It Looks Like you Fell in the River and Piranhas Gnawed on your Fingertips

Second Trilogy Part Three, originally presented in April 2007. Afterwards we'll join them in Greenfield, MA, for Mexican.

Steve closed his eyes expecting the worst punch his stomach would ever feel, since it was coming from a train, and he even reacted as if the impact occurred. Only it didn't. A strong grip on his collar yanked him to safety a mere second before he would have set foot in the afterlife.

"Nice you could join us," Jacob deadpanned behind a cigarette. Nobody ever knew how he always had some kind of tobacco product at his disposal.

"Leave it to me to save your sorry behind," Sue chided with half a smile. She was soaking wet. Her visible skin was covered in dark bruises from impacts with the dark hole's walls and though the guys couldn't see it, the rest of her body looked much the same. Now that Sue had saved him, Steve had an even deeper affection for her. This would not be good. But that's a bad story for another time.

"I don't know about you, but I'm famished," Sue said changing the subject as they limped into the night sky. They were happy there were stars, even if they were under dressed for the cold night air, "Now will you listen to me the next time you want to go spelunking in a place out of hell at dinnertime?"

"NO!!" Steve replied, "I mean, I'm so grateful to you I can't even explain but look! We just survived an experience not many mortal beings have survived! How many people have you even heard of doing something like this? And it's happened to us before! Don't you see? We're meant to experience all kinds of weird things! I can't wait to be scared outta my wits on the next one!"

"Great," Jacob added sarcastically and tossed away the stub of what he'd been smoking.

"Well, I'm not looking forward to it. I have to buy a new wardrobe after each time," Sue explained, "these 'experiences' are just too supernatural for my clothes.

The heat of the car felt pretty good once their soaking wet 45 minute hike back ended. Each of them was very hungry when they pulled into a nationally known rather popular affordably priced Mexican fast food joint. The stares from the other customers though had them extremely self-conscious.

"Dude, are you alright?" this one college aged man asked Steve.

"What happened?" his girlfriend asked.

"We just got a little wet hiking today," Steve told them while he waited to be served. Jacob and Susan were in the respective restrooms.

"It looks like you fell in the river and piranhas gnawed on your fingertips."

Steve meekly smiled in reply, wishing his windbreaker collar would swallow his head. But then, that would be a bad story for another time...