We walked through the tunnel.

  "It’s pitch black... I can hardly see in front of me." Sufian muttered.

  "Heh heh, still—Isn’t this like some kinda expedition? I’m getting kinda pumped!" Ali said, a grin creeping in.

  "Hey! This is NOT the time to play around!" Jeremy snapped. "It’s not safe for us to keep going like this. Ah, but if we use the camera light..."

  "GYEEEEEEP!" Ali screamed.

  "Eek!" Malak shrieked. "OHHHH, knock it off, Ali!"

  "Don’t just scream like that! Even I got spooked!" Sufian added.

  The two of them spoke in unison, clearly annoyed.

  "Uh, my bad," Ali said, chuckling nervously. "I just saw this here, so..."

  He gestured toward a thick rope hanging along the tunnel wall.

  "This is... a sacred rope?" Sufian asked.

  "What would something like that be doing here?" Malak said, puzzled.

  "Hmm..." Jeremy eyed it. "Maybe this is where Hubal is enshrined or something? Now that I think about it—Yusuf, didn’t you say you weren’t allowed to enter here?"

  Jeremy turned his gaze to Yusuf.

  "Yeah... the village believes in retribution. Kids are warned to stay out."

  "Ahhh! Wha—what is this wind coming from the tunnel entrance...?" Malak cried.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  "Oh jeez, there must be a hell of a storm whipping up outside," Ali muttered.

  "You think those three are in trouble?" Sufian asked. "We’d better hurry on to the shrine!"

  "Yes—uh, yes, you’re right! Come on, there’s not time to lose!" Jeremy said quickly.

  ?????

  Everyone began running to reach the other end of the tunnel.

  As they emerged, a bright sun shone between rows of bustan trees.

  (Huh? The snowfall is slowing down?) Sufian thought.

  "What the—? What happened to the blizzard?" Ali exclaimed.

  "The tunnel isn’t that long... what could be happening here?" Malak wondered aloud.

  "Ha ha! Talk about lucky! It just up and stopped on us!" Ali said.

  "It’s more like it didn’t snow at all on this side of the tunnel."

  Ali blinked and looked around.

  "And look at these flowers... Ain’t they something else? The bustan is a sea of red. I feel like... I’ve seen them in our field guide, maybe?"

  "If memory serves, these are called red spider lilies," Malak said quietly.

  "Right, that’s what they are! But this isn’t right. It’s spring, and..."

  "Yes. They bloom in the autumn. What in the world is going on here...?"

  (Hmm? Has Malak figured something out? Should we check the area a little before we head to the shrine?)

  Sufian stepped forward.

  "What’s this...? There’s a bunch of stuff floating in the air."

  "You think it’s those whatchamacallits? Spores?" Ali asked.

  "I’ve never heard of red spider lilies doing something like this." Malak frowned.

  "These things aren’t bad for us, are they?" Jeremy asked, squinting upward.

  "Flowers like these can be found anywhere," Yusuf replied. "I mean, they look pretty normal..."

  "This area..." Malak murmured. "I have a bad feeling about it. Something is not right."

  "Not right? How?" Sufian asked.

  "Um... I’m sorry. I can’t quite put it into words. Take the flowers... they should be pretty, but they give me the creeps more than anything."

  Yusuf glanced at her, concerned.

  "Come on, let’s hustle. The snow should be on us soon. Let’s get to the shrine."

  "Yeah, he’s right. Lead the way!" Ali said.

  "They don’t seem to be anywhere around here. The shrine must be further in..."

  (The shrine must be just ahead. We should head toward it for now.)

  ?????