○ F A L L E N ○

Chapter 7: Deep in the Cave

Porter nodded, "I hope that whatever it is, it won't be.... dangerous."

"Agreed," You shuddered, praying that it wouldn't come to that.

【=◈︿◈=】

The walk through the cave never seemed to end as it became darker and darker. Soon, it was so dark, that you couldn't even see your hand if you put it in front of your face, and you had to keep one hand on the wall to keep your direction on track.

Something grabbed your hand and you jumped, but relaxed when you realized it was Porter, trying to make sure you both stuck together. You both hadn't said much since entering the cave, but it was a comforting silence. You appreciated and liked Porter's company, as it was calming to know you weren't alone in a dark, damp, mysterious cave.

Porter spoke up, "Is that a light?"

You squinted your eyes, and sure enough, there was a faint, gold light, barely visible in the pitch black. As you got closer, it became brighter and brighter, and you were able to see Porter's hand closing tighter around your's. It became clear that the light was coming from a gold key, sitting perfectly on a stone podium.

"Wow," You breathed, looking at its jewl-encrusted handle and perfect finish. It almost looked like a piece of jewelry, something you'd see in the ancient tombs of Egypt, buried with sacred treasures of kings and queens.

Porter stepped forward and picked up the glimmering key, "Maybe this is our ticket out of here, maybe it goes to a door out of the Worlds."

"We can only hope," You sighed, "At this point, it looks like our only chance."

Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and you instantly knew that there was a consequence to taking the key. There always had to be a price to pay.

"RUN!" Porter yelled, grabbing your arm.

Arrows began to fly at you, nearly missing you by millimeters as you dodged their sharp points. Adrenaline rushed through you, your feet pounded against the ground, your heart was hammering, and then, there was pain.

Heat flared in your leg as an an arrow sharply pierced your skin, causing you to cry out in pain. You stumbled, nearly falling face first before Porter picked you up and continued to run. Your eyes began to droop as your leg throbbed, and soon faded into darkness as your head fell against Porter's chest.