I hope this meets up to your guy's standards, especially Cj's.

     Javier clasped his mother's sickly hand as tears streamed down his cheeks. She doesn't deserve this..! He had told himself. He thought she was the best mother in the world, at least in his eyes. She shouldn't have to go through this pain..

     "Mijo, why do you cry?" She rasped, trying her best to soothe her son's grief.

     Javier looked at his bedridden mother. "Mamá, you shouldn't be here.. You should be back at home.."

    She smiled at him. "I will be. I just need time to heal, that's all. Once I'm done, I'll be back in no time."

     That wasn't the case, and they both knew it. The doctors had diagnosed she had a collapsed lung, and needed a transplant soon. She was too old to only breathe out of one lung. But the surgery was expensive, too expensive. Javier would have sold an arm and a leg for it, but that wouldn't even amount to one fourth of the cost. He was glad that his mother stayed positive. It was the only thing keeping Javier sane, but positivity doesn't pay bills, and neither do tears.

     He wiped his tears away and smiled back. "Yes Mamá, I bet you will."

     He held her hand tighter, fearing it might be for the last time. For her and for him.

     Javier's mother coughed. "Mijo.. If you don't mind, I need to rest.. I'm tir-"

     "Don't waste your words, Mamá. Sleep." Javier shushed her. She smiled at him, and drifted off into sleep.

      Javier sat at his mother's side, watching her. Her face was relaxed, alleviated from the pain that had been tormenting her. She looked.. Peaceful. This made him feel a little better. It was rare to see his mother's face not contorted in pain.

      He didn't leave her bedside until a doctor had come him to tell him that visiting hours were closed, and that he needed to leave.

     He didn't want to leave, but he knew it was necessary. He didn't want them to kick out his mother.

      He nodded. "But if anything happens to her while I'm gone, it's game over for you buddy." He pulled his finger across his throat.

     The doctor nodded and left in a rush, visibly scared of Javier and his threat.

     Javier shoved his hands into his pockets and took a glance at his peaceful mother, before exiting the hospital.

-Break-

    He was walking back to his mother's house, since he had mortgaged his car, trying to raise enough money for his mother's surgery. That hadn't amounted to much.

   Javier was frustrated. Frustrated at the bank for not giving him loans, frustrated at his boss for not giving him a raise, and frustrated at himself, for not having a well-off job to earn the money.

   He screamed out of pure anger into the night. The screaming slowly died down into sobbing. He felt his eyes moisten as tears began to stream down his cheeks. The doctors treating his mother said his bank account was close to empty, and that they would have to cut off the life support soon. 

"...And even with Life Support, she doesn't have long left.. It's taking a toll on her body.. I'm Sorry Mr. Guillermo.."

   Javier scowled at the recollection of the memory he had always tried pushing away, he had always had doubted the doctor that said that to him, but it was starting to become more apparent that he was right. 

    Mamá isn't looking so good.. He thought as he collected himself. Maybe I should try the scratch cards again..

    He felt a slight tug on his boot before he plummeted forward. He extended his arms in an attempt to catch himself, but he felt no ground under him. He opened his eyes and saw that he was falling down a large hole. 

     Shit! I walked off the sidewalk a while ago! 

     He curled into the fetal position and braced for impact. Javier felt the air in his lungs leave him as he was swallowed by a liquid substance and blacked out.

-Break-

    Javier coughed and painstakingly opened his eyes. He was in an underground cave, right by the shore of what appeared to be a groundwater-river. Javier layed on his back, trying to remember what had happened. He was angry about his Mother..He pushed himself onto his feet with a grunt and tried to see if there was an exit. Javier got more and more hopeless as he looked around the room, and failed to see an exit. He was about to see if there was an underwater exit when a piece of light caught his eye, and attracted him to it.

  He walked closer to the strange, refracted, light, and saw it was a fluorescent blue color. He saw another one, this time a purple color. It was down a hallway-shaped cave, and since there was a lack of exits in this cave, he walked down it.

    He was following the path of the strange lights, but quickly realized they weren't lights, they were crystals. He stared down at the crystals, his mind wondering what to do with him, but his thoughts quickly pointed to one solution.

     Mamá

     He scrambled to break the glistening rock off of the cave wall. He backtracked and picked off each and every one of the crystals. His pockets were stuffed, hands full. His mouth spread ear to ear as he walked down the corridor-like cave. still picking off more of the colorful rocks.

