Inside the unknown

The Slimy Cave… I couldn't get over how slippery it was inside this thing. My feet nearly slipped five times, making my heart jump each and every time. "Hayden, what are we doing here?" My partner in crime asked. "We should be out there in the forest looking for the stone everyone's so worked up about." I sighed breathlessly. "Jordan, can you lay off the harrassingly concern for one second? I can't concentrate with you going off every five minutes about being in a silly old cave." "Well it's not just some cave is it?" Jordan asked. "We're walking through some creepy bypass of your obsessed-" "Not another word." I said sternly. I looked back at him, holding onto every bit of balance I had in me to do so. His eyes were hard to see considering how dark it was. But I still saw a glimpse of blue eyes staring at me. Think of it as bright blue chlorine water shining on a dark night. He sighed. "I'm just worried about you, that's all." "Well you don't need to be." I turned back around. "I'm fine." *** We reached a midpoint in the cave that made me halt to a stop. There were crushing footprints in front of me that almost made my heart leap out of my chest. Suddenly, a realization of terror washed over me: we were dealing with something bigger here. Jordan nearly bumped into me, not noticing I had stopped until now. "Why did you-" He paused. I could only assume he saw the footprints too. "Do you think it's still here?" He asked nervously. I reluctantly turned around to face him. "I-" Before I could finish, there was a screeching scream coming from the pathway behind me. Everything in me started to burn with fear. I didn't know what to do. Being eaten by this thing wasn't an option. The cave had one of two entrances that was being glued down with bricks as we spoke. The second entrance was our only escape route. I didn't know what to do exactly. But one thing I knew entirely for sure, was that we could not accomplish anything by remaining to be sitting ducks. "We need to move." I said, pulling him with me as I urgently walked down another pathway. "The second entrance is this way. We can still make it before-" I heard another scream in the distance. This one was closer. "We might not have time for that." He said. "This thing is getting too close." "Then don't doubt me, bro." I pleaded. "I am not losing you today, nor am I dying from letting this thing get too close to us." I pulled his arm further down the pathway we were walking on. "We're almost there." "Hayden, you know you don't have to protect me. I can handle myself." "Well then you shouldn't have come in here with me." He snickered. "I am the only one with enough guts to come in here with you." He said snidely. "Besides, Celeste is out there kinda out of her mind with you here in this cave right now." "And who's fault is that?" I asked, feeling angered but still refused to stop moving. "She was fine before you told her about this little project we were doing." I pulled him more as we squeezed through a tight corner. "You're just lucky she got here after we made it inside this cave." "Why wouldn't you want her to know though? I hadn't realized it was some big secret." "Jordan, she's emotional right now because she thinks I'm on some kind of death mission." "Well is she wrong, sis? You are in a cave with a human hunting monster on the loose." "And you are the one who stubbornly tagged along." "What kind of brother would I be if I let you come in here all alone." We made it out of the tight space. As we did I sighed in relief. "Let's just focus on staying alive right now." I grabbed his arm again. "This thing won't hesitate if it gets too close." He followed me. "Whatever you say, sis." We were about fifteen feet away from the second entrance. I was about to jump for joy internally, but a strange noise caught my attention. It was the monster we were running from. It was crushing and breaking the tight space, walking into it as it did. It was almost out and I fear we would still be standing here crushed along with it if we didn't move fast. We were about to run but I heard a sudden voice. "Jordan, shield her!!" The voice yelled. He protectively pushed me to the ground. The g*n shots I heard startled me, but I relaxed after the third one fired. It seemed to stop all movement coming from the monster that fell a few feet behind us. Jordan helped me up and led me to the entrance aka our final escape route. At first, I was blinded by the sudden sunlight coming into my vision. I hadn't realized who it was that just saved both of our lives. But as the sunlight in my eyes began to calm down I saw clearly. A not so happy woman was staring back at me. Her blonde hair falling on the sides of her face, and her fierce blue eyes piercing me with very obvious anger. Celeste. *** After The Cave Celeste stepped back as I came into view, giving me space to come out of the cave and enjoy this moment of not being killed. "Honey-" "Don't you dare try and patronize me." She verbally shot at me. