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Betty had been on several adventures in her life: a safari in Africa with her mother, exploring the wildlands of New Zealand with Babbette, and mushing with sled dogs in the Klondike, to name a few. She was grateful to have had so many opportunities as a well-respected Archeology and Ancient Magic graduate student. But of all her many adventures, searching for the Enchiridion in Pakistan with the Dr. Simon Petrikov took the cake.
She was always impulsive, even as a child. If she thought something needed to happen, she’d do it herself. This was the same girl who convinced herself that she could dig a hole in her backyard down to Hell and meet the devil. Her ADHD medications helped with that, for a while, at least. But this was by far the most impulsive and reckless thing she had ever done.
After attending his lecture, Babette came home at night a few days later, to find Betty frantically packing her suitcase and expedition pack. She was talking about it, but she didn’t think she was serious.
“You said you’d go with him?! Are you insane?!”
“Babs, calm down.” Betty rolled her eyes as she secured her sleeping bag on the top of her pack, moving on to her suitcase. Dr. Petrikov said they’d spend a week in Islamabad before and after they finished their expedition.
Babette didn’t say anything, just stood and stared. For the first time in eight years, she looked at her best friend as if she were looking at a total stranger.
For four long months, Betty worked so hard to get into Dr. Dreyfus’ program to study Petroglyphs in Australia for six months. It was one of the most challenging programs to get in with one of the most demanding professors on campus. And Babette helped her every step of the way. It was a slap in the face to her, that she was willing to give that up for someone she’d known for two days.
“‘Calm down’?! I watched you kill yourself last semester trying to get into that program! And now that you finally have, you’re throwing it all away! And for what? Some dork you barely know?”
“I’m not throwing it away, Babs! The petroglyphs aren’t going anywhere. I’m just. . .putting them on the back burner for a couple of months. And Dr. Dreyfus said my spot will still be there for me when I get back. You’re over-reacting.”
Betty didn’t see why it was such a big deal. It was another fantastic opportunity to add to her roster, another great experience to cite when she finally finished her thesis. She was one Dr. Dreyfus’s best students, and her spot would still be waiting for her when she came back.
Like she said, the petroglyphs weren’t going anywhere.
“I can’t believe you.” Babette said, her heart breaking as she stormed out of the room, leaving Betty to finish packing.
...
Simon has always been thorough. He’s spent his whole life always having a plan, even for the most simple, mundane tasks. His brain couldn’t function well unless he took the time to create an organized routine and system to complete his work and make it the best reflection of himself. It was how he was able to accomplish his PhD and his Doctorate at the same time. It was how he managed to get so many books published in his relatively short career. He was only 35, after all.
Even if he had all the necessary qualifications, Simon wasn’t exactly a respected member of the Archaeological community in the Seattle area. His theories were rooted in fantasy, and the trails he followed on his expeditions were often cold. And his general personality was just too... 'out there’ for most of his colleagues.
All these reasons and more were enough to discourage anyone else from continuing in this field. But Simon Petrikov wasn’t just anyone else. He would not be dismayed so easily. This next expedition was his most ambitious one yet. Simon meticulously planned a long, possibly hazardous journey into the Hindu Kush Mountains in search of the one and only Enchiridion, the rarest book in the world. A volume full of real spells and rituals, with magic and power embedded into the pages themselves...supposedly. There was only one way to find out.
Ms. Betty Grof wasn’t part of his plan.
At first, she was just ‘Library Girl’ to him. He found it adorable the way she became a stuttering mess when they debated who should check out the book first. She was adorable. He never thought he’d see her again after that, but he was happy to see her face in the crowd of his lecture. Meeting anyone passionate about his work, let alone someone who had even read it, was such a rarity. It was like finding a kindred spirit.
Simon was joking when he said she should come with him on his next expedition, so when she agreed, he thought it was a trick. He had been tricked like this before, after all. But it wasn’t. Betty believed in him, believed in his work. She was genuine. It’s a quality that’s hard to find these days. Seeing it in her was refreshing.
He had been fidgeting in his seat and shaking his leg for ten minutes since Betty had taken a couple last-minute calls before their flight took off. Simon felt weird, eavesdropping like this. Of course, she wasn’t exactly secretive about her calls. Still, he felt awkward. He checked out of the world around him, referring to his notebook while he waited for his new research partner to finish her phone calls,
When she finally hung up her phone, Betty shut it off completely and slumped back into her seat in relief, taking a deep breath. Her legs bounced playfully as she enjoyed the extra leg room, and the feeling of not being crushed by other strangers. Dr. Petrikov knew how to treat someone. She was more than happy to pay for her own ticket, but he insisted she fly first class with him.
“Okay. Now that that’s all over with…” Betty trailed off, tucking her phone back into her bag in the overhead storage before sitting back down. “...this trip can officially start.” she sighed, looking to her side to see Dr. Petrikov deep in his own field journal. It took him a moment to realize Betty wasn’t on the phone any longer.