   He was too focused on the crystals to realize the corridor slowly opened, leading him into a bigger room. He bumped into a stalactite, and only then he looked at his surroundings. It was a large room-like area, with stalactites hanging down from the ceiling. He was on even ground, which he found surprising, since the ground behind him had been rocky and inconsistent, but he left the question in the air as he saw more of the wonderful crystals he had been collecting.

    At this point, he had gained an extra 30 pounds from the weight of the crystals on him. Javier now needed to go back to his original task and look for the exit to the crystal wonderland. He ducked and weaved around the stalactites, and found a small opening, one that he could crawl through easily, even with the added mass.

    Javier got on his hands and knees and stood up to find himself on the side of the road on Interstate 23, thirty miles from his mother's house. He didn't care though, he was happy, gleeful even. He might have even gotten more than enough money for his mother's surgery. He called his friend, Andrew, to ask for a ride.

-Break-

     "Dude! Where the hell did you get those!" Andrew exclaimed as he saw what Javier had.

     "I found 'em in a cave.. That I kinda fell down." Javier smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Wasn't paying attention, but I guess you could say it pays off."

      "What even are those?" Andrew asked as they stepped into the car.

     "How the hell am I supposed to know?" Javier replied, buckling into the vehicle. He pointed to Andrew. "But what I do know is that these will make me a lot of dough."

      Andrew chuckled. "Yeah man. Maybe after your Ma' get's the surgery, we could go back down there, just to, you know.." He trailed off and gestured to Javier.

       Javier nodded. "I know, I was thinking the same thing. Mamá could be livin' so good if we did that."

      "Mhm." Andrew said, turning his hand and starting the ignition.

     Javier felt the car surge forward as they got on the road. He counted each crystal on the seat next to him. Forty seven total.. He thought with a grin.

     They sat in silence for the next few miles, each pondering at their own thoughts. Javier, thinking about how much this would help his mother, and Andrew thinking about the profit he could make off these crystals.

      Javier was snapped back to reality when he heard Andrew mutter 'Shit'.

      Javier gave Andrew a puzzled look. "What's up Andrew?"

       "Javi, what if the stones don't amount to much?" Andrew sighed.

       Javier felt as if someone had shot an arrow through his heart. "Wh..What do you mean?"

       "I mean the crystals might not be worth much, Javi." Andrew said, partly glancing at Javier through the rear view mirror.

       Javier put his fingers to his temple, trying to work out a solution. He cursed himself for giving himself false hope. "Fuck.." He muttered.

       "W..Well we could go check at the pawn shop!" Andrew gushed out, trying to help his friend's mood.

        "Yeah.. Yeah! You're right!" Javier exclaimed while he started gathering the crystals.

         "Aight', we'll make a detour from your house then.." Andrew muttered as he took a U-turn.

       The car swerved around and began going back down Interstate 23, towards the closest pawn shop.

-Break-

        "H..Honestly? All of these are worth about f..four hundred thousand dollars." The Pawn shop owner stammered.

         "Really?" Javier said as his smile grew back.

        "Y..Yes Sir! We can make the deal right here and now if you want.." The owner murmured.

         "Yup! Be expecting more, my man." Javier teased. Javier tried to slide the crystals over to the owner, but felt as if there were some strange attachment to them. He felt like he was physically unable to let go of them, like he just wanted to hoard them all. He almost ended up keeping them, but the sight of his mother in a casket set it in stone. He pushed the crystals to the man.

       The shop owner, oblivious to the event that had just occurred, was surprised. "M..More? These are such fine crystals.. I couldn't possibly be without them.. I'll take anything you have off your hands.." The Owner stuttered, staring at the crystals.

        "That's great. So will it be in check form or cash?" Javier began, trying to get the money faster.

        The man seemed to snap back to reality. "Ch..Check of course, Sir."

       Javier nodded, and waited for the man to go and get his check book. Andrew walked over, bored with just looking at the normal pawnshop items.

       "Whaddya' get for 'em?" Andrew asked.

       Javier smiled. "Four Hundred K, that's what I got."

       Andrew looked like he got the breath knocked out of him. "F..Four hundred thousand bucks? Dude, if we go back and get more then we can afford your Ma's surgery!"

