Chapter 4 The glow of the unknown

Jackson couldn't move. His feet felt rooted to the ground as he stared at the glowing obelisk in the cavern. It pulsed faintly, as if it had a heartbeat, casting a cool, bluish light on the rocky walls around him. The quiet hum from earlier was gone, but the air still felt thick with energy, like the cavern itself was alive.

"What is this?" he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible.

He stepped closer to the obelisk, his curiosity outweighing his fear. The surface was smooth, almost glass-like, but it wasn't glass. It felt ancient like it had been there long before Willow Creek existed. Symbols, similar to those on the metal plate he'd uncovered earlier, covered its surface. They glowed faintly, their shapes strange and unfamiliar.

Jackson reached out a trembling hand, stopping just short of touching it. "Should I?" he wondered aloud.

A soft bark echoed from behind him, making him jump. He turned to see Max, tail wagging furiously, trotting down the tunnel toward him.

"Max!" Jackson exclaimed. "I told you to stay up there!"

Max didn't seem to care. He padded up to the obelisk and sniffed it cautiously before sitting down at Jackson's feet, staring up at him with wide, curious eyes.

"Guess you're as nosy as I am," Jackson said, his voice a mix of nerves and amusement.

He looked back at the obelisk. There was something magnetic about it, something that made him want to understand its purpose. Was it a relic? A forgotten piece of history? Or something... more?

Jackson's mind raced with questions. Who had built this? Why was it hidden underground? And what were those symbols?

"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "Let's figure this out."

He pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a few pictures of the obelisk and the glowing symbols. The flash briefly lit up the cavern, casting strange shadows on the walls. Max barked again as if to encourage him.

"Calm down, buddy," Jackson said, scratching behind his ears. "We're just looking."

He began circling the obelisk, inspecting it from every angle. On one side, near its base, he noticed a small indentation-like a keyhole, but not quite. It was oddly shaped, with grooves that seemed to match some of the symbols on the surface.

"What's this for?" he murmured, crouching to get a closer look.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his flashlight, shining it into the indentation. It was deep but empty. Whatever had once fit into it was long gone.

Jackson's thoughts swirled. Was this obelisk part of something bigger? Was there more hidden underground?

"Maybe there's something else in the tunnel," he said to Max, who wagged his tail in agreement.

Leaving the obelisk behind, Jackson explored the cavern's perimeter. The glowing walls were smooth to the touch, their light dimming slightly as he moved away from the obelisk. The air grew cooler, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed in the distance.

At the far end of the cavern, he found another tunnel, narrower than the one he'd entered through. It sloped downward, disappearing into darkness.

"Should we go, max?" Jackson asked.

Max barked once, wagging his tail eagerly.

"Of course, you're all for it," Jackson muttered, smiling despite himself.

He hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the narrow tunnel, his flashlight cutting through the gloom. The walls here were rougher, less polished than the cavern. The glow from the obelisk didn't reach this far, leaving him dependent on the weak beam of his flashlight.

As he walked, the ground underfoot became uneven, and small rocks clattered with each step. Max stayed close, occasionally sniffing the air or pausing to investigate a crevice.

After what felt like an eternity, Jackson noticed a faint light ahead-different from the glow of the obelisk. It was warmer, flickering like a firelight.

"What now?" he muttered, quickening his pace.

The tunnel opened into another chamber, smaller than the first. At its center was a circular pit, surrounded by stones that had been arranged in a deliberate pattern. Flames flickered within the pit, though there was no visible source of fuel.

Jackson's heart raced as he approached the pit. The flames were mesmerizing, their colors shifting from blue to green to gold. They gave off no heat, only a soft, eerie glow.

"What is this place?" he wondered aloud.

As he stood there, transfixed by the flames, he noticed something else: more symbols, carved into the stones around the pit. They were similar to the ones on the obelisk but more intricate, almost like a map or instructions.

Jackson crouched to inspect them, snapping more pictures with his phone. The symbols seemed to form a sequence, but he couldn't make sense of it.

"This is way beyond me," he admitted, scratching his head.

Max barked again, drawing Jackson's attention to the far side of the chamber. There, half-buried in the dirt, was a small, metallic object.

"What've you found, boy?" Jackson asked, crossing the chamber.

He knelt and brushed away the dirt, revealing a strange, key-like object. It was made of the same material as the obelisk, with grooves and ridges that matched the indentation he'd seen earlier.

"This has to be it," Jackson said, holding the key up to the light.

The moment the key left the ground, the flames in the pit flared brighter, casting wild shadows on the walls. Jackson stumbled back, clutching the key tightly.

"What's happening?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the roar of the flames.

But just as quickly as they'd flared, the flames died down, leaving the chamber in eerie silence.

Jackson's pulse raced as he turned the key over in his hands. Was this what the obelisk needed?

"Let's go, Max," he said, his voice steady despite the pounding in his chest.

They retraced their steps through the tunnel, the key clutched tightly in Jackson's hand. When they returned to the obelisk, the air felt different-heavier, charged with anticipation.

Jackson knelt before the indentation and carefully inserted the key. It fit perfectly, sliding into place with a soft click.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the obelisk began to hum, louder this time, and the symbols on its surface flared to life, their light brighter than ever.

Jackson stepped back, shielding his eyes as the obelisk pulsed with energy. The ground beneath him trembled, and a deep, resonant tone filled the cavern.

Max barked furiously, his tail wagging like crazy.

As the light from the obelisk reached its peak, a section of its surface slid open, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside was a small, glowing orb, no larger than a baseball.

Jackson's breath caught. The orb seemed alive, its surface swirling with shifting colors. He reached out, his hand trembling, and lifted it from the compartment.

The moment his fingers touched the orb, a rush of warmth spread through him, and his mind was flooded with images-flashes of unfamiliar landscapes, strange creatures, and symbols he didn't understand.

"What is this?" he murmured, his voice barely audible.

Max barked again, snapping Jackson back to reality.

He looked at the orb, its light steady in his hands. Whatever it was, it wasn't ordinary.

"This changes everything," Jackson said, his voice a mix of wonder and fear.

With Max at his side, he climbed out of the tunnel, the orb glowing softly in his hands. As he emerged into the sunlight, he knew one thing for certain: his simple life in Willow Creek would never be the same again.