Finding Freedom

Finding Freedom - Part 2 Chapter 4

            I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing. We all went to bed. The next day would be tiring; it was our deadline to finish the house.

            I was almost useless in every job they tried to give me during most of the construction, so I usually just went to get water in the creek, or pick wild berries. I was therefore not surprised when Martha handed me the water container.

            “Take your time and explore a bit, we won’t be needing water for a while still,” she added.

            So I trudged to the creek, feeling useless. Was there really nothing I could do? Collecting the water was quick, and I was soon done. I had come here quite often during the last few days, and my feet had traced a light path between the creek and the camp, soon-to-be home. Once again, I reflected, Martha told me to take my time and explore. Upstream I had already discovered a little waterfall; down from there the water went downstream to join the Silver River, which in turn fell into the Golden Stream and the Oceanic Sea. That I only knew in theory, I hadn’t actually explored that far.

            I had noticed an opening behind the waterfall, but never had the time to explore it.

            “Let’s go there, then,” I told myself.

            The waterfall wasn’t very far away, and I could walk briskly, having left the heavy container at the path. My eyes had not deceived me, there really was a crevice behind the waterfall; I could even enter and stand in it without getting wet. It was as long as the creek, but not very wide. I could easily spread my arms and touch both sides. One of them was solid stone; the other wall was the falling water that echoed its trickling sound inside the cave and let the sunlight through. I walked to the far side of the cave and emerged on the other side of the creek.

            Back in the cave I saw another passage I hadn’t noticed before. The refracted light from the water didn’t reach inside it very far, but when I peered I saw light coming from an opening somewhere over my head. A few paces into the passage and it stopped abruptly. Well, almost abruptly, I reflected. There were small ledges, or what looked strangely like abrupt uneven stairs climbing up to a circle in the ceiling; where the light came from.

            But what I saw through the opening once I climbed was beyond what I had expected. It was another cave, much bigger than the last. The same wall of water came down beautifully, but what surprised me was the pool of water stagnant on the floor. I thought I’d probably be able to swim in it. I stood there with my feet still on the last stair and stared at the clear water and the stone floor of the pool, in awe.

            After a few minutes, I remembered the water container beside the path, and skidded to the camp. The cave behind the waterfall would be my little secret.

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A few weeks after the house had been finished, we had a special visitor. I was just coming back from the creek with the horses when I saw a hooded figure riding down the road. It wasn’t unusual, travelers often passed by, the road being the only one in Foreston.

            But this one, instead of riding by, stopped and knocked at the door of the house. I was curious to see what he wanted, but I would have to finish my task first. The horses were led into their respective stalls and I was about to get out of the stable when Dean came rushing in.

            “Do you know who the man at the door is?” I asked.

            “Gypsy, he replied. Apparently he wants to live here.”