chapter 95

Sable

I’m alone, walking through a cold, damp cave. I can hear the trickle of water on stone, feel the chill breeze of the underground, but I can hardly see my hand in front of my face. The darkness is so absolute that it feels like a physical entity, watching me, urging me on. My heart races, and I have a strong urge to turn back.

Wake up, Sable, I tell myself.

But I don’t. And something inside me keeps me moving.

The ground beneath my feet is uneven, littered with loose stones that make me slip and slide on even the slightest incline. Considering the path I’m on is steadily sloping downward, I almost fall more than once. So I grip the rock walls on either side of me to stay on my feet, though they’re wet and slippery with algae too.

After a while, the two cliff faces on either side begin to press in on me. It’s too dark to see it happening, but I can feel it when I reach out to balance myself. I had to stretch before, or choose just one wall to break my fall. Then, suddenly, I don’t