Into the Cave
You ponder it for a few seconds then decide, why not, and go in.
The instant you step into the cave, you notice several things at once: first, you notice the change in temperature, as the air in here feels cool. Not icy to the point of discomfort, but there is a definite change, and you feel you need a moment to adjust to this. The second thing is the fact that the ground beneath your feet is smooth and cool as well; it doesn’t feel like rock, but rather… like marble.
You are surprised by this since it feels so very random, but, you press on and venture into the cave. The way forward is rather self-evident - the cave leads deep in, and appears relatively well lit. Too well lit, you feel, since there are no obvious sources of light.
A few minutes trek by as you get deeper into the cave and begin to notice it’s growing brighter - the light takes on an orange hue to it, and you swear it’s flickering the deeper in you go. After some time passes, you come to the source of this and find that there are lit candles poking out of the cave walls on both sides.
You are now confused to the brim by this, since you swear it feels more like someone has been here before you. The candles are vivid and strong in their light, dripping little teardrops of wax every few seconds, but there are so many, you question who would have the time to come here, make these candles - or put them in these spots - and then light every single one.
You shake it off. This whole scenario is strange.
The candles guide you onward, and you keep your wits about you. The temperature remains a steady cool the whole time, even though when you get close to the candles, you feel the warmth radiating from them.
Eventually, the cave opens up, and you see it is even brighter now. You rush forward and come to a stop at the opening - your eyes go wide and your mouth falls open as you gaze upon a massive oasis within the sanctity of the cave!
Dipping down before you, there is a large lake, bigger than the first one you found when you left the strange room. Yet the lake seems to change depending on what direction you go further in, and you pause to take these all in.
To the left, you see that the lake shrivels into a point - and when you peer over, you see there is another opening down before, as if the lake is pointing toward it. You can’t tell from where you’re standing - you’re too high up - but you swear you can see the faint flickers of candles coming from it, which means that it’s possible the path continues that way.
To the right of the lake, you see and hear a very obvious waterfall - the lake seems to expand even more, and then become a waterfall. Peering that way, you can’t see what lies beyond it, since it goes right down. The waterfall sounds very large and potentially steep, however, and you consider it might be dangerous to go that way. But then, you don’t know for sure.
And then, going forward…
You frown and nearly strain your eyes to see that, no, you aren’t seeing things: the way forward appears to turn the lake into solid ice - the change, much like everything else, is weirdly instantaneous; one instant, it’s water, the next, it’s solidified into an icy path that keeps pushing onward too far for you to see.
You have three options, clearly, but you can’t make them from where you’re standing. You glance down and see that the water is deep, and far from you, but you feel you could make the jump alright.
Written by Hollowpages on 25 May 2019