AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Everybody knows this cave- or rather, everybody knows to stay away from it. It’s dark and damp, and it stinks from the way water collects on the floor in a shallow pool, making it the perfect home for creepy crawlies. The real kicker, though? It’s infested with snakes.
My throat bobs with a hard swallow as I glance back toward the mouth of the cave, recalling how my brother and I stumbled upon it by accident when we were out playing as kids years ago. We ventured inside, seeking a thrill, and boy, did we find one.
Tristan slipped on a rock and lost his footing, falling into the snake-infested water. In his panic to escape, he kept slipping back into the water and was bitten several times. In the end, he was so shaken by the whole ordeal that he never went back, and he’s had a visceral reaction to seeing snakes ever since.
I shiver at the memory, and as if on cue, my brother comes walking up behind me, setting his hand on my shoulder.
“Can’t you just give me the key and pretend I went in?” I ask warily, lifting my chin to glance back at him.
He shakes his head with a frown. “No can do, sis. The key’s in the back of the cave. You’ve gotta go in and get it.”
I spin around to face him, folding my arms over my chest and furrowing my brow. “Bullshit. There’s no way you went in there to hide that key.”
“Of course not,” Tristan scoffs. “When I said I’d never go back in there, I meant it. The only time I have was for my own initiation.” His eyes flicker over my head to the mouth of the cave, a shudder running through him. “Never again.”
“Then who put it in there?” I challenge.
He shrugs. “Beats me. One of the other guys, I’m assuming. All you’ve gotta do is go in and get it.”
“That easy, huh?” I mutter wryly.
This challenge is more of a mental one than anything. My shifter healing can combat venom from a snake bite, so entering that cave won’t put me in mortal danger. That doesn’t mean it won’t hurt like hell if I get bitten, though, and something about slithering snakes just gives me the heebie-jeebies.
I stare at the entrance to the cave for another solid minute before I shore up the courage to start toward it, dread pooling in the pit of my stomach the whole way. Tristan follows me silently, but he stops short a few feet from the opening, not daring to venture any farther. I don’t blame him. I can already smell the stench permeating from inside.
I remove my shoes and socks again, not wanting to get them all wet in case there’s another running aspect of this initiation ahead of me, and with a final mental pep talk, I head in.
“Fuck,” I whisper to myself, my feet sliding against the slimy stone floor of the cave as I wade into the shallow water. The smell is so overwhelming that I hold my breath, darkness closing in around me and a dank chill settling into my bones.
This is fine.
Mind over matter, right? I’ve already broken free from a locked box, tread water until I could barely stay afloat, and endured a harrowing run through the woods while being chased. Wading through a grimy cave should be a cakewalk in comparison.
At least that’s what I tell myself until I feel something slither across my toes.
A startled gasp escapes me as I jump away, dirty water splashing around my shins. I curse under my breath, taking another step only to feel something move beneath my foot.
Damnit, I hate this place.
I pause to gather myself, steeling my composure and deciding that I just need to move quick, regardless of what I feel underfoot along the way. Lifting a hand to plug my nose, I make my strides as long as possible as I venture further into the cave, my heart beating a riot in my chest.
It’s impossible to ignore both the movement in the water at my feet and the icky feeling creeping up my spine, but I grit my teeth and keep pushing forward, determined to accomplish this task. And when I finally make it deep enough inside to catch sight of a metallic glimmer on the rear wall, I basically lunge for the key hanging there. I pluck it up, spin around, and get the hell out of dodge.
My feet slide against the slippery cave floor while I make my exit, but somehow I manage to remain upright and not befall the same fate as Tristan did in childhood. He’s still there waiting for me when I emerge, and I drag in a greedy gulp of fresh air, a shiver tracking all the way down my spine.
“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Tristan asks with a smirk.
“You’re sadistic,” I groan, shoving at his chest.
He stumbles back with a laugh.
“Tell me the next one is easier?”
“Wish I could,” Tris sighs, handing me my running shoes. “C’mon, get these on. I’ll run over to the complex with you for your next challenge.”
“The complex?” I question, arching a brow.
My brother doesn’t elaborate further, though at this point, I don’t really expect him to. He just waits while I get my shoes and socks on again, then follows my lead when I depart, keeping pace with me as I jog to the squad complex.
