The Steve Realm

Chapter 1: Trapped

Hayden, a fifteen-year-old boy, was on a vacation with his family to Mt. Mitchell, a mountain in North Carolina. They were touring the mountain and ventured to Crabtree Falls, a waterfall cascading down the side of Mt. Mitchell. As they were admiring the majestic waterfall, the sound of the rushing water filled the air, all of that was ignored when Hayden noticed what appeared to be a small cave behind the waterfall. After Hayden and his family walked away from the waterfall, Hayden managed to turn around and sneak away to return to Crabtree Falls while his parents were distracted talking with other people, when Hayden made it back to Crabtree Falls, he managed to hop the barrier and traverse his way through the strong currents up onto the mountain and get behind the waterfall and into the cave. The cave was large, and stalactites were hanging from the ceiling, making it difficult to navigate, the cave was damp and his shoes squished with each step he took. Jeez, how long does this cave last? Hayden thought. The cave smelled rancid, there was mold on the walls and ceiling, and it was as if no one had entered this cave for centuries. "W- what is that? Is that..?" Hayden said. After around an hour of navigating the cave, he managed to find a lit opening, it appeared to be an exit. "Oh my god, finally!" Hayden said. He managed to escape the cave, but the landscape he entered was unfamiliar. "What? Where am I? Maybe I should turn back," He turned around and reentered the cave, but after a few feet, "Ow, huh?" he ran into a wall, a wall that wasn't there previously, Hayden was confused, "What? But, how?" as he had just gone through the entire cave previously, he assumed that the cave has caved in, but he would've heard the cracking and falling of the rocks if it had collapsed, but he was trapped.