“Oh, yes!” he said, caught off guard as he pulled himself out of his book. “Sorry. I guess I just zoned out.”
“No, no, no. You’re fine. Really. I get it.” she reassured him. “It’s all very exciting.”
Simon nodded in agreement, preparing himself for when the plane would finally get off the ground. The takeoffs and the landings were the hardest parts for him.
“So, uh…who were you talking to if you don’t mind my asking?” he asked her, wanting to talk about something to keep his mind off of the flight.
“Oh, it was just my mom. She called to say that…nevermind. It’s stupid,” Betty confessed, her cheeks flushing pink as she stared off into space.
Simon pressed, thinking to himself, ‘how bad could it really be?’
“I’m sure that’s not true,” he said, lightly touching her arm in reassurance. She blushed even deeper. He had to pull his own hand away before the same thing happened to him.
Betty fidgeted with her hands in her seat as she shook her leg, a telltale sign of her rising anxiety. If she bottled it up, she could risk ruining the whole trip. She couldn’t do that to him. So, she blew raspberries as her shoulders relaxed, the tension already leaving her body as she decided to talk.
“Well…she told me that my best friend and roommate, she was with me at your seminar, Babette…called my mom to tell her how dumb I was for going on this trip…” Betty trailed off, tapping her nails rhythmically against the armrest.
Simon tilted his head in confusion, and couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.
“Wait…what?”
Betty sunk back into her seat, laughing along with him as she slapped her hand on her forehead, the ridiculousness of the situation just hitting her now that he had given her room to vent.
“I know, right? I can’t believe she told my mom on me like we’re in the fourth grade or something,” she groaned, thinking about her earlier fight with her best friend. Betty couldn’t believe that they basically fought over a guy. Babette didn’t even like guys.
“So, what did your mom say?”
Betty sat up, catching her breath before replying to him.
“That I’m an adult and I can make my own decisions about what’s best for me.”
Simon simply nodded.
“She’s right. At least you’ve got her on your side,” he replied.
“Well, I’ve got you, too, right?”
“Of…of course…”
…
Simon ended up freezing with anxiety during both take-off and landing, a death grip on the arm rests. But Betty laying her hand on his made it more bearable.
Islamabad was beautiful. The twenty-hour flight from Seattle to Pakistan was definitely worth it. While the city and all its many wonders were captivating, Simon and Betty wouldn’t find what they were searching for within civilization. They had already been hiking in the Hindu Kush mountain range for around a month and a half.
Betty had proven herself to be quite the outdoorswoman, surprising Simon with her resourcefulness multiple times. Once Simon learned she was a Girl Scout and camped a lot as a kid, everything she had done made much more sense now. She started a fire without a match, fished for trout with a spear, and managed to scare off clusters of horned vipers.
She was so wild, so intuitive and free. He liked it...a bit more than he probably should’ve.
The best part of their trip was the nights. Out in such raw, untamed wilderness and away from the light pollution from civilization allowed for the clearest skies and brightest stars to be gazed upon like they were meant to be. It was quiet and peaceful, and they could finally hear themselves think.
Simon liked hearing her voice. He liked hearing the stories she told him.
...
While they set out on their search, Simon and Betty discovered something even more precious and unexpected, blossoming between them. The feelings they developed for one another along the way were...unprofessional, to say the least. They both knew it and could feel that the other knew it. But for now, it just remained an unspoken thing. And if they knew what was good for them, it would remain that way.
Simon especially knew it was wrong. Betty was his subordinate, and he was a tenured professor. It wasn’t right; a clear conflict of interest. But he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to get to know her on a more…personal level. Sure, they were both mature, rationally consenting adults, but he was also almost a decade older than her. Their situation was cliche, an enticing one. It had so much potential to turn scandalous. The entire setting, in general, was almost like an invitation to push the ethical boundaries. Betty kept to herself about it as well but still fantasized about all the exciting possibilities. It was a dangerous, slippery slope she desperately wanted to tread.
And even if they did take the leap, it could only get worse for both of them. Simon would lose his job along with any chance of being respected in his field ever again. She’d never forgive herself if he lost his livelihood because of her. Betty’s chances of getting into any respectable programs at school or even just graduating could be tarnished. Simon couldn’t bear it if this amazing, sweet woman lost her way of life due to his irresponsibility. The consequences would be irreversibly drastic.
...
As they started a new day and took a look at their map, if Simon’s theory was indeed correct, they weren’t that far from the Enchiridion. The downside? It was deep within a system of caves. Thankfully, they brought lots of rope to spare and extra batteries for their headlamps.
“We’re getting close,” Simon announced, glad he and Betty planned ahead.
They made their way to the valley marked on the map, and Betty spotted the entrance of the cave first; dark and dank with only a few gaps of sunlight peeking through the rocks.
“I am...really not looking forward to going down there,” she confessed.
