Candle in the Chamber

The Woman in the Hole

Delores peered at the day's catch with a combination of curiosity and frustration. She had been hoping for a tasty deer or, at the very least, a small rabbit. 

Instead, she had caught some kind of ear-less person. 

Mother would not be pleased. The Firebringer Den had successfully hidden from those in the Upper World for at least seven-hundred-fifty years.

Delores fiddled with the loose tunic around her waist. Mother had patched it after the last moon call, but the fresh seams itched and irritated the pale flesh beneath.

The netted creature on the floor stirred and moaned, wafting the scent of sweet grass. Delores froze, panicked. She had to think of something. Nervously, she fidgeted with her tunic again when an idea struck her.

Maybe she could fix this.  

Summoning the power of her inner half, she clawed through the hem of her tunic, ripping away a scrap of cloth. 

Cautious, she approached her quarry and slipped her hands between the ropes of her net. Delores' heart thudded in her throat. 

What if her prisoner woke up? 

She couldn't let that happen. 

With deft and gentle fingers, she quickly tied the cloth around her captive's eyes. This person had lovely, smooth hair and an unfamiliar magic energy. It was captivating. And her catch was definitely a woman— that much was abundantly clear. Delores' cheeks warmed.

A cheerful den-brother strode through the chamber entrance at her back, "Whatever you caught must have been good if it's taking this long to—" He paused mid-step and gaped at the netted being sleeping on the chamber floor.

Delores whipped around. "You need to help me get rid of her, Chico."

Chico crossed his arms and whistled. "Mother isn't going to like this."

"Why? This Upper Worlder hasn't seen us. I've got her blindfolded, see?" She approached him while gesturing toward her work. "And she hit her head on the way down, so I don't think she saw anything. We're still safe. Still hidden."

He stroked his beard. "I don't know..."

"Please, Chico. Please help me get rid of her so we can pretend this never happened."

Chico growled. "How are we supposed to bring her to the surface without being seen? The next moon call isn't for another two weeks!"

Delores knew he was right, but she refused to admit defeat. "I don't know. But we can think of something. Can't we?"

"That isn't for you to decide, my daughter. " Delores had no idea when Mother had slipped into the chamber. But her teeth looked extra sharp, and she did not seem pleased.

Delores gulped. 

And then the woman in the net awoke.