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The Chasm, Chapter 7
By Diannek

When we last left our trio at the end of Chapter 6, they were hiding from a caravan of strangers whom they believed had followed them after they safely crossed a checkpoint outside a nearby village. They were hunkered down in an irrigation ditch hoping nobody would spot them as they wait through the long daylight hours, trying to figure out what to do next.

-I think we need to figure out our options before we go any farther. Patricia spoke in a low voice. The three of them were huddled just outside their Jeep, having shared the meager rations of apples, dried bread and cheese. They passed the plastic water bottle between them, sipping carefully.

Adele nodded. Good idea. I didn't know we had options, Patricia. Other than simply giving ourselves up. Perhaps if we remind these people that we're English school teachers, they'll pardon us completely and help us find the nearest train to Victoria Station. Ha!

-Well, I'm happy to hear you've regained your sense of humor, Adele. I much prefer sarcasm to tears. Of course, one option is to give up, but I don't think it should be our first priority. Do you Henry?

-No, ma'am. That's the last one, all right. He gazed over at Patricia, waiting to hear what she had in mind.

-Henry, I do have a couple of questions for you. Patricia paused for a moment and then took a deep breath. Before we make any further plans, I must know the answers. The first concerns the chasm and the second concerns you. Which question do you want to hear first? Patricia met Henry's gaze.

-What would you like to know about me, ma'am?

-Okay, here goes. Why, Henry, are you helping us? You could have slipped out of the mansion with the other servants. You didn't need to stay with us. Now, don't get me wrong, Henry. We appreciate everything you've done for us. We would be in real trouble without you. But I must know, before we go any further, why, Henry, are you here in the first place?

Henry thought for a moment before answering. Then he smiled as if remembering a dream. Ah, that's a good question you've asked me, and it's not easy to answer. I was thinking about what I'd do, all through that awful dinner party. You see, I've always wanted to leave this place. It's been a dream of mine for years. The man who owns the mansion always promised me that some day he'd help me emigrate to England or to America. That was his promise, but somehow the time was never right. That's what he always said. Next year, Henry, we'll see to it.

-So I thought to myself, maybe now's the time. These ladies need your help, is what I thought to myself. They're going to try and get back to England and something tells me that they'll make it. So maybe if I help them get out of this country, then maybe they'll help me get to England.

Patricia looked at Adele, who simply shrugged her shoulders.

-What do you think, Adele? Political asylum? I know for sure he could go to Germany, even America, if he could get there. Might be easy enough.

Adele nodded. I think it's a possibility you could get your papers all right. Not easy, as you know, but possible. She nodded again. Of course, we've got to get safely out of here first.

-It's a deal then. You help us, we help you. That's settled. Now the second question is about the chasm. Why aren't there more bloody bridges across this damned chasm. All we need to do is cross it, head back to the railway and get on our train home. Just skirt round this war business and be on our way. Where the hell's the next nearest bridge, Henry?

Henry shook his head. You don't understand the chasm then, do you?

-Guess not. Why don't you explain it, Henry.

-You see, it's this way. That whole area, down in the chasm is full of, let's see, what would you call it? Oh, yes, something like religious symbolism. Yes, that's it. For years now, hundreds of years at least, only very few people are allowed to enter that area. Absolutely no tourists or visitors of any kind. It's what you'd call, Off Limits. So when the bridge was built over the top, many people thought it was very bad luck. Now people are walking and riding over the sacred area. That's why there were signs posted on the bridge. No stopping, no looking down into the chasm. Bad punishment for looking over the side. Some factions want to control the bridge, others want to control the sacred area. There is bad blood for many years between each faction. Now, the bridge is gone and nobody knows what will happen next. But to answer your question more simply, there was only one bridge over the chasm.

-Bloody hell, Patricia. Did you hear anything about this when we signed on? I sure didn't. I never would have come to this god forsaken place if I'd of known there was going to be a war over a bridge, of all things. Adele picked up a handful of dirt and threw it down in disgust.

-Adele, please. That's not going to do any good. And don't swear. You know I hate that kind of talk. If you've got any good ideas, now's the time to say so.

-Okay, okay. If we can't make it back to the train, let's find a telephone and make a call for help. Surely somebody's figured out we're missing by now.

-Henry? You know where we can find a telephone?

He shook his head. I don't know.

-Well, then. Is it possible to find a trail down into the chasm and up the other side? Is that an option, Henry?

-I don't know that either. I've never been down there. Some people have, but not me. Very dangerous, very long trip. You need a guide, and you need permission, of course.

-Let me think now, Patricia spoke, while counting on her fingers. We can't reach the train, we can't make a call, we can't hike out, that leaves getting back in this Jeep and high-tailing it down the road, and just giving up ourselves up to the next bunch of strangers we see. Unless we can think of some other alternative.

-Great options, Patricia. You forgot something. We're dressed like rebels now. We could pretend we're part of the group.

-Wait a minute, Adele. Maybe you've hit on something. What do you think about this, Henry. We get out of these clothes and maybe try to blend in with the locals. There is another village around here somewhere, isn't there?

-Well, yes, I think so. Down the road a ways. I'm not sure how far. I haven't been there. My people are on the other side of the chasm. I never came down this way before. We could try it. I guess we could get back in the Jeep and try to find the village, maybe see what we could do. Problem is that you two ladies don't look much like village people. And as soon as you speak, you'll give yourselves away.

-Yeah, he's right, Patricia. And besides, what would that gain for us anyhow? Trapped in a village among strangers. What we need is a telephone or a way out of this country. Does this road lead to the sea? What if we make it to the border, cross over into the next country. Wouldn't we be safe there?

-It's impossible to leave the country without our identification papers. Henry looked at both of them. You have your passports with you I suppose?

Both Patricia and Adele nodded.

-I don't have a passport. That's why I could never leave. No papers.

-What about those papers you stole off the rebels, Henry? Would they work?

-Those are internal papers, not border crossing papers. I don't think they'd do me much good at the border.

-Well, could you sneak across the border? Maybe go around some other way?

-I don't know, ma'am. I've never tried it before.

Patricia put up her hands to silence the two of them. This is getting us nowhere. We're not even close to the border yet, I don't think. Besides, even if we present ourselves to the border guards, what's to keep them from just taking us into custody and bringing us back to these people? We have no idea who is in control these days. Right, Henry?

He nodded.

-Well, then, maybe we all need to sneak over the border. Henry smiled at that.

-Right then, Patricia sighed. Now we've got a plan. We'll cross the border. So now, just where is the border?

-Down the road, through the village. Keep going. I don't know how far. A long ways I think.

-Hey, I've got it, Adele spoke up. Let's not go that way. Why don't we get back on that little road we cut off onto. You know, down there by the trees and just keep going on it. Maybe it will take us away from all this.

-Adele! I like it. What do you think, Henry?

-Suits me, ladies. What do you say we get started?

-Righto, then. Let's hop to it.

The three of them got up and pulled the blankets of the jeep, threw their meager belongings into the back and all took their places. Henry got behind the wheel and turned the key to start the engine. It coughed once, started to turn over and then stopped. He tried it again. Nothing.

-What's that, then? Adele questioned. You don't suppose we're out of petrol, do you?

(Go to Chapter 8)