Mushroom Trip

“This narrow cave will open into an enormous cavern,” Claire said. “I don’t know how big, I couldn’t see very far because I only have one of Mother’s algae lamps.”

“So that’s where that went,” Adolphus muttered.

“Shhh! Go on, Claire,” Mirabelle said.

“But there was light there! I think there were cracks in the cave ceiling, or vertical tunnels, because there were patches of light beaming down. That’s where these mushrooms are growing. This is one of the biggest. I chopped it down at the base, then made the pole and oars out of the stem.”

“That was clever and brave of you!” Annabelle said.

“It is nice to have a boat that doesn’t leak,” Gerhardt added.

“But next time, please tell us,” Annabelle said. “We were worried.”

Adolphus opened his mouth to speak. There was the muffled thump of a sharp kick to the shins, so all he said was “Ow!”

“I’m sorry,” Claire said. “I get an idea and …”

“And you forget about anyone else!” Adolphus burst out.

“Be fair, Adolphus,” Mirabelle said. “She forgets everything else, not just people.”

“The point is,” Claire insisted, “if there’s light coming into the cave, we must be close to the surface.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t luminescent fungus like in Journey to the Center of the Earth?”

“No, Gerhardt,” Claire said. “It was brighter than a bioluminescent source.” She held up an algae lamp. “And it was directional, coming from specific points, not all over the ceiling. I think we’re just in a normal cave.”

“But where? It’s been days and days and miles and miles.” Adolphus said. “When we come to the surface where on earth will we be?”

They let the river carry them along, employing their oars only to keep away from the cave walls, and keep the mushroom from spinning. When they got to the mushroom forest they disembarked to stretch their legs and explore. Gerhardt measured and made sketches of mushrooms. After a while Claire realized that each of the children had found a faint patch of light and was just standing in it.

“Let’s go find some real sunlight before we turn into mushrooms ourselves!” She gathered everyone back into the boat and off they spun.

Mirabelle was still concerned that the river would end in a waterfall and they would plunge to their deaths, so she listened intently to the water.  Gerhardt gave up on his mushroom sketches for lack of light, and used his pencil to carve their names into the sides of the mushroom boat. They spoke in hushed voices or not at all, not only because Mirabelle shushed any conversation, but because a sense of the unknown weighed upon them.

Fate loomed.

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This story began with On Grandmothers. The previous episode is Boat! and the next is Ambush.

Photo credit Bourrichon.