Shifters

Explanation

A gentle, monotonous tapping echoed off the cold cave-like walls as drops of water gathered from the stalactite above into a shallow puddle below. With the persistent yet serene sound penetrating his ears, Herman groaned as he sat up, rubbing the back of his neck as if he'd just awoken from a deep sleep. Looking back, he spotted his backpack spread neatly on a stony cot, midsection flattened by a distinct impression of his neck. 

"Could it be that I-," he muttered, stopping short as doubts began to arise from within, "No! It's impossible. There's no way I could have survived."

Surveying the rocky alcove, Herman detected several pinpricks of light seeping into the primitive abode. Following it's path, his eyes came upon the source of the sound that had awakened him. In the corner, was a single stalactite dripping water into what seemed to be a crudely shaped, earthen bowl. Rising to investigate, Herman swayed as a sudden spark of pain assailed his head, momentarily blurring his vision. 

"Even in death, the pain just won't seem to go away," he whispered as the pain subsided and his vision cleared, "I can only hope my efforts to save Josh weren't in vain. I owe at least that much to Joana after all."

Hobbling over to the intricate setup, Herman began inspecting the strange, primitive apparatus with great interest. After five minutes of extensive scrutiny, he found that the miniscule dots of light were all focused at the base of the earthen bowl. Testing out his theory, Herman dipped a finger into the clear water creating ripples, countering those formed by the repetitive drops, as his finger broke the liquid's surface. 

"What an odd way to cleanse water," Herman muttered as he removed his finger from its unexpected warmth, "What exactly is this place?"

As ideas of his location started to bombard his thoughts, a soft rustle suddenly arose, disrupting the room's simple ambience. At first, Herman was ready to dismiss the interruption as a simple breath of wind, however, as the sound steadily increased, he immediately became alert. 

'Am I not alone?' Herman thought, looking all around for anything he could use as a weapon. 

Spotting nothing of immediate use to him, he readied his huge fists as he followed the constant pattern of breathing. Crossing over to the area where it was loudest, Herman pressed an ear to the cold, stony surface, supporting his weight against the wall as he listened intently. Surprisingly, rather than a solid wall, Herman passed through the illusory partition, almost tumbling to the ground in the process. Regaining his balance, Herman found himself standing in a cramped, naturally formed tunnel littered with rocks, some even larger than himself. Still following the steady breathing, Herman continued to trace its origin before arriving at the largest of the stones in the tunnel. 

'Here goes nothing," Herman thought, readying himself for the worst. 

Peeking around the corner, Herman's jaw dropped as a sight he did not expect appeared before him. Sitting with his back against the boulder was Josh, clutching the broken spear tip tightly, as he snored gently through half closed eyes. 

'How is this possible?' Herman asked, stepping back in shock, 'Did I not manage to save him, or am I actually alive? But how? I clearly remember falling to my death.' 

Lost in internal thoughts, Herman, filled with genuine surprise, stumbled over a loose rock whilst stepping back. Startled by the sudden noise, Josh swung the primitive blade wildly, sparking as it connected with the tunnel's low, rocky ceiling, burying its tip mere inches away from Herman's even more surprised face. 

"Herman!" Josh shouted, retracting the blade as he came to his senses, "You're finally awake!"

Still confused by the new turn of events, Herman crumpled heavily onto a pile of loose stones as he tried to process the current happenings, "Am I-, Are we really still alive?"