Building Courage

Miksa's fears and worries, his feelings of dread, became almost tangible as he commented his thoughts on her curious query. Although she had become somewhat nervous, Esarosa tried not to let it show. "I guess that's one possibility," she answered, peering into the darkness as she wondered if they should go further. She didn't want to back out and reveal her slight doubt for having chosen to enter the mysterious cave. However, as a large arachnid scuttled across her toes, she couldn't help but let out a startled yip, leaping backward and smacking into the wall. Beneath her paws she felt loose soil and small stones, not hard-packed like the rest of the cave's floor. This must have fallen from the walls recently, she thought without confirming it out loud. She didn't want to hear that affirmation right now, that the cave was unstable and possibly falling apart around them.

Several more stones clattered to the ground, and before she could determine what was happening, a heaping wave of sand and grit crashed down from the wall. No!" she shrieked futilely, squeezing her eyes shut and bracing herself. Her body was covered before she could react. Panic surged through her as she felt the weight of the earth on top of her, holding her to the ground. She had to get out. She was shrouded in darkness, hardly able to move, her breathing stifled. She was able to scrabble and reach out with her forepaws just enough to loosen some of the soil and small rocks, reaching the surface of the fallen debris. Her eyes were filled with dust; the only indication that she had reached the surface was a small waft of stale cave air hitting her nares. Even so, she could hardly catch her breath with the weight bearing down on her. I have to get out of here! she thought frantically.

She was fortunate that no large stones or boulders had come crashing down, but she still felt utterly trapped. She wondered how the other wolf fared - she hoped he was in better condition than herself. If he couldn't help her, she wasn't sure if she could make it out by herself. Oh please let him be okay! "Help! Help me!" she called out as best she could, "I don't think I can breathe much longer!" She hoped dearly that he had not been buried or struck by anything. If they made it out of this alive, she was sure that the cautious male would hate her for leading him into such a dangerous place. Maybe I should just stayed buried... she thought miserably. But her survival instinct disagreed, urging her to struggle with all her might. Thoughts raced through her mind as she wriggled and flailed, trying her best to loosen herself from the hefty pile of debris.