Isolophobia

IV

Picture Credit: www.quotev.com

Haiden stood still, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness around him. It was

cold, making him shiver. The air felt moist, suffocated. Haiden gripped tightly onto

the snake eye marble he was given. The snake eye started to flow with energy, a

bright flash of light expelling from the marble. It lit up the whole area like a

flashlight. He kept it clenched in his fist, to keep the alluring, golden light

going. The area was a cave, damp and dark. The floor was covered in damp dirt and

mud, the cave had stoney spikes sticking out of the wall. Haiden walked forwards,

carefully moving through the spikes. They seemed rather dull, lacking the sharp

points of a normal spike. The water dripped from the ceiling, tiny droplets falling

on the back of his neck and hair. He strolled through the cave, thinking about what

Emer told him. "So, I'm being gifted for having a shitty life?" Haiden mumbled to

himself, still pushing forwards. His shoes scratched against the dirt, forming small

crunches under his feet. "How did this place know I was in pain? Can it feel energy?

Or am I really something special?" he questioned, making him hungry for more answers.

He craved knowledge, craved being ahead of the game. "And what about those survivors?

Should I have helped them? Are they okay?" Haiden continued, asking himself more

questions. Haiden felt alone, yet recently, after the golden hill, he always felt

another presence with him. There was a light up ahead, a construction lamp. The light

shined two different lamps on him. It looked like a pair of eyes, along with its

skinny, yellow stand. The lamps lead to more lamps that lead down a pathway. There

were many open spaces in the walls, where the light couldn't reach. Those spaces made

Haiden uncomfortable, suspicious. He unclenched the marble, putting it back in his

pocket. "I-" he started, before being interrupted by a loud yell. Haiden looked ahead

into a huge open area that spread for hundreds of feet. Spikes littered the ground,

threatening to trip him. Haiden paused, seeing a figure in the distance. The figure

ran hastily towards his direction, making Haiden freeze. The figure yelped, barreling

right into him. He was knocked to the ground, the figure falling on top of him.

Haiden winched, looking down at it. It was another survivor, one he hasn't seen

before. 'How many people are down here?' Haiden thought, looking down at the boy. The

boy had curly, ginger colored hair that reached down to his shoulders. He wore a rose

red sweater and brown hunting pants. "Ah-" Haiden winched again, the survivor

gripping aggressively onto his arms. He looked up at Haiden, staring at him with

dark, anxious brown eyes. His face was full of freckles and his skin was pale. "Are