The Cave – The End

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 the battle is on between good and evil.

Sara had only taken a few steps down the passage when she experienced a sensation of vertigo. Touching the wall for support, she waited for it to pass.

“Whoa! What was that?”

There was no answer, but she didn’t really expect there to be one. Feeling steadier, she continued onwards. A few more steps brought her to the end of the tunnel where she stopped again, this time in shock. She was back at the beginning, in the chamber where the cave paintings were.

She stumbled a few steps forward in disbelief, then turned to look back the way she’d come. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised to see a blank wall behind her.

Hurry . . .

Sure, now the spirits talked to her. Sara shook off her resentment, filing her questions away for later. She had a job to do, and with any luck it would result in escape from this nightmare. Approaching the paintings, she studied them carefully, looking for clues.

Though crudely rendered, they weren’t the primitive examples of early man that she and Eve had first thought.

“It’s more symbolic,” she murmured. “Yes, here. And here.” She ran her hand over the rough rock. “It’s telling the story the guardians told me.”

Feeling like she was on the verge of something important, she went over the entire wall from start to finish.

Reaching the end of the last painting, Sara frowned. Something was missing. The story wasn’t complete. The answer she was hoping for wasn’t here. With a dispirited sigh, she stepped back from the paintings. Maybe the answer she was looking for was in one of the murals.

“Wait, wait,” Sara said aloud. “I just remembered something.”

She hurried to the back of the cave where the passage to the chamber with the mosaics was, but this time she took the right-hand passage. A few feet along she came to what she was looking for.

“Do you know what this says?” she asked the spirits, running her hand over the writing that had been left on the wall.

The spiral is the . . .

“The spiral is the what?” Sara asked impatiently.

That is all. The message is unfinished.

“Damnit! Okay, can you tell me who wrote it? Was it your leader, Maali?”

Yes . . .

“The spiral is the what?” Sara repeated, frustrated.

We do not know . . .

Unfinished paintings, unfinished messages, this just kept getting better and better. She could only hope that the answer lay with the murals. Filled with trepidation, she retraced her way back to the middle passage, and then on to the cave with the mosaics.

Eve was so focused on what she was doing she didn’t even notice Sara entering the mosaic chamber. Or maybe, Sara thought, Eve was just ignoring her. Well, two could play that game. Ignoring Eve repairing the abstract mural, Sara concentrated on the other one.

Like the paintings, it seemed to portray the story of the battle between good and evil, and the guardians trapping themselves in the cave system with the evil entity. At least she thought that’s what the cluster of black stones represented.

The bottom left corner wasn’t quite finished. Sara peered closer at it. Or was it? It showed work being done on both murals. There was the spiral, only it was different. She glanced upwards and almost gasped as she saw a spiral hidden within the mural. But there was a stone missing.

Keystone . . .

This voice was different from the other guardians.

“Who—Maali? Is that you?” Could the spirit of the guardian leader have survived? Sara almost snorted at herself. It would be no stranger than any of this.

Turn the key in the lock . . .

“I don’t—” Sara frowned, and then looked closer at what the figure in the mural was holding. “Of course,” she murmured.

With a glance at Eve to make sure she was still occupied, Sara began digging through the loose dirt at the base of the mural. She uncovered many stones, but none was the right one. Of course it couldn’t be that easy, she thought.

Slowly, trying not to draw attention to herself, she crossed over to the wall with the abstract mural. Eve’s head whipped around.

“Stay away!”

Sara held up her hands in a placating gesture. “I only want to look. Maybe you’d like some help with what you’re doing?”

“I will kill you if you touch my mural.”

“I swear,” Sara said. “No touching.”

Eve went back to what she was doing. It looked like she was almost finished. Sara moved as close as she dared and scanned the dirt at the base of this mural. She almost gave up, but then Eve shifted her position. Her foot scuffed the dirt and uncovered something that glinted in the light.

Sara held her breath, but Eve didn’t seem to notice what was right under her feet.

“Keystone, keystone, now I need a keystone,” Eve chanted in a sing-song voice. She turned to the pack a few feet away.

The second Eve moved away, Sara darted towards the keystone. Scooping it up, she ran back to her mural.

“No!” Eve shrieked. She tackled Sara from behind and they hit the ground hard. The stone flew from Sara’s hand.

Crawling over Sara, Eve reached for the stone. Sara rolled, taking her with her. Eve was like a wild thing – punching and clawing and biting. She managed a lucky punch to the side of Sara’s head and as Sara lay there, half-stunned, Eve grabbed up the keystone and scrambled towards the abstract mural.

Sara gained her feet, glancing around for a weapon of some kind. Grabbing up the pack still half filled with stones, she swung it with all her might, hitting Eve in the head just as she was about to fit the keystone into the center of her spiral.

Eve dropped, still clutching the stone. Sara pried it out of her hand and raced back to the spiral in the other mural.

“Here goes nothing,” she said, and fit the stone into the space in the center of the spiral. Nothing happened. Eve stirred behind her.

Turn the key . . .

