“These aren’t sticks. They’re bones. Human bones.” I pinched the match to the tips of my fingers and looked at scattered bones, some of them nearly fossilized, ancient layers of history over which we’d crawled without knowing. It struck me that this journey didn’t begin with me or our group. Many others had gone before us. Some fared well, others didn’t. Shad was right—a baton had been passed to us. We could drop the baton or finish our part of the race and pass it on to those awaiting it. Time would tell which we’d do.

Just as the match began to seer my fingertips, I saw on the wall a few names. Others had been here and wanted those who followed to remember them. The match burned me and I dropped it, wondering if I’d been a fool to use up precious oxygen.

“Not everyone who enters this tunnel comes out,” Shad said. “The GuideBook warns of it.”

Victoria began to sob. Frodo worked his way forward, attempting to console her.

“The tunnel’s wider up here,” Shad said. “Let’s stop for a while. I’ll read from the TravelGuide.”

Read? In the dark?

I heard Shad flip pages of his book, then he spoke, quoting what he’d memorized from it. As he spoke, I saw a faint glow. Maybe my eyes were adjusting to the dark. But I could have sworn the words from the GuideBook had a physical presence in the air, generating a soft light. Malaiki began to speak the ancient words too. I reached into my satchel and touched my own book. I tried to repeat what I could remember. I wished I could recite more.

Now there was just enough light that I could barely see Gordy in front of me.

“We never should’ve come in here,” Victoria said. “We’re trapped.”

I couldn’t help but think we’d end up fossilized remains awaiting some paleontologist to exhume us for a museum.

“Do you have any more matches?” Gordy whispered to me.

“Yes. Why?”

“Why?” It was Victoria’s voice, ahead of Gordy. “Because we’ve been crawling in the darkness, that’s why! And maybe light will chase away the roaches!”

Striking awkwardly four times, I finally lit the match. Apparently fueled by mineral vapors, it flared up out of control.

“Ahhh!” I heard the groans, one of them my own. Needles had pierced my eyes. The brightness was an explosion that lasted only a moment and left me blinder than before. Now I couldn’t see the TravelGuide.

“Our eyes had adjusted to the darkness,” Shad said, “and the soft light of the TravelGuide led us. The bright light of the match was to make us see better—but now we can’t see at all.”

Sheepishly, I put away my matches. Finally the tunnel widened, and we crawled side by side.