      "I know! And he's willing to buy any that I find!" Javier exclaimed as he pointed to the man.

      Andrew raised his hand up. "Nice! Gimme five!"

      Javier slapped his friends hand as the owner came back around to the counter.

      "Who should I m..make this out to..?" The owner said as he got a pen.

      " 'Javier Guillermo' " Javier answered.

      The man scribbled down his name onto the check and shoved it into Javier's hands.

      The shop owner looked at the crystals. "Thank you, Thank you. Come again." He waved them out of the shop, going to the back of the building.

       Javier shrugged it off, thinking it was just how the old man acted. Him and Andrew hopped into Andrew's car, a 2013 red jeep. They grinned at each other and drove off.

-Break-

      Javier sat in his bed, having just went to the bank to cash in the check he had received from the shop owner. He was giddy, and couldn't stop thinking about what had occurred. It was a miracle, for Javier and his mother.

     Mamá will get to live..! He thought as he covered himself with the bed's blanket. "Mamá.. Will.. get to live.." He muttered as he drifted into sleep.

     He heard the buzzing of the alarm on his nightstand, and slammed his fist into it. He check his drawer for the money he had gained from the day before, still not believing that it was real. It all felt like a fantasy for him. It was still there when he checked.

    He sighed in relief. Thank god it wasn't a dream.. He thought, pulling a shirt over his head.

    Today he would deposit the money in the hospital, and get his mother scheduled for the surgery.

    Walked to the hospital, with a slight skip in his step. This might be the best day of my life.. Once Mamá is out of there.. Everything will be alright.. He thought, feeling as if he had won the battle that both him and his mother were fighting.  

     He checked into reception and went to speak with the head doctor. He went up the stairs, and stepped to the doctor's door. He raised his hand to knock, but heard a voice from inside.

     "Come in.." It said.

    Javier turned the knob and let himself inside of the office.

    The doctor briefly glanced at Javier, and went back to writing on what seemed to be a release form.

    "Look Mr. Guillermo.. I know you're not the best off financially.. But haven't I told you that we can't just keep her on life support forever..? You're going to have to pay sometime." He said, obviously trying to usher sympathy into his voice, but failing.

    "D..Doctor I came here to schedule Mamá for the surgery.." Javier countered, holding the money up to show him that he had it.

     The doctor raised his eyebrow. "Really..? Well Lets see if that's enough then.." The doctor replied as he put his hand out, gesturing for Javier to give him the money.

     "I..I know it's not enough right now.. But I can get the rest of it very soon. I just wanted to sign her up for it early, so she doesn't have to wait in agony for long.." Javier murmured, failing to put the steel in his voice like he wanted to.

     The Doctor pondered at this. "That.. Seems to be alright. But I hope you know that you must have the money within a week, or another one of our many patients will take her place."

     Javier nodded, agreeing to the terms. "I do. And I will have that money, whether it be tomorrow, or at the very end of the time limit, I'll have it for you." Javier said, shaking the man's hand.

     "Yes. Well she's on the list like you wanted, but you can't forget that you still owe us for the life support." The doctor answered back as he got back to work.

      "I wont let you down!" Javier declared, already out of the office.

      He ran down the stairs and pulled out his blackberry, and called on Andrew for his help.

     "Yeah man, anything for you. I'll come by ASAP." Andrew promised.

     "Thanks, make sure you bring enough bags. Seven should be good, but if you want some for yourself, you're welcome to take them. After we get my mother taken care of, of course." Javier specified, making sure Andrew realized that his Mamá came first.

      "Of course. I'll be there in a sec to pick you up. See you in a minute." Andrew stated.

      Javier heard the blip of the call ending, and closed his flip phone.

      He waited in the hospital parking lot, waiting for the Jeep to pull in. He thumbed the hem of his shirt, trying to suppress the urge to jump up and down like a grade school-er.

       His vision darted around, and locked onto the bright red vehicle pulling into the lot. A window rolled down and the familiar face of his friend popped out of it. He waved at Javier, and he readily returned the gesture.

      Javier sprinted up the car and ripped the door open. He plopped himself down on the leather seat, and pushed the buckle into place.

      Andrew turned to him. "It's on 23, right? Place we're I picked you up from last night?"

