CHAPTER 1 #3
We slowly get closer, our legs shaking with exhaustion.
But we don’t stop to rest as we tumble into the rocks that surround the mountain.
We search around, our eyes scanning the snowy landscape for any sign of Tilly, and then a glimpse of hope arises inside my heart, finally.
A small entrance, barely visible beneath the snowdrifts.
“There is a cave!” I yell over to Alice, who has her scarf above her nose and eyes narrowed.
Snow and ice are attached to her brows and eyelashes.
Her face is red with small ice particles glistening along her skin.
I’m sure my face is just as brutal, but I can't feel a damn thing.
She nods quickly, and we both rush towards it, our hearts pounding with anticipation.
This is it. This is where she went. It must be.
We enter the cave, our flashlights illuminating the way. The air is thick with dust, and the scent of fire tickles my nose. Dripping water echoes through the tunnels.
“Have you heard of any other caves in these mountains?” Alice whispers over to me as she slowly takes off her scarf. “Besides the one to where these supposedly hidden treasures hide?”
“No. Just the rumors of the one cave that you never come back from…” I internally pray this isn’t the cave we just wandered into, and wonder if the rumors are a lie about only one.
But currently, I am just glad to be out of the cold.
“There should only be one cave within the three mountains. At least, that’s the rumor I heard from the man at the gas station. ”
“Oh great… Serene.” Dread begins to escape Alice’s lips. “You want me to walk into a cave people never return from?”
I pause mid-step, a slight grin forming along my lips as I turn back towards her.
“Yes.” My brow raises. “Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
A deep exhale leaves her bluish-tinted lips. “Damn it, Serene.”
When she says my name, her tone shifts to a deep, sarcastic tone. But I ignore it, knowing deep down inside, she is excited to be here.
My eyes drift to the rigidness of the cave and the surrounding darkness. There is a sense of remembrance here, as if I have been here before.
An unearthly shiver runs down my spine as I contemplate entering the unknown. I cannot resist the allure of mystery that this place holds, and I am drawn towards it. I need to search everywhere until I can find anything that leads me to her.
The hope of finding her. The hope of seeing her alive makes me fear I will do anything, even if it might be deadly.
As I stand here, lost in thought, a rustling sound behind me makes my heart plummet. I spin around, my heart racing. To my relief, it’s just Alice sneaking up past me while I was distracted, with a mischievous grin on her face.
“Scaredy cat,” she taunts, nudging me with her elbow. “What’s the worst that could happen? Besides being stuck in this cave for the rest of our lives, remember?” She turns back towards me and shrugs her arm out. Then she twists back on her toes to skip forward through the cave.
I roll my eyes, but her words begin to creep into my soul.
“RUMORS OF THE STONES RESIDE here, Serene. The pendant leads to this exact spot.” Tilly’s icy-blonde strands fall around her face as she leans over the wooden table.
Her cheekbones become more pronounced while she rubs her lips together before her voice drops to a low mutter.
“I have heard whispers, begging for me to find them.”
My hands rub over my face as my lips tighten. “There are no stones. Maybe lost treasure deep within the mountains, but no one has ever returned from them. Why risk this?”
“Why not?” A slight tug on her lips forms a soft smile, her eyes darting around the map she found back in the old library where we work. “We could do it. Me and you.”
“Alice would want to come…”
Tilly interrupts before I could say another word. “Alice would get us killed. You know that.”
“No, I don’t! Because we have never put her in this sort of situation before!” My palms slam against the table, and I lean my body against the edge, letting my ribs dig into the cold wood. “Why would you dare put yourself in danger?!”
“I am not supposed to be here!”
I pause, my body slowly shifting back in the chair, sinking down into it. My head tilts to the side, studying her body movements as she paces back and forth, tugging at the ends of her hair. Her lips part to speak, but shut just as fast.
“You’re not supposed to be here.” Her eyes drift from the window, light flashing from the midnight storm that has rolled in.
“Wha… what are you even talking about?”
She tiptoes over to the window, tracing the lining of the wet frame from leaving the window cracked for the breeze to drift in. Her dark, royal-red blanket snuggles around her shoulders as she shakes her head.
“You’ll never understand.”
I CLENCH MY EYES TOGETHER and let out a shaky breath.
Memories of Tilly run rampant through my mind.
