My curiosity momentarily outweighing my thirst, I entered the cave. At first it rapidly began growing too dark to see, but as I journeyed deeper into the cavern a strange glow coming from farther in began to light my way. Initially I thought it might be a fire...but as the glow intensified it rapidly took on a strange pink tint. Now far too curious to turn back, I continued, realizing that this might represent some strange new threat but uncaring.
Finally, the cage opened from a narrow passage into a large chamber too perfectly spherical to be artificial. The grotto was now awash in the dull glow, and I soon found its source. Covering the walls was a patchy growth of lichen that seemed to be phosphorescent. Also inside the chamber was the source of the stream, a beautiful waterfall dropping from a hole in the ceiling.
Even amidst the glow, a slight glittering on the far wall caught my eye. A shelf of rock protruded from the side of the chamber, forming a sort of natural bench. On it was all manner of strange jewelry. Golden necklaces, bracelets and earrings adorned with diamonds, sapphires, amethysts, or pearls. A literal treasure trove.
I was once again very much aware of how alone I was. No one would abandon this stuff. Someone had been here, and recently. I had to get out of here. For all I knew this was some kind of thief's hideout. Still....if there were locals around, I might be able to trade for food if I had some of these jewels...
Guiltily, I stuffed my pockets with as much of the jewelry as I could carry. After that, all I needed was a long, cold drink and then I could flee and find a tree to sleep in. As I'd gone further into the cave the channel cut by the water had grown deeper, such that the stream was now out of arm's reach, but against the back wall of the cave was a depression filled with a shallow pool of clear water. If it had seeped up through the rock then it was probably safe to drink, I reasoned.
Bending over, I found that the pool was much deeper than it seemed. I'd heard of this phenomena before. In extremely clean water such as was sometimes found in caves, the surface of the water actually acted like a magnifying lens, making the bottom look much closer than it actually was. It looked like I could scarcely wade in it, but I it was at least three feet deep. I gave the water a cautious sip.
It was amazing. I'd never tasted water so...perfect. Clean, clear, refreshing. I greedily began sucking the stuff up until I felt like my stomach would burst.
An unknown amount of time later I found myself lying on my back on the cool cave floor, too stuffed to move. Sleep was suddenly starting to seem like a very good idea. I knew I had to get out of here, to find somewhere safe, but I was so...tired...just a few minutes...and then...