“Of course!” Sara turned the stone. There was a peal, like a bell, and a brilliant flash of light.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Eve was the first to stir. She yawned and rubbed at her eyes, then checked her watch. “Holy crap! Hey, Sara. Wake up.”

“Ow! Did you just kick me?”

“We were only supposed to take a break, looks like we fell asleep.”

Sara struggled awake. She’d been slumped down beside a boulder. “We fell asleep?” she asked.

Eve laughed. “We sure did. It’s almost suppertime, we’d better start back before they send the forest rangers after us.”

Sara stretched, then froze as the memory of what they’d been through came flooding back. She glanced at Eve, who was standing now, stretching, perfectly normal. She glanced towards where the fissure had been in the rock, but there was no sign of it. It had felt so real, she couldn’t believe it had all been a dream.

As she started to get to her feet she realized she was holding something in her hand. She unclenched her fingers – it was the keystone.

Thank you . . .

The words were lost in the whisper of the wind.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

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, Part Eighteen, Part Nineteen

The Cave – Part Nineteen

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 . . . Sara knows part of what’s happening, but Eve is caught in a dangerous web.

The fungus was every bit as unpleasant as Eve remembered. She ate slowly, not to savor it but to keep from getting sick as she did before. Once the cramping in her stomach eased she stopped and broke off several large pieces for later. This time she had her empty pack with her and she stuffed it full of the fungus, then made her way back to the mosaic.

The pile of stones she’d gathered had diminished from the repairs she’d made. She needed more if she was to finish repairing the mosaic and complete the spiral. Sinking slowly to the ground she felt like weeping at the thought of returning to where she’d found the loose stones. It was so far, and she was so tired. Her eyes closed.

Above her, a ripple of light passed over the mosaic. It followed the pattern but when it got to the spiral it pulsed once and then disappeared. Eve woke with a start.

This wasn’t gathering new stones. She needed to go, she needed to hurry. Time was growing short. Scrambling to her feet, she dumped the fungus from her pack into a pile and stuffed her empty water bottles inside. She would be passing right by where she’d found the water, she might as well fill them up.

First things first though. She must get the stones. As an afterthought she stuffed a couple of pieces of the fungus in her pack as well, just in case she got hungry. Eve followed the shortcut passage, never stopping, never hesitating until she returned to the section of the cave system where she’d found the stones used in the mosaic.

This time she chose the stones more carefully, rejecting three for every one she put in the pack. She ate the fungus she’d brought with her absently; the empty bottles went back into the mesh. Her movements slowed. She was so thirsty. Why hadn’t she stopped for water? She could have brought it with her and got more on her return. The stones she’d been gathering began to glow.

Shaking her head, she continued with her task until her pack was full once more. It was all she could do to shoulder her pack. Stumbling, she almost fell. The stones began to pulse as she staggered back the way she’d come. She had to keep going, no matter the cost.

Eve had only a vague recollection of the cul-de-sac with the trickle of water. Her thinking was so muddled that she might have imagined it. She hoped not. Thirst was growing with every step she took back towards the split.

If she’d had the tears to spare, she would have wept when she found it. Her pack slid to the ground. Unable to wait, she plunged her face into the shallow bowl of water and drank deeply.

The water was cool and refreshing and she felt immeasurably better when she raised her head, gulping air instead. She filled the first two bottles but had to wait until the bowl filled again before filling the third.

She took a few moments to rest. The fog in her mind started to clear away. Suddenly, she realized she’d left her lantern in the cave with the mosaic, but she could see without it. How was this possible?

A shiver went up her spine. This wasn’t natural. There was something very strange going on. Grabbing up her water bottles she stuffed them into the mesh on her pack, then eyed the load of stones. There was no reason she had to lug all these stones so far. She could leave half of them here and come back for them later.

She reached out her hand to do just that but stopped just short of touching the flap. Trying again she felt a stir of panic when she wasn’t able touch the clasp that held her pack closed. Looked like she could either leave them behind or take all of them with her. The stones began to glow once more as she shouldered the pack.

By the time she made her way back to the cave with the mosaics, her thoughts were no longer her own again. She went directly over to the abstract mural and just stood there in front of it. Everything became clear to her again. She was here to finish the mural. It was her sole purpose.

Eve began placing the stones with care, slower this time, taking a break as needed for a bite of fungus or a sip of water. She must not fail. She would not fail. She would finish the mural and all would be right with the world. Freedom beckoned.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

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, Part Eighteen 

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.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

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 

The Cave – Part Seventeen

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.

Eve stood back to study the swirling colours of the mosaic. The sequence of colour was much more intricate than she first realized. There was a pattern to it, but every time she thought she figured it out, it seemed to . . . shift.

Repair . . .

Maybe if she replaced the missing stones it would make more sense. Yes, she decided, before she did anything else, she needed to repair the damage. It became imperative to her that she do so.

The small gap in the spiral, maybe she should start with that. Or maybe replace the missing stones in the rest of it. She swayed a bit on her feet. It was all so confusing. She glanced around uneasily. Something wasn’t right. Why was her thinking so muddled?

