Everything happens for a reason. Eventually you will look back on the dark times and realize they were lessons that brought you where you are today.
"Skye… since when did you know how to start a fire?" Luna wonders aloud while rubbing her shoulders. I don't know if I should tell her a lie or say that I had to start fires all the time when I lived on the streets. Would it scare her if I told her?
"Uhhh… just a random skill of mine. I never thought I would have to use it like this, and it's not very flashy." I mumble just loud enough for her to hear me. Luna shrugs and takes out her phone, but then groans a loud lengthy sigh. I glance over at her trying to put on a brave face.
"It's gonna be okay. I'm used to this type of stuff…" I start to say in a loud bragging tone but trail off as the weight of the situation sets in. It's a miracle that we haven't frozen to death yet. And I don't know how long we've been here either.
As if reading my thoughts, Luna says "The clock keeps glitching… it's saying two and three but I don't know… Take a look." She says as she leans towards me and hands me her phone. Sure enough the clock is flipping back and forth. Saying 2:00 one second and then 3:00 the next.
"That's odd." I whisper with a tone of surprise and curiosity. This has never happened before and I'm not a big fan of potential mystery factors. Movies always make solutions look so easy.
"I know… it's very strange." Luna breaths out as the cold air turns her breath visible.
"It's like… we're somewhere else entirely." Luna mumbles as the phone gives up on choosing between the two times and powers off. I press the power button a couple times, the force getting greater each time but nothing happens.
"Damn… I guess the phone can't handle choice anxiety." I say with a humorous tone but remember this was our only way of calling for help. I toss the phone in my camping bag with a hope of it deciding to go for a round two after its break. Luna grabs it, clicking it once herself but gives up faster than I did.
"Well… what now?" Luna asks, looking up at me with big hopeful eyes. The whole point of her coming here was to have fun but instead of hiking in the sun, we ended up sitting in an icy cave. My mind wanders to the clout I could get from telling this story but then I realize that Luna is here too. I can't even imagine how she feels right now
I stand up and stretch my arms as high as I can above my head. Putting them down I say.
"I'm gonna explore a little, gotta see what we're dealing with. You should stay here by the fire and try to keep warm." I turn my gaze towards the corridors in the far end of the cave and look back at Luna.
"I'll be right back. If you hear anyone call for help, shout to me without hesitation okay?" I reassure her with a pat on the shoulder and then take off in a slight jog towards the unknown. It's surprisingly easy to see. No creepy darkness. Just icy walls, snow covered floors, and an occasional drip of water from the icicles on the ceiling.
My mind wanders as I side step water droplets and squeeze through stalactites. It's the middle of summer yet a blizzard hit and forced us into a cave for shelter. I really hope the rest of my class is okay. They can be insufferable sometimes but even so I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
I kick a rock out of the way, slipping down another corridor and taking a sharp right.
"It's like a maze in here." I mutter to myself. "And eerily quiet." I can't help but feel like I shouldn't have left Luna behind. I might be used to this stuff but she's probably scared out of her mind right now.
As I step over a fallen ice covered stalactite I notice the room's energy shift.
"Something's different." My instincts kick in and I push my body as low as I can. It's like the feeling you get when you're walking into a restaurant. You don't know if you're gonna be greeted kindly or if they plan on kicking you out because you're homeless.
I crouch around the corner of the icy wall and notice this room in front of me turns outward. Its form shifts to a much more spacious room with a couple yards of space on either side of me.
I swallow hard as I stand up. The room is pretty much empty. I see no people or even remnants of inhabitants as I gaze around frozen wooden boxes. Then something marvelous catches my eye.
A massive ice covered throne sits in the center of the far end wall. It's covered in sapphires and diamonds, with gold and silver lining its armrests. I walk towards it and notice strange symbols are etched into the side. It's a scene that one can only imagine from a fantasy film.
"What is this place?" I breathe out into the cold air. My breath is heavy as I look up and marvel at the abstract paintings that line the wall. Turning slowly to follow the lines of runes and the paint that's flowing in strange shapes I find myself staring at the most profound part of the room.
On the floor a vivid and almost alive looking picture of an ancient looking tower is etched perfectly on the floor. It's elegant yet ominous. Like an Ancient Greek temple for the gods. Just the sight of the picture makes my heart want to bow.
I then notice a box on the throne. Its presence seems to command my gaze. Like locking eyes with a wild animal I stare at it. Raising my hand I move towards it but just as I reach out to touch it, I hear Luna scream. The sound echoes across the cave and my fear forces my whole body to turn.
All the hair on my arms stands up and I take off swiftly down to the entrance of the massive room. My foot kicks something but I don't care as I launch myself towards the entrance of the cave.
"Skye!" Luna shrieks my name, this time her voice is laced with terror. I can't tell what's going on but I know I need to pick up the pace. I twirl around stalactites and leap over rocks. The snow crunches under my feet as I take a sharp left.
Hoping I won't arrive too late I burst into the open space that Luna and I found ourselves in before.
The fire is still crackling on and I can see Luna standing on one side of it. But my eyes widen as I notice what she's scared of.
A giant bear with piercing eyes stands on its two legs in the entrance to the cave. Its fur is covered in icicles and the air around the beast seems to emit an aura of freezing snow. The beast stares into Luna as if sizing her up. I bound across the room and position myself in front of Luna as she has a deadly staring contest with our menacing guest.
The beast narrows its eyes at me and leans back down on its four legs. It snarls a sound like ice cracking on stone as it takes a step towards us.
"Stay quiet and back away very slowly." I whisper to Luna as I reach for my hiking bag. Luna eyes snap off of the bears, and she takes a step backwards.
"Grrr." The bear growls in a husky and angry manner. This must be his home, no wonder it's acting like that. I glance backwards and notice Luna sneaking backwards. She's almost in the corridor.
Thinking my best bet is to distract the monster I clear my throat. "Okay Mr bear, calm down. We were just visiting. We only needed to stay here because of the snow storm. We were just about to leave." I utter in the calmest voice I can muster.
The beer locks eyes with me and my body shudders. Its eyes are an ethereal looking blue with pupils like the ice covered stalactites in the cave. The bear gapes open its mouth and bellows.
"GRROOOOHHH!"
My body enters fight or flight mode and I twist myself around.
"LUNA RUN!" I shriek as the bear charges towards us. Luna doesn't waste time and clamors around rocks, going deeper into the cave.
Adrenaline courses through my veins and I swing my bag over my back. I waste no time in moving either as I leap over two rocks at once. My body slams into the wall right behind Luna and we scramble down the corridors to the back side of the caves.
I catch up effortlessly and Luna, not wanting to be left behind picks up the pace as well. I look back and instantly regret it as I see our pursuer gaining on us. The beast seems to shake the cave with its weight as snow is scattered in its wake.
Ice forms like a trail behind it and the cave walls seem to part to let it through.
"Dammit! I refuse to die like this!" I shout as the sharp right turn comes into view.
"The last room is just up ahead. If we can make it there I'm sure we can lose it somehow." I shout to Luna as I point to the right. She doesn't slow down as she turns. The bear keeps getting closer as well.
I can practically feel the ice and snow the bear emanates from its pelt freezing the ground behind me. I reach out and swing myself around the nearest icicle. My grip isn't nearly tight enough and I grip just as I dive into the last room.
I look forward as Luna dives behind a nearby rock. The bear comes into view and slides effortlessly around the turn. It bellows once more and my mind screams in fear. I struggle to reach my feet as I slip on an ice patch and fall back down.
"Shit. I'm gonna die." My mind echoes in pure terror.