All four of our horses now seemed restless. They snorted and pawed at the dirt beneath us, as if they, too, could feel the eeriness as we approached.
“Nothing,” he answered after a moment. His voice was adrift, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. “Just remembering what happened last time. We’ll be fine. Let’s go.”
Without another word, he moved forward.
I didn’t glance back at Rummy or Xavier. I was afraid my emotions would be written all over my face.
So, one horse after another, we entered the Whispering Caves.
For the first few minutes, the only sounds were that of dripping water in the distance and our horses’ hooves on the massive slabs of rock.
I slowed a bit, letting Matthias get about four horse lengths ahead so he could test the waters.
His gaze remained fixed on the path as he pushed onward.
And onward.
And onward.
After several minutes, I was willing to bet that the stories about these caves that circulated had been made up. There was nothing strange going on here, no curses, no whispers.
But just as that thought hit me, a soft voice spoke. Its words were like a faint breeze in the back of my mind.
I twisted in the saddle, making eye contact with Rummy a few feet behind. “What?” I asked.
Her eyes were wide, but the rest of her face remained rigid. “I didn’t say anything,” she replied.
“You okay, man?” Xavier asked.
Shaking the whispered words free, I turned around again. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just thought I heard something.”
“Stay focused,” Matthias ordered. “We’re almost halfway there. Don’t let them distract you.”
“Don’t let who distract us?” Rummy asked.
As if on cue, the whispers returned.
In the shadows of the night,
A force both dark and light.
I shook my head again.They’re in your mind, Jessiah.The damn curse of the Whispering Caves isn’t real.
But the voices only grew louder. With each step, they further infiltrated my mind until they were impossible to ignore. They were the only damn thing I could hear now, louder than my breath, louder than the clamoring of the horses’ feet.
In the shadows of the night,
A force both dark and light.
Where chaos reigns and hearts beat,
Through the veil of love and deceit.
“Stop it.” The whispered words slipped out of their own accord.
If anyone noticed, they didn’t say anything. Or maybe they did. There was no way I could have heard a damn thing over the voices that chanted in my ears.
Destinies entangled in a sinister snare,
