Journey to the centre of the earth.. aimee's adventure conti

Help!!! I'm hanging off the side by my ankle! I think it got stuck in the fudgepan!

FOFLMBO THAT is FUNNY!!! I think you better hang for a while and that way you will lose some of the weight that you gained while eating all that fudge.

Oooh, I forgot about those blocks of fudge! Any left? I could stand a bite or two. Oh, my goodness, Ponditis, that's a nasty cut on your ankle. Better ask El if he has any more of those bandaids. Girl, I don't know what to think of your predicament, but it looks like you are going to have to ride it out for awhile. Wonder and Jimmie are talking their heads off in some code, and they aren't likely to slow down or pay us any attention. Celia, just be patient and I will think of something. It looks like you are wedged between the seat frame and Flowox, and she is out cold. Just you wait until I get my hands on Wintermoor and Shoe. We need some muscle for this trip. Wintermoor rode off like a madman to look for Flowox, and Shoe is probably wandering around looking for rocks for his fish ponds. Men! Never there when you need them. Okay, ladies, it looks like we have to do everything ourselves. El is too busy wooing the sheriff, and we need them to keep the front trailer steady, Jimmie is waving his hands and talking a mile a minute to Wonder. Nigellagal, can you give me a hand with this seat? If I can lift it just a tad, Celia can probably crawl out. We should shove Flowox in that same space, she would stay put while she snoozed. One, two, three, lift------Oh, no! My back! I can't straighten up. *Turns loose of the seat, leaving Celia more trapped than ever, and poor Nigellagal still holding the weight of it.*

I think these blocks of fudge are a little smooshed, being as my foot is still in them and all. However, if someone would be so kind as to help me out with this seat, I would be extremely grateful. You see, I'm still bent over here with the seat on my back (thank you to whomever pulled me up from dangling by my ankle, it's still a little sore but seems to be very chocolatey at the moment) and.....oooofff.....well, this seat is a little heavy. Celia, could you just sit tight for a moment? All your squirming is making it hard for me to hold onto the seat. And being that I'm only on one leg due to the fudgepan, holding this seat up is rather difficult to say the least. And would someone please get some linament for Aimee's back? Aimee, dear, we might have to have you ride in the back with the rest of the fudge so you can rest your back. Oooooouufffff.....the seat is getting heavier, did someone try to sit on it?

This message was edited Saturday, Jan 25th 10:39 AM

Yeah, since Aimee is doubled over with her back, she won't take up so much room folded in half! And since Dr Cal is on sabbatical or collecting herbs and potions, we have to do what we can. Was there someone losing blood? We can probably pack some of the soft fudge on it and tie on a bandage. We don't know if there are any creatures in here that might like the scent of blood, like Vampire bats!!!
(sounds of flapping wings)

Celia, once they get you out, (and if its not too late), here is a little packet that must've fallen off Bobby. It's a Porta Potty in a mini plastic bag. Directions say, "Tear here and a full size Porta Potty will pop out! Hope that helps.

How did I end up here in the cave with all of you guys? I was guarding the entrance and the next thing I know Aimee is standing over me doctoring my ankle.

Oh, I see you guys found all that fudge that I had stored up there too. And look at nigellagal, she is COVERED with fudge. She better hope that those nector-eating bats are not living in this cave or she will be tickled to death by them licking that fudge off her.

