Chapter 8

"Where did you get off to, Ronnie?"

"I thought I heard a waterfall."

"Well, did you?"

"Maybe," she frowned. "But it was too far to get a good look. I wanted to stay close."

"Good thinking, poppet."

They were in a marsh filled with a mist that felt heavy, almost as if it had weight.

"I don't like this place, Martin," her mother said. "It feels dead." She was right - the trees in the marsh were almost all in various states of decay.

"Well, let's go see if we can find this waterfall Ronnie says she heard. Which way, Ronnie?"

"This way, Da!" She started riding off, and heard her father and mother ride along behind her. The marsh got soggier and wetter as they rode, and the mists grew thicker and heavier. Finally, she heard the waterfall again. "Over here!" She spurred her horse, hearing her parents splashing behind her.

Finally, she reached the waterfall. "Found it!" She rode into the waterfall, too thirsty to care, and started drinking the falling water. She noticed the heavy mists that filled the swamp were coming from the rocks around the waterfall.

Behind the waterfall was another cave - this one filled with more of the glowing crystals, scattered up and down the walls. It also was much deeper than the one they'd stayed in. It was filled with the same mists that were lingering around the marsh, making it difficult to see inside.

Her mother and father finally splashed up behind her.

"What have you found, little miss?"

"Another cave, Da. Looks deeper than ours."

"Don't go near it, Ronnie!" Her mother shrieked. "We don't know if there's more monsters down there."

As if inspired by her mother, a sound bellowed from the cave. "ZAAARN," it sounded like. Then, from the mist settling in the cave, something emerged.

Veronica had no idea what she was looking at. It looked like a man, but also a lizard, and perhaps a little bit like a bug. Its eyes were large and bulbous, like a fly. Its hands were like a scorpion's, two pincers. Also, there was a spine extending from its head, and it was covered in green scales.

"Run, girls!" Her father rode towards the creature, brandishing his hatchet like an axe. "Get out of the way, poppet, and go back towards the cave!"

The creature once again bellowed out "ZAAARN" as Veronica and her mother galloped away.