The trek through the cave became much easier, as the ceiling and floor became more distant with each other, allowing a small 5’ human with an oversized backpack to walk upright for the first time after leaving the cave’s lunchroom. The path was still narrow but that did not hinder both the woman and cat’s journey towards the dark interior. After a few minutes of walking, Kai noticed that the path was slowly sloping down, explaining why the cold nippy air felt a little dense with humidity.

The cat obviously traveled this path as he trotted along, tail high in the air, looking back to check if his human was following him properly, like how a master diligently checks their back to see their slave following them.

Kai shot Maomao a look that caused him to stop checking and keep his eyes forward. Flashlight and sickle still in hand, the two continued on their path until Kai stopped and gazed at the walls.

There were handprints, or more like old bloody handprints, which sent a creepy sinister shiver down her back.

After focusing the light on one of the closer handprints to inspection, one could deduct a human or animal could have left the smudgy prints behind. It was weird. The shape in the middle could have been a palm but the old prints left behind were pudgy, like if a tiger with huge paw-bean digits grasped the wall for support. Or an overweight human with a hand problem.

Kai’s breath caught in her throat. What the fuuuuuuuck is this? She mused, quizzically gazing at the bloody prints on the walls. It didn’t appear like a cave painting with artistry. Instead, it almost felt like an act of brutality was left behind for someone to witness. Kai was at loss for words. What otherworldly happenstance occurred here?

She dared not speak and only then tore her gaze away from the scene from the wall and looked for her companion. Maomao just sat quietly, relaxed, ears alert, facing forward. Kai decided to snap a photo on her phone before gulping down her fear and continue onwards. I hope we don’t come across whatever that was, her mind racing, trying to logically put the pieces together. Maybe it was some ancient evolved caveman. Yeah! A caveman! She optimistically thought to herself, plucking up more courage than necessary to continue down the path.

They didn’t have far to go to find the obvious remains of the one that caused the bloody smudges. Up ahead, a bony figure long decayed sat wordlessly against the wall. Jute fabric and fur clothing barely hung to the skeletal frame, silent and tranquil, this figure could be seen slouched over after decades of abandonment.

Maomao, unperturbed by the scene before him, trotted up and sat by the skeletal… hand? After closer inspection, the skeleton did not look like the typical Halloween figure you usually see adorning a house nor as a scientific anatomical human skeleton you would see in a classroom. It was just different.

One could tell that time was not this thing’s friend, however the cave seemed to have been able to preserve whatever it could if it was not flesh.

Gazing at the figure in total, it looks as if some of the bones could not completely hold the shape of the frame and scattered on the ground. Kai was not an osteologist however with her limited knowledge, she could definitely deduct that this creature was not human, or something that came from humanity from evolution. It did not match up. The skull was larger than a human skull and seemed to be a mix of human and beast. The jawline almost had a feline-esque touch to it as it housed a few fanged teeth in the front and molars in the back like an omnivore. The skeletal frame seemed to have more ribs and the spine appeared longer than most humans. Also, it had a tail! Kai almost missed that detail as it was hidden against the crevice between the wall and floor and only found it as she trailed the spine from the top of the head. Finally, the feet were almost bipedal, and the hands looked like an evolved form of prehensile digits, since it had opposing thumbs.

Just as Kai started to bend over to inspect the long arms, Maomao chirped and pawed at the closed skeletal hand, drawing attention to the fact that this unknown creature was holding something. It dully glinted as the flashlight aimed itself towards the gaps in the skeletal hand. Kai was apprehensive of touching the figure but again curiosity got the better half of the chaotic debates raging in her mind.

“Maomao, what are you doing? Leave it alone!” Kai protested at Maomao as he took the initiative in pawing the shiny that stole his attention, as what most cats do in their random moods.

His personal desecration of the skeletal figure left a harboring feeling of guilt towards the figure. Horror struck Kai’s face a moment later as Maomao jostled the tight grasp of the skeletal hand, causing more bones to become disturbed and drop from their original place.