Down Memory Lane ✓

3- The Cave

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The Cave

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WHAT WAS she doing out here? I could barely see her face, but I could see she had blonde hair, like mine.

"I didn't mean to startle you," she said, and something about her voice irked me. Perhaps it was how much it sounded like mine.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I heard you crying. Is everything alright?"

I sniffed. "Yeah. I'm fine." I couldn't break down in front of her when didn't even know who she was. She could be wandering around without a sense of direction, just like I was.

"Are you sure?" she asked, her round eyes peering up at me.

"Yeah, I just found out my family had been keeping something huge from me," I said, not exactly sure why I told her that. Maybe I just needed someone to talk to about it all.

"I'm sorry about that," she said, and then she offered with an open palm, "Can I show you something? It would make you feel better."

"I'm, sure."

When her icy fingers closed around mine, a chill shot through my body, causing me to jerk away in response. The sudden sensation caught me off guard, leaving me feeling unprepared and unsettled.

"I'm sorry, my hand always gets cold. It's a kind of disease where my body—"

"Overreacts to cold and temporarily reduces blood supply to your hand and feet," I completed.

"Yes. How did you know?"

"I had it worse when I was younger. It's an autoimmune thing," I said.

"Autoimmune," she sounded like she was testing the word.

"So, what did you want to show me?" I asked, eager to see what she was referring to.

"C'mon. It's like a cave! It's fascinating and bright! You'll love it, I'm sure," she gushed with her little arms swinging wildly. It brought a smile to my face.

I looked at the dense trees surrounding us, wondering how she knew where to go.

"What exactly are you doing here? Are you lost?" I asked, and she chuckled. Again, it sounded like mine. Who was she?

"If I was, would I know where to take you then?" she said, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Okay, you're not lost. What are you doing out here, then?" I asked as we trudged on.

"I live here."

"Here? Where? The houses are a far distance from here."

She laughed. "No silly. I mean I live here."

I looked around before settling back on her. "In the forest?"

"Yes."

"And your parents?" I asked.

"They're—ah, here we are," she said, and I stopped in my tracks when I saw a cave with bright green light emerging from within.

The girl had already started striding, so I followed her and when I entered, a breath left my lips as my eyes marveled at the magnificent sight.

The source of light was the crystals on the wall, which glowed green. The ground was smooth, and the roof had threads of crystals that glistened like icicles falling from it, and a blue glow filled the space around.