I suck in a deep breath and taste the muggy, damp air, with the unmistakable scent of an underlying earthy aroma. Almost as if this was a garden right after the rain. It reminds me of the times we would all play in the storms that fell from the sky above. How we would dance around to our laughter. I swallow the pain that accompanies memories of Tilly, refusing to show this weakness in front of Alice.
Did I let my sister die?
Could I have stopped her from coming?
“Wow. This is magical.” Alice walks ahead of me, removing her backpack and facial gear.
“It is,” I whisper out, slowly taking small steps in as Alice touches the stalactites.
My eyes wander around. I’ve never seen such a massive cave like this. The dripping sounds of water are still present, and the humming melody is still drifting through my eardrums.
“You sure you don’t hear that melody?” I question Alice on it one last time, contemplating if I am going insane.
“I really don’t know what you are talking about.” She stumbles over the rocks.
“I don’t see any signs of human activity here.” I mutter over my own words as I am holding back tears. There is no evidence of Tilly being in this tunnel.
“Why don’t we just rest here then and start back up after the storm calms?” She crouches down and then sits cross-legged next to a boulder as she reaches in for our snacks.
I stay standing, keeping my arms crossed as my eyes dance around my surroundings, taking in the cave's unique beauty. The tune is finally fading away, making it easier for my mind to concentrate on tracking my sister. The wetness underneath my boots squishes loudly as I make my way over to the walls. My body tenses as the chilliness tickles my bare hands while I glide them along the walls. They are icy, with the occasional sharp point of pillars jutting out. It’s unique. Breathtaking.
The greenish-blue tones glow off the cavern, pulsating almost to the beat of the melody I had heard when entering, but I quickly ignore it. I’m sleep deprived. That is it.
I need rest.
The humming melody returns, but this time louder and more distinct. My head snaps towards Alice promptly to catch if she has made any indication on hearing what I do, but nothing. She stays sitting as she eats her bread. My heart beats faster as I don’t understand why she doesn’t hear this sound.
What the hell am I hearing?
It echoes throughout the cavern, filling it with an otherworldly sense that seeps deep in my bones. Suddenly, my eyes drift upward as a shower of glittering dust falls from above us, shimmering in hues of arctic blue and silver. My heart stops beating. Piercing ringing noises assault my eyes and I hear afaint distant mutter of Alice speaking. My vision is beginning to darken—blacken all around—as if I might pass out.
The dust slowly falls, almost as if it were soft snow, but the coldness has disappeared from my body. I reach my hands out, watching the shimmering substance fall gracefully onto my palms, and then slowly evaporate.
My lips part as I gasp for air.
“Do you see this, Alice?” I tilt my head back to her with my hands still out, full of dust.
She looks at me, puzzled, with her head cocked to the side. “What do you mean?”
“This shimmery dust that’s falling from above.” My chin points high to the ceiling cave above, closing my eyes as my breathing calms down. “Don’t you see it?”
“Serene… you are scaring me. There is nothing.” The worry in her voice is evident.
My eyes widen when I notice it all has disappeared.
I quickly laugh it off. “I’m just teasing you.” Our eyes connect, and I force a smirk on my face before turning to walk deeper into the cave.
“Are you okay?” Alice softly speaks with a mouth full of bread.
“Yes, don’t worry about me.” I take one last look back at her. She doesn’t seem bothered or concerned by me drifting off into the tunnels, so I continue on.
The walls of this mountain almost feel as if they’re not from our world. As if magic is truly alive. But I never believed in that; Tilly always did. Is this what the mountain people whisper about?
The shimmery walls light up as I walk by. The cave pulses as if it has a heart of its own. I worry that my mind is seeing things that are not truly there.
As my eyes wander up and around, a shadow dashes by, stopping me in my tracks.
I freeze.
