Not A Small Town Girl (Danielle and David) novel Chapter 198

“I can do this. I've got this. Totally," Xavier mumbled to himself, trying to keep it together.

"Matthew was a great lawyer, and Xavier couldn't figure out what business he had in a place like this. Dangerous, dark, and downright nerve-wracking, Xavier already felt himself starting to unravel after just a few steps into the cave.

"The place was a total maze. Danielle stayed sharp, carving marks into the walls with her dagger as they went. At first, it seemed like a good plan, until it didn't.

"Uh, are we lost? We're trapped here?" Xavier asked, glancing nervously at the identical paths around them.

"Danielle studied the marks she had made. There was no doubt about it. they were looping back to the same spot, over and over again.

"Xavier started mumbling to himself, "Great, we're lost. Just going in circles over and over again."

"He groaned, kicking a loose rock. "Is Matthew even here? Yeah, he's smart, but this place is insane. There's no way he's navigating this on his own."

His thoughts spiraled the longer they walked. "What if we're stuck here forever? We don't have much food, and dying of thirst sounds like a nightmare. This is so unfair."

"He threw up his hands. "I'm the youngest Best Actor, with millions of fans! I can't just drop dead in a cave. Seriously, life's got it out for me."

"Xavier clenched his fists, already planning to give Matthew an earful when they found him. "When I see that guy, he's going to have a lot of explaining to do."

“Quit whining and focus on getting us out of this maze," Vivian said. She kept reminding herself, Xavier was her biological son, and she had to keep it together. How she and Howard, two quiet people, ended up with such a nonstop talker was still a mystery.

"Danielle kept her eyes on the terrain. "Let's keep moving. There's gotta be a way out of here," she said, marking the walls with her dagger as they went.

"Howard shot Xavier a helpless look. "Yeah, let's all pay attention. Especially you, Xavier. Try putting that energy into something useful for once."

"Xavier spun around, looking offended. "Why me? I'm the one keeping everyone from losing it! You think it's easy? My mouth is practically dry from all this hard work!"

"Vivian groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "If your mouth is dry, tough luck. There's no water anyway. And please, for just five minutes, give it a rest!"

“This kid just doesn't know when to stop," Vivian muttered to herself. "When we're out of here, I'm setting him up on a blind date. Let him talk her ears off instead of mine."

"Xavier, completely oblivious to his mother's scheming, kept tossing out jokes, still convinced he was lightening the mood.

"Meanwhile, Danielle finally managed to find a way out of the maze, carefully following the marks she had made. But after just a few steps, they were met with a thick, white expanse, like walking into a foggy morning. The strange sight made her stop in her tracks.

“Fog? In a cave?" Howard asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“No clue," Danielle replied. "But we don't know what's out there, so let's take it slow." Holding her dagger tightly, she crept forward.

"The white fog kept thickening, making it hard to see even a few feet ahead. Danielle's nerves were on edge. With visibility this bad, she wouldn't have time to react if something attacked, and her parents and Xavier were right behind her.

"Then came the sound—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—growing louder and closer.

"Danielle's heart skipped a beat. "Move! Get out of the way!" she yelled.

"Out of nowhere, several rusty swords shot toward them, their edges glinting faintly in the haze. Danielle barely had time to register what was happening.

"She lunged forward, dagger in hand, and deflected the blades, but the distraction of protecting her family left her vulnerable. A sharp sting ran through her arm as one sword grazed her hand.

“Danielle, you're hurt!" Vivian's face was full of worry.

“I'm okay, Mom. Dad, Xavier, you guys climb up the vines." Danielle quickly figured it out; these hidden weapons wouldn't hit the vines, so if they all stayed on them, they might be safe from the attacks.

"Without hesitation, Howard, Vivian, and Xavier scrambled up, using both hands and feet, eager not to hold Danielle back.

“Danielle, we're up! Come on, hurry!" one of them called out.

"Danielle took a quick glance at them, relieved they were safe. She dodged to the side, grabbed a vine, and was up in no time.

"The three of them were panting when they saw Danielle leap up so effortlessly. The skill gap was obvious.

"Taking a deep breath, Danielle held on to the vine and thought about what to do next. She couldn't just hang here forever, the vine might break. They couldn't put their lives in its hands. She needed to come up with something else.

“Danielle, take a break. I will head out first and see if he can find a way," Howard said, even though he was in his fifties, he kept himself fit and strong.

“Dad, I'm coming with you. Let Mom and Danielle stay here. If we get through, we can bring them over," Xavier said, clearly worried about his dad. He didn't want to always rely on his sister for protection, especially after she had just gotten hurt.

“Alright, but you two be careful. Danielle and I will wait here," Vivian said.

"Howard and Xavier started crawling through the vines, heading ahead to find a way forward.

“Danielle, do you have any anti-inflammatory medicine? Let me help you put it on. Those rusty weapons could cause an infection if we don't treat it." Vivian's eyes were brimming with worry.