Her eyes glazed over as the stones in the mosaic began to pulse, almost like a heartbeat. Thump thump. Thump thump. The drumming came from all around her now, she could feel the pulse inside her. Her heart began to beat in time with it.

There was a brief surge of panic, but it was quickly subsumed by the pulsing beat. Her thoughts stilled. The essence that made her “Eve” shoved to the back of her mind. Her consciousness was overshadowed by the task at hand – repair the mosaic. Complete the mosaic.

She had an unshakable feeling that the spiral was crucial to the whole design. Perhaps with the spiral completed, she would be able to figure out the rest of the design. Mindlessly, she picked up one of the stones and pressed it to the slight indentation.

This time there was no blue light, and when she let go of the stone it fell to the ground. Eve frowned. Choosing another at random, she tried again, with the same result. Her breath came out in a huff. Nothing was more important that completing the mural, but how was she supposed to do so if she couldn’t figure out how to attach the stones to the rock of the cave?

How had she got the first one to stick?

with care . . .

She didn’t just pick a stone at random, did she? No, she’d chosen it with care.

Eve squatted down beside the pile of stones. Staring at them intently, she spread them out with her hand. Not just random, but each stone must have purpose. There was light coming from the stones she’d collected, but not from every stone.

She touched one, a little brighter than the rest, and felt a tingle. Her fingers curled around the stone and she rose to her feet. Studying the mural, she stepped forward and pressed the stone to one of the empty spots where a stone had been missing. The blue light flashed, and the stone adhered.

That was more like it. She carefully selected another stone, and placed it in another indentation. Again the blue light flashed and the stone stayed in place. Hours passed. Eve worked slowly and steadily. She felt neither fatigue nor hunger, and when she ran out of energy she simply collapsed where she was.

When she awoke her stomach was cramping. Was it hunger or thirst, she wondered. Did it really matter? With a groan, she pushed herself to her feet and stood swaying. She needed food, and water. But the fungus she’d harvested was gone. She must have eaten it without realizing it.

Her water bottles lay scattered on the ground, empty. How had that happened? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a drink, but there lay the evidence she had.

“This isn’t right,” she whispered. Had she really become so obsessed with the mural that she’d couldn’t remember eating or drinking? Glancing up at it she was surprised at how much progress she’d made. How long had she been working in her trance?

She needed to get control of herself. This couldn’t happen again. Perhaps it was her weakened state that was responsible for this. She needed to refuel. Mural forgotten, she staggered down the passage that led to the fissure with the fungus.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

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

The Cave – Part Sixteen

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 . . .

Now Sara knew for certain she was dreaming. The woman had long dark hair, and a coppery glow to her skin that suggested aboriginal origins, despite the fact she was dressed in white.

“There’s always been rumors of spirits in these hills, that’s what gave this area its name,” she said. “But I’ve never heard them referred to as guardian spirits.”

“Nonetheless—” the woman began.

“So how did you end up here, and what exactly are you guarding against?”

“Long ago there was great evil in this land—”

“What kind of great evil?” Sara interrupted.

“It has no name. A great battle was fought and we were able to weaken it enough that we were able to trap it in this cavern.”

“You trapped it in here,” Sara said repeated. “But you became trapped as well.”

“Even so,” the woman nodded.

“So you died getting rid of this great evil, and now you haunt the hills?”

“Not exactly, no.”

There was a shimmer in the air beside her as a man took corporeal form. He, too, was of aboriginal descent, and his white clothing appeared to be buckskin.

“For five hundred years we kept the evil contained,” he said, continuing the narrative. “But then the earth moved and a crack appeared.”

“The crack Eve and I came through?”

“Yes.”

“Another battle was fought,” the woman continued. “Many lives were lost.”

“Wait,” Sara interrupted again. “You said lives were lost. You mean after five hundred years you were still alive?”

“After a fashion,” the man said. “Maali, our leader, created a great seal so the evil could not pass to the outside.”

“The mosaic,” Sara guessed. “The normal one, not the abstract.”

“You’re very perceptive,” the woman told her. “It took all of her power, all of her essence to complete it.”

“Not complete,” the man corrected. “But complete enough to trap the evil within.”

Sara thought this over for a moment. “And the other one, the other mosaic? Where did it come from?”

“I think you know,” the man said quietly.

“The evil one you spoke of,” Sara said. It made a weird kind of sense. That was probably why she got such a bad feeling any time she was near the abstract.

“Yes,” the woman said. “The great evil also put much of itself and its energy into the malignant mural. It’s meant to break the seal.”

“But it was unable to complete it,” the man added.

“Okay, so that means the evil is still trapped, right?”

“For now. But it has gained the ability to draw in servants from the outside to continue working in its stead. Should it be completed, the evil will gain the power it needs to break the great seal and once more be loose in the world outside.”

“Servants, you say. From the outside? You mean like Eve and I. We were drawn here by this evil?”

The two spirits looked at each other.

“Not exactly,” the woman said. “Your companion was drawn by the evil; you were drawn by us.”

“Why?” Sara asked bluntly.

“Just as evil has its champion, so too must good.”

