Promises WC 292

Promises
WC 292

Avery and his brother, Cyrus, had set out on an adventure forbidden by their mother.

“You will not go poking around in those caves,” their mom had warned earlier in the day. “Heaven only knows what lurks inside.”

“Mom, they’re just abandoned caves!” Avery said, making one last attempt to change her mind.

“I forbid it! Promise me!”

Both boys had promised their mother, fingers crossed behind their backs.

Thirteen-year-old Avery was in the lead; eleven-year-old Cyrus hung back a bit.

“Come on, scaredy-cat!”

“What if Mom is right, Avery?”

The older boy disappeared into the cave; the younger boy followed.

Avery hated how his mother tried to control him. He knew there was danger in the caves; that was part of the thrill. Cyrus should not be part of this; he could not keep a secret.

“Cyrus, come on!”

“I’m coming.”

Avery stopped to wait; he looked around the cave. There were drawings on the walls—gang signs, not ancient hieroglyphics.

The sound of gunshots from deeper in the cave echoed off the rock walls just as Cyrus caught up.

“What was that?” The younger boy’s eyes were as big as saucers.

“Let’s get out of here,” Avery whispered and turned back toward the mouth of the cave, pulling the younger boy with him.

“Cyrus, run!”

“Are they after us, Avery?”

Avery could hear people running from deeper in the cave.

“No!” he lied.

He could see light and knew he and his brother were almost safe.

“Let’s run all the way home, just in case,” Avery said as they burst through the mouth of the cave.

“Mom was right!” Cyrus said as he gulped air.

“Don’t you dare tell!”

“I won’t!”

“Promise!”

“Promise,” Cyrus said, fingers crossed behind his back.