Chapter 35—The Miracle

Nikki's brain cells did summersaults as she tried to figure out the best way to proceed. She wasn't surprised to see a room like this; it was probably the angel's doing.

Devin spoke up. "How are we going to know which crystals you're looking for?" He stared at the glistening stones bulging out of the walls and then noticed more on the ground around them. "You said NASA will test them using ultraviolet equipment? Do we take a sampling or what?"

Nikki looked at his hands held out in question. She was terrified to tell the truth, even now as they stood at the center of the light cyclone. She had hoped something similar to what Jesse had experienced in France would occur here—that the crystals would identify themselves and force out the truth. The others would be more likely to believe after seeing the crystal phenomenon with their own eyes.

Christina saved the day with a flash of brilliance. She had noticed a blinking pattern in the fallen crystals, like a code. "I think the prisms are communicating," she said. "Let's see if we can link up with them. Maybe by joining hands we'll resonate with their frequency." Her face reflected the glow, making her look angelic.

"What...hold hands?" Devin shook his arms as if warding off that possibility.

But Jake was ready to try anything; the clock was ticking. Even Ranger barked his agreement. Devin looked at Nikki, hoping for a nay vote, but she shrugged a yes. Maybe something will still happen, she thought.

"All right, but if you guys tell anyone I did this, I'll deny it," Devin said.

So with Ranger in the center, four bodies pulsating with color faced each other and held hands.

"Focus on the prisms," Christina said. She felt animated by the radiant field.

They held on tight, standing in silence in their small circle, and concentrated on the prisms becoming a part of them. Ranger sat quiet in their midst. The light particles coalesced, forming a large sphere that filled the cave room and spun around them faster and faster like a fluorescent tornado. Everyone swayed as if they might topple over from the illusion of spinning.

Suddenly, the ground trembled and the walls began to shake. Jake started to let go and run, fearing an earthquake.

"Stay in the circle," Christina shouted. "Don't let go!"

Although of two minds, with one screaming run and the other, deeper one urging him to stay, Jake tightened his grip, even in the face of being crushed by an avalanche.

The quaking and shuddering seemed to go on forever, yet the four held on, steady inside the great sphere of swirling light. Like a strong cyclone, it lifted off hats and raised ponytails. Then all at once the walls erupted.

"What the—the walls are coming down," Jake said. "I think we should run."

"It's not the walls," Christina said. Look—only a few stones falling. Don't let go. Ranger's not running."

Buoyed by the knowledge that Ranger was holding steady, they strengthened their grips, but turned to keep their eyes on the walls. Christina was right; only a few rocks had fallen away. The walls weren't coming down and the floor had not split open under their feet.

"A little longer," Christina yelled as the rock storm subsided. "Just to be sure."

The ruckus settled down, and the light sphere faded blink by blink as the rumbling stopped. The team released their shaking hands and looked at each other in amazement. They had just experienced a miracle.

Ranger ran off to sniff the pile of glistening stones that had fallen from the walls—crystals. Then he barked and lifted his head as if to beckon them over. A bit overstimulated, Jake and Devin ran to the stones, tripping over fallen debris. They collided and fell together into a crevasse no one had noticed. Jake landed on top of Devin, whose leg got pinned between sharp rocks.

"Are you okay?" Christina asked as she raced with Nikki to the crash scene.

"I think so." Jake got up slowly, rubbing his back.

"Devin?" Christina asked. Devin was standing but still shaking and not putting weight on his right leg. "Your leg is bleeding," she said. "Sit here so I can take a look."

Christina slid her pack off her back and pulled out the first aid kit. Then she squatted down next to Devin's leg. As she shone a penlight on his shin, she saw what appeared to be a series of large scrapes and several open, bleeding cuts. The tissue had turned red and purple.

"Can you bend your knee?" Devin bent and winced.

"I don't think anything's broken, and it only hurts here," he said, pointing to his lower leg.

"We'll get this cleaned and covered, no problem," Christina said, and expertly laid out antiseptic pads, salve, and bandages, much like her mom would have done. After the job was finished, Devin stood with Christina's help and made a shaky attempt to put weight on his damaged leg.

"Are you going to be able to hike back?" Nikki asked, more than a little concerned. "And more importantly, will you make it up the rope?"

"I hope so," Devin said uncertainly. They watched him gimp around, trying to regain control of his body.

Jake rubbed his sore back and felt sick to his stomach. He hadn't brought the makings of a stretcher, and they still had to travel back over the slippery, narrow rock ledge by the pit.