The Tennis Guru: The Cave By Dr. Tom Ferraro It had been a long journey through the woods and as it approached 4 p.m. Yin turned to Virgil and said, “Virgil, look over there . It looks like a big cave is cut into the side of the mountain. Let’s go look!” “No Yin, I would advise you not to go. The cave leads down into a cavern that is over 80 feet deep. I’ve heard that a demon lives at its bottom. It’s best not to enter.” “Don’t be silly Virgil. There is no such thing as demons. Let’s take a look.” And with that ,Yin ran over and entered the cave. Yin could see that this cave led to a deep cavern. Yin turned back to Virgil and said, “We need to find some long rope so that you can lower me down to the bottom. I want to see what’s there.” They hunted around the cave and found some old rope. Yin then tied one end around a big tree outside the cave, threw the rest into the cavern and began lowering himself down. When he was about 50 feet down he noticed a wide ledge and he stepped onto it to rest for a while. In short order, he fell asleep and when he awoke he was sitting in a beautiful meadow right alongside a creek with wonderful clear water and fish that were swimming just below the surface. He took a sip of the water and when he looked up he heard the whimpering of a girl and turned to see who she was. On the other side of the creek was a pretty girl about Yin’s age wearing a lovely tennis outfit of white and red. She was the prettiest girl Yin had ever seen. Yin asked her what was wrong and she said, “I have been locked down here in this cavern for over five years. I was on my way to work with The Tennis Guru but somehow the demon lured me into his trap and here I am! The demon lives nearby and he will not let me leave. You had better go now. The demon is a real psycho and if he sees you talking to me there surely will be trouble.” Yin didn’t know what to do. He knew the girl needed saving but he was afraid of the
wrath of the demon. He decided to risk it all, jumped into the creek and swam through the current until he got to the other side. He ran to the pretty girl, grabbed her hand and said, “Follow me!” Right then he heard the girl scream in terror. The demon was on a big black horse and like a tornado he was riding through the meadow to claim his possession. “Come quickly, Miss, we must escape”, and they raced through the woods until he found the rope which they could climb to get out of the cave. He told her to climb first and he followed after her. They climbed up and finally out of the cave. And as they reached the top they heard the demon roar from below: “Give me that which is mine or you shall both be cursed forever!” As they rushed out of the mouth of the
cave, Virgil was waiting there with a worried look on his face. Yin and the girl looked at Virgil then Virgil said with a stunned look of disbelief,“Where did you find her!?” Yin said, “Hurry Virgil, let’s get out of here now. I will tell you what happened when we are safe.” He took the girls hand and off the three of them went up the mountain path to get to The Tennis Guru’s school. Yin could never have imagined how difficult and strange this journey was becoming. To be continued… For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., Sport Psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.
LITennisMag.com • September/October 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine
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