Alma really hated this part of the tunnel.  The sudden need to drink or eat, just to put a taste on your tongue was maddening.  He could now hear the students behind him, he did not look forward to hearing their shock.  The loss of hearing was the most surprising part of the tunnel, as it always caught everyone flatfooted.  By the later sections, you usually figured out what was coming, so nothing quite caught that sudden sense of loss.<br/><br/>Even knowing this, it didn't stop Alma from furiously chewing on his trail mix, seeming to hope that he'd be able to overpower the cave's magic by way of jerky.  He recalled one of his old classmates, who had lost his tongue when captured by savages.  Apparently the tunnel gave a rather similar feeling, even though you could still feel your tongue the loss of taste was the most noticeable part.  Absentmindedly biting his own tongue to make sure it was still there, Alma mentally prepared himself for the next section.