I found the scabbard of the sword behind the coffin as well. Helen thought it fit to blow out the lanterns, but we took one with us as a haphazard, since it would take an hour or so to adjust to the darkness again, and I didn't want to touch the walls again.
I tried to keep the image of Mom's face in my brain: black hair, long lashes, golden skin even in death. A tear streaked down my filthy face, making a dot on my shirt. The lantern only made the empty corridors seem emptier, though.
I just wanted to weep and weep and weep.

I smelled air. Not the dank, damp, compressed air that weighed down on my head. Fresh air that smelled like flowing water. And leaves. And grass clippings.
"This way!" I shot down the corridor, guided by my nose. The lantern flickered as I ran. A spark burned my knuckle and I winced. But...a small ray of light burned through ahead. I felt like the gates of heaven had just opened up before me, welcoming me through the Pearly Gates.
Yes! Flowing water, leaves, grass clippings....and...burnt toast?
Oh no. Oh, no, no, no, no.
Two muscular arms nabbed at my armpits.
"No!" I screamed. I scrambled as my arms were nearly wrenched out of their sockets(I know, cliche) but it hurt that much. Once they pulled me through the hole, I fought as hard as I could, jabbing the lantern in one dude's face(my ears are still ringing from his scream) and kicked another one in the you-know-what.
I broke free, running. When I looked back, a white blur screeched and dove at the goblins.
Fallie! "Run!" she told me, at the same time sounding like a bird-like shriek. The goblins clawed at Fallie, distracted, while Jared and Helen crawled out and took off with me.
We flew through the trees(not literally, dodging chunks of rock on the hillside--basically a condescending obstacle course. I nearly landed on my ankle and it hurt like crazy. Then I heard it: heavy, quick footsteps.
The goblins! I hoped Fallie had escaped somehow: by turning into a butterfly or something. Glancing back, I glimpsed a troop of green boogie men who did NOT LOOK HAPPY.
That made me pick up the speed.
Where the heck was Fallie? The sword swung at my side, a useless burden. Unless....No. Too crazy. What am I thinking. But then again...
"Yaaaaaaaah!" I yelled, swinging the blade. It proved a lot lighter than I expected and slashed through their throats with a sickening sound. The brutes collapsed immediately, gurgling unpleasantly.
Feeling hazy, I puked on the grass. After having Helen go,"Ew, gross," about fifteen thousand times, I shot away, rejoining Jared.
Helen caught up, flouncing. "Fallie's back there," she told me. "The goblins ran away. I think they're coming back, though. There were at least several hundred." I muttered an incoherent curse, finding Fallie in a tree.
She swooped down and latched onto my shoulder, nearly slicing my arm off.
"Aah!" I yelled. "Watch it. We've gotta go. Any chance we can ride you again?" Fallie nodded. I watched her morph again, reveling in the fluid muscles that seemed to ripple under her pale skin.
I leaped on, motioning to Helen and Jared.
"Let's go."