     Javier nodded vigorously, eager to get going. "Yup, Let's go let's go!"

    Andrew chuckled, "You're too excited man. I mean, you got reason to be, but it's all too funny."

    "Shut up, let's go!" Javier shouted, punching his friend on the shoulder, not hard, but still enough to get his point across.

     "Fine! Fine!" Andrew threw his foot on the gas pedal, the tires squeaked from the sudden movement, and they sped out of the parking lot.

     They were cruising down I-23, wind blowing onto their faces. They were feeling good, like someone had just told them they had won the lottery, and in a way, they had. Andrew lessened the pressure on the Gas pedal, and slowed down next to the hole in the side of the road.

     "This it?" Andrew asked, almost not believing his friend came out of there with gems a day ago.

      "Sure of it." Javier insisted. He looked at the small entrance, and felt himself being pulled into it. It was something he hadn't noticed the night before, or rather he had, but decided to push it away.

    "Let's hop to it Javi'." Andrew exclaimed, hopping out of the car to grab a box of trash bags.

    "Couldn't you have brought something a little more classy?" Javier joked, taking a jab at his friend's choice.

     Andrew Shrugged. "It works, doesn't it?"

    "You're right." Javier said, giving up on the topic.

     They both turned towards the entrance. The small passage way seemed to be full of wonder and desire, mirroring the figures standing in front of it.

      "After you." Andrew stuttered, his arm shuddering as he held it forward. 

      "Ladies first." Javier jabbed at him, copying Andrew's shaking limb, earning himself an elbow to the gut.

     "Shut up.." Andrew muttered, dropping to his hands and knees, trudging forward through the slight plantation that had grown in front of it.

    Javier did the same. He felt as if there was something wrong, but couldn't put a finger on it. He crawled through, and was enveloped by darkness.

-Break-

    Javier patted the ground, trying to see what was ahead of him. "Did you forget to turn the flashlight on, dumb ass?"

    "The crystals were glowing last night! I didn't think we would need it!" Andrew yelled back to him, his voice shaking. Javier always knew Andrew was afraid of cramped spaces, but he had never thought it would be to this extent.

    "It's fine.. I can hear the dripping of the stalactites from here.. We must be close." Javier shouted back, trying to help his friend calm down.

     "Woah.." Andrew exclaimed, confirming what Javier had earlier stated.

     The small passage way had opened up into a large cavern, full of the crystals from the night before.

      "Dude! There's so many of them! We could make millions!" Andrew said, flabbergasted at the amount of expensive resource that was set out in front of him.

       "Go crazy." Javier laughed, as he himself had already set out to gather more of the gems.

       They scrambled out to fill as many trash bags as they could with the florescent rocks in the cavern.

-Break-

      Javier slid onto his bottom and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had gotten his fair share of gems already, he had just been watching Andrew go at it. They two of them had never been financially stable, even as kids. Javier had learned to live with it from his Mamá, but Andrew had always resented his parents for it. This was his one chance to turn that around, and Javier was glad for that.

      "Javi!" Andrew yelled, breaking through Javier's thoughts.

      Javier got up and jogged over to Andrew. "Whats up?" He asked him.

      "This is whats up." Andrew chuckled, pointing to a huge chunk of the crystal. "This baby is probably worth three times what you got last night!"

      "Andrew.. I really think we're all good and the crystals.." Javier said, trying to believe it himself. But it was hard to say, these crystals seemed to have some kind of effect on him..

     "Suit yourself man.." Andrew breathed out a he got to work on dislodging the large gem from it's place.

      Javier stood there for a minute, wondering why he felt so attracted to it. It's edges, it's luster demeanor, it's rainbow like color, it's carvings.. They were all so wonderful.

     Wait.. Carvings..? He thought. He leaned in closer and saw that they were really engravings. Each one depicted a different symbol. 

      Andrew moved his hands and got a better grip. He pulled with all of his might, and heard a crack. They both looked down to see that the crystal had been pulled out halfway.

     Andrew grinned at Javier and kept pulling. And while he was pulling, Javier was studying the rock. He looked at the bottom of it, and saw a strange loop with some sort of string..

     Javier's eyes widened at the realization of this. "Shit! Andrew Stop!"

    This was what he had felt off about when he entered the cave, he just knew it.