“I’m right there with you,” Simon replied with a sigh. “Still, we need to at least check how deep it goes so that we can better calculate our supplies if we have to venture further. We should be fine for now, but let’s stay close just in case. We don’t know what could be living in there,” he mentioned, turning his headlamp on as they approached the gaping maw of the cave.
“Oh, well. Holes are holes,” Betty shrugged, about to follow Simon before realizing she had forgotten something.
“Hold on,” she stopped, kneeling to retrieve something from her pack.
“What is it?” Simon asked her, his curiosity slightly piqued.
Betty retrieved a large piece of chalk from her bag, something you would find in a child’s summer activities box. As they trodded deeper into the cave, she marked an arrow pointing toward the entrance. “I’m making our trail. Just in case.”
“Hmm. I never thought of factoring that in,” Simon mentioned. And he thought he was prepared for this. It would be a pain to navigate these caves. Again, he was grateful for Betty’s creative resourcefulness.
“Did you learn that as a Girl Scout, too?”
“No, actually. You know that movie ‘Labyrinth?’”
...
Betty marked their path every fifteen meters or so. After navigating the caves for a while, she stopped in her tracks and listened carefully.
“Did you hear that?”
Simon paused, staying silent for a while as he listened and waited for the sounds that caught her attention. His ears strained in an attempt to pick up the sound that was the source of concern.
“Uhmm…No. I didn’t. Sorry.”
“Oh, it’s okay. My, umm…hearing is a bit more sensitive than others because of my ADHD. But it sounded like a colony of bats.” Betty replied. Simon raised his eyebrow in slight concern, their faces lit up by their headlamps bouncing off the walls of the cave. Growing up, he also had trouble with overstimulation. But he was never properly diagnosed in childhood like Betty was, thanks to the denial of his mother. By the time he was diagnosed, it was almost too late for him. He forgave her, though.
Simon wondered if bats were the only creature they would have to worry about. In preparation for the journey, he read up on creatures indigenous to the area. Betty must’ve done the same.
“Oh, so we shouldn’t shine our lights upwards?” he joked.
“Probably,” she replied with a laugh, rolling her eyes as Simon continued leading the way with his map. “Lots of other creatures live in caves, too. Mostly large insects and amphibians if there's a water system nearby.”
Simon nodded in agreement. He admired how thorough she was when it came to research. “There shouldn’t be anything with deadly venom or big threatening mouths. I think we’ll be fine.”
Betty tapped her fingers on her chalk as she held it in her hand, impulsive thoughts about the potential bats above them creeping into her head as she kept her headlamp shining on the path before them.
“Is it weird that I wanna shine my light up even more now?”
“I was literally just thinking about that.”
...
After another few hours of climbing through nooks and crannies as they continued down their path, Betty started getting tired. She began feeling a little bit claustrophobic, too. But she wouldn’t say that to Dr. Petrikov, of course.
“At the risk of sounding like a total child, how much farther do you think?” she asked him.
Simon let out a laugh. He couldn’t blame her. The way every stone and crack seemed to be identical with each system they passed through was starting to get on his nerves, as well. The fact they couldn’t see daylight made the journey even more tedious. It was like being in a darkened movie theater, but none of the doors were working.
“We should be getting close, actually. We’re pretty deep down here, so it can’t be far,” he replied, looking down at the map with Betty to check their progress.
“Hold on,” she said, looking between their surroundings and back at the map, muttering to herself as she mentally estimated how many marks she made on the rocks and paid attention to their formations.
“If what you theorized earlier is true…” she started, pausing as she looked around the caves with her headlamp. “...then the entrance of the chamber should be right…here.”
Betty stepped a few more meters forward, stopping between the wall of the cave and a natural stone column, the cavern dipping down deep beyond the wide pathway. It was a long drop-down, and it made Simon nervous. Still, he found it fascinating, how she walked around in random patterns as she thought out loud. The way she pieced everything together was rather impressive. And though he was petrified of how far that drop was, she had gotten them this far. He trusted her.
“Seems like someone did their homework.”
“I was valedictorian of my High School Class, Dr. Petrikov. My entire adolescence was doing my homework.”
Simon laughed in disbelief. She really was full of surprises
They scanned the area for a while, sure to be as thorough as possible searching through every crack and crevice of the warm stone for any little clue.
“There’s gotta be something we aren't seeing,”
“Yeah. It’s probably hiding in plain sight.” Betty replied, still holding back the impulsive need to shine her light on the ceiling of the cave. “We’re either not thinking right or thinking…too much.”
It was endearing how self-aware she was. What wasn’t endearing was how she pulled her hair or scratched her arms when she was frustrated. Maybe they needed a break.
“Okay, why don’t we just take five? Rest for a bit, maybe have a snack, and come back to it with a fresh mind.” Simon offered.
“What? No, it’s fine. We’re so close. I just need a bit more-”
“Betty, the enchiridion has been here for over a thousand years.” he laughed out, gently grabbing her shoulders and turning her to look at him in the eyes. “It can wait for five more minutes. I promise. It’s not going anywhere until we find it.”
