“You know what I mean, something feels wrong here.”
“I won’t talk as if she is dead.” I whip my body back to her, aggressively pointing my finger towards her. “I would feel it inside me if she died.”
I grip my chest, tugging at the damp sweater that hasn’t kept me warm this whole damn trip.
Her jaw ticks before she rubs her chapped lips together and walks past me.
“You two have always acted like twins.” She sighs. “Even though she is older, you two have always been the exact same.”
“My heart would know if hers stopped beating.”
Our eyes meet as mine darken, and she gives me a nod.
We continue to walk through the winding tunnels as our boots now crunch on gravel; snow has melted at last, and our flashlights dart around nervously at the sounds that are now echoing against the walls of this cave. The darkness of the walkway appears as if we’re walking through a nightmare, where every shadow could hide some unspeakable horror. Even so, we press on.
A distant hum echoes in the tunnels. A soft melody dancing along the rocks slightly resounds around us. “Do you hear that?” My eyes drift towards Alice, who tiptoes on rocks behind me.
“Hear what?”
“The humming sound. It’s getting louder,” I say, trying to pinpoint the direction it’s coming from.
Alice wrinkles her brow in concern. “There is nothing.”
I shake my head. I hear the hums, the noise continuously vibrating in my ears. I know it's there. Or am I hallucinating?
We continue down the tunnel and the sound grows louder and more distinct. It’s a low, vibrating hum that seems to come from the walls themselves. The humming seems so familiar, as if I know the melody.
As our eyes adjust to the dim light, I notice the cave deepens. A large dark hole is in front of us, seeming as if it could swallow us and we could never be seen again. But that is a risk I must take. This whole trip has been a damn risk, but like Alice has said, Tilly is more than my sister… she is half of me.
It has been us against the world.
I lean over to Alice, our shoulders brushing.
“Should we go in further?” I smirk, knowing she’s getting frightened the further we walk. But now I’m curious about the humming that continues to increase the closer we move to the forbidden, prolonged tunnel.
She nods with hesitation as her eyes search the shadows that flicker around us. As we walk further in, it tightens, and we squeeze through the narrow passage, our breaths coming out in ragged gasps. The walls are slick with melting ice as my hands glide along the rigid edges. Thankfully, I am not claustrophobic. However, Alice is shaking with terror.
“Can you go any faster?” she shrieks out to me.
I say nothing back, just laugh at the fact she is hating this moment so much.
“It’s not funny! You know I hate the dark and tight places.” Her boots hit my ankles as she kicks at me. “If I die and you don’t, I will haunt you forever.”
“Good!” I laugh. “At least you’ll never leave me!”
I can hear her grunting over the fact I am enjoying every minute of this, and she…is not.
When we finally emerge from the other side, we find ourselves in an enormous blue-hued cavern. Alice has her trembling hands over her chest, panting loudly as if she is truly running out of air.
“I will never forgive you for that,” she growls.
I lean over, my voice dropping to a low whisper. “Just think, we have to do that again to leave.”
Her head drops back, staring above. “I didn’t even think of that.”
“You're welcome.” I nudge her with my arm. “Come on.”
This place is covered in glistening stalactites. A faint light that seems to come from deep within the walls illuminates them, giving the cavern an ethereal glow. The stalactites hanging from the ceiling are like icicles reflecting in the greenish light, making them seem almost alive as they glint like tiny stars in space.
