The Dead.. Are Alive?

Ricin knows he should be more cautious, that danger lurks around very corner but something keeps pulling toward the cave. Chade tries to be the voice of reason, to remind his lighter brother of those dangers but Ricin brushes his brother off. There is something calling to him; a need deep, in his soul, that he can hardly fathom. It pulls Ricin into the cave and has him throwing caution to the wind. Maybe it is the crystals that are doing to him. They glow and pulse their dim light, throwing strange shadows to dance in the cave.

His brother’s words barely register as Ricin moves further into the cave, following the gently sloping floor down. Giving Chade a warm smile, Ricin says, “I will be careful Ny. Promise.” Even as they move deeper in the cave.The further he walks the greater the feeling being buried increases. Stopping to cast a look back toward the entrance of the cave, Ricin sees the dim moonlight illuminating the dark archway. Something rises inside him, a feeling unlike any before. He knows fear and despair, sorrow and helplessness. Yet this… the young pup cannot put a word to the pensive sadness that swells while he looks back up at the moonlight.

Shaking his head to clear the heavy emotion, Ricin looks back into the cave and continues on. When the floor finally flattens and opens into a wide space, Ricin moves toward the right wall to put it behind his back. Gazing around the room, he sees more glowing crystals and mushrooms. There are hardly any fireflies down here and Ricin is glad for that one small miracle. The stone walls and floor are smooth and cool to the touch. Being underground acts as an insulation against the harsh sun.

Sadness fills Ricin as he thinks of the last time he saw a normal day. When had he last seen the sun stay above the horizon for more than a few hours? The sound of pebbles clattering towards the back of the room catches Ricin’s ears and he looks to Chade, asking with a soft voice, “Will you check the back? I will go made sure there is nothing over here.” Pointing a paw to the left side of the room where there are multiple raised stone platforms. With a dip of his head, Ricin moves stealthy toward the mentioned area.

The first thing he notices is a skeleton. The bones have crystals protruding from them and the skull is heavily crystalized. It takes a moment to realize it once a deer. Eyes continue to search, spying more mushrooms and crystals growing up the sides of the stone platforms. There are three raised structures, longer than they are wider. The uniform height, length, and width are puzzling but the most confusing thing are the polished wooden boxes laid carefully on top of each one. Circling each platform, Ricin sees more animal bones growing mushrooms and crystals.

A tiger’s skull seems to be calling to him as it lays against a dark wall. The dead jaw is unhinged and jutting at an odd angle. The teeth are crystals and mushrooms are growing in the eye sockets. Stalking closer to the skeleton, Ricin observes the strange thing with curious eyes. Ricin’s gaze lifts toward the wall as some dirt falls on his head. A fat rat is shifting around on a ledge, knocking dirt every which way. Just as opens his mouth to call for Chade, Ricin freezes. His mind catches up to him as realization dawns as to what is laying on those shelves. Bones. Hundreds and hundreds of bones are packed tightly on each shelf that has been dug into the wall.

Slowly, he backs up to count the number of ledges the wall has. Stomach drops as Ricin sees three heavily packed shelves take up the entire wall.


"Speech"