Chasing Death

Chapter 40

"What goes around always comes around. And if you give only love and kindness, you'll get it back someday."

🖤🖤🖤

The darkness grew even darker as I moved ahead. The only relief was that the predators weren't after me anymore. But the little spark of hope that had saved me at the last possible moment was nowhere to be seen.

The spot on my neck where he had bitten me was throbbing and as I placed my fingers on the tender wound, I felt warm blood coat them. God knows if their teeth had poison. The night just got deeper and deeper until I couldn't see my own hand. I just trusted my feet to take me somewhere. This cave differed from the other caves I had been to. The rock was bone dry, and the cavern was warm, like a dying furnace. What if this was a route into the sleeping volcano? What if it erupted suddenly?

My thoughts stopped abruptly as something scaly brushed against my feet. I almost screamed. I was dead scared of snakes and what else could stay in caves like this? There was a rustling sound near my feet and something scraped against me again, something the size of a cat, but fluffy and warm, very warm. I looked down, but nothing was visible in the dark.

"What are you?" I asked.

My voice seemed to have catalyzed a chemical reaction because little scintillating lights suddenly lit up the entire cave. Little glowing moths were resting on the walls all around me, silently spreading out their wings, which shimmered in an eerie iridescent blue, like the edges of a gas flame. The lights came and went like dancing stars.

But what caught my attention was the creature nuzzling against my legs. I was wearing one of Holika's baggy clothes and had wrapped it around tightly for comfort. Mrithun's dresses were gorgeous, but not practical. My legs were bare from knee down and a furry bird was rubbing its body against me. It was a ball of butterscotch yellow, with little brown legs and a small curved beak. It looked like a round pompom with accessories sewn on it. And though it seemed like a baby, it was as large as a cat. 

I sunk to the ground, scooping up the little thing in my arms. It was light as a feather. The bird crooned. I realised it was trying to communicate something to me. I put it down on the ground, but it refused to move. I nudged it slowly when it took two limping steps ahead.

"Are you hurt?" I asked.

The creature craned its neck to peer at me, its glassy brown eyes giving me a needy look. I picked it up again, surveying its thin legs in the scant light of the glowing moths. As if reading my mind, the moths started changing colour till they were bright white, making a cave ten times lighter.

"Thank you," I whispered to no one, concentrating on the task at hand.

There was a little bump midway of its right leg. It must have got hurt on the rocks. I opened the cloth belt, which was holding my dress tight. And then tore a little portion from the edges. I secured the rest of the belt around my waist again and proceeded to work on the tiny leg, wrapping the cloth round and round like a bandage. I tugged and pulled to see if it was too tight. Finally, I tore the end into two again and tied a knot. Then I put it down. It screeched, flapping its tiny wings.

"Go," I urged. It took two faltering steps but fell again like a little glob.

"Come here." I lifted it up into my arms, not caring what creature it was. It was a baby, and it needed help. That is all that mattered.

"Let's find your momma," I crooned to the little round feather ball. It made a happy sound. The moths responded by turning honey yellow, throwing a welcome aura of light all around the cave, as I moved forward with the baby bird held firmly against my chest. The luminescent moths were like a road map, guiding me deeper and deeper into the unknown.