Betty completely froze when Simon put his hands on her, her body tensing up as she blushed underneath the light of their headlamps. She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she exhaled. Her eyes rolled in an attempt to hide her embarrassment, and how fast her heart beat and the blood rushed to her face at his touch.
“Okay. Fine,” she caved, not being able to say ‘no’ to him. “That does sound pretty nice.”
They sat down next to each other, letting their bodies slide down with their backs against the stone wall. Betty grabbed a few meat sticks she had brought along with her, as well as a couple of protein bars, nuts, and berries she had hand-picked from their trail the day before. Simon took out some of his rations from his bag, too; some dried fruit, granola, some bread, and a ziplock full of butter.
They swapped what they had and shared a small meal in silence. In the middle of eating, a lightbulb went off in Betty’s head.
“You said the Enchiridion has been down here for over a thousand years?” she asked him, taking another bite of her protein bar. Simon turned his head to look at her as he continued eating.
“Yeah. But it wasn’t meant to be hidden forever,” he answered. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t have left a trail of clues. Whoever hid it did so for a very specific reason. We’re just not sure what, yet.”
For a moment, Betty wondered if they even should be searching for this book. But her brain moved too fast, and the thought was put on the back-burner almost immediately
“Okay, then. So…let’s go back a thousand years ago,” Betty suggested, thinking out loud.
“We kind of are back a thousand years, Betty. I don’t think a lot has changed here in that time.” Simon replied, causing Betty to roll her eyes. She wasn’t in the mood for jokes, not when they were so close
“Not in terms of place, Dr. Petrikov. I mean us; try and put ourselves in their shoes,” she clarified.
They stayed silent for a while, collecting their thoughts and finding their bearings as they looked around the cave. Betty took notice of the patterns in the stone covered in layers of dust, As she shined her head lamp on their surroundings, a thought intruded her mind; it really would’ve sucked to be trapped down here without a light. It was a good thing they packed extra batteries. This was probably the first time these caves had seen light in who knows how many years.
“Wait a minute. No one would come down here without a light source, right?” she asked Simon, who shook his head in response.
“If they wanted to see anything, definitely not. Going in here without a light would be a suicide mission. And they were superstitious of whatever spirits or monsters might be hiding,” he said, trying to connect the pieces of the puzzle in his mind like he was working with a giant conspiracy board.
“So…what if they did hide it in plain sight, then? What if having our lights is keeping us from actually seeing it?” Betty suggested.
Simon stayed quiet, ashamed to admit how stupid he felt. The answer was so simple, he was just overthinking things. And to think, he was the one who accused Betty of the same thing.
“And back then, they could only see by torchlight,” he added to her theory. “And if what they hid can’t be seen with torchlight, no wonder they couldn’t find it.”
“So maybe we should switch off the lights?” Betty asked him, her hand hovering over the switch of her head lamp, her face painted with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness. She definitely wasn’t looking forward to the darkness anymore than Simon was.
“It can’t hurt to try. ‘When in Rome,’ and all that jazz.”
“On three, then.”
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
The empty darkness was disorienting, intensifying the lingering feeling of the cave weighing down on them and making their stomachs turn. Betty inhaled before speaking, not even realizing she was holding in a breath.
“Oooookaaay. Pitch Blackness. I knew it was coming, and somehow I’m still startled. But that’s on me.” she breathed out, trying to mask her anxiety through her laughs.
“Yeah, this...this is fine.” Simon replied, now fighting the urge to turn his head lamp back on.
“Really?” Betty asked. If the caverns were lit up, Simon would be able to see her tilting her head.
“Nope. I hate it. I hate it so much,” he admitted, trying to follow her lead and laugh away his nervousness.
They stayed like that for a while longer, in the deafening, oppressive silence with the occasional echoing drips of water. Simon felt something like this before as a child when he went exploring with his family in Shoshone National Forest. He didn’t like going climbing as a kid, something that definitely had to change once he decided to pursue a career in Archeology. He hated those caves; it always felt like he was in the stomach of a monster, being slowly digested into nothing.
“How're you holding up over there, Betty?” he asked, his hand blindly searching to make sure she was still there.
“AAAH! SOMETHING’S GOT ME!” she suddenly shrieked, echoing throughout the cave system, causing both of them to scramble away from each other.
“No, no. That’s me.” Simon answered, trying to stifle his laugh at the way her voice carried through the tunnels. He gently rested his hand atop hers in reassurance. A weight lifted off of Betty’s shoulders at the sensation, her heart slowly beating back down to a normal rate once she realized she was safe. They both were.
“Oh, okay…thank you, Doctor.” Betty breathed out, her fingers intertwining with Simon’s. She suddenly wasn’t so frightened of the dark anymore, and now grateful that it disguised her blush.
Simon felt a smile naturally curl on his face as their hands warmed each other, sending a synchronized shiver down their spines. It was a small moment of reprieve from the darkness and uncertainty. Suddenly, the idea of being slowly digested wasn’t so scary, anymore, as long as he was holding her hand.
