Title: "The Cave of Treasure"

Status: Finished

Last touched: Mid 2021, completed as a project for class (the project was to write a narrative story, probably 2k words or less, judging based on its length)

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Alena had given up on ever finding her brother until that afternoon, when she tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. She had been walking faster than usual, annoyed by one thing or another, when suddenly she was sent sprawling across the grass as her foot caught on a ridge in the concrete. She cursed as she sat up, her gaze already raising to glare at the crack that had caused her such annoyance, when she noted that she hadn't tripped over a crack after all. Alena gingerly picked up the folded piece of paper from where it was wedged, glancing to her left and right in search of whoever might have dropped it. No one was anywhere to be seen. Shrugging, she unfolded the piece of paper to see what might have been written inside.

"That's weird," The girl muttered, eyes scanning the page. There was something written on the paper in a scrawling font, but it wasn't any language she recognized. It seemed to be made up of strange symbols. "Weird triangle thing, half-circle... The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I might be able to translate that for you." An eager voice called. Alena whipped her head up to find a man standing just a few feet away. Where did he come from? There had been no one within sight moments before, and the flat terrain would have allowed the girl to see at least a mile in either direction. The man didn't seem at all concerned by Alena's confused expression, just casually taking the paper from her hand and reading it over. His watery blue eyes jumped from one line to the next, lips twitching as if to sound out words. As he finished reading, his gaze jumped back up to Alena, suddenly serious. "What business do you have with the Spelunca Thesauri?"

"Um, I'm sorry... The what?"

"Spelunca Thesauri. The Cave of Treasure." The man replied, his rough voice revealing his impatience. "This note keeps mentioning it. It's almost like a travel log. From some person named... Caspian?" Shock at the sound of the name jolted through Alena, and her eyes grew wide. She hadn't heard that name in months, not since... Not since he disappeared. The man seemed to realize that this meant something to her, for he stared at the girl for a long moment, appearing thoughtful. His graying hair had a crazed look to it — if her brother's name hadn't been mentioned, Alena would have thought he was insane for making up such a story. Watching her for a second longer, the man fished a small card out of his shirt pocket and shoved it into her hand. She glanced down at the name on the card. Alaster Foren. An address was printed on the back. "I know where to find the entrance to the cave. When you're ready to go, come find me."

Alena opened her mouth to say something more — to ask him what was going on — but the man had already walked off, disappearing as quickly as he had arrived. So she did the next best thing and ran off down the street to the one person who would know what to do: Rowan. The girl opened the door after the first knock, dark eyes scanning Alena's face with immediate concern. Alena tried to ignore the hopeful flutter of her heart as she laid eyes on her friend, trying to push aside all of the desires that jumped to the forefront of her mind.

"Al! Are you okay? What's up?" Rowan murmured in place of a proper greeting. "Usually you text me before you get here, so this must be important. Do you want to come inside?" Her perky attitude seemed to be even more energetic than usual, amplified by her worry for her friend.

"No time," Alena replied with a shake of her head. "I think I know where Caspian is, and I can't just go off on my own."

Rowan studied her for a moment, as if unsure whether she was being serious. Then she nodded with an air of determination. "Of course. Let's go." She stepped fully out of her apartment, shutting the door behind her and linking her arm through Alena's. "Lead the way." So she did, looking up the address from the business card and depending on the directions her phone gave her. Soon enough the two had arrived at a narrow grey house on the edge of town, a yard of dead grass out front. Rowan raised an eyebrow, silently asking whether this was the correct address. Alena just shrugged and headed for the door, jabbing at the doorbell with her pointer finger. After a couple of seconds the oak door was pulled open an inch or two.

"What're you doing here?" came a gruff voice.

"I'm here for your directions. On how to get to the Cave of Treasure." Alena responded, trying to sound confident despite her uncertainty.

"Ah, it's you. Who's your friend?"

"Exactly that. A friend." Even though I wish she could be more than that.

There was no reply from the other side of the wood, but the door was pulled fully open to reveal the man Alena had met earlier. Silhouetted against the dim interior lighting, he appeared more intimidating than he had before. Tall and slender, like a shadow on the wall. He beckoned for the two to come inside and shut the door behind them. Waiting until they had settled down on a raggedy blue couch, he cleared his throat and set a large box in his lap.

"A map for you ladies," Alaster began, taking a large piece of yellowed paper out of the leather box and sliding it across the coffee table. Alena unfolded it, laying it in the center so Rowan could also look at it. It was just like a pirate's treasure map. "And I want to offer you a warning. That cave is... something else. Stories say it's full of gold and other valuables. Would explain why your brother sought it out. But there are rumors of a curse associated with it. Take anything out with you, and you never leave. It... changes you. Your brother might not be himself anymore."

Alena felt something jab into her shoulder; Rowan had given her shoulder a hard shove. Her eyes darted from Alaster to her friend and back again, before she discreetly nodded towards the door. Alena got the hint and turned back to face the man as she got to her feet.

"It was nice to meet you, sir. But we should be on our way. Thank you for the map."