Why, Pond, I forgot you were supposed to be up top! Were you overcome by curiosity and you ran down here to check on us, or did we all get a breath of something and suffer a bit of unconsciousness? And what is Wonder doing? I think she's just sitting there in the seat, and Jimmie is backing us up and then going forward, with a grin on his face. Ponditis, you must be tired from running all that way, just rest and we'll try to make sense of it. Hey, this trailer is scraping the trail, where did the sheriff and El go? They are supposed to be sitting on that trailer. None of us is in any condition to look for them. Oh, Flowox is stirring, better watch her. No, Jimmie, no! You can't put a rock on the gas pedal! No, Jimmie, get back in that seat, no, I mean, Wonder, wake up, oh, how can I get there to drive this rig when I look like a question mark? And why is Jimmie setting Bobby up to run on autopilot? I think he's up to something. (Aimee creeps slowly to Bobby, taking care to walk in the middle of the trailer. Jimmie has jumped off before she gets there, so she tries to talk to Wonder, but Wonder is obviously in some sort of trance. What is happening, she asks of no one in particular. Gently, or not so gently, she shoves Wonder aside so she can grab the steering wheel and steer Bobby. Just as she does, she finds herself rounding a sharp curve, and there she sees a shaft of sunlight coming through a crack in the roof of a huge cave room. It looks like about 75 feet to the ceiling, with only sharp cliffs and stalactites in the room. Under the crack, there is a small plot of vegetation, and a rather tall, thin tree that looks like Palo Verde with its green bark and the thorns. A rope hangs just into the top of the tree, dangling from a rock on one side of the crack. Aimee knows the stalactites must mean water drips here constantly, so there must be a reservoir with some water in it. She tries to slow down, and finally manages to kick the brick from the pedal just as she sees the lake she had expected. Too late to avoid it, she shoves the pedal and zooms across. The crippled first trailer lurches when they land on the opposite side, but miraculously remains connected. Seeing the trailer lurch, everyone on the rear trailer screams loudly, which disturbs some owls and a family of bats, and suddenly the air is filled with the flapping of wings. Jimmie is running alongside, dripping wet and furious, it appears, and yelling in his strange tongue. Wonder sits up straight and answers him, and then they both are talking at once in very excited tones. Aimee is impatient at having to try to drive Bobby when her back is in such a strain, and she shouts at Wonder to drive or walk. Poor Wonder gives Jimmie a helpless shrug and takes the wheel, then steers into the limestone cliff just as they approach the entrance to a smaller room. Their eyes are wide as they see about 50 Mexican people lined around the room and watching them. A small fire burns in a shallow hole in the ground, and crude cooking utensils hang on a rack made from a discarded shopping basket. Jimmie approaches the tallest of the men, extends his hand and drops to his knee. The screaming has stopped, and everyone is holding their breath. The man indicates that Jimmie should follow him, and they go out through an opening across the room from the rig.

Why, Pond, I forgot you were supposed to be up top! Were you overcome by curiosity and you ran down here to check on us, or did we all get a breath of something and suffer a bit of unconsciousness? And what is Wonder doing? I think she's just sitting there in the seat, and Jimmie is backing us up and then going forward, with a grin on his face. Ponditis, you must be tired from running all that way, just rest and we'll try to make sense of it. Hey, this trailer is scraping the trail, where did the sheriff and El go? They are supposed to be sitting on that trailer. None of us is in any condition to look for them. Oh, Flowox is stirring, better watch her. No, Jimmie, no! You can't put a rock on the gas pedal! No, Jimmie, get back in that seat, no, I mean, Wonder, wake up, oh, how can I get there to drive this rig when I look like a question mark? And why is Jimmie setting Bobby up to run on autopilot? I think he's up to something. (Aimee creeps slowly to Bobby, taking care to walk in the middle of the trailer. Jimmie has jumped off before she gets there, so she tries to talk to Wonder, but Wonder is obviously in some sort of trance. What is happening, she asks of no one in particular. Gently, or not so gently, she shoves Wonder aside so she can grab the steering wheel and steer Bobby. Just as she does, she finds herself rounding a sharp curve, and there she sees a shaft of sunlight coming through a crack in the roof of a huge cave room. It looks like about 75 feet to the ceiling, with only sharp cliffs and stalactites in the room. Under the crack, there is a small plot of vegetation, and a rather tall, thin tree that looks like Palo Verde with its green bark and the thorns. A rope hangs just into the top of the tree, dangling from a rock on one side of the crack. Aimee knows the stalactites must mean water drips here constantly, so there must be a reservoir with some water in it. She tries to slow down, and finally manages to kick the brick from the pedal just as she sees the lake she had expected. Too late to avoid it, she shoves the pedal and zooms across. The crippled first trailer lurches when they land on the opposite side, but miraculously remains connected. Seeing the trailer lurch, everyone on the rear trailer screams loudly, which disturbs some owls and a family of bats, and suddenly the air is filled with the flapping of wings. Jimmie is running alongside, dripping wet and furious, it appears, and yelling in his strange tongue. Wonder sits up straight and answers him, and then they both are talking at once in very excited tones. Aimee is impatient at having to try to drive Bobby when her back is in such a strain, and she shouts at Wonder to drive or walk. Poor Wonder gives Jimmie a helpless shrug and takes the wheel, then steers into the limestone cliff just as they approach the entrance to a smaller room. Their eyes are wide as they see about 50 Mexican people lined around the room and watching them. A small fire burns in a shallow hole in the ground, and crude cooking utensils hang on a rack made from a discarded shopping basket. Jimmie approaches the tallest of the men, extends his hand and drops to his knee. The screaming has stopped, and everyone is holding their breath. The man indicates that Jimmie should follow him, and they go out through an opening across the room from the rig.)

