Free The Wealding Word by A C Gogolski Page A

Water trickled around her feet and legs, moving to some unfathomable place. She remembered the big well in her village. Once she heard that all waters were connected beneath the earth. She might even find her way back home if she knew which way she was facing. But the dark! a voice inside her screamed, and Nell knew the truth of it. How could she brave the black tunnels of the earth alone?
    She finally looked up and saw the opening of the well high above: merely a circle of dismal cloud, veined by the branches of a nearby tree. Of the beast, there was no sign.
    Slimy beards hung from the stones over her head. Nell stared up at the tiny window of sky for a long time, but her fear of the darkness stopped her from calling out. No one would help her if they didn’t know she was there. Then again, the terrible things lurking in the dim might slither near if she made noise. Weeping silently, she stood craning her neck, witnessing the sky deepen to night above her.

C HAPTER 9
    T HE U NDERGROUND K INGDOM
    Nell could no longer tell if her eyes were open or closed. Her neck ached, and she was cold and hungry. The frog had started croaking again, belching its morose call just a few feet from her in the darkness of the well. Sola said it was a giant frog, and down here in the depths, its voice was truly thunderous. Strangely, terror did not reach Nell, just a sad recognition that she needed to do what every fiber of her did not want to: grope into the black, unknown regions of the earth, and surrender all hope of light.
    She was about to take her first step in the direction away from the frog when a light glimmered overhead. Was it a torch, perhaps a candle? Someone had come! She managed to find her voice, cracked and small, calling “Help… help! I’m in the well, down here!”
    The candle above wavered and disappeared, then returned and seemed to be passed over the opening. Perhaps there were two people up there. For an instant, she wondered what type of person would wander the woods at night, with only an uncovered candle for light. What did it matter though? Being rescued by anyone would be better than floundering alone through the endless black. The candle hovered over the well again. Nell cried, “Hello? I’m stuck!” The thought of being freed made her choke with relief.
    But what were they waiting for? “Hello?” she said, more hesitantly this time. Why weren’t they answering?
    The small flicker changed color, shifting from white to blue. It sailed away and returned a third time. At that moment, a terrible recognition dawned upon Nell. She husked, “Oh no! No no no.” The blue candlelight wavered directly above the well, and then, ever so slowly, began floating down the long, slimy shaft.
    Nell tripped through the muck at the bottom, falling against slick stones and splashing about in a panic as the candlewisp bobbed into the cavern. She clutched the wet stone wall, trembling from fear and cold. The uncanny blue flame illuminated a narrow cave, uneven and open to the right where the water trickled. Nell stood watching the spirit, panting small breaths and wondering how such a small thing would devour her.
    The spook-light guttered and blew itself over her head with a swish. After a few heartbeats, it changed from blue to pale green, flickering toward the opening where the stream flowed. In desperation Nell looked about her, unsure what to do. It was the first time she was able to glimpse the shape of her prison, and by the retreating light of the candlewisp she could finally see the frog. It was bigger than Sola, booming another questioning croak as she stared at it. Then, just for an instant, Nell caught sight of something next to the frog – an apparition of sorts. Its shape was that of a stooped creature with pincer-hands crossed over its belly, and a pig-like face staring down at the water. Suddenly it jerked its head upward, consuming Nell with smoke-pink eyes. Unlike the frog, which was solid, Nell could see