that were nasty. The

park police had put a stop to that. They patrolledthe tunnels often. They didnt let huge gangs ofpeople go in. They left families alone. They didnt


38/129


39/129

37

and walked to it. I see something. Kelly walked

up to the same spot.

What did you see?

Tim ran his fingers over the wall. Its small butit looks like it could be two letters.

I dont see anything.

Right...here, Tim pointed with one finger. Itsrough but I think it says...S.C. He paused then

announced excitedly, Sweetwater Cave! Righthere!

Kelly finally saw the scratches that Tim thought

were letters. Oh come on, Tim! Thats absurd!Thisis the cave?

Yes! It makes sense. This must be

Sweetwater Cave that were standing in. It washere all along. We just didnt know it for what it

was. I found it!

No you didnt, Kelly thought. He wants to thinkthat but hes wrong. Youre jumping to

conclusions, Tim.

But Kelly...

Think, Tim. Youre basing your theory on oneflimsy piece of evidence. I refuse to believe that


40/129

38

this is it. Dont forget. We have to explain the

name of it as well. Why was it called Sweetwater?

I dont know.

I think that once we truly find it, well know theanswer to that too. I wonder if theres a pool or

something inside the cave.

Okay. Maybe youre right. But I still thinkS.C.

might have something to do with Sweetwater Cave.

Kelly was shining her flashlight all around theroom. Tim thought she was now looking for

something. Whats up, Kelly?

I was thinking. We have these tunnels coming

and going. Perhaps there is a tunnel that leads toSweetwater Cave.

We already know where all these tunnels end.

Yes. Unless theres one we dont know about.

Tim didnt respond. He began to shine hisflashlight around the room again. So where is this

secret tunnel?

After several minutes, Kelly said, I dont see

anything. Do you?

Nope.


41/129

39

This is no good.

But I like your thinking. We dont look for thecave. We look for the tunnel that leads to the

cave.

Yeah. I read about how they discovered the

wreck of the Titanic. What they did was focus onfinding the debris from the sinking. They thoughtthat would lead them to the ship. And guess what?

It worked. They found a boiler first. They identifiedit as coming from the liner.

Tim was shaking his head. Kelly is so smart!

No wonder she beats me on every test.

I think we should quit for now. Lets go backand review what weve learned so far. By the way,it was a good idea to come here, Tim. That was

good thinking too.

Tim was surprised at Kellys compliment. She

was ready to complain to Ms. Keeper just a shortwhile ago, he remembered. I guess were back tobeing a team again.

They left the park and made plans to reuniteafter school on Monday.


42/129

40

Chapter VI

Kelly returned home after she and Tim split upat the school. She phoned Tammy a little whilelater.

Hello? Tammy picked up the phone at herend.

She doesnt sound so good, Kelly thought.Hey, Tammy. Its Kelly.

Hi Kelly.

Are you all right? You dont sound so good.

No. I think I got a cold or the flu. I feellousy.

Oh, Im sorry to hear that. Have you got aminute to talk? I want to ask you something.

Sure. Im just lying in bed listening to music.

Whats up?

Kelly explained the tree carving and Timsinsistence that he had nothing to do with it. Sowhat do you think? Should I believe him?


43/129


44/129

42

Tim and Kelly reviewed what they had learned

so far. I was thinking about what else S.C. couldmean, he told Kelly.

Oh really?

Yeah. There are other possibilities. Besides

Sweetwater Cave, it could mean secret cave.

Kelly was thinking too. It could also mean

subterranean cave.

Wow! She could be right, Tim thought. Wewere checking the walls for other tunnels. Maybe

its underneath us.

Maybe, Kelly said matter-of-factly.

There is still one more possibility, Tim

continued. I did some checking.

What did you do?

I began to think ofS.C. being someones

initials. You know, like those that were on the tree.I talked to the historical society again. I asked

about Mrs. Comrie. They said her fathers namewas Sylvester Comrie. She was married but later

got a divorce and went back to her maiden name.

Everyone just called her Mrs. Comrie after that.

So now you think that S.C. could stand for herfathers name?


45/129


46/129

44

This isnt good, she thought. I need those students

to do their part on the projects.

On Wednesday, Tim and Kelly went to the park

and Sylvesters Bridge. They put on their rubber

boots. Tim was the first to wade into the marshypatch under it. At one point, he had to bend down

to get all the way under. Kelly went on top of thebridge to look around.

They spent several minutes just walking around,checking the bridge and the water. Tim, I feel silly

doing this, Kelly complained. Tim didnt reply.

Tim glanced up and checked the underside ofthe bridge. He was looking at each individual board.

He inspected them carefully. The last board to hisright was different. It was old and rotten. He triedto wipe it clean. His finger traced a groove. It was

an arrow, pointing down.

Tim followed the arrows direction with his eyes.

He was excited. He looked down at the water. Hecouldnt see anything. He stepped around in a semi-circle. He pulled up the sleeve of his sweater andthrust his hand into the water. After a few

moments, he felt something. His hand grasped itand he hauled it up from the water.

He shook the mud and green stuff off andstared at what he held in his hand. Kelly! Heshouted. I found something! He came out fromunder the bridge to show her.


47/129


48/129

46

may try. But if it upsets her, youll have to forget

about it.

Tim and Kelly found her in her favourite chair by

the window. It was a dreary day, with a light rain

falling. Mrs. Comrie stared out the window as ifhypnotized.

Hello Mrs. Comrie, Tim and Kelly said. Doyou remember us?

Mrs. Comrie turned to look at them. Im Tim

and this is Kelly, Tim pointed to himself and hispartner. Kelly gave her a big smile.

