The Cave of Doubt

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"Jonah, don't go too far! Mother said we can't go past the trees!" Aila shouted as she chased after her brother, her shiny black shoes pounding the delicate daisies into the soil as she panted in the hot afternoon sun. Her brother grinned as he ran further into the tall grasses, making his way towards the shade of the leafy trees. Aila grunted and wiped a drop of sweat from her brow. Stupid summer heat.

"Come on Aila, mother and father aren't going to be back for a couple more hours, do you really want to waste this chance to explore?" Jonah laughed, jumping over a small rock that threatened to trip him. Aila frowned as she stopped chasing after her brother, small huffs falling from her lips as she tried to catch her breath. Hoisting up her lilac purple skirt, she stomped her foot down on a twig, snapping it in half.

"I do! You'll get us both in trouble if she finds out, you know how she feels about the woods!" she fumed, her face scrunching up to show her distaste for Jonah's decision to go past the approaching trees. The shade seemed deafening as it loomed over the little boy, his blonde hair turning dark as he was enveloped in the shadows of leaves. Aila bit her lip, her fury turning into nervousness as she watched Jonah maneuver through the green bushes. She reached a hand up to play with her own golden curls, a habit she had developed early on whenever she felt anxious. With one final look back at the distant red house on the other side of the grassy field, she hurried after her brother, the bit of resistance and doubt she had placing itself in the back of her mind as the dark shadows of the forest engulfed her.

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"Aila, come look at this!" Jonah shouted, his voice echoing off the empty branches of the small forest. His eyes sparkled as he looked at the great open maw off a cave covered in green, glistening moss. The darkness seemed to want to suck him in, it's tempting unknown drawing in the fishing line as Jonah took one step closer, his joyous smile unceasing as he imagined all the wonders he could find.

"Jonah! Don't run off like that again, or I'll leave and get mother to find you!" Aila shouted, her face beet red as she stared at him. With a big sigh, she plopped down on a smooth, large rock, her feet shooting out to stabilize herself slightly from sliding off.

"What did you want me to see?" Aila mumbled in slight annoyance as she wiped a drop of sweat from her forehead. Jonah beamed as he took his sister's face into his hands and made her look at the cave. Aila's eyes widened as she stared into the dark abyss, its hypnotic stare seeping into her bones. Unease crawled into Aila's head as her eyes glanced back at her brother, his wide grin looking down at her. "You're not actually thinking of going in there, are you?..." she asked timidly, her eyes pleading him to agree with her.
"Why not? It looks fun to me!" Jonah exclaimed as he let go of his sister's face to walk closer to the cave's open mouth again.

"But... but what if there's spiders in there?...." Aila trembled, clutching her hands to her chest as she stood from the rock to stand by Jonah. The two children stared into the cave, each feeling off and doubtful as they looked at all the curvature and sharp edges the rocks had to offer.

"Well, I'm going in to see if I can find anything." Jonah declared resolutely as he took another step, his shoes sinking into the damp earth. Aila snatched his wrist before he could move his feet again, keeping him in place as she bit her lip, the force almost enough to bring blood as she held back the things she wanted to shout at him.

"Y-you can't! If you do, mother will punish you!" she insisted, her stance clear and unwavering. But Jonah only looked at her silently until a small smirk came across his face, causing dread to shadow over her body. "And I'm not going to cover for you either." Aila added, already knowing what those gestures implied.