‘I like the look of that one,’ Freya said, pointing to the path furthest to the right.
Wendy nodded, ‘Well then, lead on Captain,’ she said with a smirk. Freya rolled her eyes and started walking towards the path.
‘You have to wonder what is behind that red door though,’ Wendy said, intrigued.
Freya bunched her face up a little as she shook her head. ‘Nah, not really. In my experience, red doors never lead to good things. It’s probably a trap or something.’
Wendy considered this for a moment and then shrugged. ‘I guess we’ll never know.’
The girls kept walking and quickly the cavern behind them all but disappeared. The path they had chosen was full of twists and turns, but it was surprisingly well lit. They found out why a few minutes later. The path twisted and turned some more and finally came out onto a ledge which overlooked a huge ravine.
‘Yes!’ Wendy cheered, ‘We made it! We’re finally back out in the open.’
Freya didn’t reply. Wendy turned around to find Freya casually backed up against the nearest rock face.
‘What are you doing all the way over there?’ Wendy asked. ‘Don’t you want to get a better look at our freedom?’
‘I can see just fine from here.’
‘Nonsense,’ Wendy said, grabbing Freya’s arm and pulling her towards the edge.
‘Wendy, don’t…I really don’t want to. Wendy! I’m afraid of heights okay!’
Wendy released her grip immediately and Freya scurried back to the safety of the rock face.
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘I’m really sorry I dragged you…’
‘It’s okay, just don’t bloody well do it again, okay?’
Wendy nodded. She peered over the edge; it was at least three or four hundred yards to the ravine floor. Off in the distance she saw smoke rising from one of the neighbouring towns. It wouldn’t be long until the sun was setting; the people were most likely preparing their dinner.
Wendy turned back to Freya who was now sitting on the ground against the rock face. She squatted down and brushed a couple of larger rocks out of the way.
‘It’s not going to help you know,’ Freya said. ‘You’re still going to get your bum dirty.’
Wendy laughed as she sat down.
‘Do you want to head back and take another path?’
Freya considered this deeply for a moment and then slowly shook her head.
‘No. I think this is definitely our best means of escape…’
‘But if you can’t–’
‘I just need a minute to gather my thoughts. Say, why don’t you tell me what you see in your Quartz again.’
Wendy pulled the little Quartz stone out of her bra and peered into it. What she saw was the same cage as before, except Smokey was not in it anymore. Wendy looked back at Freya and decided not to tell her, she was already distressed enough as it was. Maybe after we cross the ledge, Wendy thought, then I will tell her.
‘The same as before,’ Wendy lied, tucking the stone back into her bra.
‘So…why are you afraid of heights?’ Wendy asked, less than tactfully, but she was desperate to distract Freya from learning the truth about Smokey.
Freya opened her mouth to speak but found that she couldn’t. Some tears welled up in her eyes.
‘Oh Wendy. It’s too horrible to say.’
YOU ARE READING
~ Power ~
FantasyPower is a modern pick-a-path book. Each fortnight I will write a new chapter based on what you choose! Power will follow Freya, a young girl in a hostile world. But I can't tell you much more than that, as you are the one who will decide what happe...