Mrs. Comrie turned back to the window. I like

the rain, she said. It makes the flowers grow.The flowers are important. Pappy says so.

Thats right, Tim said. He carefully took out

the strange looking object from the marshy area. We were wondering if you knew what this was.

He held it out for her to see.

Mrs. Comrie turned her head slowly back to Timand Kelly. She saw what Tim held in his hand. She

stared at it for a long time without saying a word.

Mrs. Comrie? Kelly asked tentatively. What is

it?

Melissa, you know I cant tell you that.


49/129

47

She must think that Im her sister, Kelly thought.

What do I say to her? She had an idea. I promise Iwont tell anyone.

Mrs. Comrie looked up to her. But Pappy

wouldnt like it.

Ill make her happy, Kelly thought. No useupsetting her. Okay, she said. I understand.

Mrs. Comrie didnt reply. She closed her eyesand they thought she fell asleep. She surprised

them when she finally said, Thats Pappys key.

His key? Kelly asked in a surprised tone ofvoice.

Shhh! Not so loud! Mrs. Comrie said.

Sorry, Kelly whispered. His key to what?

Mrs. Comrie turned back to the window again.

You found his key but you mustnt tell anyone.

She was silent for another moment then added, Pappy said the flowers are important. He told me

to always remember that.

Tim and Kelly looked at each other. I guess

thats all for today, Tim thought. Come on, he toldKelly and they left Mrs. Comrie.


50/129

48

Great, said Kelly as they walked out of the

retirement home. Now we have another mystery tosolve. Whats the key for?

But isnt it obvious? Tim said. It has to be

the key to opening the tunnel to Sweetwater Cave.What else couldit be?

Oh. Of course. How foolish of me. Perhapsyou might also tell me just where the key is

supposed to fit?

Tim hadnt been thinking of that. He frowned.Im not sure, he said.

Right. Youre not sure. Isnt that a shame.

But I know where to start looking. Lets goback to the caves.

Tim! We could look all day and not find it! Doyou see how small it is?

I know but what else have we got? Lets goback home and pick up our flashlights and startsearching.

Kelly could see he was determined. She didnt

want to go back to the caves but she was his

partner so she went along anyway. He might stillneed me, she thought.


51/129

49

Chapter VII

Tim and Kelly decided to have some lunch athome and then meet up again at the school beforechecking the caves. Kelly picked a spot near the

school to rendezvous that wasnt anywhere near thetree that she thought might be their initials.

Tim found her sitting cross-legged beside herbike, scribbling into her notebook. What are youdoing? He asked her.

Im keeping a log of everything weve beendoing on this project. Were trying to solve amystery. We need to remember what weve done.

Thats a good idea, Tim agreed.

And theres Mrs. Comrie.

I know. Shes a bit of a problem.

Not really, Tim. She does remember things.

Shes been giving us some vital information.

Tim laughed. You mean about how much shewants to see the king of England?

Dont laugh! It isnt easy to follow her but I

still think we should write down everything shes


52/129

50

said to us. You never know if something might be

important.

Tim sat down with her to see what she had

written. At one point, they would have felt awkward

to be so close to each other but the more theyworked together, the more natural it felt. It didnt

even cross their minds.

Kelly had written:

First visit with Mrs. Comrie

-asked if we knew the king of England

-talked about Melissa, Pappy, going to store fortreats

-said Pappys been to Sweetwater Cave,promised never to tell anyone.-said Pappy found it when he was a boy, glad he

did, everyone was grateful

Second visit with Mrs. Comrie

-said we found Pappys key, shouldnt tellanyone-

Tim saw she had a dash to write another point

but was hesitating. I cant remember what else she

said, Kelly explained.

She said something about the rain, Timoffered.


53/129

51

She liked the rain, Kelly continued.

Because it...makes the flowers grow. Kellywrote that down. She studied her notes.

There was something more. She said Pappytold her the flowers were important.

Yes! Youre right. Thanks, Tim. Kelly wrotethat down as well.

Okay, can we get going now? I want to look

for where the key is supposed to fit.

Kelly sighed. This is like the old needle in ahaystack, she thought. I dont want to do this. She

rose slowly to her feet. Tim rode in front with Kellyfollowing him.

At the caves, Tim was eager to start the search.

Kelly had none of his enthusiasm. She took a drinkof water and just watched him roam around. He

held the key in his hand like he expected to slip itinto its slot at any moment. He saw her walkingaimlessly around.

Arent you going to help? He asked.

Tim, we dont know what kind of slot it needs!

How am I supposed to know what Im looking for?

Tim was frustrated. Kelly, it has to fitsomewhere! Just look!


54/129

52

Kelly made a noise of disgust. She wandered

into the main room and ran her hand over the wall just for something to do. I would rather be doinganything but this, she thought.

Tim joined her a little while later. Did you findanything? He asked her.

Did I findanything? Is he serious? I wont evenanswer that, she thought.

I guess you didnt, Tim answered his own

question.

You guessed right.

Tim got out some water from his backpack andtook a long drink. He wiped his hands on his jeans.

You know, I was thinking about something.

What?

We never talked about that last thing she saidafter the first visit. I forgot all about it until I saw itin your notes.

Oh, you mean about when she said Pappyfound it when he was a kid?

Yeah. But what was that other stuff aboutpeople being grateful?


55/129

53

I dont know. I couldnt figure it out so I just

dropped it.

Tim was wandering around the room, still

looking but in only a half-hearted sort of way.

What do you think now?

Kelly shrugged. I still dont know.