     Andrew gave Javier a puzzled look as he kept pulling.

    "For Fucks sake man, stop!" Javier pleaded with him.

     Andrew was going to listen, but it was already too late. There was a crack. Followed by another. And another. Until it sounded like the whole cave was falling down on top of them.

    "What the fuck did you do!" Javier shouted, cupping his hands over his ears to protect them from the noise.

     Andrew looked just as stunned as Javier. Andrew's mouth was moving, but the crashing sound in the cave drowned it out. His lips looked like they said something along the lines of 'I don't know!'.

     Cracks crawled over the ground Andrew and Javier were standing on, and before either of them could react, it broke beneath them. Leaving the two of them to fall into a void of darkness.

-Break-

      Javier groaned, and raised his hand to rub his head. He felt a similar aching throb from the first time he fell in the hole ring throughout his body. 

      Javier pushed himself off the ground and pried his eyes open. It was a dimly lit hallway, littered with rubble from their intrusion. He turned to look to his right to see a dead end, with an Andrew leaning against the wall. They locked eyes.

      "Thank god you're awake dude. I was worried you mighta' hit your head a little too hard." Andrew sighed, letting out a large breath of relief.

      "Where.. is this?" Was all Javier could say, still in shock from the fall.

     "I have no idea.. It looks to be some kind of maze or whatever from what I've seen.." Andrew said, acting unusually calm for the situation.

     "Oh.." Javier said. "Why didn't you stop when I told you to?" Javier added, just regaining his anger.

     Andrew rubbed his arm, not knowing what else to do with it. "I..I don't know.. It's like something just.. Came over me. All I knew was that I needed that crystal.. I felt like I couldn't live without it.."

     Javier could feel his expression softening. He looked away, trying to piece together his experience with Andrew's. He had felt something similar; if not the same as Andrew the previous day.

     
      Javier rubbed his temple with his hands. "It's fine.. In fact, I felt almost the same way you did last night at the pawn shop.. It's like I was filled with a never satisfied greed..." He explained, slightly afraid of what this all meant.

     "Javi.. Like, Jesus Christ man.." Andrew said, laughing a bit, but not because something was funny, because he was scared and didn't know what else to do.

    "Yeah.. But we shouldn't focus on this.. We should focus on getting out of this hell-hole.." Javier suggested, getting to his feet.

    "You're right, but what are we going to do about the crystals?" Andrew asked, spreading his hands at the dozen bags they had collected.

     "Take two or three, we can't have them slow us down. It's still around a million dollars though, so I think we're good on cash." Javier replied, getting his two as he began to walk down the hallway.

      Andrew nodded, and followed Javier's example.

    They walked in silence, listening only to their thoughts and the bags dragging against the ground. This gave Javier a chance to look closer into his surroundings. 

    He looked to his right, studying the wall. It depicted crystals, just like the ones they had just collected, and various skeletons and bones littered around them. This, Javier had not seen while he was in the main cavern.

    On his left, there seemed to be depictions of people, most likely natives, bowing down to a sharp edged thing on a pedestal. We could get some more clues if these drawings were more detailed.. Javier thought as he continued on.

    He felt something itching at the back of his head, like he had missed something. Then it hit him like a brick.

    He turned towards Andrew and planted his feet in his tracks. "Andrew, don't you remember the old folk legends..?"

    He shook his head yes. "Yeah, you're mom always told us about them when we were kids to scare us away from the forest." Andrew gasped in realization. "Javi.. You don't think that those were true..?"

    So it wasn't just him. "Yes, there's no other explanation. The pictures on the wall show that the crystals were praised, but deadly at the same time. That could mean the gemstones Mamá always spoke about.. She told us to stay away from the cave in the woods.. This must be why." Javier nodded, trying to think of another solution but failing.

     He heard Andrew audibly gulp. "W..We gotta get out of here.." Was all he said as he picked up the pace and went forward.

    They had followed the walls down the hallway. Andrew said this was like a maze from what he saw, but what did he see? Javier was preparing to ask when they come across a four way split in the path.

     "Damn it! Andrew, we gotta think carefully on this, there could be traps.. or falls.. or, or." Javier stopped as he saw his friend continue to walk forward without skipping a beat.

      "Andrew? Andrew! Are you even listening?" Javier yelled to him, his face flushing and his temperature rising.

