Taking chances

"Hahahaha," the little boy sweetly laughed as he chased a chubby hen around the meadow.

“Come on, you almost got it,” Mabel blithely cheered, closely following her son. The afternoon sun elongated their shadows while the breeze blew gently the grass that brushed his plump calves and the hen picked up a snack waiting for him to get closer.

"Come, Axel, honey, join us!" Mabel turned from her chase to call the rest of her family, sitting by the cabin´s porch.

"No, I’m busy Mom!" Said the kid who carefully arranged his hair as he moved his phone to find the best angle for a photo.

"Sure, in a minute," Replied the man without moving his eyes away from his portable computer.

“Come on Mom!” Urged the little boy. “Henelope is getting away!”

“Sure!” She replied as they ran away from the cabin.

They roamed the meadow when he stumbled on a rock, Mabel caught his hand and pulled him up to prevent him from hitting the ground but instead, she fell to a gooey pond of mud.

The little boy fell to the grass, saw his mother, and tried to contain his giggles.

"What's so funny?!" Mabel questioned, ignoring her clothes covered in mud. “No, you’re going to get dirty!”

The little boy stood and sunk one tiny foot in the mud, then the other. He took a handful of mud and delightedly spread it all over his shirt.

“My little Ronan.”

She took another handful of mud and spread it over one of his sleeves, saying, “You missed that spot, Roni,”

"Hahahaha," the little boy sweetly laughed.

“Thud!” Mabel landed on the safety of the sand with nothing more than some superficial scratches.

“Hahahaha,” He sweetly laughed rolling in the sand.

“We’re saved!” KeyWee exclaimed.

“Dang! Like, how did that even happen?! I didn’t know I could do that!” He said standing to his feet and looking back at the sea of sharp teeth. “Well done!”

He turned to meet Mabel and unexpectedly hugged her. The same way he used to hug her.

“Well done Roni!” She said, hugging him back. They way she hadn't hugged anyone like that in years.

“What?” Oliver carelessly voiced.

Mabel startled and broke free from the hug, turning away from Oliver’s puzzled glance.

“Mabel, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” Oliver apologized as Mabel walked away so only the sand walls could capture her expression.

“No, no,” She said with the least broken voice she could utter, took a deep deep breath, and turned to start walking down a nearby tunnel.

Oliver’s footsteps grew noisier until he caught up with her.

They walked and walked.

“A few simple questions could help break this uncomfortable silence,” KeyWee said.

“Mmm…so,” Oliver mumbled as if looking at the sandy ceiling would help him find an accurate topic. “So…for the way you rode Sparkletoes, you used to do horseback riding back before you know when?”

"Yes!" She replied suddenly uncomfortable. "I mean, actually no. Haha! What’s the use of lying now?”

“I’m sorry,” Oliver nervously cut.

“Someone screwed up,” KeyWee whispered. “All you had to do was to ask about the weather.”

“KeyWee we’re inside a cavern!” Oliver voiced and quickly turned back to Mabel. “So how’s the weather?”

Mabel started laughing, “We’re inside a zkwich!”

“Yes, I told KeyWee the same!” He frustratedly replied.

They continued walking with nothing but the sound of their feet moving the sand.

“You know, I never got the chance to ride a horse before you know when,” Mabel nonchalantly looked ahead.

“Then, how did you learn to ride the way you rode Sparkletoes!” Oliver asked. “You looked like a pro.”

“Well, back before you know when, I used to love this television channel fully dedicated to equestrians, and there was this show that they streamed before midnight that was all about vaulting,” Mabel narrated as her face sparked with joy.

“So what you say about your father,” Oliver said, elongating his words.

“Just for the show!” Mabel lightly replied and smiled. “My father was an office man.”

“And vaulting is what you did on top of Sparkletoes…” Oliver inquired. “How…”

“A little patience,” Mabel cut, raising her hand. “Yes. Vaulting is the formal name for acrobatics on top of a horse. And this show I’m talking to you about was all about that. I would watch it every night and copy their poses in the middle of the night on top of my bed! I would’ve loved to have someone to practice the team poses! At first, it was difficult, but I kept repeating myself. One day you’re going to join an equestrian vaulting team and you’re going to impress them with how good you are already! Of course, that day never came.”

“Then…” Oliver warily uttered.

“Patience!” Mabel replied, delighted with Oliver’s attention. “I would repeat all the poses by heart, despite whatever happened in the world, and on my third zkwich hunt…I saw it!”

“What?” KeyWee urged.

“I’m not sure what it was, an AB obviously, I just remember it looked rideable,” Mabel continued. “I forgot about the mission, I forgot about not knowing how to ride a thing! But one second I was standing with the squad and the next I was on top of the giant mass of sand. Of course, it took me a few tries to figure out how to tame an AB. But now, every time we go inside a zkwich I just cross my fingers so I can find an AB that I can ride!”

Oliver blinked in awe.

“So! Do you want to learn?” Mabel asked, stomping on the ground when they arrived to a larger tunnel.

“Are you pretending to call all the ABs in the zone!” Oliver exclaimed.

“You're already doing that!” Mabel replied. “I'm calling sparkletoes! You wanna learn right?”

Sparkletoes erupted from below the ground, charging in their direction.

“Wait for my instructions,” Mabel shouted as she casually ran to the mass of sand, nimbly jumped on top of Sparkletoes, pierced the shell with her pick, and called, “Get on!”

Oliver barely had time to react before Sparkletoes was a couple of meters away from him, he took an impulse and jumped on top of the shell that would’ve crushed him otherwise.

“You want to make sure it doesn't feel you waver, hold it firmly!” Mabel indicated as he joined her.

“Like this?” Oliver asked, grabbing the pickaxe’s handle.

“Lower it a little, a little more, perfect!” Mabel coached as she let go of the handle. “You're riding!”

“Ha! I'm riding!” Oliver yelled, feeling the breeze on his face, thrilled even though riding a sand trilobite inside an unknown living specimen was never on his bucket list. “Get on my shoulders!”

“What?!” Mabel exclaimed unbelievingly.

“You said you always wanted to try vaulting in teams, go ahead!” Oliver encouraged.

She appeared doubtful for a second but the next she was doing a hoop was standing on Oliver’s right shoulder in one leg as she held the other behind her back.

“WOOO!” Mabel screamed as she switched to another pose. She was light as a feather, Oliver could have continued carrying her for a while but when she glimpsed a dead-end, she immediately got down to the safety of the shell.

They broke through the wall to the fresh breeze of the lonely beach the zkwich formed next to the Windstail, Sparkletoes panicked and disappeared below the sand

“Bye Sparkletoes!” Mabel lamented to the ground, then she softly patted Oliver’s back and added, “Not bad for a newbie!”

Oliver was about to answer when KeyWee interrupted, “You have a transmission from Captain Khan.”

“Reproduce it,” Mabel requested.

“To all the members of the ZH squad. I order an immediate retreat. A zkwich cannibalization process has begun. Retreat to the Windstail immediately!” Captain Khan commanded as the sand below Oliver started to tremble and split.

“Where’s the rest of the squad, KeyWee?” Mabel questioned as she and Oliver ran to the hanging ropes next to the ship and large coral stakes started emerging from the ground.

“Still inside,” KeyWee briefed.

“Members outside the zkwich, gather for recognition,” Captain Khan commanded.

The fissures on the beach grew wider as they approached the ropes.

“Five meters,” KeyWee informed as Oliver grabbed Mabel’s hand and jumped over a fissure to grab the rope.

“No!” Oliver uttered as his finger grazed the rope and he fell into the depths of the zkwich.