Do you remember the guy at the historical

society? He said something about magical powers.Healingpowers.

He said it was a load of crap.

Tim was rather shocked that Kelly would use

what he thought was a swear word. Kel-ly! Heprotested mildly.

I was just telling it like he saw it.

Yeah, Okay. So lets put the two together.

Sylvester Comrie finds the cave, performs magic,and then people are grateful.

What magic?

I dont know. Magic that heals?

Kelly listened to his theory and was thinking. Iwonder... she said to herself. Suppose...

Suppose what?


56/129

54

Well, what is healing for?

For people who are sick.

Right. I just have to wonder if there was some

sort of crisis in this town a long time ago. Maybea...I cant think of the word.

Oh. You mean like a plague?

Something like that.

Tim considered the matter. That would fit,given what we know.

I think I better go back to the historical society

and try to find out if such a thing did happen here atone time.

Sure, go ahead. I might just do another

Internet search too. Ill research the idea of healingcaves. It cant hurt.

If you must. Do you think we could stop forthe day? Im tired and my throat hurts a little.

Tim didnt want to quit just yet but if Kellywasnt feeling up to doing any more, he understood.

Yeah. We might as well stop. They packed up

their gear and rode their bikes home.

When they met again the next day, Tim couldsee Kelly wasnt looking any better. I think she


57/129

55

might be coming down with that flu thats been

going around, he thought.

The flu was affecting many people in Tim and

Kellys community. Teachers as well as students

were getting sick. The strange thing was, only ahandful were actually recovering. Most stayed sick

and quite frequently got worse. Those people weretired, stuck in bed and looked awful. Some hadeven been to the hospital briefly. Tammy had been

one of them. In the end, the doctors decided thatthey had to let the illness run its course and that

could be done at home as easily as at the hospital.

Tim felt just fine. He worried that he too mighttake sick any moment. One of us has to stay well,

he thought. Kelly and I cant both be sick.

Kelly explained that there were no records to

indicate an epidemic, as the historical society clerk

had called it, had ever taken place.

So here we are at another dead end, she saidas she gulped some more water.

But I found something, Tim said. Youll never

guess. In Southern France, theres this place calledOur Lady of Lourdes. This teenage girl claims she

saw a vision of Mary in the cave there. Water

comes up from a nearby spring that they say canheal. Thousands of sick people visit every year todrink the water or immerse themselves in it.


58/129

56

Is that so?

Oh yeah. I thought that was sort ofinteresting.

Kelly snapped her fingers. Ive got it! She saidexcitedly.

Got what?

The secret! The mystery! There has to be anunderground stream of water that sick people drink

to be healed. Thats what Sylvester found in thecave. He gave the water to the townsfolk and they

all got better! Kelly smiled. For just a minute ortwo, she didnt feel sick at all.

Tim sighed. The other thing about this watersource near the cave is that there is no scientific

proof that its anything special. Its only what they

believe.

I know what youre talking about. It doesntheal by itself. If you believe it strongly enough, youconvince your body somehow and the sickness goesaway.

Yes.

So the guy at the historical society is correct inwhat he believes but that could stillmean that lotsof people in town were cured. Dont you see?


59/129


60/129

58

Chapter VIII

Tim phoned Kelly the next day to tell her that hewanted to go back to the cave. I have a feeling Imgoing to find it this time. Are you up to coming

along? I want you there with me when I find it.

Kelly had got a good nights sleep and was

feeling better. I want to be there too, she said. Come by my house in about an hour. Well leavefrom here.

Okay.

Kellys mother was interested in her project and

wanted to meet Tim. In spite of what she felt at thebeginning of their partnership, Kelly now realizedthat she didnt mind introducing Tim to her mother

at all. She knows were not going out, Kellythought. I dont see anything wrong with it.

She enjoyed working with Tim. Kelly knew she

was smart but Tim was too, she had to admit. She

felt they had that in common. She wondered if it

would be all right to tell him that sometime. Shewanted to. She could also tell that he wasconcerned about her. I never would have guessedthat he would turn out to be the way he is. For aboy, hes okay.


61/129

59

Tim arrived and Kelly let him in. He met her

mother and even shook hands. He hadnt beenprepared to do that but it didnt bother him. Hewasnt shy about meeting people, even parents of

kids his age. Kelly smiled the entire time.

So Tim, should we get going? Kelly asked.

Im ready.

You two be careful around those caves, Mrs.Baron said.

Dont worry Mom, well be fine. Bye. She and

Tim got on their bikes and started the ride to thepark.

Does she know what were going to do? Timasked.

You mean does she know about the key? No,she doesnt. She thinks were gathering information

about the existing caves.

Well, thats true enough.

So what makes you think that you know whereto put the key?

I was just lying in bed and it suddenly hit me.We were looking all around the caves and all thewhile ignoring where we found the initials. Whydidnt we check that out? It only makes sense.


62/129

60

Maybe, Kelly wasnt convinced.

Tim continued. When I was under the bridge, Ifound a board with an arrow pointing down to the

water and thats where I found the key. So I figure

the S.C. has to act as a marker in the same way.

Kelly was thinking. But I dont rememberseeing any kind of a place to put the key.

So it isnt going to be obvious. I still think itsthere somewhere.

Tim and Kelly had arrived at the park and had

locked up their bikes. They walked to the caves.

Are you okay, Kelly? Feeling all right?

Yeah, I am. Im worried about Tammy. Shes

not getting better.

Tim wanted to sound encouraging. He didnt

want his partner to fret. Im sure shell get wellsoon.