"But— the curse— You have to—"

"We appreciate all of your help, but we really better get going." Rowan added. She took Alena by the arm and the two made their way out of the house. Once they had walked a good ways down the road, Rowan turned to Alena and dropped her voice. "That guy has obviously lost his marbles, talking about that curse and all. Are you sure it's smart to trust him?"

"It's the only chance we've got to get my brother back." Alena murmured, shaking her head. "And besides, we don't need to trust him. We just need to trust the map." Unfolding it again, the two plotted a route to the marked entrance and started on their way. It didn't take long, as they followed main roads and made good speed walking, and the two were soon standing in front of a rock shoulder just off of the highway. Alena tied her mop of blonde hair out of her face and scanned the rock for the symbol marked on the map: something that looked like a crescent moon with a line slashed through it. Her eyes eventually lit upon the silvery shape and she slid her hand across the rock, immediately finding a notch, which she tugged upwards. A soft click echoed through the air, like a door being unlocked, and a trap door creaked open beside them. Alena shared a look with Rowan before climbing into the porthole, propping the entrance open with a sturdy branch. They were immediately launched into darkness as they made their way into the cavern-like tunnel. Alena shuddered, her hand instinctively leaping to find Rowan's. The other girl held her grip and they clung to each other as they made their way steadily onward, with no idea as to what lay ahead. An uneasy feeling crept into Alena after twenty minutes had gone by and they had still seen or heard nothing. Shit, what if this is a trap? Rowan's hand gave hers a squeeze for reassurance, and Alena's heart fluttered once more.

"Rowan, I—"

But before Alena could finally admit her feelings for her friend, a dark shape shot out of the shadows. The air was shoved from her lungs as something barreled straight into her, her back hitting the wall of the cavern while the weight of her attacker pressed into her chest. Fear shot through her as she took in the appearance of the humanoid creature. A broad-shouldered body held a sharply angled head, the hint of horns poking out of its forehead and sharp claws where fingernails should have been. Alena would have assumed it was an ordinary monster — well, not that monsters were ordinary — until she noticed its eyes. Two orbs of blue tourmaline, just like her own. She had never seen anyone else with eyes like those, except for...

"Caspian," Alena gasped. The creature didn't seem to recognize the name, letting out a low growl which revealed two rows of purposefully sharpened teeth, bold white against the deep steel color of its hide. "No, no, Caspian, it's me. Alena. I'm... I'm here to take you home!"

"He doesn't recognize you, Al!" Rowan warned from somewhere nearby. Alena shook her head stubbornly. But he does. He's not a monster. The creature roared, a grating sound that set her teeth on edge, and leapt for her throat. "Alena!" Just as Alena expected sharp pain, the weight suddenly lifted from her chest, followed by an enraged screech and a dense thump as something hit the floor of the cavern. Able to move once more, Alena looked around, ready to find the creature unconscious on the ground. Instead, her eyes landed on her friend.

"No," She moaned. A pool of red surrounded Rowan from where she lay motionless. "Tell me you didn't do this!" Alena shouted to the monster, who was circling her with hunger in its blue-green eyes. She no longer saw her innocent brother in that gaze, but the animosity of someone who had been changed and could never be saved. Letting out a growl herself, Alena scanned her surroundings for anything she could use to take down this beast. A hint of a rough plan flickered through her mind, and as the creature charged she put it into action, taking a piece of rock lying on the floor and slamming it into the monster's head, using its own momentum against it. It let out a pained cry, but Alena didn't waste any time checking if it was down. She just rushed over to Rowan, kneeling beside her and examining her body. There was a large gash in her abdomen that was still spilling dark blood. Alena pressed her hands to it, wishing it would stop. Her friend was already pale enough as it was; she couldn't afford to lose any more blood.

"You can't leave me. Not yet. Please," Alena pleaded, lowering her head to rest her forehead on Rowan's as she swept a lock of the girl's dark hair out of her face. "You can't leave me. I... I love you." Tears dripped down her cheeks, and she shut her eyes as a sob racked her body. She felt something tug on her shirt and opened her eyes to find Rowan clutching her, eyes staring weakly up at her.

"I'm not leaving you yet," The girl rasped. Her body gave a shudder, not ready to be awake yet. "I love you too. So much." Alena found a smile tugging at her lips as relief flooded through her, and she hugged Rowan close, pressing her lips to the girl's temple.

"Let's get you out of here." She whispered fiercely. And she did, leaving all thoughts of Caspian behind. She was ready to start a new life with the girl she loved.

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My Thoughts:

Honestly, considering this project had a deadline and I was limited based on a rubric and word count, I feel like this turned out pretty well.

Pretty bold of me to include queer characters in a class project. I think it was a final project though, so I was probably thinking I'd go out with a bang. Or should I say "come out" with a bang? Ha ha.

The ending definitely seems rushed, and I seem to remember getting feedback about that. To be honest, I was probably running dangerously close to my word limit and needed to finish the story quickly before I went too far over it...

Overall, though, I quite enjoy the idea of the story. If I were to flesh it out a bit more, I think it could be even better. Could also work as a full length novel — if expanded and lengthened, of course.

I enjoy the characterization and the bit of development we get to see. Very distinct characters, both based on appearance and personality.

Honestly? Might just find it good because it actually has a completed plotline. Either way. A decent story. I'll give it an 8/10.