“That’s just plain nuts,” Sara said. “You expect me to believe that Eve and I are champions for good and evil? This is the stupidest dream I’ve every had. You guys do what you like. I’m going to lay back down here and then I’m going to wake up.”

The voices of the spirits continued, but Sara did her best to ignore them.

“Perhaps we were wrong in the choosing,” the woman said.

“No, she is the champion. She made all the right choices, passed all the tests.”

“How can we expect her to complete the seal when even we do not know how this is to be done?”

“We must have faith, sister. She will find the way, and complete the seal before her companion completes the means to break it.”

Sara struggled awake. To her great surprise, she found herself out of the water and in a cave very similar to the one she dreamed of. Her light, no longer tied to her, sat on the sand, glowing softly. She levered herself upwards and only then noticed the wooden plate filled with bread, cheese, and fruit beside her, as well as a stoppered bottle. Her leg, that she had visions of losing once she made it back to civilization, had a cloth bandage covering it, and the swelling was gone.

“This isn’t possible,” she said aloud. “It was just a dream.”

Sitting cross-legged on the thin pallet, she nibbled on a piece of the bread while she thought it through. A battle between good and evil, with her and Eve as champions. It seemed utterly ridiculous, and yet . . . here she was.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

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

The Cave – Part Fifteen

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 . . .

Sara realized her mistake the moment she hit the water. It was colder than she expected, much colder, like a spring runoff despite the fact it was mid-summer when they entered the cave. And the current was stronger than she expected too. How had she not realized how strong it would be?

Her swimming skills were average at best. Even had she been at full strength, she doubted this would have been a good idea. Total darkness surrounded her. Her light had either stopped working or was gone. Somehow the darkness made it worse. Fear sank it’s claws in her.

She could feel her strength flagging. The rushing water was a roar surrounding her. She was being tossed around like flotsam, being borne along at the river’s whim. This was not the way it was supposed to be.

Maybe it wasn’t too late. If she could make it to the side, either side, maybe she could pull herself back up on the ledge. Even the ledge in the dark would be better than this. But it was too late. She’d made a colossal mistake and she did not have the strength left to fix it.

It was getting harder to keep her head above water. How far had she traveled? How much further did she have to go? The terrible knowledge that she might not make it filled her.

Sara decided to make one more try for the ledge. Even if she made it to the wrong side she could grab onto the rock and catch her breath. With the last of her strength she tried to move to the side. The attempt caused her to spin in the water, scraping her against the rocks. Losing her struggle to stay conscious, the current swept her away.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Voices. Sara was sure she heard voices. It had to be her imagination. She was drowning, or maybe she’d already drowned. Her eyes wouldn’t open, but she didn’t want to see anyway. Maybe she was oxygen deprived and her mind was gone. She slipped into unconsciousness again.

“You waited too long. We should have helped sooner.”

“I followed the rules. We guide only until she reaches the sanctuary.”

“You forget human lives are frail. She almost died – she might still die.”

“If we do not abide by the rules, we’re no better than the Other.”

“The Other. Even now the one the Other has influenced is closing in on the goal.”

“You must have faith, brother.”

When Sara next awoke, she was no longer in the river. How had she gotten out? Had the water drained away? She was still only on the cusp of consciousness and her thoughts were muddled.

“Drink,” a soothing voice told her.

Gentle hands helped her raise her head and a cup was held to her lips. Sara’s eyes didn’t seem to be working properly, she could only see vague shapes.

“Who—?”

“It will help with the pain.”

Suddenly she became aware of the aches and pains all over her body. It felt like she’d been pummeled to within an inch of her life. Sara drank from the cup.

“Now sleep,” the voice told her.

Sara slept.

Her dreams were chaotic, filled with images she didn’t understand. She relived the hike she and Eve had taken. They hadn’t planned on going to Spirit Hills, but they’d come to a fork in the trail and took the wrong one. Why hadn’t they turned back?

Once again she saw the cave with the primitive drawings. There was something about those paintings, something they’d missed. They might have held a warning, or maybe a message. Were they even authentic? Kids could have done them as a joke.

And what about the mosaics? She’d been in such a hurry to get Eve away from the abstract that she’d all but ignored the other one. Maybe it was important too.

Sara dreamed she was awake. She was warm and dry, and feeling no ill effects from her swim. Sitting up, she found herself in a new cave, one with pale rock for its walls. She was laying on a pallet on the sandy floor. There was food and drink on a wooden tray beside her.

She felt no surprise when the image of a woman shimmered into view.

“I know you,” Sara said in her dream. “You saved me from the river. Who are you?”

The woman smiled, her face ageless. “I am one of the Guardian Spirits of the Hill.”

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

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

The Cave – Part Thirteen

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 . . .

The fungus tasted only slightly better than it smelled, but if it kept her alive that was all that really mattered. Eve chewed slowly and thoroughly, washing it down with a sip from the bottle of water she was carrying. She waited a moment, just to see if there were any aftereffects, but there was no nausea, no dizziness. Relieved, she broke off another piece and ate it. It wasn’t haute cuisine, but it filled her empty stomach.