But Tammy almost never gets sick. Tim, she

was in the hospital! Whats going on in the school?Why are so many getting this flu?

I dont know. Im not worried. Its just theseason.


63/129

61

Not for the flu! Somethings going on and its

not good. They arrived and entered the main cave.

Tim went right up to the initials. He peered at

the wall. Then he looked down. He ran his hand

over the spot where the wall met the floor. Hebrushed away some dirt. Look, theres a groove.

Kelly saw what he had discovered. What isthat?

Beats me. He looked just above the groove

and saw an indentation. He stuck his finger insideand gently began scooping out more dirt. After a

couple of minutes, he stopped.

Im going to try the key in here, he said as hetook the key from his backpack. They both heldtheir breath as he fit the key inside. It went in for

just two inches and then Tim couldnt get it to go

any further.

Go on, Tim.

I cant, Kelly. It wont go anymore.

Push harder.

Tim applied more pressure but to no avail. Aw

nuts, he said. I was sure this was going to be it.He was about to pull it out when Kelly bent downand took his hand.


64/129

62

Let me try, she said. She pushed on the key

but had no success either.

She removed her right hand and rested both on

her thighs with her knees on the floor. She stared

at the key. It stayed on its own, sticking out of thehole.

What now? Tim asked.

Kelly didnt answer. She took the handle of keyagain and started to gently twist it back and forth.

On one pass to the left, she felt it lodge into place.She stopped then tried to push on it again. It

moved in a few more inches.

Way to go! Tim shouted.

Weird, Kelly said. She repeated the

procedure. It locked on a turn to the right. She

pushed again and it went in all the way to thehandle. Tim let out a breath.

It looks like its in there, he said.

Yes, Kelly replied. She stood up. Go ahead,

Tim. You do the honors. You found it.

Thanks. Tim got down on his knees. Which

way? He looked up at Kelly.

It locked on the right last time. Try the left.


65/129

63

Okay, here goes. Tim grasped the handle and

turned to the left. The key turned slightly morethan a quarter of the way then stopped. They bothheard a sound of stone scraping against stone.

Before their eyes, a square section of the wall slide

backwards into the wall then stopped. The squarewas just big enough for one of them to crawl

through on hands and knees.

Tim was excited. Did you see that?!

Turn the handle back the other way! Kelly

said anxiously. Tim did so.

Again, the key stopped on a little more than aquarter turn to the right. The square slid back even

more. Now they could see the opening to a spaceon the floor that had been hidden to them before.Tim shone his flashlight down it.

It slopes downward. Lets get the wall back asfar as we can. We have to explore it!

Kelly turned the key one more time as Tim kepthis flashlight on the newly discovered tunnel. Finallythe opening was completely uncovered.

They were both on their knees staring at it.

They looked at each other. Yes! Kelly said. She

reached over and briefly hugged Tim who huggedher back. She didnt even think about what she wasdoing. It just seemed the natural thing to do.


66/129

64

This is unbelievable, he said.

Youre a genius! Kelly said. You actuallyfound it like you said you would!

Tim laughed. He was excited and surprised attheir breakthrough and at Kelly calling him a genius.

You helped!

Come on! Kelly said. We cant stop now!

She began crawling down the tunnel. To Timsdismay, she quickly disappeared from his sight. He

scrambled to keep up with her.

Tim noticed the air was stale. He coughedseveral times. He sneezed. He could hear Kelly

coughing up ahead of him.

How much further? Tim called out.

I dont know, Kelly answered. Kelly stoppedand rested for a minute then continued on. Neither

of them was aware of the fact that the squaresection had returned to its original place covering upthe opening to the tunnel.

As they crawled deeper into the tunnel, Tim hada sense that the air was getting better. He breathed

in deeply. Yes, he decided. That was better.

Where was the fresher air coming from?

Kelly reached the end of the tunnel. An openspace loomed in front of her. She had plenty of


67/129

65

room to stand up. She shone her flashlight around.

She caught her breath. She knew where she was.

Tim had emerged from the tunnel and stood

beside her. He had his flashlight beam searching

out the space as well.

Kelly... he said softly.

I know. This is it, Kelly said in a reverent

tone.

Were actually here. This is it. SweetwaterCave.

Unless we discovered another cave.

No, this is it for sure. We used Sylvesters key.Hes been here before.

Okay. I believe you. I dont think Ill everdoubt you again.

As they began to walk around the cave, Timnoticed strange markings on the walls. He couldntmake sense of them. He pointed them out to Kelly.

Any idea what these are?

Nope. She had discovered something else.

Tim! Look at this! She had her flashlightilluminating an opening at the right of the tunnel


68/129

66

they had come through. She immediately bent

down. It was oval shaped and had to be accessedagain by crawling on hands and knees. For thesecond time, Tim stood aghast as Kelly entered and

was soon out of sight.

Kelly!

Im all right, he heard her answer from insidethe tunnel. She reappeared. Its a dead-end.

The air in here is pretty good, Tim said.

There must be another tunnel that leads to the

outside, Kelly concluded. But where?

Tim found it. It was on the opposite side of thecave from the tunnel that lead to nowhere. It wasabout the same size. He bent down and shone his

flashlight.

I cant see anything but I can smell the fresh

air. He stood up and looked at Kelly. You first orshould I?

I want to, Tim.

Go ahead. Tim gave way to Kelly. He

followed her in.

They crawled for a long time. Tim called out toher from time to time, asking if she saw anything.She kept replying that she didnt.


69/129

67

In a few more minutes, light became visible at

the far end. Kelly also thought she heard a faintnoise. She crawled faster and faster. As Tim gotnearer, he heard it too.

