The Way Out

Chapter 2 - The Way Down

My legs buckled as I bent down on my knees, the opening to the cave in front of me. There was no guessing what was inside, or where it would take me. I poked my leg in, feeling around in the darkness. The mossy ground slowly sloped downwards. I slid a little closer, about half my body engulfed in the darkness of the cave. I stepped inside the cave, bent down with my arms feeling for the sides of the tunnel. I wasn't sure how tight the tunnel would become, or how far it would lead me. As I walked, the ceiling of the cave grew higher, until I could stand fully upright. My arms stretched as far as they could, and barely brushed the tunnel walls. The dull light of the woods became smaller and smaller as I walked deeper into the tunnel. All that was left was a little spec of light far behind me. The path sloped and swerved from right to left, but mainly veered downwards. It slowly became pitch black. I waved my arms around, in search of the walls. But, it was so dark I had lost track of them. They must have become farther apart.
     At least they aren't too close together, I gave a nervous laugh. I shivered as the cold from the cave floor pierced my bare feet, but didn't stop. Something told me I was meant to be here.
     Maybe it's just my mind playing tricks on me, I thought. A whisper sounded up ahead, keep going... This way... I made my way farther down, the light completely disappearing behind me.
     Faster... I gave a shriek as my foot caught on a rock and I toppled onto my side. My hands scraped across the hard dirt floor, and I started to slide down the rough path. All of a sudden, I felt weightless, as if I was floating. Then a thud. Pain pierced my body as I landed hard on the cave floor.
     I must have fallen through a hole, or maybe another tunnel, I wondered. I slowly struggled to my feet, using the cave wall as support. After catching my breath, I felt around me in confusion, wondering where to go next. A pinch of light shimmered in the distance. I wondered whether it was a way out, or something that wanted me to think that way... I took a few paces forward, each step cautiously placed before the next. As u neared the bright light, I sighed as I realized it was just another dead end. Glowing mushrooms were scattered around me, lighting up the walls on either side of me. They grew up to the height of my ankles, with glowing orange spots. I could finally make out the space around me with the mushrooms' luminescent glimmer and spotted markings on the walls. It looked almost like a story, with writing in a language I would never understand, and drawings that told a story I couldn't interpret. Faces with masks had been carved into the mossy stone walls, along with imaginary-looking creatures. I traced the markings with my finger, admiring their precision. I scanned the images from left to right and stopped when I recognized something. There were carvings of mushrooms, the same that grew around me that very moment. My head flicked from the mushrooms on the cave floor, to the drawings on the wall.
     Identical.
My head spun as I wondered what it could mean.
     Were they dangerous? I asked myself.
I gazed at the drawings once more. Around the mushrooms, I saw small carvings like polka-dots, almost like the cave wall had been poked a hundred times. They formed a shape similar to a swarm of bees.
     Were there wasps living down here? I wouldn't be surprised. I don't expect anything but bad luck.
     My eyes ached and I sat down heavily, my back leaning against the hard cave wall. I sighed and rested my head on my hands. My feeling of surrender slowly turned into an angry emotion bubbling up from inside me. I stood up and walked over to the dead end. My hands throbbed as I slammed them against the cold cavern barrier. I yelled, even though I knew it was useless. I gave up and angrily kicked at a bunch of mushrooms. I watched, my eyes blazing like fire, as a swarm of shining flecks flew out from under them. Their glowing yellow light immediately surprised me, and my eyes flew open. They fluttered through the dim orange light of the tunnel and soared around me. I stepped back in shock, my mouth wide open. I was instantly aware of the resemblance to the carving of scattered dots on the wall. As I watched their gleam, I realized they were like fireflies. Although they flew like fireflies, shone like fireflies, and fluttered like fireflies, I knew straight away this was no place for fireflies.
     This must be something else, I told myself.
They moved in strange patterns and spiraled around me. I shooed them away as they buzzed past my ears. They swarmed next to the dead end in front of me. I watched as they slowly disappeared, one by one. Their lights turning off as they left. I stared in confusion, wondering where they could have gone.
     I thought this was a dead end...
My heart beat faster when I realized there could be a way out. I took a step forward, towards the barrier. I reached out my hand, ready for the sharp burst of cold from the stone wall. But nothing came. My hand lingered in mid-air. I raised my other arm and slammed against the rock. Suddenly, I toppled over, my whole body falling right through the wall. I landed, the breath knocked out of me as I fell into the grass. My eyes flew open as I realized I made it outside. I was back into the forest, in a small clearing. I lay on my back as I admired the pink, flowery branches above my head. I watched as the haze of fireflies flew away into the forest. I made it out of the cave, but is there a way out of the woods?