Hazel's Point of View
The cool breath of the cave greets us the moment we step beneath the overhang, that hush of earth and time settling around us like a veil. I pause just short of the entrance, flashlight in hand, and turn to face my group of students. Their faces are lit with anticipation, flashlights clutched like talismans.
“Alright,” I say, my voice low but clear, the sound curling and echoing slightly against the stone. “We’ll be going inside the cave now. Get your flashlights ready, and no one wanders off. Are you ready?”
A few excited nods of their heads, some murmurs of “Yes,” and the soft clicks of flashlights coming to life. I nod my head in return, take a steadying breath, and turn into the cave, my own light sweeping across the uneven ground and the damp, textured stone o