What is that, Kelly? She didnt answer.

The light was now very bright. Kelly hadreached the end. Tim could only see the lower halfof her legs as she had stood up. She didnt move.

Tim reached the end too. He couldnt see much

but he was frozen in place, his mouth open. Hegradually crawled out and slowly stood up next to

Kelly. They looked around in complete silence.

Tim...what is this place? Kelly finally said in

hushed tones.


70/129

68

Chapter IX

I dont think Ive ever seen anything like thisbefore, Tim said. They were both gawking at theirsurroundings.

It was a dome-shaped space that they foundthemselves in. They could easily have mistaken it

for a greenhouse except that the glass roof andsides were missing. It was a lush, green meadowperhaps twenty five to thirty feet wide, tall and

deep. Bright sunlight streamed in from above andfrom all sides but they had no idea from where itwas coming. At their feet and in abundance werethe most colorful and eye-catching plants they had

ever seen. They had blooms at the tips thatresembles flowers but not like any flowers that theywere familiar with. They were red, blue, yellow,

orange, white and bright green. In the center was apool of water and a spring that fed it just off to theleft. They heard it gently bubbling and gurgling.

There it is Kelly, just like you said. Tim

pointed to the water.

Kelly stared at it, speechless. Yeah, she finallysaid as if distracted.

They walked around a little. Everything about

the place was vibrant and yet serene at the same


71/129


72/129

70

Tim knew what he was doing. One of us has to

have a clear head, he thought. I dont think thisplace is in the park anymore, he said to Kelly.

No, Kelly said as if in a trance. She continued

to lie on her back, hands behind her head staring upat the top of the dome.

So where arewe? Tim said out loud but moreto himself that to his partner. His mind was

considering the possibilities.

I dont feel sick at all, Kelly said, interruptinghis train of thought. She always spoke in the same

relaxed, almost spaced out tone of voice. This isjust...wonderful.

This isnt the park and we certainly arent in anypart of town that I know of, Tim concluded. We

must be in another...dimension? Is that the word

Im looking for? A parallel universe? He had readabout such things but had never taken it seriously.

Taste the water, Kelly again tried to coax Tim.

Okay, Tim gave in. He was curious. He

scooped up a little in his hand and brought it to hismouth. He drank and knew immediately what Kelly

had meant. He had to have another drink. He sat

down. He felt the liquid inside his system. It wasntexactly intoxicating. It wasnt having quite the sameeffect on him like it was having on Kelly. He


73/129

71

breathed in and exhaled slowly. He felt pleasant

too. He deliberately avoided lying down.

He stood up after a few minutes. He looked at

Kelly. Come on, you should get up, he said to her.

But why?

Because I dont like whats happening to you.Youre making me nervous.

Kelly looked at him. She sighed and sat up.

Tim held out his hand to her. She took it and hecarefully and gently pulled her up to a standing

position.

Thank you, Tim. Kelly seemed to lose herinhibitions. You know, I really like you. Youresmart, handsome and so good with people. She

smiled at him.

Tim didnt know what to say to her. This was so

unlike the Kelly that he knew. Finally, he found histongue. Uh, thanks Kelly. I like you too.

Really, Tim?

Tim was starting to feel very relaxed. He smiled

back at her. Yeah, I really do. Congratulations,

Kelly. We did it.


74/129

72

Congratulations to you too! We found

Sweetwater Cave. She gave him another hug. Timresponded.

When they broke apart, Tim said, I have no

idea where we are but I think we should take backsome of this water. Who knows if it can actually

heal those sick people?

Good idea. Kelly reached back to grab her

water bottle and dumped out the water she hadbrought. She filled it straight from the spring. Tim

did the same.

I think we should make our way back, Timsuggested.

Do we have to? Kelly sounded disappointed.

We cant stay here forever.

I would love to.

We have to get back and finish our project.

Kelly considered that. I guess so.

Kelly, we cant ever tell anyone about this. It

has to be our secret. This place will be ruined if

others come stomping around down here. Promiseme you wont tell anybody else.


75/129

73

Dont worry. I want to protect this place as

much as you do. She held out her hand so thatthey could shake on it. Tim shook her hand.

Are you ready to go? Tim asked her.

Sure. Kelly took one more look around. Tim

waited for her. He wanted her to enter the tunnelfirst so that he knew she wouldnt decide to turnback. Kelly finally got down and began crawling

towards the opposite end.

Once inside the cave, Tim looked at themarkings on the wall. They reminded him of

something but he couldnt put his finger on it. Hesaw Kelly take out her water bottle and was about

to take a drink when Tim said,Dont, Kelly! Weneed to save that stuff!

Just a little drink? Kelly had stopped to look at

him.

No, Tim replied firmly. Put it away.

Kelly obeyed. Okay.

Tim went to the tunnel that led back to the top.He shone his flashlight up. I think we have a

problem, he said to Kelly.

What?


76/129

74

I dont see the opening. I think it closed on

us.

Kellys voice sounded anxious, more like her old

self. What are we going to do?

Tim had crawled all the way to the top. He

looked at the wall of stone in front of him. He sawsomething he recognized. He came back down.You arent going to believe this, he told Kelly.

What?

We need the key again. I see another hole on

this side of the wall. We need the key to go out likewe needed it to go in.

But we dont have the key! We left it on theother side!

Tim was looking around. Yes, unless Sylvesterleft a similar key down here somewhere.

Kelly wasnt sure. Where would he hide it?Whywould he hide it?