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" "I wasn't doing what you think. It was just-" "What? Going into a sceptical slimy cave, thinking that you'd magically find this stone you've been obsessed with? All while miraculously avoiding this human hunting monster that you already knew resided here?" She had a point. I knew what I was getting myself into. The thing was I didn't care about the monster part. I drew up every scenario that avoided running into it altogether. All scenarios except this one right here. "Okay, you're right." I admitted. "I should have told you. But, honestly, I didn't wanna tell you and get you all worked up and clearly scared like you are now." "Of course I'm scared!" She exclaimed. "I can't even go to a dress fitting without hearing that you're on your way to go into a monster's den, all because you think you can outsmart it." She raised her hands in the hair, blowing a breath of agitation. "I mean seriously?! What on earth were you thinking?" I didn't know how to answer her. Everything she was saying was a hundred percent accurate. Things have been getting a bit worked up lately in my head. This whole thing involving this stone has me spinning all kinds of ideas. It was then, in this exact moment, I realized what I put her through. We were supposed to be partners but here I was going into a situation that could've ended badly. And I didn't even tell her about it. "Celeste-" I moved to grab her hands but she took a step back. "Just… get in the car. We can talk about this later." *** The car ride was coldly quiet. I knew Celeste was still mad, but I just didn't know what to say. How do you even tell your partner something like this? How do I even respond to her fear of almost having to see me die? That's the thing, I didn't know anything about what to do at this moment. I had everything planned out in my head. Everything except what to say to the woman I cared about more than anything. I looked over at her still angrily heated face. That was the thing about Celeste. She didn't hold grudges, and she hardly showed any anger unless it really hurt her. "Celeste, can you turn the air up." Jordan asked cooly, breaking the ice in the car. "Oh sure Jordy," she reached to turn the air up, "anything else, hun?" "No, I'm good. But thanks." He replied, all but holding in his laughter. I could hear in his voice how much he wanted to break out the laugh that was apparently taking everything in him to contain. I decided to take a risk in testing this change in the air. "Honey, can I get a piece of gum?" I asked shakily. Instead of responding or reaching for the gum, all she did was turn the radio up to its maximum volume. My ears were suddenly hurting from the change in loudness of the music playing, but I did not dare to touch it or even attempt to turn it down. She was still angry and I knew better than to test how far to go right now. We had pulled up to the house. Celeste turned the car off and stepped out without a word. I hesitantly unbuckled my seatbelt and waited as Jordan walked over to my side. "Oh, you are so in the dog house sis," he chuckled, "good luck talking your way outta this one." *** Hayden The leaves fell down around me, from a tree branch that stood above me. I smiled as I got flashbacks from the day I rooted it in the ground myself. Celeste was working on a project at the time. Things were a bit less complicated back then. Oh how I miss those days. I walked inside our house we both called home. Jordin was in the kitchen stirring some batter. I noticed he was alone and my heart began to sink. “Where is she?” I asked him, already dreading what the answer might be. His eyes held a sadful gleam. He placed down the batter he was stirring, and stepped towards me in two big steps. I was suddenly being wrapped up in his arms. “She needs time to think for a bit.” He said finally. “She’ll be back, I promise you.” “Where did she go?” He sighed from ab0ve me. “Let’s just say she’s going for a drive.” “Jordin-” “Hayden, trust me here. She’ll be back.” She would still be mad at me regardless of what I said. At least that's what I keep telling myself so that I can hold off facing her a little bit longer. Where would I even start? 'Oh, honey, I'm sorry you had to use my shotgun so that I wouldn't be eaten by that vicious monster.' The look in her eyes was something I hadn't seen in a long time. And I really hate that look. I stood outside for an hour before Jordan came up to me, lifting me off my feet. “Time to face the music sis,” he started, “I don’t care how bad you think you messed up. It’s getting way too dark out here.” I squirmed in his hold up until the moment he placed me on my steps leading upstairs. “Besides, Celeste left out awhile ago.” He said, with an oops look. “Where’d she go?” “I have no idea. She just grabbed a set of car keys and left out the back door.” ***