“Wait a minute…”
“What is it?”
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Betty noticed something to the left of them along the pathway they were following. Amidst the black nothingness, she spotted a soft sliver of light; moonlight, if she wasn’t mistaken.
“On your left. Do you see that?” she asked Simon. He squinted his eyes, pushing up his glasses on his face before he saw what Betty was talking about.
“A little off in the distance?”
“Yeah. Is that light?”
Simon switched his head lamp back on momentarily, shining towards where they spotted the light. It was yet another tunnel, shorter and narrower than the many others they had already passed through. He gulped. As excited as he was to find this book, and possibly see natural light after so long, he was not excited about feeling even more claustrophobic than he already was.
“C’mon, man. You’ve made it this far. Holes are holes,” Simon kept repeating to himself.
“It’s another passage. Maybe an exit?” he then wondered aloud.
“Let’s check it out,” Betty said eagerly, immediately packing all her belongings and securing them in her backpack. Simon let her lead the way.
They were forced to crawl on their stomachs, and the further they ventured, the more he felt like he was being digested than he was before. The rock walls felt sharp, and threatened to tear at his clothes and pack. His mind was suddenly intruded with memories of getting stuck in a cave as a child, and how his asthmatic lungs betrayed him.
His eyes slammed shut, too wracked with unpleasant memories and the tightness in his chest. But before he knew it, he was pulled out of his trance by a hand resting on his. He didn’t even realize they had found themselves at the other mouth of the tunnel.
“Hey, it’s okay. We made it,” she warmly reassured him.
Simon cautiously opened his eyes again, finding himself face-to-face with Betty, shining each other’s head lamps on one another. Up until now, he never noticed how much her freckles looked like warm clusters of stars on her sun-kissed skin. Suddenly, he wasn’t so frightened anymore. Was this what people meant when they talked about the light at the end of the tunnel?
“Dr. Petrikov?” Betty spoke up, pulling him out of yet another trance.
“Oh, yes. Sorry,” he apologized, taking her hand and letting her help him up on his feet, grateful to be out of the allegorical stomach of the monster.
“It’s no trouble. Really.”
“Thank you…”
They turned back on the path, but found that they no longer needed their head lamps to light the way. The light of the moon and stars were enough.
“Hoooolllyy crap,” Betty breathed out, marveling at the night sky.
Neither of them were really sure what to call where they were. The best they could describe it was the ancient ruins of a large observatory, the same shape as the Rome Colosseum, but maybe half the size. It felt like being in the middle of the field of a football stadium and looking straight up. The stone floor only took up half of the area; the other was deep and hollow. Both of them stayed away from the edge, having a feeling that whatever would fall in there would fall forever.
“Woah.” he panted, staring at the night sky that never ceased to amaze him each time he gazed up.
Whenever people talked about ‘the middle of nowhere,’ this wasn’t what Betty pictured. The phrase always manifested in her mind as empty, colorless, and lonely. She was pleased to discover how wrong she was. ‘The middle of nowhere’ turned out to be beautiful. Peaceful. But Betty found it could be even more so when you had someone to be nowhere with you.
She officially started geeking out.
“Okay. It’s official. Best. Stargazing Spot. EVER!” she yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth and making her voice echoing off the stone walls of the ancient ruins. A rumble in the cave came from behind them. She immediately regretted her actions once she realized what it was. Simon looked at her with his head tilted.
“What the-”
“Get down!” Betty cut him off, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him down to the ground with her. Thankfully, their backpacks cushioned the effects of the impact.
Hundreds if not thousands of bats came rushing out of the cave, rapidly flying in circles before the colony disappeared over the edge of the stone. It was almost comical, how they all flew against the moon, like a vintage motion picture.
“Huh. I guess there were bats in those caves,” Simon panted out, turning his head to lock eyes with Betty. Neither of them could help but start laughing.
“Sorry,” Betty giggled, bringing her hands to her face. “I couldn’t resist.”
Simon shook his head as they awkwardly sat up together.
“No, it’s fine. I don’t blame you. It’s...” he trailed off, losing his words as he caught sight of her in the light of the moon, tucking her hair back as she stared up at the constellations cluttering up the dark sky.
“It’s gorgeous,” she finished for him.
For the first time in his life, Simon didn’t wanna look up at the stars.
“Yeah...gorgeous.”
…
They sat there for a while, staring up at the clearest and most mesmerizing night sky either of them had ever seen. The stone was cool beneath their hands, and it sent a pleasant, calming chill down Betty’s spine. However, Simon felt warmer than ever before, and he couldn’t get his heart to calm down.
“Do you know anything about the constellations, Betty?” he stuttered, breaking the silence. He was hoping talking about something else would calm him down.
“I don’t, actually,” she replied, turning her head to him. “I’ve always been interested but found them all too hard to track and remember.”
Simon scooted a little bit closer to her, and started pointing at the sky.