Wow, I must have fallen through the hole in the surface and just caught up with these guys down here. What has happened here? When you guys left me you were trying to go to the other side of the earth and you have only gotten a few feet from where you were. This must be a very extensive cave system here. What is Aimee doing driving??? OMGoodness Here we are jumping the lake and now crashing into the limestone wall. What is that I smell? I surely smells like tacos. And menudo. What is going on here? (Ponditis must have hit her head too when she fell though the earth. She is very confused)

Ponditis starts crying "I want my Mommy!!!!!"

now now pond.. its ok...


I asm a little weary tho and not feeling the best. I suggest we make camp here I need to chill out.

Oh, look, these people are preparing a meal for us! They are speaking some sort of Spanish or Tex-Mex, but I don't know enough Spanish to understand much. It seems they think we are sacred! Wonder, maybe we can get help with that wheel and not have to lurch along on a crippled rig. Their utensils and everything they have here looks like it was made from old discarded items. What is Jimmie doing? Oh, man, look at them go! They are digging away at the cave wall, making an opening for us to take the trailer through. Wait, what is this young couple saying? They want to go with us! They will show us the way to travel through the caves if we will agree to take them with us. I think we should agree. Look at that, the old woman is doctoring Flowox. These people seem to be from another civilization. They must have decided to live down here generations ago, and have been existing quite well on the moss and herbs they can grow with that shaft of sunlight. I am amazed, but we can't stay around too long. Oh, the old man is offering us what appears to be a bag of gold and gemstones! Is that a map he's tracing in the dirt? Oh, look, another surprise! Jo, El, how did you get here? They fed you already? You look pretty contented. Jo, stop talking like that, I don't understand that language! Si! Yo te amo what???

I think she's telling you she loves fudge.

Um....excuse me someone....please HELP! I seem to trapped under the seat with Celia now.

Oh dear, and Celia needing a bathroom! Someone! Over here, Nigella needs help getting out from under the seat. Here, have some fudge while you are waiting! (flap, flap, flap overhead)

You mean there's more fudge? I thought I was wearing all the fudge. But since I can't see anything but the nice metal seat bracket, who knows. I hear voices out there, something Spanish about fudge??

Anyway, I think Celia is getting a bit more antsy to get out. Her bladder probably didn't appreciate all of the jumping and jarring that happened after Jimmie stuck that brick on the gas pedal. If someone could just lever the seat off of us and get this fudgepan off my foot, I would be very appreciate!

Motioning to one of the cave people, Aimee indicates the need for a set of muscles and some careful shifting of the seat. Nice young man, he is, and the seat just glides away with his touch, it seems. Strong nice young man! He steps aside, and two of the women help these poor ladies uncoil. One of the women begins to giggle, and indicates they should follow her. Aimee, meanwhile, tries to look around discreetly, realizing these people have been living underneath this earth while she was living above. She sees bits and pieces of things she has discarded over almost 15 years. Jimmie and his new friend are chipping away to enlarge the exit wall, and she can see a series of rooms beyond. There is an occasional shaft of light into some of the rooms.

[what's this?.......I can make out a figure....."who are you?"......."hello?!"......can't you hear me?......"oh my, I can't hear myself talking"......WHAT'S GOING ON?.......hey, I'm awake!!.......hey!.......oh no, no one can hear me!!!.......I can't move.......what in the world is this woman doing to me? Aimee!!!! HELP!!!!.......oh well, no good is it going to do to yell when no one can hear me speak..........]

Flo, can you hear me? I am really worrying about her! It all comes out in German. Now where is that Wintermoor? We need him now more than ever!!!

Wwwiiinnntermoor! Where are you????

where is that wintermoor??
men are never here when you need em!
well, i am thinking that some hot tucker would be good right now and if we light these gas lanterns then flowox may find her way to us in the night.
now is everyone unhooked and de fudged from bobby?
there doesnt seem to be the dangero f any gas down here so I will light the fire and boil the billy for some tea. I will make some damper and i think we have the fixings for some smores.
now who is going to be on latrine duty?
there are some rocks down yonder that if we dig a trench behind we can use in privacy.

i saw some strange cave entrances and heard the sound of waves so we may explore them tomorrow if we find flowox in time.

Im starving lets make camp!

"sniffle, sniffle" Thanks for helping me out, Wonder.

It sure is a good thing that my back-pack was full of many pounds of fudge because it looks like it will be good trading material to get us out of this jam. It is such good creamy fudge too.

