The interior of the cave was more beautiful than she imagined. It was made entirely of crystal, some translucent and others in shades of blue and purple. The beam of her flashlight hit the crystal and refracted in a hundred different directions.
A smile stretched across her face as she stared, enraptured. She learned that shining her flashlight on certain crystals at a specific angle turned the light dozens of bright colours.
It was so beautiful. She didn’t understand why people said this place was bad.
In the back of the cave was an enormous stalagmite that towered several feet over her head. It seemed to glow from within, and she stared at it, mesmerized, for longer than she should have.
“This is amazing, Dorian!” she exclaimed. When there was no response, she looked around in confusion. He wasn’t in the back cavern with her, so she started back toward the cave entrance. “Dorian?” she called.
Her steps faltered. There was a fork in the path. But it had been a straight tunnel from entrance to cavern… hadn’t it?
She must have not noticed the split. No big deal.
She turned right, confident that it would take her to the exit, but the tunnel narrowed until she couldn’t go further even by turning sideways. There was no choice but to double back.
When she saw the huge, glowing stalagmite looming ahead, she stopped in confusion. She had been waiting for the path to fork so that she could try the other way this time. There was no way she could have missed it.
Well, she must have, because she was back in the cavern. She would have to pay more attention this time.
But when she turned, the path had disappeared. There was only a clear wall of crystal casting her reflection back at her.
She spun. The cavern was sealed off. There were no paths out. The stalagmite glowed brighter, and she shrank back against the wall with a whimper. Then it flashed, once.
When the light faded, the girl was gone and the path had returned. The only proof the girl had been there at all was her still-lit flashlight rolling slowly across the floor. It hit the stalagmite and came to a stop, and its light winked out.
If you enjoyed this, check out my other stories: A Tale of Wolves, Battleground, and I’m With You.
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