     Andrew turned around, as if Javier had stopped him for no reason. "I did, but this is the right way." He shrugged. "It's pretty obvious, Javi."

    Javier shot him a weird look. Andrew.. Was starting to scare him. The way his attitude kept changing. One minute it was calm and collected, the next he was afraid and frantic. His behavior was that of a sleep deprived lunatic.

     "Andrew are you good ma-" He was interrupted again, this time by his foot pushing on something.

     The two people looked at each other, and began in an all out sprint. Andrew, being less fit, dropped both of the bags and ran. Seeing his mother near death motivated Javier to continue on.

     Javier stole a glance over his shoulder and saw spikes slamming onto the ground behind them. They were gaining on them. Javier mustered all his strength into his legs and ran faster. He looked up to see the holes stopped twelve yards in front of him. He felt something in his leg pull, but continued on. He threw the bags across the point where the spikes stopped, and threw himself over it. He got up to see that Andrew was trailing, bad. Another adrenaline rush kicked in and he was behind Andrew, shoving the two of them forward.

     They landed on top of one another with a thump, both glad enough to be alive. They lied there, their chests heaving, exhaustion coming in place of the rush they had to have in order to get there.

     Javier could feel that he had pulled a muscle, but he knew he could walk on it. Andrew was a bit worse for wear. Javier could so his clothes in tatters, nearly torn to shreds. His face was pale, and his skin was cold. He overexerted himself.. Javier thought, but was proven wrong when Andrew got up.

     "Are.. You.. Good.. Javier?" Andrew wheezed, apparently still feeling the effects of the sprint.

     Javier knew something was up as soon as those words left Andrew's mouth. Andrew had always flat out refused to call Javier 'Javier'. And why waste breath to say his full name when he never did? This.. This isn't the Andrew that I know. I'll let.. whatever it is think it's leading me on.. But as soon as the exits in sight, I'm interrogating this little bitch.. Javier thought as he got to his feet.

     "..Yeah." Was all Javier wanted to say to this thing.

     They trudged on, dragging the bags of crystals that were surprisingly still intact behind them. Javier noticed that the symbols on the walls began to change. They went from the ominous images from before, into much clearer depictions. Each one was different, but they all had one thing in common; two people, one seeming to run, the other left behind, experiencing something horrible. Javier shuddered, but determined to get out alive with Andrew and the Crystals.

       Like an almost exact copy of the cavern they had entered from, the hallway opened up. It seemed as if it were a throne room, but through millennia of corrosion, Javier couldn't tell. What he could tell was that the room was extremely unstable. He thought it used to be beautiful, but it had been abandoned too long ago to actually know. But this wasn't what excited Javier, what made him giddy was the light pouring out from a hole in the wall.

      "Ya' see that, Andrew? An exit! We're free!" Javier hollered to Andrew. Andrew didn't reply. His expression was gloomy, like that of a psychopath.

      Andrew took a step towards Javier.

     And another.

      And another.

      "Andrew..?" Javier asked, slowly backing away.

      In a sudden burst of movement, Andrew lunged forward. Javier, being too tired and Andrew being too fast, couldn't react in time. Andrew's arms lid around Javier's neck, slowly, but surely, adding pressure to it. Javier felt the blood rush to his head. He tried to intake a breath, but found that he couldn't.

     Javier looked into his friend's eyes, terrified of what they held, or rather, what they were missing.

      Andrew's face was that of a stone's. Cold and lifeless. Except for his smile; that held a different story. It was curled into a horrid grin, one that Javier would never forget. It emanated pure desire and greed, looking as if it would do anything to attain what it wanted.

    Javier tried to speak, but the sound that came from his mouth was just a gurgle; a mixture of spit and lack of air.

    Andrew laughed. "Yes! This wasn't exactly my plan, but I get the same reward in the end!" Andrew's eyes darted to the crystals. "Yes! They're mine, Javier. Mine! I don't have to share with you or your stupid skeleton of a mother!"

    Javier felt something switch on inside his head. He saw red, and managed to kick Andrew in the man basket.

    "Fuck!" Andrew howled, releasing Javier and grabbing at his crotch.

    Javier clasped his own neck, relishing the feeling of air flowing down his esophagus. He spun around and faced Andrew.

