Into The Realm

Chapter 3

I rose from my sleeping bag, looking around carefully. We had hunkered down on their floor for the night. I rubbed my tail bone as my back seemed rather stiff. I hardly had time to acknowledge the soreness, I needed to leave quickly before the others woke up.

I shouldn't have kept it a secret, what I was doing. I just knew the team would never approve. We needed to get out of here. Our safety had been compromised.  I checked the equipment in my backpack.

Lab kit, flashlight, water and a protein bar, compass, hmm...

I held the compass in my palm, testing to see if it still worked. A compass works with the Earth's magnetic field. I wasn't sure if there was such a thing, here. Was there maybe a magnetic pole, much like the Earth's north pole? I studied the arrow to see which way it would point. I squinted at it, quite perplexed. The needle was jumping all over the place.

Interesting...more than one strong magnetic field.

I nodded and blinked, quickly sliding it into my coat pocket. I zipped up my backpack carefully, so as not to make a loud zip sound. I laced up my boot, and slung my backpack over my shoulder. This was it. I felt the surge of adrenaline, and excitement. I had a long couple of hours ahead of me; I felt it in my bones. Placing my hand on the door, I looked back at my sleeping comrades for a moment, just studying them. Viggo slept rather soundly. A hand draped over his stomach, he looked just as composed as if he were awake. Loren was on her side, curled into a ball. Shasta, he slept in the starfish position. He had his arms raised near his head, mouth open as he breathed lightly. I pressed my lips together, a sudden heavy wave of emotion sweeping over me. For us. I was doing this for us. I slipped out the door, and shut it ever so gently. They never woke up. Tying my hair back in a low ponytail, I set out towards the mouth of the deep cave, where the maze resided. There was no turning back, now.

I slid down the slick rocks ever so carefully. Unfortunately, spelunking was not my forte. I was so relieved once the cave floor leveled out some. I noticed once again that glowing on the walls, that pretty aqua blue illuminating...I took a closer look, anxious to get a sample. I slid on some gloves, and was prepared to scrape it into a capsule. To my surprise, it wasn't a form of algae, as I had seen before. It was a rock. A glowing rock. 

How...

I wondered, how did it maintain its glow? There was no other source of light, so it didn't depend on any type of solar lighting. I tried prying it from the cave wall. No luck. Pressing my lips together, I suddenly remembered I had a swiss army knife. I slid the blade under the rock, shifting it until it popped from the wall. Holding it up to observe it better, I slid it into a plastic bag and put it in my pants pocket with my knife. Why, I don't know. I should have stored it away with the other finds, but I absent-mindedly dropped it into my pocket. It was completely unorthodox, shameful even.

Walking down the dank corridor of the cave, I noticed a split. Two directions. I looked at the wall, recognizing the familiar deep scratch from Dorangu. I was getting closer. I headed down the right tunnel, feeling a sudden eeriness. It sent such a chill down my spine, I quickly pulled out my flashlight. Shining into what seemed never ending darkness, I ventured forward. 

I noticed some more of that pearlescent phenomena growing over the walls. I stood before it, the opaque wonder towering up the wall. It was indeed, beautiful. What was it, anyway? I knew not to touch it, as it was foreign to me. I honestly didn't know what made it grow, but perhaps it was as harmless as a crystal.

Further ahead, I stumbled upon a door, the first door I had come across. Curious, I twisted the ancient handle, stepping inside. I suddenly found I was standing in an antique bedroom, maybe, early 1900s. It had everything. A vanity, pearl and lace decor, a canopy over the bed, vintage dolls...I furrowed my brow in confusion. What was exactly going on, here? There wasn't much to see. I walked out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind me.