I dont know. But I think we better startlooking. He and Kelly walked around with their

flashlights pointing to the ground. They were

worried but not ready to panic yet. Tim at least feltreasonably sure that Sylvester had put the key to goout somewhere in the cave.


77/129

75

Then it occurred to him. Kelly, what did you

say about that tunnel? He had the beam on thefirst one they had found in the cave.

It doesnt go anywhere, it just... She stopped.

I think we better check it out again.

Kelly was in the tunnel a second or two later.Tim could hear her breathing hard. Im at the end,

Tim!

Tim was down looking in from the entrance. Isit there? Do you see anything that looks like a key?

No, came Kellys voice in reply. She crawled

back out.

Tim, Im kind of scared.

Tim was fighting his own panic just then. Hetook a few breaths and tried to think. Kelly, it

doesnt make any sense. We know Sylvester camein here and we know he got out again. We shouldbe able to get out as well.

Did you try pushing on the wall?

No. That cant work. The wall has to come

back in to us again.

Right. I forgot. Kelly thought for a minute.Maybe theres another way out.


78/129

76

How?

I dont know. I want to take a look.

Go ahead. Kelly crawled up to the top. She

looked at the stone surface. She was imaginingwhat they had to do to get out. The main room to

the city caves is on the other side but its still up.She lay on her back with her head towards the wall.This has to pass overme, she thought. She shone

her flashlight above and down the length of theceiling to the tunnel. She saw an open space

further down. She was shocked. How could wemiss it? She thought.

She cautiously raised herself up. She could fit

her head and shoulders inside. She thought shecould see something in front of her. She reachedout with her hand and grasped it. There it was on a

short ledge. She held it in her hand. The second

key!

Tim! She called back down. Get up herequick! Tim scrambled up as fast as he could. Kellyheld up the key for him to see.

You found it! Thank you, Kelly!

Lets get out of here. Kelly put the key in the

hole. It went all the way in. She turned it to theleft and it didnt go. She tried the right and it wenta quarter of the way and locked. The square frameof the wall slid back over them. They bent down


79/129

77

even though it wasnt going to hit them. Tim was

out the very second that the entrance was free.Kelly returned they key just before she came out.

Tim and Kelly watched as a minute later, the

wall retuned by itself to its original position. Thatsamazing, Tim said.

Yes, very. This whole thing is amazing.That...bright, open field. Were we really there?

We were there all right. You were acting

weird, like you didnt have a care in the world.

Really? I dont remember much. I justremember you saying its time to go.

Tim shook his head. This is getting stranger bythe second, he thought. Are you ready to go home

now?

Just a sec. I need a drink. Kelly was reaching

for her water bottle again. Tim had to stop her onceagain.

No, Kelly! We have to save it! Thats sweet

water!

Kelly hesitated. She frowned. But...

Tim took it from her. Ill hang on to this. Havea drink from your house. He led them out of thecaves to their bikes.


80/129

78

Chapter X

As they rode their bikes back home, Timstruggled to understand the experience inside thecave that they had discovered. Is that the same

place that Sylvester would have discovered as a littleboy? Where did the light come from so deepunderground? Why was Kelly acting so differently?

He couldnt answer any of those questions.

Kelly was anxious to get home. She wanted to

take the water with her and visit Tammy. She hadhope that the water would cure whatever it was thatwas making her friend sick. It has to work, shethought.

When they arrived at Kellys house, Tim gaveher back her own bottle of water. He made her

promise not to drink from it. Kelly agreed.

Im going to see Tammy right away, Kellyexplained.

Tim was going to his home. Call me and tell

me how it went, he said. I really want to know.

At the mayors house, there was a disturbingand bizarre twist to the sickness. Mysterious redand brown spots started to appear on Tammys skin.

It was causing her misery and pain. Before the


81/129

79

spots appeared, she had been able to get enough

rest but now she was having a much harder timerecovering her strength. She grew weaker andweaker as each day passed.

More spots began to appear on others as well.Even those who had managed to get over the flu

were getting sick for a second time. It didnt haveto be spoken. Everyone knew. The situation wasgoing from bad to worse.

Kelly arrived at Tammys place and asked to see

her. Her father hoped the visit would cheer herdaughter up. Kelly opened the door and quietly

came into the room. She was not prepared for whatshe saw.

Hi Kelly, Tammy said. Oh! She shifted onher bed. Kelly could see she was in pain. Whats

happening to her? She wondered.

Kelly wanted to get right to the point of the visit.

I brought you something, Tammy. I believe thiswill make you feel a lot better. She held the bottleup for her to drink. Just take a sip first. Shewatched as Tammy took a drink.

Tammy tasted the water and put her head back

on her pillow. Thats nice, she said. So cool.

Do you feel any different?


82/129

80

I dont know. I just feel sort of pleasant. Why

do you ask? Is this water different?

I believe it is. Tim and I found the cave.

Theres a spring not too far away. We think it can

heal. She explained about the cave in France thatTim had discovered on the Internet.

Can I have some more?

Sure, but not too much. We need to give it tothe others. Tammy took a second drink.

Kelly saw Tammy smile a little. I think I dofeel

better.

Kelly was so relieved. Thats good. Ive been

so worried about you. She sat and talked withTammy for about fifteen minutes. She told her

more about the cave.

We have to keep it a secret for now, Tammy.

We have to safeguard the water.

Tammy asked Kelly to pour a little more in herglass by her bed. Kelly obliged. Ill come back and

see you tomorrow. Im sure youll be all better.

Thanks, Kelly. You really are my best friend.

Dont worry. I wont tell anyone about the water orthe cave.