As Eve got used to the texture and taste of the fungus, she began to eat faster and faster. It really didn’t taste so bad, once you got used to it. And more importantly, it would keep her alive so she could do what she had to do.

Soon she was ripping off chunks as fast as she could, stuffing them in her face and swallowing them down. Of course she realized her mistake only seconds after the massive amount of fungus she was ingesting hit her achingly empty stomach.

Eve had just enough warning to back away and turn around before she doubled over, vomiting up the fungus she’d just eaten.

Stupid! She should have known better than to gorge herself after having done without food for so long. It was a rookie mistake, and one she didn’t intend to make again. When she was certain she’d purged everything, she rinsed her mouth out with water from her bottle, then sat with her back against the stone wall to catch her breath.

She sipped from her water bottle, giving her stomach time to settle. Eve knew it wasn’t the fungus itself that made her sick, it was the amount she ate, and the speed with which she ate it. Though it couldn’t have been more than a few days that she’d been without food, it was enough time for her stomach to start to shrink.

She was lucky she found the fungus when she did, she reminded herself. Between it and the water in the other tunnel, she had a real chance of survival.

Discretion being the better part of valor, Eve got to her feet and went back over to the fungus. She broke off a couple of large pieces, but rather than eat them right away, she decided to take them with her. She could always come back for more.

As she made her way back out to the cave, she wondered how fast fungus grew. She needed to be a little more careful, make sure her demand didn’t outstrip her supply. After all, she didn’t even know how it started growing there in the first place. It might be a fluke and once it was gone, that would be it.

There seemed to be no reason to keep going on to the cave with the paintings, so Eve retraced her steps back to the mosaic cave. Peace stole over her as she stared up at the mosaic once more. She hadn’t even realized how tense she’d become until she started to relax.

There was a roughness to the wall abutting the mural that formed a narrow ledge. Eve set her lantern on it, freeing her hands so she could sit down beside the stones spilling out of her pack. Nibbling on one of the pieces of fungus she’d brought back with her, she studied the mosaic in the soft luminosity from the light. The other mosaic, the on the opposite wall depicting an actual scene, held no appeal for her. Her attention was riveted on the abstract mosaic.

It rose and fell, dipped and swirled, the workmanship exquisite. The design seemed almost random but she was able to follow the pattern it formed. It was mesmerizing, pulsing with life. As she continued to stare at it, it began to glow.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

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

The Cave – Part Twelve

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 . . .

Sara paused to take a rest. She was taking them more and more often, and every time she did it got harder to get up again.

Hunger was a dull ache inside her, an ache that rivalled the ache in her leg. She didn’t even want to think about her leg. It was enough she knew it was swollen with infection, and she was pretty sure she was running a fever.

Her thoughts drifted to Eve, and what might be happening with her. And then her thoughts just drifted away.

Sara jerked awake. How long had she slept this time? Given that she was feeling rather refreshed, it must have been a lengthy rest. A smart person would get moving while they had the energy to do so, but for some reason she lingered.

Raising her light, she checked the level of the water. It had peaked hours ago and, if she was not mistaken, it was beginning to recede.

The light flickered, then steadied again. It occurred to her that this artificial light wasn’t meant to last forever. What would happen when the battery finally ran out? She’d be left in darkness, that’s what. She stared down at the turbulent water, mesmerized. If it was receding, then it had to be going somewhere.

Sara sat back again. The way she saw it, she had two paths before her. She could keep following the ledge and hope she came to a way out before she starved to death, or she could take a swim and hope the water was draining through a way to the outside. Not great choices.

Have faith, the watcher whispered, although not loud enough for her to hear. This is your last challenge.

Sara took a large drink of water, trying to placate her empty stomach. It wasn’t fooled, but the hunger pangs did ease up a bit.

Follow the ledge, or take to the river? One thing for certain, she couldn’t just stay here indefinitely.

The ledge was probably safer, but there was no guarantee there wouldn’t be a gap in it too wide to cross, or that it might peter out altogether.

Glancing down at the water, she tried to gauge how fast it was moving. Certainly faster than she could hobble with her bad leg. She was a strong swimmer, although probably not so much in her weakened state.

Still . . . she could probably manage to stay afloat and let the current do all of the work.

Her light flickered again and she felt a chill of fear. How much worse would it be to be trapped here in the dark? The battery couldn’t last forever, it was a miracle it had lasted this long.

The thought of a quick resolution, one way or another, had a definite appeal. As for the light, she’d paid extra for it to be waterproof, she could take it with her.

She had to trust she was doing the right thing. Staring down at the water, she couldn’t hold back a shiver though. Closing her eyes briefly, she firmed her resolve and turned away to divest herself of anything that might weigh her down. The knapsack was a no-brainer.

All it held at this point were the three water bottles. Next, she sat down to remove her hiking boots. They’d only weigh her down in the water. If she made it to the outside, she’d damn well walk in bare feet. And if she didn’t, well, it hardly mattered, did it?

She didn’t for a second believe she’d be able to hang onto her light, so Sara worked the lace out of one of her boots. One end was tied to the light, and after some consideration she tied the other end to one of the belt loops of her pants.

