Message from Friends

     They heard a squeaking sound coming from one of the large blue consoles. 

It started to "speak" in English. "Now that we've got your attention, the first thing we 

want to tell you is that you are in a very real danger. The two young fellows who 

kidnapped you are not very nice people. You have to escape. The good news is that

you've got friends on this world who can and will help you. After you climb back up to 

the surface, you'll notice a grove of very tall trees about half a mile in the same 

direction that you were headed when you fell into the pit. Walk down to the right of 

that grove and you'll see a large red house about another half mile along. Go there 

and we'll contact you there. Make as little noise as possible along your way."

     Rinny was very tired and very hungry from all this, and as they approached the 

"large red house" he began to wonder if they were really here, crossing this soggy 

field or if he was hallucinating somehow. "No way a dream could be this wet and 

uncomfortable", he thought. "Where are we, Shep?" Shep responded to the feat in 

his little brother's voice and answered. "We're on our way home Rinny", and he 

remembered getting lost with him when they were very young, in an amusement  

park, both of them crying, just before their mom found them.  "Remember 'New 

Atlantis' Rinny?", and they both started to laugh, 

 

                                                              The Pit

     Their first escape attempt started late at night when they figured their captors 

were fast asleep. They had noticed a window up toward the front of their apartment 

and hoped they would be able to open it without making any noise. When Rinny 

questioned the logic of making a break for it, Shep had answered, "got any better 

ideas?", and so he just followed along. After all, he was the younger brother. 

     It opened easily and in less than a minute they were standing in the middle of 

what could have been a courtyard. It was still too dark to tell and they were simply 

feeling their way around. 

     There was a gate, and out they went, "free" in some other world sense. "Keep 

going", Shep kept whispering to him. The idea was to put more and more distance 

between themselves and wherever it was that  they were being held "prisoners."

     About an hour out and Rinny said, "it's getting lighter, there must be some kind of 

sun here." He felt more comfortable. It's funny how a sunrise on a different world can 

make you feel more at home.