“So...some of those stars are part of a constellation known as Orion.” he explained, pointing at the three stars that made up the hunter’s belt.
“Oh, yeah. That’s one of the few I actually remember the name of. Didn’t he have two hunting dogs?” Betty asked, tilting her head to the side and squinting to see more detail.
“Yeah, that’s right. They’re the ones to the left of him,” Simon said, pointing the stars out once more. “In Greek mythology, he was the son of Poseidon and Euryale. She was a human princess. The stars on his belt symbolize resurrection and rebirth.”
Betty chuckled, once again surprised by the amount of random knowledge Dr. Petrikov had collected in his head over the years. She had the same quirk, but with information about flora and fauna, with a dash of history sprinkled in.
“Where’d you learn all of this? It’s impressive,” she complimented.
“From my dad. He was the head of the planetarium back when I was growing up in Massachusetts. He’d take me there whenever I couldn’t fall asleep as a toddler.”
Betty’s heart ached sweetly, never hearing something so adorable in her life.
“Awww, that’s so cute,” she said warmly.
Simon chuckled, grateful that his blushing face wasn’t noticeable. Talking about his father was always bittersweet for him. It had been six years since his passing, and living without him hadn’t gotten any easier. One of his biggest regrets was that he never got to live long enough to see him get his P.h.D.
“Yeah…he always told me Orion was the most important one in the sky; that he was a reminder that no matter how lost we feel, we all have the power to rise again,” he reminisced.
“You’re dad seems nice. I must say, though, I’m a bit jealous,” Betty said.
Simon knew about her dad; one of her first bullies, a coward who started a second family and left her and her mother when she was 13, in one of the lowest points in her life. There were only so many other things to talk about on the journey to these ancient ruins before they delved into deeper territory.
Simon’s parents were far from perfect. His family went through a lot of ups and downs. But no matter what happened, he never doubted for a minute that his parents loved him and his siblings. And it seemed that Betty’s dad made her doubt that on a regular basis. Despite all that, Betty talked about it like it was nothing. He hoped that was how she really felt about it deep down.
“We’re like…way out in the middle of nowhere, aren’t we?” she asked Simon, quickly snapping him out of his thoughts and bringing him back to the present.
They took in the silence of the night. After being accustomed to life in larger civilizations, it seemed so foreign. There were no cars, sirens or airplanes to be heard; just the elements existing in harmony together.
“It’s nice, though,” he replied. “It feels like I can finally breathe. I’ve never breathed air this clear before.”
They both took in deep breaths, enjoying the way the air tasted and felt so fresh and chemical-free.
Although Betty loved her city, she wasn’t the biggest fan of big crowds.
“Humanity has…really messed up the planet, hasn’t it?”
Simon nodded. He had a feeling that after they came back to Seattle with the Enchiridion, they wouldn’t disclose where exactly they found it. This place was special, untainted by modernity. It deserved to stay that way.
Betty sighed, clicking her tongue and playfully kicking her feet as she looked around the ancient ruins, when something caught her eye
“Wait? Do you see that?” Betty suddenly asked, pointing near where the edge dipped off into the seemingly bottomless cavern.
“What?” Simon turned his head to where she was pointing, towards a cluster of stones in a star-like pattern, glaring a soft green in the light of the moon. He switched his head lamp on and off a few times to make sure he wasn’t just seeing things. And sure enough, he wasn’t.
“The stones…they’re glowing…” he realized aloud. He and Betty crawled on their hands and knees until they were right on top of it.
“What d'ya thinks hiding underneath them?” she asked.
Without another word, both Simon and Betty took out their utility knives to pry the stones up from the rocky floor. Once they were loose and free, the rest followed easily as they raked their hands over the rocks and dirt, and the ground beneath it slowly began to sink. Simon used his extendable rod to poke at it, and within moments, the rocks and dirt came falling down, echoing back up with an eruption of dust. They both coughed as it wafted into their faces, shining their lights downwards as they blew and swatted it away. As the air cleared, they discovered where the debris fell, their lights lighting up the secret chamber below them.
Both of them gasped.
“Holy Shit…” Betty breathed out, looking down on the dirt covered steps before turning back to Simon, his eyes filled with child-like wonder.
He stood up, balancing himself as he used his foot to check the stability of the stone stairs. Betty was practically bouncing with excitement as she stayed down on her knees, eager to jump inside and explore.
“The stairs seem stable enough. Just be careful,” Simon warned, and, not bearing to wait any longer, the two cautiously crawled down the steps, taking care to stay close to the wall.
The hidden chamber looked like something out of a fairytale; a wizard’s private, cluttered study with no surface left empty. The stone walls were lined with bookshelves built into them, with books and trinkets stored strategically on each one. Ancient, yellowed pages scattered across the floor, decorated with entries and mystical symbols. It more than made up for the trouble they went through trekking through all those caves, that was for sure.
Simon and Betty stood there for a while, awestruck, marveling at all the sheer amount of tomes and treasures. It was enough to make their heads spin, feeling like two kids left unsupervised at a candy store as they geeked out together.
