Chapter 2 IT'S BRIGHT

Prologue for Episode 2*

Beyond the darkness, a spark of hope flickers. The survivors of the sinkhole incident must navigate the treacherous depths of the cave, confronting their deepest fears and the unknown. As they search for answers and each other, the lines between reality and madness blur. Will they find a way out, or will the cave's secrets consume them forever?

Episode 2

Its dark, soo dark that the only source of illumination is the spark of lightning that brighteens the room. each breath seems like a chore, its heavy, long and narrow, the pit pat of rain is almost defening to the ear he dosent know why but he has a sudden urge to go upstairs.

Almost like a frame to frame, the lighning strikes, illumination appears, and he moves closer and closer to the stairs.

He's finnally at the top floor and sees a long hallway each side has a door opposite to one another, theres a red carpet to the floors center detailed with white on each side. He takes a deep breath in and out in and-

Next lighning strike and he spots something to the fartherst north of the hallway its a dark and shadowy figure he can almost swear he's seen it before it looks like its eyes were noded out, blood drips from its mouth, its face covered with numerous pores and dagger to the side? Do you remember?

He's suddenly overwelemed with a feelling of dread and inpending doom but other than the disfigured face of the creature he spots something different he notices its wearing a wedding gown but its covered with dirt and moss.

Another flash of light and its a foot closer to him, another then another. Almost like it was teleporting it can't be seen moving just appearing closer with each flash of light he's so scared but can do nothing.

He forces his limbs to move but they don't budge and and then another flash of light and its inches away from he's face.

Mathew wakes up with a fast jolt and sweating profuely he immediately notices he's in a cave, bio illumination all over the walls. Whats going on? And then he's head is flooded with memories, the camping trip, the wildflower, the.....SINKHOLE

He stands up 'Jannete!! James!! Isabella!! Peter? Andrew!!? Drake?!! hermia!!? is anyone here at all?' He cries out

But there is nothing but dead silence....

James wakes up in a cave too after having the same dream as Mathew

'Whats going on' he says as visible tears can be seen rolling down he's checks.

He looks to his left and spots Isabella and Peter laying down, he smiles not because he like's what's happening but that even in a situation as hopeless as this seeing familier faces gave an iota of hope.

He begins to shake each of them until they all wake up

'James? Whats going on' Peter says as he looks around with a worried expression

'I don't know im also in the same boat you are'james, squints he's face in and expression of both confusion and fear

'Are we dead?' Isabella adds and pretty serious too about the question.

'No atleast i think were not' Peter says

'Well weres everyone else what the hell happened' Isabella asks but none seems to have an answer. Theres a slight pause as everyone simultaneously looks to the floors in utter disbelief

'Well all i know is we fell into a sinkhole' James says, breaking the tension in the atmosphere

'although that seems to be a logicall answer that wouldn't explain why we ended up in a cave and why would we still be alive?' Peter explains but no one seems nolagible enough to draw a conclusion. You could see thier faces visibly confused thinking about this, that they almost forget there in no place to stand still.

James turns around and gives he's environment a mental assesment, he starts to breath heavily at first but eventually slows down he notices there are no vegetation besides the bio illumination and the environment looks very hostile Jame's father was once a survivalist and took him out to one of his trips in the year 2017, and sure to say james picked up a thing or two from him, it is pretty obvious that there is no apparent source of water except we find a natural spring James thinks to himself. 'wait what's that?'.... He gathers himself so as to not freak anyone out and cause a panick attack, he brings himself to speak 'What do we do now?'

'We have to find the others and mr Mathew wherever they are' Peter answers, the confusion mixed with fear is potent in the air.

Isabella falls back with a heavy thud that ecos throughout the cave, her hand graces her wrinkled forehead placing an emotion of worry over her and she looks like she is about to faint. Quickly tho, peter grabs her hand.

'Isabella!? What happened?' Peter grips her hand tighter 'are you ok?' Peter asks before she could anwer the first question he'd asked.

James quickly grabs her other hand and the two boys are able to pull her up to her feet.

Isabella? Whats wrong?'james ask

'Whats wrong?' She glances at james and peter, looks forward and lets go of them before she turns around to face them and flayes her hands in the air 'well whats wrong is the fact were in a cave after what i can only describe as a near death experience...we have no idea were the ever living fuck the others are and im not sure were going to make it to the end of this day ok? So excuse me if im having some time to panick right now'

She sits back down on the ground and buries her head in her folded arms.

