side without any danger of falling off. Kishan ran along a couple of them from time to time to explore. I stayed as close to the trunk as possible.
After several hours at our slow pace, I stopped in front of a dark hole that led back inside the trunk. I waited for Kishan to return from his latest exploration, so we could enter the hole together. This part of the trunk was darker and moist. Water trickled down the inside, dripping and plopping from somewhere above. The walls changed from smooth to splintered and peeling. Our voices echoed. There seemed to be a large gap in the tree, like it had been hollowed out.
I said, “This part of the tree feels dead, as if it’s been damaged.”
“Yes. The wood under our feet is rotting. Stay as close to the trunk wall as you can.”
Another few minutes passed, and the stairs stopped below a black hole just big enough to crawl through.
“There’s nowhere else to go. Should we climb in?”
“It’s going to be a tight fit.”
“Then let me go first and look around,” I volunteered. “If it’s blocked ahead, there’s no need for you to climb through. I’ll just back out, and we’ll figure out another way to the top.”
He agreed and traded the flashlight for the backpack. Kishan boosted me up, and I wiggled into the hole and crawled through on my hands and knees until the passage started to narrow and become taller. At that point, the only way to proceed was to stand, turn to the side, and shimmy forward. Then the passageway lowered, and again I sunk to my knees.
The passageway felt like petrified rock. A big chunk hung down, blocking the top half of the passage. I squirmed on my stomach, wiggled under it, and found that the passage opened into a large cavern. It felt like I’d traveled a hundred feet, but it was probably more like twenty-five. I thought Kishan would fit but just barely.
I hollered back, “Give it a try.”
As I waited for him, I noticed that the floor felt spongy. Probably rotting wood. The walls were coated with something that resembled crusty, brown deli mustard. I heard a bird flapping overhead and a soft screeing. Huh, must be a nest up there. The sounds bounced around the inside of the tree, getting progressively louder and more violent.
“Uh, Kishan? Hurry up!”
I raised my flashlight fearfully. I couldn’t see anything, but the air was definitely moving. It seemed as if flocks of birds were slapping against each other in the darkness. Something brushed past my arm and flapped away suddenly. If it was a bird, it was a big one.
“Kishan!”
“Almost there.”
I could hear him sliding along on his stomach. He was almost through.
Something or a few somethings flapped toward me again. Maybe they’re giant moths. I shut off my light to deter the flapping creatures and listened as Kishan approached.
First the backpack and then his head emerged. Over my head, something large startled me with frenzied flapping. Pinching, hooked claws curled around my shoulders and took hold. I screamed. They tightened, and with a violent beating of wings and a loud SCREEEEEE, I was lifted into the air.
Kishan quickly wormed his way out of the hole and grabbed for my leg, but the creature was strong and yanked me away. I heard him shout, “Kelsey!”
I shouted back, my voice echoing off the walls. I was high up, much higher than Kishan, but I could still faintly make him out below. The creature was soon surrounded by others of its kind, and I was enfolded in a screeching, fluttering, quivering mass of warm bodies. Sometimes, I felt fur brush against my skin, sometimes a leathery membrane, and, once in a while, scratching talons.
The creature slowed, hovered, and then let go. Before I could scream, I landed with a thud on my backside. I turned on the flashlight that I had somehow managed to hang onto during the sudden ride. Scared to see where I was but determined to find out, I flipped the switch and looked up.
At first, I couldn’t figure out what I was looking at. All I could see were masses of brown and black bodies. Then, I realized they were bats. Giant bats. I was standing on a ledge with a drop-off of hundreds of feet. Quickly, I scooted back against the wall.
Kishan yelled my name and tried to move in my direction.
“I’m okay!” I shouted. “They haven’t hurt me! I’m up