I pause mid-step, a slight grin forming along my lips as I turn back towards her.
“Yes.” My brow raises. “Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
A deep exhale leaves her bluish-tinted lips. “Damn it,Serene.”
When she says my name, her tone shifts to a deep, sarcastic tone. But I ignore it, knowing deep down inside, she is excited to be here.
My eyes drift to the rigidness of the cave and the surrounding darkness. There is a sense of remembrance here, as if I have been here before.
An unearthly shiver runs down my spine as I contemplate entering the unknown. I cannot resist the allure of mystery that this place holds, and I am drawn towards it. I need to search everywhere until I can find anything that leads me to her.
The hope of finding her. The hope of seeing her alive makes me fear I will do anything, even if it might be deadly.
As I stand here, lost in thought, a rustling sound behind me makes my heart plummet. I spin around, my heart racing. To myrelief, it’s just Alice sneaking up past me while I was distracted, with a mischievous grin on her face.
“Scaredy cat,” she taunts, nudging me with her elbow. “What’s the worst that could happen? Besides being stuck in this cave for the rest of our lives, remember?” She turns back towards me and shrugs her arm out. Then she twists back on her toes to skip forward through the cave.
I roll my eyes, but her words begin to creep into my soul.
“RUMORS OF THE STONESRESIDE here, Serene. The pendant leads to this exact spot.” Tilly’s icy-blonde strands fall around her face as she leans over the wooden table. Her cheekbones become more pronounced while she rubs her lips together before her voice drops to a low mutter. “I have heard whispers,beggingfor me to find them.”
My hands rub over my face as my lips tighten. “There are no stones. Maybe lost treasure deep within the mountains, but no one has ever returned from them. Why risk this?”
“Why not?” A slight tug on her lips forms a soft smile, her eyes darting around the map she found back in the old library where we work. “We could do it. Me and you.”
“Alice would want to come…”
Tilly interrupts before I could say another word. “Alice would get us killed. You know that.”
“No, I don’t! Because we have never put her in this sort of situation before!” My palms slam against the table, and I lean my body against the edge, letting my ribs dig into the cold wood. “Why would you dare put yourself in danger?!”
“I am not supposed to be here!”
I pause, my body slowly shifting back in the chair, sinking down into it. My head tilts to the side, studying her body movements as she paces back and forth, tugging at the ends of her hair. Her lips part to speak, but shut just as fast.
“You’re not supposed to be here.” Her eyes drift from the window, light flashing from the midnight storm that has rolled in.
“Wha… what are you even talking about?”
She tiptoes over to the window, tracing the lining of the wet frame from leaving the window cracked for the breeze to drift in. Her dark, royal-red blanket snuggles around her shoulders as she shakes her head.
“You’ll never understand.”
I CLENCH MY EYES TOGETHER and let out a shaky breath. Memories of Tilly run rampant through my mind. Goosebumps form along the back of my neck as I stare into the vast darkness. I square my shoulders and take a step forward towards the unknown of this place. Like she said, I amSerene.I am fearless, but the eeriness of this place makes my body shiver.
As we move deeper into the cave, the darkness becomes suffocating. Alice decided a few minutes ago to not be in front anymore, as the fear of an imaginary monster lurking ahead frightened her too much. She is now stuck to my arm and fidgeting her head in every direction. The cold sweat running down my back tickles as the heat from the cave becomes more distinct, and my heart thuds wildly in my chest. Besides Alice’s teeth chattering, it’s the only sound I can hear.
Alice clutches my arm tighter as a rock rolls down the side of the cave, her nails digging into my skin.
“Maybe this isn’t a good idea?” she whispers.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” I mimic her as she now rolls her eyes at me, but I try to keep my voice steady. “We have to find her. She could have taken shelter here.”
“She shouldn’t have left Seattle,” she huffs. “It’s as if she wanted us dead with her.”
I halt, my eyes snapping towards her. “She isn’t dead.”
I remove her grip from around my arm and walk forward. Her boots beat against the ground as she tries catching up to me.