83/129

81

Its just temporary. I have to be sure it works

before I go and let everyone else know. She saidgoodbye and went home. She called Tim.

Kelly was excited. She says shes feeling

better! I just know its going to work!

Tim was glad to hear it. It has to work, Kelly.Theres no doubt about it. We were able to find itbecause the sick people needed us to. Its the

solution to the problem.

You still have your bottle, Tim?

Ive got all of it. Ill be seeing Steven soon. Ihear hes sick now too. I cant wait to have him

drink some.

Kelly called Tammy the next day. Unfortunately,

Tammy wasnt better. Kelly could hear her crying.

Its not helping, Kelly. I thought it would. I felt sogood yesterday but not now.

Kelly was perplexed. This isnt right, shethought. Why isnt it healing? Did the water changewhen we took it out of the cave? She decided to

take another sip from what she had left. It tastedthe same to her. She had a brief feeling of well-

being. She phoned Tim.

How is Steven? Did you give him some?


84/129


85/129

83

What?

Tim leaned back in his chair and gave her a longlook. We havent solved the mystery yet, he said

quietly.

Of course we have, Tim! How can you say

that? We found the cave and the water just likeSylvester did.

I still think he knew something more that wedont.

Like what?

I wish I knew.

Then we have to go see Mrs. Comrie again.She can tell us.

Tim sighed. He wasnt hopeful. I guess, hesaid.

The next day, the two of them went to theretirement home. They checked with the nurse onMrs. Comries ward. The nurse shook her head.

Mrs. Comrie took a turn for the worse. She had

to go into the hospital. I dont know yet if shell

even return.

Tim and Kelly looked at each other. Whathappened to her? Kelly asked.


86/129

84

Its the flu. She has to have constant medical

care. I miss her already.

Kelly and Tim didnt know what to say. They

hadnt expected this development. They stood in

silence.

But she did say something to me before shewas taken in the ambulance. I couldnt understandwhat she meant.

What did she say? Tim asked.

The nurse was thoughtful for a moment then

answered. She seemed to have a very clear mind.She didnt appear confused or anything. Thats

what struck me the most. She said, I have servedmy purpose. Please tell those nice children.

Whatpurpose? Kelly asked.

She didnt say. I held her hand for a minute

and that was all she said. Im afraid I dont haveanything more to tell you.

Uh, thanks, Tim said. He was thinking.

Yeah, Thanks, Kelly also said. She and Tim

left.

So what are you thinking? Kelly asked Tim asthey walked out.


87/129


88/129

86

Uh oh, Tim thought. Is she getting sick again?

Kelly wasnt moving. Kelly?

Kelly looked at Tim. I cant ride the bus back

home. Ill throw up if I do. Call my mom and tell

her she has to pick us up, okay? She put her headin her hands again.

Sure. Tim called her house and explained thesituation to Mrs. Baron. She said she would be on

her way shortly.

Tim and Kelly were grateful that her motherarrived as soon as she did. Kelly was definitely

getting sick again. Tim even held her hand as theyrode back together. Kelly had her eyes closed and

rested as best she could.

This cant be happening, Tim thought. She cant

get sick again. She also drank the water. I need

her. I cant do this by myself. Tim was feeling at aloss. He had to have answers and there were none.

Kelly seemed to know what to do but I dont.

When they pulled up to the Baron residence, hegot out, said goodbye to Kelly and went home. He

had a lot on his mind.


89/129


90/129

88

key. It just wasnt the whole story as far as he

could tell.

It looks and tastes much like ordinary water. It

gives one some sort of pleasant feeling but only

briefly. What would Kelly say at this point?

We were so focused on finding the cave. Thecave is important. She would say something likethat. The cave, he wondered. Is there anything

else in the cave we missed? It was bare as far aswe could see. No, wait. Those carvings on the wall.

What are they? There, he decided. Ive got a plan.Ill check out the markings one more time. He

picked up his speed as he pedaled his bike to thepark.

He had two large flashlights with him this timeas well as a lamp that he wore on his head. He

carefully made his way down the tunnel to the cave.

He studied the carvings. They looked to be aboutthe same subject, he thought. I have no idea, he

concluded. The only thing he might be sure of wasthat the wavy lines under some of the markingsmight refer to the water at the end on the othertunnel.

Im sure that Mrs. Comrie knew the entire

secret, he thought. Kelly thinks that she might have

even told us in her muddled way. He shook hishead. I cant remember. Kelly was probably goingto take another look at her notes to search for clues.She was good at that. All I remember is that she


91/129


92/129

90

watch. Too late now but first thing tomorrow

morning, Im gone.

Tim awoke Saturday at seven oclock. He had a

mission and was anxious to get started. He ate a

good breakfast and rode his bike to the caves. Ifthey really are those plants that are on the walls

then thats one more part of the mystery solved, hethought.

Tim studied the carvings again closely. Yes, hedecided. I think thats what they are. So I should

look at the real thing again. He crawled to thedome.

The sunlight was intense. It bathed everything

in glorious color and vitality. Tim looked for a longtime up to the top of the dome. Was the lightartificial? It didnt appear to be. It was a miracle.

The entire place was a miracle and its here for a

reason. He was in awe.

Tim remembered why he had come. He bentdown to the plants. He took hold of one. I shouldtake one of them back with me, he thought. Hepulled but it didnt budge. He frowned. He tried

again but had the same result. He didnt rip ordisturb it in any way. He tried to break a piece off

and his fingers slipped. He looked at it for a few

minutes then put his hand around the short stalk,making a fist with the bottom flat on the ground.He pulled and it came up easily.


