Word: Kerplunk

 

kerplunk

[ ker-pluhngk ]

adverb

1. with or as if with a sudden muffled thud:

   The huge stone hit the water kerplunk.

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               The group was standing in front of a very large hole in the ground. It was quite large around, being at least 200 feet across. But it was even deeper. So deep that it seemed to swallow the light that entered it. So deep that some thought it to be without a bottom at all. And the group of three were going to try and go down into it.

               “So…should we test it first?” Asked on of them, a thin, wiry man named Josh.

               “How?” Asked another, much larger, man called Will.

               “I don’t know. Throw something in and see how long it takes to make a sound?”

               The three looked over the edge for a moment before backing up. Will grabbed a rock with enough weight that it should make a sizable noise when it hit the ground. He threw it into the hole. Then they waited. And waited.

               “Is it supposed to take this long?” Asked the third member of the group, a fit woman named Alice. “I feel like it shouldn’t be taking this long.”

               Not a moment after she spoke, the sound came. It was a faint, echoing thump. One that sounded like it could either be from a large stone hit water or solid ground. It was so faint and distorted that it was nearly impossible to tell which.

               “Okay, so it has a bottom.” Josh said. “That’s a start.

               “I don’t think we have enough rope to reach though.” Alic said. She cast a glance over at the coil of thick climbing rope they had brought.

               “Or enough pitons.” Will said. “In fact, I don’t think we have enough of anything to reach the bottom. Not if it took that long for the rock to hit.

               “Come on guys, this is an adventure, right? A challenge for us to overcome.” Josh said. Although he tried to bring as much excitement into his words as he could, his nerves were getting the better of him. “We’ll be the first to see what’s down there.”

               “Do we have to actually climb down to do it?” Will asked.

               “What?”

“I mean, can’t we get a drone and use that?”

“I agree wholeheartedly with the drone plan.” Alice said. “We can still explore the creepy super deep hole while not risking our lives doing so. Sounds like a win-win to me.”

“Oh come on. We told everyone we’d do it. We can’t back out now.”

“I think we can. Will? Would you care to demonstrate whey we can?”

Will threw another rock into the hole. Once again it took far too long for the muted thud to reach them. Both Will and Alice looked pointedly at Josh. He looked between the two of them and then to the very large, very deep hole. He sighed.

“Okay, fine. You made your point. We won’t try and climb down it.”

               The other two nodded their agreement. Will went over and patted his friend on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get a good long range drone and come back. We’ll still see what’s down there first. And then, maybe if it isn’t too bad we can bring enough supplies and equipment to make it down ourselves.”

“Yeah.” Josh said heavily. “I guess so.”

“Come on,” The larger man said. “Let’s pack up and go look into some stuff we can use.”

The three went and gathered their supplies. Alice and Will went about it normally, while Josh did so sullenly. Once they were done and headed back to their car, he looked back. He would see the bottom. Somehow. 

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The human desire to see things and go places is strong. Even when it's REALLY obvious that they shouldn't be seeing or going to that place.