The Truth Of The Matter

Sightseeing Gets Progressively Worse (And Then Maybe Gets A Little Better?)

Long title whoo

Anyway, here's your nice laid-back chapter I promised you!! Hope you enjoy ^w^

Sightseeing attempt number one: Exploring Mammoth Cave (Kentucky)

Phil

The cave's entrance looked like a mouth.

This was Phil's first thought as he stumbled forward, eyeing the cave with obvious uncertainty. Stalagmites and stalactites stretched up and down like jagged teeth, layer upon layer of chalky brown stone dripping from the ceiling into sharp points. Water collected on the top, oozing in tiny drops from the jewel-green moss that carpeted the roof of the cave. It was pretty, but the darkness eclipsing the inside of that beauty reminded him that humans were usually very small (there were, of course, a few notable exceptions, one of them being Ranb00), and very small things could very easily get very lost.

He gripped the handle of his pack, biting his bottom lip. He turned on his heel to stare at Ranboo, who wore the biggest grin Phil had ever seen on his face. Phil sighed. At least he'd be with friends on this trip.

Mammoth Cave was the biggest cave in the United States, and when Ranboo had heard this bit of trivia from a gas station manager all the way in Ohio, he had immediately begged Phil to take them there. Phil honestly thought Niagara Falls would have been a better tourist destination for them, but Ranboo had insisted so fervently it had been hard for any of them to say no.

Besides, now that he was looking at it, it did look somewhat pretty. Other than the obvious danger that they could encounter by going into a cave of that size; pitfalls, sudden drops, oxygen deprivation . . . he shook his head, shaking himself out of the mire of thoughts he found himself trapped in.

The crowd around them, consisting of . . . too many people for Phil to count-- maybe a dozen?-- were huddled around in small groups, whispering in awe at the open maw of the cave. They were not going to be alone on this guided tour. Somewhat comforting.

Shifting his foot, he heard the crunch of leaves under his sole.

Surrounding them was a tall forest, trees stretching up to brush their leaves against the sky. Huge leaves draped over one another to create a canopy that filtered light into a delicate foam-green, shadows darting along the mossy floor as animals flitted about above them.

A tall shadow peeked into Phil's vision, and he turned around in time to see Tommy leaning against a tree, kicking small leaves into the air with the toe of his boot and watching them flitter to the ground.

"So? What do you think of the cave so far?" Phil asked, walking over the rocky, moss-heavy terrain towards Tommy. "Doesn't it look like fun?" He gestured to the cave. Above them, a small bird flew in circles over their heads, cheeping cheerfully.

"Yeah, it does. Well . . . it's just . . ." Tommy hesitated. "I'm sad we had to leave Toast behind," he muttered, fixing his face into a pout. "He would have enjoyed it so much!"

"He might have destroyed some of the cave," Phil retorted, though he hoped his tone wasn't too abraising. "Besides, he'll be fine. This park runs a kennel purely for this reason, remember?" He pushed his hands into his pockets, leaning back on his heels and grinning over at the blonde.

Avoiding Phil's eyes, Tommy shrugged with one shoulder. He was still sulking, Phil figured, which was fine. He'd probably cheer up once they entered the caves. At least Tommy was actually prepared for the cave, what with his small pack of snacks, his water bottle filled with lemonade (which wasn't actually hydrating, Phil had warned him, but Tommy had waved the worrying off, saying it wouldn't matter), and the jacket he was carrying.