The Cave – Part Eighteen

To quickly recap: Friends Eve and Sara were rock climbing and stumbled across a large cave with primitive drawings on its walls. A rock slide traps them inside. Having little choice, they go deeper into the cave, hoping to find another exit. The cave system seems to be a mixture of natural and man-made and the further into it they go, the stranger Eve starts acting. Just as Sara thinks they’re getting close to a way out, Eve shoves her off of a ledge into a chasm. Now they must each find their way. But there's something else going on as well . . . and Sara has just started to figure out what it is.

Sara still wasn’t a hundred percent sure she wasn’t dreaming all this – the hike, the cave, the cave-in … But here she was, who knows how deep underground after having been pushed off a ledge by her best friend and then being swept away by a river.

“Maybe I inhaled some mushroom spores on our hike and I’m hallucinating this whole thing,” Sara muttered. The fact that she didn’t recall seeing any mushrooms didn’t really matter, it made more sense than the alternative.

You are the champion . . .

Was the voice a whisper in the air, or just in her mind? She decided that it didn’t really matter.

“I’m nobody’s champion,” Sara aloud. She was just a CPA who had gone hiking with a friend and fallen down a rabbit hole.

You must complete the seal and stop the evil . . .

“And how am I supposed to do that?” she asked in frustration.

You will find the way . . .

For guardian spirits they didn’t seem all that helpful, Sara decided. It would serve them right if she just stayed here and waited to be rescued. Her leg was fine now, she had food, she had water, she could last for several days, maybe even go back to following the river.

Sara let out a gusty sigh. whatever else was going on, she knew deep down in her soul that she had to finish this. Whatever this was. And that meant finding her way back to where the mosaics were and probably confronting Eve.

“Can I ask you a question?” Sara didn’t wait for a reply. “You said your leader created the mosaic with the great seal, but what about the paintings in the first cave. Did you, or she, do those as well?”

There was a long pause. We do not know . . .

It made her wonder. Maybe the paintings had been a first attempt at creating a seal. Or maybe they pre-dated the arrival of the guardians. It was an interesting puzzle, but not one she really needed to solve right now.

Her back pack, that she knew she’d left behind before jumping in the river, was lying beside her. Resigned, she stowed the remaining food in it as well as the stoppered bottle which, to her surprise, held some kind of juice, not water. With no idea how long she was going to have to make it last, she’d have to remember to eat and drink sparingly.

Climbing to her feet, she shouldered her pack.

“Okay,” she said. “I’m ready. How do I get back to where I need to be?”

This way . . .

There were three exits from the cave Sara had awoken in and she felt a tug towards the one on her left. Picking up her battered lantern, she entered the passage. A sudden thought occurred to her.

“I know this lantern was supposed to have an extra long battery life, but it’s been days. Have you somehow been recharging it?”

Yes . . .

“Oh. Well, thank you for that.” Another thought occurred to her. “And what about Eve? Has this evil entity been recharging hers for her? Never mind,” she added. “I guess it would only make sense.”

Sara shook her head slightly. She should be terrified, or at least freaked out by her situation. Maybe the guardian spirits were doing something to her that kept her calm. Maybe she really had gone crazy.

Hurry . . .

She caught the sense of urgency in the guardian’s voice, whisper, whatever, and quickened her steps. Did this mean Eve was getting close to finishing the mosaic that would let the evil out? And just how, exactly, was she supposed to stop her? It couldn’t hurt to ask.

“How am I supposed to stop Eve from completing her mural?”

You will find a way . . .

“Well that’s real helpful,” Sara muttered.

Finish the great seal . . .

“Oh, sure. Easy peasy.” She couldn’t seem to help the snark that crept into her voice. But then she was feeling a little snarky. If the guardians were to be believed, there was a lot riding on so little information. She had a feeling it was going to be a far more daunting task than she imagined. It was easy, they would have finished it themselves.

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Missed an installment? Catch up here: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight,  Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen, Part Sixteen, Part Seventeen