I push off of her, my back lying against the snow that begins to seep through my gear.
But I don’t care. I can feel. Even if the feeling is numbing my body, I am alive, and I want to feel everything, even if it's painful.
“Something called her to come.”
Alice pushes off of the ground, dusting off the snow that is covering her pants. “I would have been all over the world by now if I listened to the voices inside my head.”
I roll my eyes, shoving her shoulder. “You know Tilly has always been different. Always wanting to explore the caves that most men never return from.” I sigh. “I blame the damn necklace. Ever since she found the pendant from our father, it’s as if she is on this hunt to find answers to what it means.”
I stand, grunting as my ribs scream in pain from the impact of the rocks slamming against my flesh. I reach my hand out for her.
“I am ready to go home. No matter how depressing the weather is in Seattle…” Alice drags her words out. “I’ll take the damn rain over this blizzard any day.”
“We’ll be home soon. I know it.”
Her head falls backward as she lets out a loud sigh. “You better not do this shit to me again. I can’t handle another trip that will almost kill us.”
“I can’t promise that.” I shrug.
She grins, shaking her head before both hands clap around mine, and I yank her up.
“Are you sure this is the right place? No signs of life have been spotted for miles.” Alice shouts as she follows my lead.
I cough from the cold and shield my face more with my scarf. “I’m sure. Before disappearing, she sent a message to my father, saying she was heading to this specific mountain. Most likely before she lost service.”
The storm is gaining strength, the falling snow shifting to ice.
“Once I find her, I’m going to kill her myself for making us go through this!” Alice hollers at me as we continue to push through the snow with our boots. We both trip over the thickness. The snow is rising faster than I thought it would from its increasing fall.
But why was she led to come here?
Tilly never wandered off on her own. Us three, we were like glue, always stuck together. From school dances, to movie dates, to family vacations, we never went anywhere without each other. Why now would she wander off alone?
Something about this mountain pulled her in.
The undeniable force flickering in my bones tells me it was for a reason. Maybe it was the legend of the hidden cave, rumoredto hold treasures beyond our wildest dreams. No one has ever found the hidden secrets of this mountain. No one has ever survived to tell.
That is a fear, a fear Tilly wandered off trying to search for something that wasn’t real, and the storm sucked her in. Or maybe it was something darker, something that called to her from the depths of the earth. Tilly always believed there was more to this world. More to this universe. She felt as if there was something calling her to leave and search. I never believed in any of that, and I believe her curiosity might have got her killed.
I strain my eyes through the blizzard, attempting to distinguish the silhouette of the mountain we are heading towards. It isn’t far.
Alice stumbles ahead of me now, her breath coming out in white puffs.
We will die if we do not find shelter.
The only good news is we have yet to see a dead body in the snow. Which means, Tilly made it to the mountain—hopefully.
We slowly get closer, our legs shaking with exhaustion. But we don’t stop to rest as we tumble into the rocks that surround the mountain. We search around, our eyes scanning the snowy landscape for any sign of Tilly, and then a glimpse of hope arises inside my heart, finally. A small entrance, barely visible beneath the snowdrifts.
“There is a cave!” I yell over to Alice, who has her scarf above her nose and eyes narrowed. Snow and ice are attached to her brows and eyelashes. Her face is red with small ice particles glistening along her skin. I’m sure my face is just as brutal, but I can't feel a damn thing. She nods quickly, and we both rush towards it, our hearts pounding with anticipation. This is it. This is where she went. It must be.
We enter the cave, our flashlights illuminating the way. The air is thick with dust, and the scent of fire tickles my nose. Dripping water echoes through the tunnels.
“Have you heard of any other caves in these mountains?” Alice whispers over to me as she slowly takes off her scarf. “Besides the one to where these supposedly hidden treasures hide?”
“No. Just the rumors of the one cave that you never come back from…” I internally pray this isn’t the cave we just wandered into, and wonder if the rumors are a lie about only one. But currently, I am just glad to be out of the cold. “Thereshouldonly be one cave within the three mountains. At least, that’s the rumor I heard from the man at the gas station.”
“Oh great… Serene.” Dread begins to escape Alice’s lips. “You want me to walk into a cave people never return from?”
