The Whispering Caves

Chapter - 9 I just wanted a Friend!

     I sighed "True! I am the one who got us lost in the first place. But it wasn't me who wanted to enter the cave. I didn't do it. From the moment Leo and I reached the cave entrance, I felt out of control. As if someone else was controlling me. I felt as if I got locked behind my own mind. And I am pretty sure you know what happened." I took a few steps towards Mandy who was now hesitating to make eye contact with me. "Mandy... You were controlling me, weren't you? You wanted us to come in here."

     Mandy growled, "Well, wasn't it obvious?" Mandy looked into my eyes and I felt like she was looking right into my soul with that extremely intense stare.

"Yea, and that's exactly why I just pointed it out right now. But the real question is, Why?" I took a step toward Mandy. I decided I would play her game. Let's see how she feels about it. She obviously was trying to scare us and make us vulnerable. She succeeded with Leo but I am not gonna fall for her little manipulative games. "If you knew people get lost in here and starve to death, why would you lead us in here? What kind of monster wants others to suffer as she or he did? You look like you are 10 when you died. Maybe after death, you won't age physically but you sure don't have the mentality of a 10-year-old innocent kid. Why would you do all this, Mandy? What would you get after getting us killed in here?" I could see my words hurt her slightly, and when I say slightly, I mean very slightly. She felt something inside her but rage overtook it.

     Mandy looked up at me and for a moment, it was me who felt something, I felt like I was trapped and that there is no way out of this mess, and that I have awaken the devil himself inside her. She started moving towards me and I finally gave in and started to move backward. I was really afraid this time. Mandy shouted, "You wanna know why I led you two in here? Do you really think I wanted you both dead for no reason? No Lera, I had my reasons. The reasons that are a big deal for a 10-year-old girl. Reasons that cut deep. Reasons that you people will only understand after spending almost 5 decades all alone in a cave after your so-called best friend tricks you and gets you killed." Mandy suddenly leaped forward and grabbed me by my collar, I gasped and tried to slip out of her hold but she held on tight. "I just wanted a friend, Lera. Do you know how lonely it is in here? No other kids to talk to or play with. I spend my days just roaming around the cave and trying to count every single minute that passes by and cursing Harry a billion times at least."

"If a friend is what you really need, you are not doing a great job at getting one." Leo chimed in on our conversation but immediately regretted it.

Mandy let go of me and moved toward Leo with a creepy smile plastered on her face, "Oh! Is that so? Now tell me, boy, do you know how to get a ghost girl who is trapped in a cave a friend?"

"You are not trapped in here, you said it yourself, you know your way out." Leo said shakily.

"If only it was that simple, kid." Mandy frowned at him. "People who die in this cave, their soul is damned here for eternity until they find peace within themselves or with somebody that caused their death. And most people don't! I can't find peace with Harry. Never in a million years." 

"And why is it that you can't make peace with me?" A low-pitched voice of a boy echoed through the walls.

"Because he's the reason I am DEAD. He did this to me." Mandy turned towards the voice angrily but stood there frozen unable to speak looking at who was standing a few feet in front of her. "Harry?" Mandy asked with a dumbfounded look on her face.