Peter puts his hand on his hips and sighs before slowly walking towards her and sits next to her. 'Look isabella to be completely honest with you.. the only reason im not heavily breathing into a bag right now is because there isn't one'

Meanwhile james walks of a little distance ignoring the both of them, and just starts pacing around gathering his thoughts

'I mean come on we nearly died today you think im not worried?' Peter says as he gestures his hand towards himself 'but im not giving into my fear and panick but rather im using it as a motive to find everyone else and fiqure out what our next move is'

'Really' isabella brings out her head from her folded arms

'Yh'

'When did you become so brave?'

'Honestly, i don't know, i think im just using my shock to pull through but i think when this is over you have no idea'

Isabella giggles a little bit and pulls out a sad smirk

Ok i think i have a plan james concludes to himself and approaches the two of them. But while doing so he grabs a stick from the ground

'Hey morons!! I have a plan' flaying his stick in the air

'See while you two were having your honymoon session i was busy thinking of a solution'

The two of them stand up and peter rolls his eyes regarding what james just said

'So whats the bright idea how do we find the others and get out of here?'

'Yh' isabella adds noding her head backing up peters question

'look at these rocks over here' James illustrates by pointing his stick in the direction of the rocks

'yh'

'they're growing moss, look it's not just random too it's sort of follows a path'

'where we getting at here dude' Peter impatiently asks James with his head tilted to the side

'can you fucking chill out? Anyways...' James crouches down while the others stand opposite each other looking at him as he uses his stick to draw

'....forgive my drawing im not exactly an artist. look these three stick figures are us, and this path are the rocks'

'yh no shit' peter adds

'so water used to flow through here, periodically or at some point because if these rock never recieved any water sunlight or dirt weathering would never have taken place' James stands up as he says this looking at the both of them simultaneously

'so in conclusion were somehow in a cave right?' Peter says to James immediately he finished talking

'yeah'

'oh my God dude we already knew that'

'WAIT! You moron, what do cave's have?'

'bears?'

'well yeah, but they also have an entrance that leads to the surface, and by this water flow it seems to be just straight ahead' James says.

'Nice dude' peter says while messing up James's hair

'so what's the plan now guys' Isabella adds to the conversation

'Well I think I should follow the path while you guys try and find the others, if I need help..... I'll scream'

a brief silence suddenly steps in and they all take a quick glance at each other

After a few minutes the threo begins search for the others

'You go this way while me and Peter search to the left' Isabella adds

There's a crunch of rocks under James feet as he wonders in search of others, The cave is so large and empty even the slightest breaths seem to eco throughout the cave. He wonders not to far when he realises its getting darker as he moves innerwards within the cave, the bio illumination grows less and less, the hard rocks beneath hes feet begin to dissapear as he moves inner.

He spots something, light. And lots of it to the farthest distance.

He tries to head back for backup but changes he's mind

"Isn't it better i find where this is coming from and then head for backup?" He thinks to himself and gathers the courage to keep moving forward.

Meanwhile,Peter and Isabella move in search of others. They move simultaneously inches away from each other, the loud thuds of thier feet is the only sound that ecos in this empty carvern, "Andrew!!!" They exclaim at the same time.

'What if we never find them? What if we all die here? I just want to go home!!, i came here thinking all this was going to be fun and now im still not sure if were alive or dead,i keep thinking this is a dream or some prank, God knows how many times ive pinched myself thinking i was dreaming and how are you people acting like this is normal? You should be panking im i the only sane person here?'isabella says.

'No your not!! You think im not freaked out? Look around isabella look at where we are, honestly the only reason im not hyper ventilating right now is cause im with you guys' peter says.

There's a brief smirk from isabella followed by a few moments of silence

'What about jannette? What do you think happened to her?' Isabella asks

'I have no idea, honestly i think the worse but im hoping shes ok' peter replies

'Is this real? Sometimes, even seeing all this with my own eyes i still find hard to belive' isabella says

'You said it. But i think it's mostly shock that's making everyone calm right?' Peter replies

'Yeah maybe, all this happened so quick though, one second where searching for wildflowers and the next were hear i wonder how mr. Mathew is handling this' isabella says

'Well it's best we stick with the plan and hopefully i promise we will find them' peter replies

Isabella looks up at Peter and smiles

'Thanks...i really needed that'

'Anytime' peter says

Suddenly while peter was still looking at isabella her face turns forward and a shimer of light lands on her face.

'Light!! Light!!' Isabella screams her face brighteens up with joy as she points right ahead of them.

Peter looks forward and grabs her hand and they both run towards it without a second thought.

and sure enough, its bright!!.

end of episode 2