“It’s gotta be one of these,” Betty said, immediately walking over to the bookshelf closest to her and beginning what would hopefully be the end of their search for the Enchiridion. Simon wiped the sweat off his forehead and brushed his hair back as he took everything in.
“Oh, jeez. How in the hell are we supposed to narrow it down to one book?” he thought aloud, glancing around at the massive stacks of books. Not to mention that many of the symbols etched throughout the room on papers and covers were the few he couldn’t identify. He didn’t like how chaotic everything was. Simon needed structure and routine to function. On the other hand, the person who’s study this must’ve been close to something huge. He, too, was only ever really messy when he was connecting all the dots on a new discovery.
“I’m sure we’ll know it when we see it.” Betty replied as she ran her fingers along the spines and covers of each book she crossed, determined not to stop until she found it. They were so close.
Simon nodded, joining her in her search.
They had both spent their lives in libraries, finding comfort among the filled shelves. They were sanctuaries for every type of learning. It was how the universe pushed them together down the path that led to this very moment. Of course, they were used to this by now, but this was different. They were intimately familiar with the Dewey Decimal System, but all these tomes were most likely undocumented, untouched, undiscovered for a thousand years. It was overwhelming how much potential mystery lay within these books.
By now, Betty moved over to the grand desk, covered in layers of spiderwebs and debris. As she moved the desk chair, her heart stopped.
“OH, MY GOD, NO!” she shrieked, her voice echoing throughout the hidden chamber and the natural atrium above them. She jumped back against the opposite wall, awkwardly bumping into Simon as the sudden noise and surprise sensations made him jump in place.
“WHAT? WHAT IS IT?!” he loudly asked her, spinning around to shine his head lamp on the desk. As soon as he saw the skeleton that spooked Betty, he couldn’t help but gasp. This was all that was left of the owner of this ancient study; their bones and the clothes on their backs. It was such a surreal sight; another ominous sight in an already unnerving location. Simon would’ve been more frightened if he wasn’t already so excited about finding the Enchiridion.
“Now there’s something you don’t see every day,” he muttered, not knowing what else there was to say in this kind of situation. He had seen human skeletons, of course, but he had yet to run into a skeleton out in the field. There was a first time for everything.
“Uh, no…No, it is not,” Betty agreed.
“Well, at least he died doing what he loved. Surrounded by books,” she then pointed out, getting over the initial shock of the scenario pretty quickly.
“True. What a way to go.” Simon nodded. It was hard to remain frightened amidst a possible world-changing discovery.
Betty walked closer to the skeleton, too curious to stay away any longer. Whenever this person died and decomposed into what they were now, they spent their final moment with their head resting atop an open book; a very familiar book.
“Whatever higher power is up there, please forgive me for what I’m about to do,” she pleaded aloud, her head tilted up to the ceiling of the chamber. Simon’s eyes widened as he witnessed her hand inching closer and closer to the skeleton
“Wait, what’re you doing?”
“Sorry, buddy,” Betty apologized to the ancient corpse, her hand gently grabbing the edge of the book as she prepared to move the skeleton. Simon strutted up behind her.
“You’re not gonna touch that, are you?”
Betty rolled her eyes and playfully scoffed. “Do you have a better suggestion?”
Simon gulped at her words and shook his head in reply, stunned by her fearlessness once again.
Betty blocked out the outside world, focusing all her energy on this moment and making sure she didn’t mess up. Her eye caught a glimpse of the text on the open page, covered in a thick layer of dust, but still readable; Catalyst Comets. Interesting. She’d have to remember to read more later when they got back.
Her other hand finally touched the skeleton, sending an ominous shiver down her spine as she gently lifted the head off the book, sliding it out from under it before resting it back on the ancient desk. As she left it in peace, Betty finally closed the book to look at the cover. Finally, they had found it. After all the hiking and exploring for miles, they finally completed their mission.
“That’s it. You found it.” Simon gasped, feeling a rush of excitement, standing next to her as they both ran their hands gently over the cover. His heartbeat raced, afraid this was a dream and that they’d wake up any minute now. But he squeezed his eyes shut, blinking twice just to make sure. This was no dream. This was actually happening. They actually found it; the ancient book that would possibly unlock all the secrets of this messed up world they lived in.
Betty turned her head to Simon, their eyes both filled with bewilderment.
“We…we did it…WE DID IT, OH, MY GOD!!” she exclaimed, not sure if she should believe it herself.
“OH, MY GOD, BETTY! THANK YOU!!” Simon cried, catching her by surprise by lifting her up and spinning her around. They laughed in celebration as he felt the weight of the world coming off their shoulders with their accomplishment.
Thankfully, Betty had put the book back down on the desk by then, so she didn’t drop it amidst the shock. As he put her back down, she decided enough was enough
“I-I can’t believe we actually found it! Betty, I couldn’t have found this without your help! You’re so smart, so clever, so brave, and I-!”
