CHAPTER 1 #4
This place is covered in glistening stalactites.
A faint light that seems to come from deep within the walls illuminates them, giving the cavern an ethereal glow.
The stalactites hanging from the ceiling are like icicles reflecting in the greenish light, making them seem almost alive as they glint like tiny stars in space.
I suck in a deep breath and taste the muggy, damp air, with the unmistakable scent of an underlying earthy aroma.
Almost as if this was a garden right after the rain.
It reminds me of the times we would all play in the storms that fell from the sky above.
How we would dance around to our laughter.
I swallow the pain that accompanies memories of Tilly, refusing to show this weakness in front of Alice.
Did I let my sister die?
Could I have stopped her from coming?
“Wow. This is magical.” Alice walks ahead of me, removing her backpack and facial gear.
“It is,” I whisper out, slowly taking small steps in as Alice touches the stalactites.
My eyes wander around. I’ve never seen such a massive cave like this. The dripping sounds of water are still present, and the humming melody is still drifting through my eardrums.
“You sure you don’t hear that melody?” I question Alice on it one last time, contemplating if I am going insane.
“I really don’t know what you are talking about.” She stumbles over the rocks.
“I don’t see any signs of human activity here.” I mutter over my own words as I am holding back tears. There is no evidence of Tilly being in this tunnel.
“Why don’t we just rest here then and start back up after the storm calms?” She crouches down and then sits cross-legged next to a boulder as she reaches in for our snacks.
I stay standing, keeping my arms crossed as my eyes dance around my surroundings, taking in the cave's unique beauty. The tune is finally fading away, making it easier for my mind to concentrate on tracking my sister. The wetness underneath my boots squishes loudly as I make my way over to the walls. My body tenses as the chilliness tickles my bare hands while I glide them along the walls. They are icy, with the occasional sharp point of pillars jutting out. It’s unique. Breathtaking.
The greenish-blue tones glow off the cavern, pulsating almost to the beat of the melody I had heard when entering, but I quickly ignore it. I’m sleep deprived. That is it.
I need rest.
The humming melody returns, but this time louder and more distinct. My head snaps towards Alice promptly to catch if she has made any indication on hearing what I do, but nothing. She stays sitting as she eats her bread. My heart beats faster as I don’t understand why she doesn’t hear this sound.
What the hell am I hearing?
It echoes throughout the cavern, filling it with an otherworldly sense that seeps deep in my bones.
Suddenly, my eyes drift upward as a shower of glittering dust falls from above us, shimmering in hues of arctic blue and silver.
My heart stops beating. Piercing ringing noises assault my eyes and I hear a faint distant mutter of Alice speaking.
My vision is beginning to darken—blacken all around—as if I might pass out.
The dust slowly falls, almost as if it were soft snow, but the coldness has disappeared from my body. I reach my hands out, watching the shimmering substance fall gracefully onto my palms, and then slowly evaporate.
My lips part as I gasp for air.
“Do you see this, Alice?” I tilt my head back to her with my hands still out, full of dust.
She looks at me, puzzled, with her head cocked to the side. “What do you mean?”
“This shimmery dust that’s falling from above.” My chin points high to the ceiling cave above, closing my eyes as my breathing calms down. “Don’t you see it?”
“Serene… you are scaring me. There is nothing.” The worry in her voice is evident.
My eyes widen when I notice it all has disappeared.
I quickly laugh it off. “I’m just teasing you.” Our eyes connect, and I force a smirk on my face before turning to walk deeper into the cave.
“Are you okay?” Alice softly speaks with a mouth full of bread.
“Yes, don’t worry about me.” I take one last look back at her. She doesn’t seem bothered or concerned by me drifting off into the tunnels, so I continue on.
The walls of this mountain almost feel as if they’re not from our world. As if magic is truly alive. But I never believed in that; Tilly always did. Is this what the mountain people whisper about?
The shimmery walls light up as I walk by. The cave pulses as if it has a heart of its own. I worry that my mind is seeing things that are not truly there.
As my eyes wander up and around, a shadow dashes by, stopping me in my tracks.
I freeze.
“Alice?” I whisper. There’s no response. “Alice, is that you?” I say, a little louder this time.
Before I have time to react to the silence, silhouettes of women form out of the misty air and surrounding space.
Wispy shadows swirling around like playful spirits emerge from everywhere.
They twirl about as if they are dancing with a soul that doesn’t exist, making their way down the dark tunnel, which reminds me of my dream.
A dream I had when I was twelve years old, but is still vivid in my mind.
I gasp for air. Blood feels as if it's leaving my body, and I tense.
Have I died?
Did we get lost in the blizzard and I am actually gone? Am I a spirit dancing along these walls?
“Serene…” A soft voice echoes in the darkness.
I don’t move. I stay still and firm, my chest rising and falling while my palms turn sweaty.
“Serene… you must come my way, Serene,” the woman’s voice resounds into my ears.
As my name repeats in the dark tunnel, I force my legs to move toward the voice.
My body moves even though my mind screams to run back.
My eyes begin to darken, the world around me vanishing.The worries of my sister fade from the calmness of this voice, and the concerns for Alice being left behind deteriorate.
I mindlessly follow the sound, which strengthens with every step I take, and watch the dancing shadows.
The glow from the stalagmites brightens my walk into the dark tunnel, allowing my eyes to wander on this unpredictable journey.
They change to emit a soft, golden light that illuminates the tunnel, casting a warm glow on everything in sight.
A far off light source at the end of the tunnel is now in sight, which casts more dancing shadows before me as if they are inviting me forward.
As I approach the end, my heart pounds in my chest with anticipation. I should be afraid, yet, I am not. The voice is now so close that my skin tickles like a warm breath radiating on my skin. But once I reach the end of the tunnel, the voice instantly stops.
Everything goes quiet.
My mind seems both at peace and invigorated at the same time now that the silence has returned. When I finally step into what seems like a massive room carved out of rock, I can’t believe my eyes. I bite my bottom lip, trying to feel any sort of pain to make sure I am alive.
That I am here, truly witnessing what is before me.
This hollow is covered in thousands of shimmering crystals that sparkle with an iridescent glow.
The hues radiate like stars, as if a rainbow has kissed every inch of the stones.
My eyes drift to my hands, catching the lights flickering across my skin.
The voice that lured me here was coming from somewhere deep within this chamber, a hauntingly beautiful melody with the sounds of my name echoing.
The presence is fierce. The shadows have disappeared as well, but there is an uncomfortable sensation as if I am not alone.
“Tilly?” I whisper out, half hoping she’ll pop out and say she’s been messing with me.
After no response, I conclude I’m the only one here. Tilly isn’t here.
Did she experience this?
Out of nowhere, a bright glow forms from the side of the wall, and there, beam five massive stones hovering over the ground.
As they float, delicate tapping music bounces off each stone, creating an orchestra of their own.
They are rotating around themselves like planets orbiting in their own solar system.
How is this even possible? I stumble backward, my heartbeat thudding loudly in my ears.
My hand reaches out to the stones, feeling heat radiate off of them.
I cannot scream. I cannot even talk. The oxygen feels as if it has left my lungs.
They emit various shades of deep hues and an illuminating energy that covers this underground ravine in an unearthly light of swirling patterns. My eyes flicker as the colors and light dance around in each stone, as if I could touch one and fall into a whole new world.
Is this the rumored treasure?
Reaching my hand towards one of the beaming stones, its mysterious presence consumes me completely. It steals my breath away while bringing tears that stream down my face.
After what feels like an eternity, my hand finally touches the fire stone.
And then I am gone.