I wonder if I can get back above to guard the now much expanded cave entrance and help Wintermoor find you guys when he shows up? Can't stay in a cave too long or I will have caveitis to go with my Ponditis. Then I might just have to spelunck for the rest of my life. Besides I like guarding things.

Ohhhh that tea tastes good, Wonder. Thanks for the refresher. It WAS getting a little chilly out in the air up topside.

Wonder, look on the trailer, we found Flowox. But she was unconscious, so we loaded her onto the rear trailer like a sack of beans. She's beginning to come around. I'm thinking, from the way she's talking, that she got hungry and ate some mushrooms that grow in these caves. They make you hallucinate sometimes and can leave you confused for a while. I good strong cup of tea and maybe some food would help her. We think she's trying to talk to us, but no one can understand her.

oh i didnt see her!
well try and feed her some of this tea. it has some special calming herbs in it.. it might bring her around. maybe a little fudge the sugar may help... where is doc when you need her??

Oh, Wonder, I think your tea and fudge was just the thing. Flo seems to be perking up, she's even chatting with the old lady. Hehehe, that's the strangest language I ever heard, some kind of mixture that's not Spanish and not German. Almost sounds like stuff my greatgreatgranny used to sing. But she was Indian. No way Flo could know Indian. Or does she? Lots of nodding and bobbing of heads going on there. That old fellow with the bag might be worth a listen, too. Those look like real pieces of raw gold and gems. It's been a long time, but such have been found in this area. Here, Granddad, let me see your little goody bag. Sheriff, can you come over and take a look? You're the rock expert here.

Warum kann mich den niemand verstehen auser diese alte frau?..............

Now that they've cleaned all the fudge off me, wrapped up my ankle, and given me some new fresh clothes, I feel great. Oh, but now no one recognizes me because I look like the rest of these natives here. But these tacos sure are good. Oh, not tacos? How did you pronounce that again? Do you speak any English? Anglo Saxon perhaps?

keh?

hmmm strange very strange.. but you know what? in the morning we are heading off the check this place out. and who knows where these caves go,,, why we could end up in the middle of the earth and find a secret race of people! Maybe thats the language she is jibbering!!
a little exciting dont yuo think?


mmmmmm fudge... where is she.... one good slurp of her face outa satisfy my suger fix! come here girlie! *giggle*

I think those young men are telling us to move our rig into the next room, since they have made an opening large enough for it to pass through. Oh, where is the sheriff? We really need her to be around in case anything legal comes up. This old guy has this bag of gold and jewels, and he obviously wants to trade it for something. I think he's offering it in exchange for guiding us through the caves, and so we will take some of them on board. The old woman is likely to be some medicine expert, and she has a bag of dried stuff that looks pretty impressive. I say let her go with us, since Doc Cal A Lily isn't here. They sure like that fudge, don't they? I've eaten so much of it, I am ready for some fried chicken or barbecued anything. Cornbread. Beans. Caesar salad. Talking hungry here!

It's a good thing that I packed all these boxes of MRE's. Aimee, you come take your choice of Army dinners. These aren't as bad as they look, really.

Hey I still would like to go back up and make sure the entrance is secure and tell any late-comers where you all are. That way they can find all of you easily. Suppose I could get these people to guide me back up?

Oh yes, I do have much more fudge hidden up on the top too. These people might just have a sweet tooth and be very helpful with the bribery of some fudge. It looks like they havn't ever had anything like that before.

"Hey there, Would you like some of this fudge? Oh, you would? There you go just try a small piece at first and see what you think. Oh my goodness!!! I think he likes it! And she is reaching for more now. BINGO, we have a match!!!!!!"

Ponditis, you are so good at guarding, I was sort of hoping I could talk you into going along until we get Bobby back through the caves and to the surface. Never know what we might encounter in a cave system that has successfully hidden people for generations while the country built up all around them. We will probably set out tomorrow morning early, and they seem to be saying they will lead us to other openings. At least, I think that's what they're saying.

Hey, you're right, this is okay food once you get the cover off. Not exactly a holiday feast, but we can make one when we surface.

I am beginning to like the way those women dress. Have you noticed the many uses of those serape type things? You can wrap the baby, cover yourself, spread it for a nap pad or cover, even set a picnic on the ground. I snooped around in the little room over to the side, and they have tons of hides or pelts. Now I think I understand what happens to the deer and raccoons when cars hit them but don't tear them up badly. It would be a good idea to trade them some food for a few pelts, don't you think? And the pretty young woman who wants to go with us has surely been coveting my needles and pins. I bet that bone needle can be a real chore. Must remember to save a few of those little bones for Jo to use in her dreamcatchers.

