Cave-Inn

He heaved with all his might, but it did no good. The rocks ahead of him were boulders, and the way was blocked. He was trapped, with his mind, and with the darkness. These two became his companions. It was hard to stay enemies for long in such tight quarters. They fed on the odd bug, mouse, or snake. They drank the ground water that pooled in one of the many winding passages. They slept on the firm dirt. They lived.

“Do you still feel trapped my dear man?” The Mind said. “We’ve been here for a rather long time and I hoped to inquire as to the state of your mental fortuity.”

“Foolish. Can’t you realize that’s a question for yourself? You’re the mind after all. It seems to me that you’ll be the first to lose it,” The Darkness said.

“Oh bother, what would you know? You’re just a few shades away from grey you jaded old sod,” The Mind said.

“Hey, hey, hey. Relax you two. Fighting won’t get you anywhere. You’re both trapped the same as I. So, I suppose the answer to your question is yes,” The Man said. “Is that a positive or negative?”

“Well, I suppose that’s a matter of perspective. By the by, you are trapped, that much is true, so one might call you a realist. But it may just as much be a judgment of your mental status as well. To feel trapped is to feel restricted, uneasy, wrong. One could say you haven’t learned to move on, to embrace the darkness so to speak, no offense,” The Mind said.

“None taken. I for one feel at home in our little pit. It seems to me that all the light and fresh air and, dare I say, people up there are the real trap. We all know that high society never paid you any mind. No offense,” The Darkness said.

“You two get riled up so easily. I’m no fool. I know I can’t get out, and I guess you could say I’ve come to terms with that. That doesn’t mean I don’t hope for a rescue each and every day. My hope keeps me going. That, and you two. I sure would have given up without your companionship,” The Man said.

“Perish the thought,” The Mind said.

“Perish indeed,” The Darkness said.

“Well, I think I’ll get some rest now. I’m not sure what time of day it is, what day it is, or what month, but I’m tired, and I think I’ll sleep,” The man said.

And so the man slept, and the others grew quiet. They waited patiently, watching over him. When he woke, they greeted him with a nod and rose as he did. They followed him though the many passages, eating as he did, drinking as he did, and chatting along with him. They were a trio, and they made do.

One day, or perhaps night, they heard a strange rumbling. Small vibrations rippled across the cavern, displacing small rocks and forming goosebumps upon the man’s skin.

“What on Earth is happening?” The Man said.

“I fear apocalypse is nigh,” The Mind said.

“No, please, no,” The Darkness said.

The rumbling built into a thunderous crash and waves of dust blasted throughout the cavern. The man sputtered and spit the dust out of his mouth and wiped it out of his eyes. He crouched and padded forward one step at a time.

“I need to see what’s going on, it could be a problem for us,” The Man said.

“But what if it is dangerous my dear fellow? This is no time for bravery,” The Mind said.

“I agree for once, there could be something out there!” The Darkness said.

“I have to. I need to know what’s going on. I promise it’ll be okay,” The Man said.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” the others said in unison.

The man walked out into the corridor where the rumbling was the loudest. He heard rocks shift and scrape against each other. Small pebbles plinked off of the large stones and assembled at his feet. They whispered to him. He lowered his ear to the ground to hear their chant: “Pull…pull…pull…pull…pull…” they said.

And so he pulled. He peeled away the layers of rock before him, spurred on by their chanting. He heard strange voices from above. Voices that did not belong to him. He continued to pull the rocks away until something strange and terrible appeared above him. A sliver of light formed from a crack between the stones. The light seared his eyes and he turned away, holding his hands out in front of him.

“I…I…I…can’t think straight,” The Mind said.

“No no no no no no no no no no no no, please no!” The Darkness said.

The Man realized what he had done and turned to face them. Tears swam away from his eyes and splattered on the dirt floor beneath him. He nodded. He smiled. He reached for the light. He pulled with all his might, and the rocks collapsed around him, the sky opened up before him, and the sun blasted his skin with warmth and light. A few people huddled around the opening to the cavern and cried out in surprise as the man appeared before them, as if from the grave. He turned back towards the cavern behind him and looked. The Darkness had fled, pierced and poisoned by the light. The Mind had retreated into the depths, confused and broken-hearted by the betrayal. The man nodded again. He stepped up and out of the cavern. The people came to him. They spoke to him. They touched him in awe. He did not speak, he could not. He just remained, the man. Found, and so very alone.