Vision Of Darkness

6: The cave

Simoun entered the jungle, the bright green leaves rustling in the wind as the sun beat down on him. His ears were filled with the sounds of chirping birds and monkeys, and the air was strongly scented with damp earth and vegetation. He was in awe of everything's beauty as he observed how the sunlight filtered through the leaves and created dappled shadows on the ground. He became absorbed in the complex dance of nature after noticing the vines and roots snaking up the trees in their intricate patterns.

But as he went further into the jungle, the allure started to give way to a dread. The patterns of the vines twisted and turned, becoming more erratic and unsettling. His path became obscured as the trees grew larger and taller, casting darker shadows. The jungle noises started to disappear, and they were eventually replaced by an unsettling silence that rang in his ears. He had the feeling that someone or something was watching him and following him, sending chills up his spine. He made an effort to dismiss it and persuade himself that it was all in his head, but the sensation persisted.

Simoun felt eyes on him, watching him from the shadows, and his heart began to race. He turned around, but nobody was there. He continued walking while gasping for air in short bursts until he reached a clearing, An abandoned cave with a gaping entrance stood in the middle of the clearing like the mouth of an extinct animal. Simoun moved cautiously toward him, his heart racing. He could hear faint voices coming from inside the cave as he drew nearer. His initial hypothesis was that there might be other travelers like himself looking for safety from the jungle. However, as he got closer, the voices got louder, and he realized they weren't speaking Spanish, but rather English.

Simoun strained to listen to the conversation inside the cave. The two men speaking were wearing American naval uniforms, which didn't make sense to him. What were they doing here in the middle of the jungle?

"...it's gotta be worth something," one of the men was saying. "I mean, look at this place. It's been untouched for years. And this book, it's gotta have some clues about where the treasure is hidden."

Simoun became intrigued. Treasure? In an effort to get a better look at the book they were discussing, he moved closer to the cave's entrance. It was outdated, with brittle, yellowed pages.

"I don't get it," the other man said. "This book is written in some weird language. It's not Spanish or English. What the hell is it?"

"Well, whatever it is, we need to find someone who can translate it for us," the first man said. "There's gotta be some clues in there about where the treasure is hidden."
Simoun watched the two men closely as they studied the book from a distance. He had a nagging suspicion that something wasn't quite right about the circumstances at hand. He was uncomfortable with the way they were discussing treasure and the island's past. Simoun began to feel out of place and like an intruder as the discussion went on. His mind began to play tricks on him as he took a step back and separated himself from the men. The sound of dripping water echoed in his ears as the flickering torchlight cast ominous shadows on the cave walls. He perceived a thickening and difficulty breathing in the air.

All of a sudden, a thick fog enveloped the cave, covering everything in front of him. Simoun attempted to move, but it felt as though his legs were made of lead. He noticed that the men's voices had grown distant and hushed as they too had fallen to the ground. Simoun struggled to comprehend what was going on as his heart raced. Was it a gas of some kind? An illusion? The fog was too dense for him to see farther than a few inches in front of him, so he pulled out his lighter to try to find a way out.

Simoun crept over to the two men and felt their breathing, relieved to discover that they were still alive but sound asleep. Although he was beginning to feel uneasy, he was unsure of what had caused them to pass out. Once more as he turned to face the book. He noticed words that he had never seen before, and they appeared to be speaking directly to him. "Why did you come to this island, Simoun?" the words read. "Why did you leave me alone?"