    "Andrew stop! There's enough that both of us can have some!" Javier rasped, nearly mirroring his mother's voice.

    Andrew grimaced. "That's not enough! I need all of it! All of it!" Andrew roared, standing up and grabbing one of the nearby pieces of rubble. He rushed towards Javier, fist cocked and loaded with an old brick.

     Javier sidestepped, and back away until he hit the far wall with the exit. If I could just- His thoughts stopped as Andrew hurled a brick at him.

    Javier moved his head just in time for it to sail past him, but abruptly stop as it hit the wall. Javier let out a sigh of relied. His small victory was short-lived, as the whole room shook. Javier looked behind him and saw that the brick had hit the biggest crack in the room, which was causing the room to begin descending on top of the two of them.

      Andrew snarled, grabbing the bags and barreling towards Javier. Javier ran at him head on as he saw a big piece of the ceiling break loose. He skidded to a stop, and waited for his friend to be crushed. He didn't want to see his friend die, but this wasn't him anymore. This was a greed-driven lunatic. Not the Andrew he knew.

    The stone came down with loud crack. The crack coming from both the floor breaking and Andrew's bones shattering. Andrew went limp. 

    Javier stepped to him, holding back the waterfall that had built up behind his eyes. He grabbed the bags, and started his way to the exit.

    "J..Javi.." A weakly voice sounded throughout the room.

    Javier turned around to see his friends twisted arm holding out a pair of spiked metallic objects. Keys.

   Javier ran towards His fallen friend and began to sob. "Don't.. Cry. Leave me.. I can't. go on.." Andrew coughed, blood spewing out of his mouth as he did so. "I..I tried to kill you.. Even if we both managed to get out of here alive.. I..I wouldn't.. Be able to live with myself.. So Here.." Andrew shoved the objects in his hand to Javier. "You'll be.. needing these.. My friend.."

     His arm slumpt down Javier's shirt, hitting the ground with an audible thud. "Andrew..? Andrew!" Javier screamed as he began to cry. "Y..You can't die! We were supposed to leave this place.. Together.." Javier said, his voice quieting down to a whisper.

     Javier sat there, mourning his dead friend. He wasn't compelled to move until a piece of debris fell down a few feet away. He shakily got to his feet.

    "I'll.. I'll be back for you.."Javier sobbed. 

      He never did.

      Javier grabbed the bags and walked to the hole, not completely sure if he wanted to leave. He glanced at his friend's corpse one last time, and crawled through the hole, into the light.

-Break-

      "Y..You have the money?" The doctor said in a surprised fashion. Javier was back in the doctor's office, paying the doctor off fully.

      "Yeah.. Here's the check." Javier dryly said, handing the small slip of paper over to the man that was going to save his mother's life.

      The doctor inspected it, seeing if it was a real one. It was. "If that's the case, your mother has the surgery tomorrow. Congratulations, sir."

    Javier nodded, pushing himself out of his seat and out of the room. He walked down the hallways until he came across door 113. His hand turned the doorknob, and he walked inside.

     His mother was still hooked up to life support, which was a relief for Javier. She smiled at him. 

      "What good news have you brought to me today, Mijo?" She coughed out, still smiling for Javier.

     "Your surgery.. It's tomorrow." Javier blurted out. He couldn't have waited any longer to tell her.

     Her eyes flooded wit relief and happiness. "Really honey? That's great!" She paused, as if she got caught on something. "But.. How did you get the money..?"

     Javier turned away. "..That's not something for you to worry about.."

     "Javier, look at me." She commanded. Javier followed the order. She looked at him, and her face lit up with sudden realization. "You did not."

     Tears leaked from Javier's eyes. "I..I had to.."

      "I told you to never go there again!" She said as loud as she could. "It's dangerous! For you and for whoever you brought there!"

      "Y..You knew..? That it really existed..?" Javier faltered. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

     "Of course I knew about it! I've went there a few times to get extra money to keep us on our feet!" She said, sounding a tad guilty.

     Javier grimaced, his Mamá hadn't been this mad at him in a long time. "I lost Andrew to it.." He admitted, letting the tears spill.

     His mother stopped. "Oh Mijo.. May god have mercy on his soul." She said as she gestured for her son to hug her.

      Javier sobbed and got up. They sat there, hugging, until they were both out of tears to cry.