MONICA

I sat huddled up on the edge of my bed, half out of my skin, in fear.

I was going to die!

Instinctively, I grabbed the bat my dad brought home a few weeks ago. It was definitely a useless weapon considering how armed the men were, but it brought some comfort, so I'm sticking with it.

My hands shook with fear, slick and clammy with sweat. Still, I huddled tighter into myself. My head tingled with that persistent whine that had become my constant companion since I escaped the cave.

Closing my eyes, I try to remember what happened to me in the cave, but I can't; all I remember is blood—so much blood running down my face after I touched the crystal, and then nothing.

But I remember this nothingness, like I lived in it for years—the absence and simultaneous presence of time. I shivered as I tried to block out the memory.

I remember running after I awoke; I remember the adrenaline rushing through me like never before; I remember the feeling of... almost flight?

The tingling in my head screamed, and I pulled myself from the memory. Sweating and shivering, I moved towards the door and placed a stool behind it.

I climb back into bed. I pinch myself continuously to keep myself awake, but sleep sneaks in and claims me.

I don't know how long I slept, but I woke up to find myself floating meters in the air. I scream and fall back onto the bed. I'm going insane. I stand up and pace, reiterating to myself the danger of sleep in this moment, but I am weak, tired, and scared, and I finally let sleep take me.

​​​*****************

A week ago

Max fell off a cliff; it was definitely not an experience I want to repeat. As I raised myself back up, my bones creaked, protesting their abuse.

I dust myself off, limping as I walk back up the cliff; it's the perfect vantage point for the surrounding areas. It takes me hours, but I'm finally at the top. I bring out my camera and start taking pictures for my photography class.

After a series of impressive shots, I walk back down the cliff and decide to take a few valley shots to make a complete story. I walk towards the cliff's edge, but I trip, and my camera falls into a childlike cave.

Grunting, I go after it, but I find something else—a crystal that looked too big for the cave it was in. It had symbols swirling around its surface, and its aura was absolutely overwhelming.

I limped towards it and placed my hand on it. The light flashed, and the darkness entombed me.