“And now you’re just procrastinating,” she told herself. “Time to take a leap of faith.”

It wasn’t so much a leap, as an easing off the ledge and into the water. Sara gasped as the cold water struck her, then carried her away.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

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

The Cave – Part Eleven

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 . . .

The trembling of the earth woke Eve from the trance she’d been in. How long had she been standing in front of the mural, hours? Days?

The quake didn’t last long, and the rumbling was no worse than the sound of a mild thunder storm. Eve felt like she’d could have stood there forever if she hadn’t been jarred back to her senses. She was no longer thirsty, but hunger ate away at her.

Her back pack was at her feet, rocks spilling out of it. Why had she picked up so many rocks? It didn’t make any sense. Nothing was making any sense. Eve rubbed her forehead, swaying on her feet. She was so confused. She needed something to eat.

Maybe there was something they’d overlooked in the first cave. They? What was she thinking. There was no “they,” there was only her. Leaving her back pack behind, Eve retraced her steps back to the cave with the paintings.

She’d only taken a few steps down the passage when she stopped. There was a large crack in the wall. Funny, she didn’t remember there being a crack here before. Maybe there had been but they were just too focused on their footing to notice it.

There was that “they” again. What was the matter with her?

Not being able to help herself, Eve raised her light to better examine the crack. It was bigger than she realized, more fissure than crack. Big enough for a person to slip through.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she squeezed through the crack, finding herself in a narrow corridor. It was a tight fit, but not too tight to deter her. It was a good thing she wasn’t claustrophobic.

She followed it for several uncomfortable yards before it widened up. The air grew damp and dank, and what was that smell?

The corridor came to an abrupt end in a cul-de-sac. No, not quite a cul-de-sac she realized, raising the light. The corridor continued on the other side, but the opening was too small even for her.

Despite the dampness, the little chamber wasn’t cool, like she would expect it to be. In fact, it was rather warm, which didn’t make any sense. Caves generally stayed the same temperature the further in you went, they didn’t usually get warmer or colder.

With a shrug, she turned to go back the way she’d come, and spotted the source of the odor.

There was fungus growing on either side of the walls framing the entrance to the chamber. But why here and nowhere else?

It probably had something to do with the damp heat. She knew it was possible for certain types of fungi or plants to grow underground. But was it safe to eat?

Eat.

Eve looked at the pale white fungus growing on the wall and along the edges of the floor. She went hiking with a group once that was big on foraging for their meals, and those meals had included a variety of edible mushrooms and fungi. Too bad she hadn’t paid attention to which ones were safe.

Eve looked at the fungus, all but salivating. It would solve a lot of her problems, keep her from starving to death. Reaching out, she stroked the smooth, white flesh.

Eat.

On the other hand, it could be poisonous. If she bit into that spongy flesh, would it make her sick, make her hallucinate? Would it kill her?

If only she had a way of determining whether this bounty was her salvation or her end.

Eat.

The voice whispered through her mind. Was it her hunger talking, or something else altogether? Eve sighed.

Eat.

The voice was right. She should just suck it up and eat. What’s the worst that could happen?

She could die, that’s what. But at least it would be a quicker end than slowly starving to death. At least she hoped it would be.

Eat.

Eve broke off a piece of the fungus. And ate.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

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

The Cave – Part Ten

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.

Sara waited until she’d filled all three bottles before drinking again. As thirsty as she was, she didn’t want to make herself sick. The water was cold and fresh, and if there were bits of dirt or leaf matter in it, she couldn’t have cared less.

Tucking the other bottles back into her pack, she discovered an apple tucked in the bottom.

“Sweet! How did I miss this?”

She hobbled over to the rock fall and sat down with a sigh. The apple was a little bruised and battered, but no fruit had ever tasted so good. Lantern at her feet, she nibbled slowly, making the apple last as long as possible. She ate the entire thing, including the core.

When she was finished, Sara moved so she could better see her injured leg and poured the rest of the water from the bottle she was holding over the scape. It was too late to stop the infection, but maybe it would keep it from getting worse.

Now that she’d quenched her first and had something to eat, she should probably rest for a bit. It was the smart thing to do, she told herself.

She shone the light around – the ground was pretty much unvaryingly rocky, although right beside the rock fall it was slightly more uniform. With a sigh she slid down from her rock and curled up on the ground. She laid the staff beside her and used her rolled up pack as a pillow. The last thing she did was turn her light off to save the battery, hugging it to her like a teddy bear.

Sara woke with a start. It took her a moment to orient herself. She had no idea whether she’d been asleep for minutes or hours. Her feet were cold. Why were her feet cold? And there was a sound like running water.

She was still clutching the lantern and turned it on now, bringing the intensity of the light up slowly. “What the heck?”

Quickly, she pulled her feet up. Her soaking wet feet. Scrambling to her feet she turned the light all the way up.

“Uh, oh. This can’t be good.”

While she’d been sleeping the trickle of water at the bottom of the riverbed had swelled until it was a steady stream.

“Where is this coming from?” she wondered. And more importantly, where was it going?

Something must have opened up when the earth shook. Now she had a choice – follow the water to see where it was going, or go back and trace it to its source in hopes it was coming from the outside.