93/129

91

It didnt have a long root. The plant was a

perfect specimen. Nothing was disturbed. He tooktwo more.

He looked at the water and then at the plants.

Maybe it isnt the water thats supposed to heal you,he wondered. Maybe its the plants. Do you...eat

the plants? He debated whether or not he shouldtry it here and now. Sure. Why not?

Tim found it impossible. He put a flower in hismouth and tasted it. Bitter. He bit down and felt it

sting the inside of his mouth. He quickly spat it out.He wiped his mouth several times. He took a drink

from the water which was pleasant for a briefsecond or two. He was alarmed to feel his mouth

go numb. The feeling passed, to his relief.

I wont be doing that again! He thought. He

looked at the plant he had tried to chew and it

seemed fine. You would never even know that Ihad it in my mouth, he thought. He threw all the

plants that he had picked on the ground. I dont seeany point in taking them back with me. No one elseis going to like them either. Tim took some morewater in extra bottles that he had brought then

crawled back out.

On the ride home, he thought about his recent

discovery. So I know that those carvings on thecave walls are the plants but Im no closer tofiguring out this mystery. I guess it was just for


94/129

92

decoration. He had lunch at his house then went to

visit Kelly.

She was weak but very glad to see him. He

gave her some cave water for which she was

grateful. It didnt heal her but it tasted good andmade her feel better for a little while. He explained

that he believed the markings on the inside of thecave were supposed to be the flowers.

So I went back to where we found the flowersand got to thinking. It could be the flowers that do

the healing and not the water.

Oh?

Yeah. I plucked a few out of the ground. Theydidnt want to come up at first. You have to pullthem up a certain way. He demonstrated. Then I

tried one. He made a sour face. Yuck! My mouth

even went numb for a while.

Did you bring any back?

No. It wouldnt be worth it. You wouldnt likethem any more than I did.

Kelly couldnt believe it. She stared at him.

Whats wrong with him? Cant he think of anything

without me? He isnt as smart as I thought.

Tim! She said reproachfully. It tastes lousy toyou because you arent sick! It isnt supposed to do


95/129


96/129


97/129


98/129

96

Weve got to stop it, Tim! We have to. No one

else will. I cant do anything from here. Youhaveto do it!

I know, Kelly. Im trying. I just...dont know

what more to do.

Itll come to you, Tim. Youre smart enough tofigure it out. Kelly stopped talking and lay on herleft side. Tim stayed with her for another five

minutes then said goodbye. It looked like Kellywanted to go to sleep.

Tim sat at his desk again, with his head propped

up on hands. He felt so alone. He was carrying aheavy burden, he knew. Kelly was counting on him

to help her, Tammy and everyone else. I reallywant to but how?

Tim realized he was exhausted. He yawned.

Ive got to rest, he thought. He forced himself tostay awake. I cant have a good nights sleep while

Kelly is suffering. He had an idea. Ill ask Dad if Ican have some coffee. That might keep me going.He left his room to find his parents.


99/129


100/129

98

Well I dont know if I agree with it. This is the

wrong time anyway, Tim. Most grownups donthave it this late in the evening.

But I need it.

And why do you need it?

Im working on the project. I have to stay uplate.

Its not so urgent that you have to do that.

Youre young. You still need a good nights sleep.

When is she ever going to stop treating me likea little kid? Tim thought. Im fourteen. But

Mom...

Ill tell you what Ill do. Ill fix you a cup of tea.

Theres no difference. Would you like milk and

sugar?

Tim didnt want to go another round of arguingwith her. He gave in. Okay, he said in defeat.

Mrs. Duggan smiled. Ill bring it to you. She

went to the kitchen to put the kettle on.

Tim returned to his desk. A few minutes later,

his mother brought him his tea. Tim took it fromher. That smells good, he said. Thanks.


101/129

99

This is much better for you. I dont know what

your father was thinking. Imagine drinking coffee atyour age!

Some of my friends are drinking coffee.

Tims mother made a sound like she didnt

approve. She felt Tims forehead. Youre notgetting sick are you? I wouldnt want you to havethat dreadful flu thats going around. Ive never

seen anything like it in my lifetime.

No, Im all right. Kelly isnt.

I hope Kellys getting better. She seems like anice girl. How long have you been going out with

her?

Tim laughed. Were not going out, Mom.

Were just working on a project together. At least

we were until she got sick. Now its up to me.

Then you need this, dear. A hot tea drink doeswonders for you when youre feeling under theweather or when youre down. Thats what yourgrandmother always told me. It makes you feel

warm and cozy and it comforts you.

Tim took a sip. Shes right, he thought. It

tastes good, just what I needed. Ill bet even Kellywould...he stopped himself in mid-thought. Hestared at his cup of tea. He looked at his motherwith his mouth open.


102/129

100

What is it, dear?

Mom! Can I boil some water right now?

But I just gave you some tea. You havent

finished it.

No, no! Its not for me. Tim got up and lefthis room with his mother behind him.

Tim! Whats the matter?

Nothing, Mom. I mean, I want to trysomething.

Tim went to the kitchen and found the kettle.

He dumped the remaining water from the kettle intothe sink. He shook it to get the last drop. Next, hebrought it back to his room. He took out a bottle

that had sweet water and carefully poured it in. He

went back to the kitchen to plug it in. All the whilehis mother watched not understanding what he was

doing.

Good gracious, Tim. What on earth are you upto?

Its sort of like an experiment, Mom. Ill explain

later. The kettle began to sing a short time later.

Tim unplugged

de secret of sweet water cave

Documents