Goosebumps form along the back of my neck as I stare into the vast darkness.
I square my shoulders and take a step forward towards the unknown of this place.
Like she said, I am Serene. I am fearless, but the eeriness of this place makes my body shiver.
As we move deeper into the cave, the darkness becomes suffocating.
Alice decided a few minutes ago to not be in front anymore, as the fear of an imaginary monster lurking ahead frightened her too much.
She is now stuck to my arm and fidgeting her head in every direction.
The cold sweat running down my back tickles as the heat from the cave becomes more distinct, and my heart thuds wildly in my chest. Besides Alice’s teeth chattering, it’s the only sound I can hear.
Alice clutches my arm tighter as a rock rolls down the side of the cave, her nails digging into my skin.
“Maybe this isn’t a good idea?” she whispers.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” I mimic her as she now rolls her eyes at me, but I try to keep my voice steady. “We have to find her. She could have taken shelter here.”
“She shouldn’t have left Seattle,” she huffs. “It’s as if she wanted us dead with her.”
I halt, my eyes snapping towards her. “She isn’t dead.”
I remove her grip from around my arm and walk forward. Her boots beat against the ground as she tries catching up to me.
“You know what I mean, something feels wrong here.”
“I won’t talk as if she is dead.” I whip my body back to her, aggressively pointing my finger towards her. “I would feel it inside me if she died.”
I grip my chest, tugging at the damp sweater that hasn’t kept me warm this whole damn trip.
Her jaw ticks before she rubs her chapped lips together and walks past me.
“You two have always acted like twins.” She sighs. “Even though she is older, you two have always been the exact same.”
“My heart would know if hers stopped beating.”
Our eyes meet as mine darken, and she gives me a nod.
We continue to walk through the winding tunnels as our boots now crunch on gravel; snow has melted at last, and our flashlights dart around nervously at the sounds that are now echoing against the walls of this cave.
The darkness of the walkway appears as if we’re walking through a nightmare, where every shadow could hide some unspeakable horror. Even so, we press on.
A distant hum echoes in the tunnels. A soft melody dancing along the rocks slightly resounds around us. “Do you hear that?” My eyes drift towards Alice, who tiptoes on rocks behind me.
“Hear what?”
“The humming sound. It’s getting louder,” I say, trying to pinpoint the direction it’s coming from.
Alice wrinkles her brow in concern. “There is nothing.”
I shake my head. I hear the hums, the noise continuously vibrating in my ears. I know it's there. Or am I hallucinating?
We continue down the tunnel and the sound grows louder and more distinct. It’s a low, vibrating hum that seems to come from the walls themselves. The humming seems so familiar, as if I know the melody.
As our eyes adjust to the dim light, I notice the cave deepens.
A large dark hole is in front of us, seeming as if it could swallow us and we could never be seen again.
But that is a risk I must take. This whole trip has been a damn risk, but like Alice has said, Tilly is more than my sister… she is half of me.
It has been us against the world.
I lean over to Alice, our shoulders brushing.
“Should we go in further?” I smirk, knowing she’s getting frightened the further we walk. But now I’m curious about the humming that continues to increase the closer we move to the forbidden, prolonged tunnel.
She nods with hesitation as her eyes search the shadows that flicker around us.
As we walk further in, it tightens, and we squeeze through the narrow passage, our breaths coming out in ragged gasps.
The walls are slick with melting ice as my hands glide along the rigid edges.
Thankfully, I am not claustrophobic. However, Alice is shaking with terror.
“Can you go any faster?” she shrieks out to me.
I say nothing back, just laugh at the fact she is hating this moment so much.
“It’s not funny! You know I hate the dark and tight places.” Her boots hit my ankles as she kicks at me. “If I die and you don’t, I will haunt you forever.”
“Good!” I laugh. “At least you’ll never leave me!”
I can hear her grunting over the fact I am enjoying every minute of this, and she… is not.
When we finally emerge from the other side, we find ourselves in an enormous blue-hued cavern. Alice has her trembling hands over her chest, panting loudly as if she is truly running out of air.
“I will never forgive you for that,” she growls.
I lean over, my voice dropping to a low whisper. “Just think, we have to do that again to leave.”
Her head drops back, staring above. “I didn’t even think of that.”
“You're welcome.” I nudge her with my arm. “Come on.”