Whatever she decided, she’d better do it quickly as she realized the water was steadily rising.

Sara backed up to the rock fall. Whichever way she went, it wouldn’t be safe staying down here in the riverbed.

“Damn it!”

With no real idea of how long they’d been in here or how far she’d come, she didn’t see that she had much of a choice. She’d follow the water. If she had any kind of luck it was flowing out of a fissure in the rock.

Looking up towards the top of the rockfall, she was relieved to see that the ledge continued in the direction she wanted to take. Now all she had to do was get up there.

Though her leg was still painful, it supported her weight. The climb wasn’t as bad as she feared, nor was it as high. She was halfway up before remembering her walking stick. She glanced down but didn’t see it, not that she would have gone back down for it, she’d just have to leave it behind. The wall of the chasm could provide support if she needed it.

She reached the top and was happy to see the ledge was wider than the ones she’d used previously. Putting the gap the rockfall left behind her, she started off in the same direction as the water.

The ledge was smooth and even, a little too smooth and even to her mind. She couldn’t help but wonder if these ledges were natural, or if someone had made them. Other parts of the cave system seemed to be man made as well, which meant people had used these caves at one time. Which meant there had to be another way out. If she hadn’t been so tired and hungry, the very thought of a way out would have put a spring in her step.

At least she had a source of water, she thought, glancing over the edge of the ledge. The water had risen enough that she could see it, and she stopped in her tracks as a new thought occurred to her. It was rising pretty quickly. There were still several feet to go before it reached the ledge, but what happened if it kept rising?

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Missed an installment? Catch up here: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine

The Cave – Part Eight

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.

Sara clawed her way back to consciousness. First came the pain – she hurt all over. Awareness came more slowly. What happened? Where was she?

Bit by bit, it started coming back to her – rock climbing with Eve, finding the cave, becoming trapped inside . . . The last thing she remembered was standing on the edge of a second chasm, feeling the cool breeze on her face. She’d called back to Eve . . .

Eve!

Sara jerked, attempting to bolt upright but a shaft of pain had her crying out and falling back. Her breath was ragged. She remembered more clearly what had happened. Eve pushed her off the ledge! It wasn’t an accident, it was a deliberate act of aggression.

She’d known something strange was going on with Eve, but never would she have believed she’d turn on her so violently.

She tried sitting up again, this time taking it slowly, and succeeded with a minimal amount of pain. Her breathing became more steady as she took stock of herself.

The worst of her pain seemed to come from her leg. Thank God her light hadn’t broken in the fall. She raised it slightly for a better look. Her pants were torn and there was dried blood on her leg from a long scrape, but she didn’t think it was broken. She tried to move it and her breath came out in a hiss of pain. It might be sprained. This was going to be a serious problem.

And what about Eve? Was she going to be an even bigger problem?

There was no question but that something strange was happening to Eve. Not only strange, but dangerous. And it had nothing to do with being trapped underground. She needed to get away from here, before Eve decided to come finish her off. Raising the light again, she determined that she’d landed in an old, dried out riverbed. At least that’s what she thought it was.

The banks sloped inwards, and the ground was hard earth and rock. She was probably covered in bruises from landing on it. Here and there was also patchy layers of decayed leaves and sticks, which must have protected her from getting hurt worse than she was.

As much as the urge to get away filled her, it was apparent she wasn’t going to be able to get very far unaided. Checking out the sticks on either side of her, she found a likely looking walking stick just within reach. Just stretching enough to grasp it had her whimpering. By the time she managed to get to her feet with its help there were tears running down her face.

Sara clung to the stick and swiped the tears away with her free hand. The breeze she’d felt earlier had vanished. She had no idea how long she’d been laying there. No idea which side of the walls towering above her she’d fallen from. Which way should she go?

She moved away from the center of the riverbed. Though the walls of the chasm itself were only a few feet away, she had no idea how high it was. Even if she hadn’t been hurt, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to try and climb back up. She couldn’t afford a more serious injury if she slipped and fell, and she had no idea where Eve was. Had she continued on? Gone back? Was she even now waiting above, watching?

Part of Sara wanted to call out to Eve, but a bigger part of her somehow knew that would be a very bad idea. That left only one option – follow the riverbed. She hobbled a little closer to the center again and studied the debris. Maybe if she could figure out which way the river had run, she could follow it to its source.

After several minutes, she gave it up as a lost cause. Either the river had dried up too long ago to leave a sign of a flow, or it wasn’t a riverbed at all. But she couldn’t just stand here, leg throbbing. She had to pick a direction.

In the end, she closed her eyes and opened herself up to the possibilities, letting her instincts be her guide. It had helped her thus far in choosing her way. After turning in a slow circle, she stopped, feeling a faint tug in one direction. Opening her eyes again, she gripped her staff firmly and started off.

With any luck, and she felt she was due some, her path would lead her to water. And if it didn’t, well, in a couple of days it wouldn’t matter, she couldn’t survive more than a couple of days without water, especially not in the shape she was in.

