After months of searching I finally made it. The cave of shadows. The entrance was hard to find, but once inside it was nothing like I had seen before. Dark grungy walls calling at me to enter it and find out what laid in the middle. The only light I had was from a small torch that I was able to light with a spark from two rocks being smashed together. The walls were rough with a light brown tinge to them, I ran my hand along the wall feeling my way this adventure within itself. Then there it was. The most beautiful thing in the world. Hanging from the ceiling were hundreds upon thousands of Ruby reflecting the dim light from my torch.

Below was a lake, whose water apparently healed whatever pain you may have experienced in the past only to make room for something new. That was only a legend; however, it was a legend that took me on a ten month journey that almost killed me in the process. I started making my way towards the lake when suddenly the entire cave began to shake and caused giant pieces of rubies to fall into the bottomless lake below.

I ran over to a giant rock, placed next to the wall, and held on for dear like as I prayed that nothing would crash and fall on my head. When the shaking began to calm down and almost disappear I let go of the rock, got on my hands and knees and crawled towards the lake. I didn’t want to stand up again in case the cave started to shake again, and being as low as I could; without being on my stomach, seemed like the best option. After a few crawls I would stop and stare at the ceiling making sure that I wasn’t going to be crushed by anything if I made a false move.

I finally got to the lake and just stared at my reflection wondering if the water before me would really heal any kind of pain. But without giving it a second thought I cupped both of my hands together and reached towards the water. I tried to scoop the water but nothing touched my hands, as if the water was only an illusion. The more I tried, the more I knew that my entire trip was just big waste of time with no reward in the end. The moment I was about to give up my hands filled with water. Slowly pouring the small amount into my mouth I tried to savour every drop. A bit trickled down my face and as if like magic healed a scar that I’ve had on my face since I was four. ‘It works, it really works’ I thought. I tried to scoop more water; however, I remember that when I didn’t want it I got it. So I thought about anything I could except for the water and just like that I got another scoop of water in my hands. The more I drank the better I felt and knew that the “so called legend” turned out to be true.

Not wanting to be greedy I stopped after three scoops and finally stood up. I whipped my head around and saw a large man standing there with both hands holding a metal pipe as if he was going to hit me with me. I threw my arms over my head, to protect my body, and crouched so I could have enquire the least amount of pain to my body as possible. “I’m not going to hurt you” said the man. “I just wanted to know how you were able to get the water from the lake.” He paused for a moment, moved the metal pipe to one hand and lowered his arms to his side. “I have seen many people try and fail. But you, you must be something special if you can do something that not even the strongest warriors can do.”

“It was nothing really” I shrugged. I stepped forward wanting to leave but the man placed his hand on my shoulder, causing me harm not only to my shoulder but also to my legs –which were frozen with fear.

“Show me” he said while pointing to the water. “

You see I would love to, but I have so much to do and I don’t want to be greedy with the power that lays within.”

With a stern look on his face and a threatening voice Linley raised the metal pipe back to the position it was in when I first saw him and said, “Either you show me how to extract the water from this lake or I will beat your head in with this pipe. Got it?”

“Well when you put it that way how can I refuse?”

“That’s what I thought. Now, move it bitch” he said while shoving me towards the lake.

Once again I was at the edge of the lake on my hands and knees getting ready to scoop the water, when a thought hit me. ‘What will happen if I can’t relax enough to get the water, will he actually kill me? Or what if I do some water, what will he do with it?’ I looked up at the shimmer of the rubies again and then back to where my hands were about to touch the water. I was able to scoop some water into my hands, but thinking that the water was better to be left alone I opened my hands a bit and let it fall between my hands. I turned around, with my hands cupped and said, “Sorry I couldn’t do it. I don’t know how I was able to do it the other times. I’m sorry.”

“BULL SHIT!! I saw my take two scoops and mean to take them. So don’t sit there and tell me you can’t do it cause I know you can.”

“I can’t” I sighed.

He raised his arm and this time the man hit me on the side of the head with the metal pipe with all of his strength behind it. With my entire head feeling like it was going to explode from the now throbbing pain inside of my skull, my body became weak as I fell onto my side. My brain did not feel like it was working anymore, nothing did, but I would make out the fait outline of the man walking away before I closed my eyes.

All I could see was red every direction I looked. It wasn’t a deep red, nor the colour red you see on a faded flag, but more of a red that is held in a jewel. A ruby maybe… yeah ruby red surrounded me. I walked up to one of the walls to try and touch it and make sure that this was real, but I got something even better. When I saw my reflection against the wall I was surrounded my things that I loved the most and things that I didn’t even dream of loving yet. Whatever this reality was I looked so happy in it, and knew that if I ever got out of this cave those things are what I would be fighting for. I reached out to try and just feel one of thing that surrounded my reflection, but as I was able to make contact with it everything went black. I opened my eyes and I was back laying on the floor next to the lake.

Slowly sitting up I realized that even though it probably wasn’t the best move that I could have made, it was the smartest one I’ve made in a long time. All light was gone from the cave; however, the rubies and lake were still twinkling from light rays.

A weird filled my nostrils, ‘smoke, no that can’t be right’ I thought. But that thought was soon interrupted when I saw a roaring fire heading towards me. I jumped up in fear and covered my mouth before I started coughing. Running over to the giant rock, I held onto during the small earthquake, I knew that it could not protect me from the fire. The only thing that could really protect me was to jump into the lake, but that was not an option of me. Once I got behind the giant rock I formed a ball with my body and watched as the rock protected me from the flames.

After burning every possible thing that stood in its path, that wasn’t rock, the fire began to turn to embers. Just the embers alone lit up the floor with enough light for me to make my way out of this section of the cave. The tiny part that I had to basically push my way through was now covered with smoke. Moving through it my eyes began to burn yet tear up.

I got the end of the line and exited the cave when my eyes found the source of the smoke. The entire forest, that was hiding this cave, was now burned to the ground and covered with ashes that nothing, not even berries, could grow from. It was a horrible sight to see. Small puffs of smoke rose from the destroyed trees. The tree that were still standing looked like they were ripped of live and would never be able to start a new one. Having a heart of a hero I knew I had to put an end to this terrible destruction and cause it from ever happening again.