Ah, that food has restored my faith in a tomorrow. Now for a small spot of coffee and a bit of sleep. Think about it, Pond, we need you down here a while longer. And could you make sure Nigellagal and Celia don't take up with those young men who are fawning over them? If we aren't careful, we'll need a third trailer and a preacherman.

The old woman seems to have taken on the care of Flo as her personal project, and they are yakking away. I think they are comparing languages. When I am rested, I will try to get Flo to talk to me. Worried about that bump she must have taken or those mushrooms she apparently ate, whatever made her unconscious. Ah, sleepy, ummmmzzzzz

Aimee? Wake up Aimee. You are really sleeping well right now aren't you dear person? Well you just take a nap while I get ready for the rest of the crew to recover from the crash. Poor Bobbie really had a jolt didn't he?

Aimee? Wake up. Oh there you are. I need to talk with you.

Oh, OK Aimee, I will be your guard until you get to the other side. I guess we won't worry about what happens behind us then? Besides, I am the only one who knows the ingredients of my famous fudge. You might just need some more when you get farther along and I did bring lots more of the ingredients. AND another plus for having me along, I have a really good sense of direction which might just help you out along the way.

I too am starting to realize that the dress these woman wear is really helpful and I will make myself one when I get home. On hot days you could just not put as much on and on cold days you could put on lots of furs sewed together. Comfortable living is the best :~)

Oh, great, we will definitely need someone with a sense of direction. I could get lost in my own bathroom. But I suppose we will be somewhat limited as to where we go, since we have to follow the caves. I sure hope these people really know something about what's ahead, I would hate to get into a tight place again where we can't back out.

Smells like Wonder must be cooking up something. I never know what she's talking about when she uses that Aussie talk, but I trust her not to poison us so let's follow our noses. Maybe she and the cave residents got together and invented a new cuisine. Hey, Celia, LupineLover, Nigellagal and whoever else is hungry, y'all ready? Can someone let Flowox know we're ready to eat? All this sweet stuff just makes me want some ribstickers.

where in the heck are we? and with who?
I feel like I have been in a daze! (I've been sick actually, sorry gang). Fill me in..... I am a little confused but I am cooking up a storm! roasted lamb....taters and corn on the cob.. some damper and some fresh tea!

im starving!

Wonder, you are a winner! I think we all had a bit of confusion from the leap over that little lake and the subsequent rough landing. You and Jimmie must have taken the worst of it.

Glad to see you're cooking something I can understand, as I don't speak Aussie. Smells good, too. Even these cave dwellers seem to be interested. Looks like they brought over their homemade tortillas and intend to trade for a little of that meat. Maybe we can toss in some of their mushrooms, instead of trying to gather our own at the risk of being stoned like Flowox.

With that opening being made larger, I hope we can get Bobby out of here as soon as we get a little rest. I think the residents are telling us they can lead us out, but can't tell where the opening ahead will be.

Everyone be sure to watch out for stalactites on the cave ceiling. They can be hard as stone and quite rough on the surface. There's no way to know what's ahead, as the lanterns don't project much light, so we'll just have to play this by ear. I understand this cave system is pretty complex, and joins others along the way. It's fortunate these people seem to know it well, having lived here for many years. Oh, Wonder, tea keeps me awake, so I'll just slip some water on your burner for a cup of coffee if you don't mind. I have no idea whether it's night or day, we've been in here so long. Oh, no problem, we'll do as the natives do until we get out.

haette ich nur nicht die pilze gegessen. Was ist den mit mir los?

Uh, is Flowox asking about night? Can anyone interpret her gestures? Oh, now the old lady is gesturing and trying to talk with us and Flo. As nearly as I can determine, we have three or more languages here, and then there is Ozese. Whew, this might get tricky. WINTERMOOR!!! Where is that man??? At least maybe he could speak with Flo for us. I guess he's still riding around looking for her up top.

It seems like the lady talking to Flo is gesturing that they have rooms and hot spring baths for us. She keeps putting her head on her elbow and then making scrubby motions against her arms. On the other hand, she could be asking us for pillows and soap.

Hmmmm we ARE getting a little RIPE smelling! We have been in here for several days now and without any facilities. I am sure ready for a bath or shower! Poor Flow might wake up better if we soak her for a while.

Ohhhhhh this water feels good. So hot without being too hot for my taste. OH MY GOODNESS!!! That nice lady is even bringing us some herbal concoction and making motions of washing our hair. That will be LOVELY to have clean hair. Ahhhhhhhhhhh so nice.

Just as long as they don't throw in any soup bones!