She cut him off, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as she stood up on her toes to lock her lips with his, basking in the glow of the praises from the person she admired the most in this world.
Simon’s eyes widened, and time practically stopped as the rest of the world melted away. Nothing else mattered except him and Betty, here and now. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her, cradling her face in one hand as he held her by her shoulder. They were both so overjoyed with the success of their findings, and the added adrenaline made them both feel so alive in a way that didn’t feel possible before their kiss.
When they finally pulled away, the need for air becoming too severe to deny, they said nothing. They simply stood there, holding one another and looking into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity as they caught their breaths. As she found her bearings, Betty’s face flushed in embarrassment as she pulled away, realizing the gravity of what she had just done.
“Oh, God. I…I’m so sorry, Dr. Petrikov! I-I was just…I just got caught up in the moment and I know that was completely unprofessional of me and I’m just so-!!”
Betty was cut off as Simon pulled her back against him, wrapping his hands around her waist and holding her so there was no space between them before locking his lips with hers again. He didn’t care about being professional any longer, now that they’d crossed the barrier and opened up Pandora’s box. Everything that stood between them before seemed to fade away now that they were completely and truly alone together, thousands of miles away from anyone who would care enough to stop them. There was nothing but them, their hearts and hands intertwining in the hidden chamber, surrounded by ancient books and magical secrets. For what felt like the first time in their lives, both their hearts felt full.
Betty couldn’t help but moan against Simon’s mouth as she leaned deeper into the kiss, letting her body mold against his as he pulled her by her hips, making her heart skip a beat. After over a month of built-up tension and reluctance, they were finally giving in. It felt hot, dangerous, and they absolutely loved it. Simon let out a quiet chuckle as his heart pounded in his chest, blood rushing through his veins like a roaring river as his desire for Betty grew stronger with each passing second.
As the two of them pulled apart, gasping for air, he kept her close to him. Now that he finally had her in his arms, he never wanted to let go. She felt so soft…so warm and safe.
“I…I don’t even know what to say right now,” he whispered, his voice shaky and unsure.
“You don’t have to say anything…just do that again…” she panted out, her tone laced with pent-up frustration and desire as a thin string of saliva connected their lips.
Simon didn’t need to be told twice. He leaned in again, pressing his mouth against Betty’s a little more assertive this time. She quivered against him, her body melting as he softly ran his hands along her sides, keeping her as close as possible. But it still wasn’t enough. He needed more. She needed more.
Betty groaned as she lost herself in Simon, in the moment. Her heart skipped a beat, nearly shrieking as she felt him lift her up by her thighs to place her on the ancient desk. She wasn’t sure he had that sort of strength within him, but she was glad she was wrong. Somehow, they had forgotten all about the skeleton just next to them; its presence hadn’t stopped them before, and it wasn’t going to spoil the moment now.
Simon’s heart rapidly pounded in his chest. He couldn’t believe this was finally happening. Hell, he couldn’t believe he had it in him to pick someone up like that. She ached for him. He burned for her. And now that they both knew it, things would never be the same; but they couldn’t find it in themselves to care, Betty trembled, her eyes sparkling at the feeling of Simon snaking his hand up the hem of her tank top. She trailed her own hand down his back, eager to finally grab his butt, something she’d wanted to do since they first met.
However, their hot, wet kisses and passionate petting was discontinued, their hearts stopping as they heard the desk creak and felt it shake beneath them, warning them of its impending collapse. Fortunately, Simon grabbed her and held her close to himself before she even had a chance to fall. They both cringed at the echoing sound of the collapse throughout the hidden chamber, their eyes widening.
Betty shook her head as Simon’s jaw fell open, a wave of realization washing over them. He gently set her down, allowing them to compose themselves to the best of their abilities. They stared at each other for a moment, faces now flushed with embarrassment replacing their previous desire as they processed everything that had just transpired. However, they weren’t so much embarrassed by their entanglement as they were by the fact that they just destroyed a centuries-old resting place of the Enhiridion’s last owner before they had the chance to properly preserve it, all because they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. It made their heads spin.
“Should we, uh…” Betty cleared her throat as they avoided looking at each other, gathering up their backpacks.
Simon nodded. A part of him didn’t want to; he wanted to keep moving forward with her, and see where that moment would’ve taken them. He wanted her to know how special she was, and how much she deserved to be treated well. But instead, he just picked up where she trailed off.
“Yeah, we should probably head back now, huh?” he laughed nervously, not sure if it was coming from a place of embarrassment or lingering desire.
As they gathered themselves and started walking back towards the stairs, they had almost completely forgotten the reason they were here in the first place. After remembering, Betty rushed back to the pile of ancient trinkets amongst the collapsed desk, clutching the precious book to her chest. She left one last apology for the disturbed skeleton, now a part of the pile.
“Again. Terribly sorry for disturbing your…office-slash-tomb. Please go rest in peace and don’t haunt us all the way back home.”