There was a part of Sara that wished Eve was with her. The old Eve, not whatever Eve she’d been turning into. They’d gotten into this together, they should finish this together.

Doubts began to crowd her thoughts. Why was she even following this riverbed? She was hurt, she was alone, and she was probably going to die here. This was folly. She should just sit down and give up.

Sara actually paused in her tracks before coming to her senses. No. She had to keep going. She had to believe the path she was following would lead to water. Maybe even a way out.

High above, the watcher breathed a sigh of relief as Sara continued forward.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Missed an installment? Catch up here: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven,

The Cave – Part Four

To quickly recap: Two friends, Eve and Sara, were rock climbing and stumbled across a fissure in the rocks. Upon further exploration, they discover a cave with primitive drawings in it. They venture in further and there’s an earth tremor that seals them inside.

Having little choice, the delve further into the cave, hoping to find another way out. They stumble across another chamber, this one with mosaics embedded in the walls. Eve seems oddly mesmerized by one of them and Sara gets a bad feeling about it and drags her from the chamber. Just when Eve is herself again, they hear a noise.

“I don’t—” Eve paused, and cocked her head. “It’s some kind of clicking noise, or tapping maybe.”

Sara shuddered. “It sounds like the clicking of a beetle. I had a close encounter with a swarm of them once – it’s not a noise you forget.”

“I think it’s stopped now,” Eve said. “Do you want to go back and take the other passage?”

Sara thought about it for a moment. Which was worse, the other passage which reeked of evil to her, or continuing on with the possibility of running into a swarm of beetles?

“Let’s keep going,” she said finally. “As you said, the noise has stopped now.”

“And if it starts up again?”

Sara shuddered. “Then I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

As they continued on their way, Sara slowly relaxed as the noise wasn’t repeated.

“I’m kind of sorry you heard the noise too,” she said.

“Why? It proved you weren’t hearing things.”

“Exactly. If I was the only one who heard it, then I could believe it was just my over-active imagination.”

“Maybe my imagination was just spurred on my yours,” Eve said. “This place is enough to make anyone start hearing things.”

“At least we’re not seeing things.”

“Not yet,” Eve muttered. “But I have noticed something odd.”

Sara paused to take a drink of water and waited while Eve did the same. “What’s odd?”

“The space in this passage is uniform.”

“I don’t follow.”

“If this was a naturally made tunnel, it would vary in shape and size, but this passage is more or less uniform.”

“So you think it’s man-made?”

“I’m sure of it.”

“That’s a good thing though, isn’t it?” Sara ventured. “There must be some purpose to it, it must lead to somewhere.”

“I hope so,” Eve said. “Oh, great. What now?” she asked, coming to a dead stop. She held the light up but it wasn’t powerful enough to penetrate the darkness of the chasm in front of them.

“I can’t even begin to figure out how to measure this,” Eve said. “We have no points of reference to tell how big it is.”

The darkness of the void pressed in on her, making her shiver. Sara came up to stand beside her. They both stared at the abyss in front of them. Eve swept her light downwards but it didn’t even begin to touch the darkness. “I guess we don’t have a choice,” she said, with kind of a grim satisfaction. “We’ll have to go back and take the other passage.”

Just then, the clicking noise started up again, this time coming from behind them.

“No way,” Sara said, and switched her own light on. She pointed it downwards, hoping to see hand and footholds that would allow them to climb down, but there was nothing. Then she played the light over the walls on either side of the opening they’d just come through.

“Look,” she said. “There’s a path along the edge.”

“That’s a pretty narrow path.”

“But it’s still a path, and it’s better than having to deal with whatever’s clicking.”

Eve was shaking her head. “You can’t expect us to just sashay along a path we can barely see. What if the rock isn’t as solid as it looks? Or worse, what if it peters out?”

“Then we back track and you get your way about the other tunnel,” Sara said. “I can’t explain why, but I just have the feeling we need to go this way.”

“Fine,” Eve grumbled. “But if I fall to my death I’m coming back to haunt you.”

Since the narrow ledge/path was on Sara’s side, she took the lead. It might not have been the brightest idea she’d ever had, but facing the dark unknown was preferable to facing whatever was making the clicking noise. The thought of running into a swarm of beetles terrified her.

“You know,” Eve said as they slowly edged their way along. “It’s too bad neither of us thought to bring a flask. I could really go for a stiff drink about now.”

“Make mine a double,” Sara said.

“At least the clicking has stopped again.”

“Small comfort.” Sara wished they’d been able to take a break before starting along this ledge. Her feet were sore and her calf muscles were starting to cramp.

The ledge that had started out so comfortably wide in the beginning began to narrow. Sara no longer needed to keep a hand on the rock wall beside them, now they were forced to turn so the wall was at their backs.

This slowed them down even further, forcing them to sidle along, facing into the void of the chasm. Sara thought of how far they’d come and quailed at the thought of having to backtrack.

“You know who would have loved this?” Eve asked suddenly.

“Who?” Sara asked, grateful for the distraction for the downward turn her thoughts were starting to take.

“My father. He loved adventures like this.”

“That must be where you—uh, oh,” Sara said.