Soul Bound

Riku Manning Part 1

Craving: a powerful desire for something or an unrelenting desire, urge, or yearning.

Craving an adventure is not an unknown experience. Yearning for something new isn't either. It had been months since my last exploration. I believed nothing would arise until I saw an article about a new cave. The cave Phnom Shampau. Luckily, it was within reach for me to explore, so I started my research.

Phnom Shampau has a history of murders happening inside. It is on an execution site dating back to the 1800s. The cave used to be huge for tourism until multiple tourists went missing and were later found dead inside the cavern walls. Strangely, more men began to visit the cave, most likely to defend the ladies or to stop the killer and become known as a hero.

The cave is located halfway up a mountain known for its beautiful scenery. A perfect spot to conceal murders. Various wildlife roams unrestricted, especially the predators at night. It would discourage anyone from stopping by at night, allowing the killer to carry out their killing in privacy. An old staircase carved into the ground two centuries ago leads to the entrance.

Apart from a few middle school adolescents who wanted to explore the cave in search of the killer, tourism decreased. It can't be hazardous today because the killings have ceased for several years. The murderer must be dead by now, right? If not, they have to be extremely old. Too old to hurt me.

Walking towards the entrance with my gear, I take note of the danger signs covering the sides of the old staircase. I guess the police haven't removed them yet. Same with the police tape littering the entrance. What idiot forgot this beauty? That moron is crazy for leaving behind this incredible exploration location with so much history.

Pushing past the police tape, I turn on my headlamp. Footprints cover the walkway, history marking them. The person who left the prints seemed barefoot and the same shoe size as everyone else. Could the markings all belong to only one person? Taking out my camera, I took a photo before continuing forward. In the next room, there are several cabins available to explore.

"Riku, remember last time? Go straight. Otherwise, you will become disoriented," I reminded myself.

Continuing straight, I walk through the long path. Eventually, I feel like something is off, so I stop. Suddenly, the ground gives out beneath me. I fall into a pile of bones. The bones appear to be human rather than animal. My screams echoed through the cave. Quickly scrambling out of the bones, I push myself away. I stop when I feel I can't go back any further. I turned around and realized I had only backed into the cave wall. I turned back around and rested my head against the wall.

After catching my breath, I look around. Faded pictures fill the walls, and between the paintings are red stains. The stains appear to be as red as blood. There must have been multiple killings in this area to make up for the amount of blood stains present. The thought of people dying here sends chills down my spine.

Standing, I follow the pictures. It leads me into another section of the cave. In another heap of human remains in the room, I see something golden sticking out of the pale brown bones. Taking off my backpack, I walk forward and grab the small object. It appears to be a golden statue of a Greek goddess. Why? Holding it in my hands, I hear a whisper emerge. It startled me, causing me to drop the golden statue. I watched as the woman's head broke off, and a black mist crept out of the body.

"Oh my gosh!" I yelled, stumbling back on my ass.

The mist quickly forms into a physical body resembling a woman. The same woman as the statue resembles. She was tall. Beautiful. A real-life goddess held captive in that tiny statue? How? How can that be possible? I have to be going crazy. That's the only logical explanation.

"I didn't mean to frighten you, sweetheart," the woman laughed.

Her laughter sounded as though my favorite song was playing. It made me want to hear it more. Her voice alone sounded like heaven. This woman's voice contained all I desires to hear.

The woman stepped towards me until she was directly in front of me. For a woman held captive in a cold cave, she was warm. She wore a black laced bra and a floor-length skirt with two high slits running up each thigh. However, I was wearing jeans and a winter coat. Her warmth contrasted with the cold surroundings. Her aroma smelled of cherry blossom trees. Much better than the death smell of the cave.

"Why are you here, sweetheart? This cave is not a place for a fine woman like yourself," she smiled, flashing her abnormally sharp teeth.

"I'm exploring this cave," I breathed like I was out of breath.

There was something about her presence that made me act unusual. Act like I'm high off weed. I felt fine before I freed her, and now I feel lethargic. Is it because of the dead smell? It has to be because of the awful stench. What else makes sense?

"May I?" the woman questions.

Curious, I raise my eyebrow. The woman raised her hands and reached for my face. She felt every inch available. Suddenly, her thumbs hooked on the inside of my cheeks. I watched as she narrowed her eyes while looking at my teeth. I felt her thumbs run along my teeth and gums. What is she doing?

I pulled her hands out of my mouth, and the woman smiled. She unzipped my coat and pushed it open, letting the cold air hit my skin. She continued to examine my body. Her hands felt every crevice of my slender body. I paid more attention to her facial expressions than her hands until I felt her stop on my breasts. Swiftly, I pushed her hands away. Does she not know that she touched me inappropriately? What is wrong with this woman?

"What are you doing!" I yelled.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Your breasts are smaller than mine, and I had to know if they were real," she explained.

"You can't randomly grab someone's breasts!" I shouted.

"Does that mean I can check if your bottom is real? You do have a bigger bottom than me," she questioned.

Before I could respond, her hands grabbed my ass, pulling me into her warm body. I gasped and tried to push myself away but stopped when I realized my hands were on her breasts. I quickly dropped my hands as my face flushed with color. Not what I wanted to push off!

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry," I apologized.

"It's alright, sweetheart. I should apologize for not showing you a way out. You feel cold," she responded.

She moved her hands to the back of my thighs, forcing me to wrap my legs around her waist as she lifted me. Her hands moved to my ass and another on the back of my head. Holding my face against her neck, she carried me. Her scent was strong, and it was making me lightheaded. Within seconds, I had fallen unconscious.

When I woke up, she had me lying on the ground. She looked down at me and grinned, her sharp teeth glistening in the sunlight. My wrist was in her grasp as she softly circled a red spot on my hand. The red mark feels like it's burning. Did I scrap it when I fell? Her touch caused goosebumps to appear. She noticed I was still awake and placed my hand on the ground. Standing, she walked towards the cave.

"Wait!" I yelled groggily.

"What is it, sweetheart?" she questioned, turning toward me.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Ishi. Ishi Luna,"