The air seemed still, and the only sounds he could hear were his breathing, his heart, and a dull ringing in his ears from the tinnitus. "What the hell is going on?" Ethan whispered. He saw TJ and the others just beyond the mouth of the cavern, frozen mid-step. Suddenly, the floor around him dimmed to a calm blue, and the humming stopped. He shielded his eyes as the glow from the cavern floor intensified, and a loud hum accompanied the blinding light. Halfway there, he froze mid-step when the ground shook, and a boom echoed as if something gave way farther underground. But who would have the time or commitment to come down here just to carve something few would ever see? Ethan took a few pictures of the drawing then tucked his phone away in his backpack.Įthan admired the depiction for a moment longer before heading back to the mouth of the cavern. Hah, that kind of looks like Mew, Ethan mused. Near the top, a feline with disproportionately long feet and a long, bulbous-ended tail was depicted. He slowly took in the details, noting the many different creatures drawn in and around the tree. Near the base of the tree, there was a crude drawing of three large humanoid-like figures. Once he got closer, the object of interest appeared to be a depiction of a massive tree.
Curious, he walked over, unaware that the light of the floor parted around his steel-toed boots.
His friend would take a few minutes to gather everyone and arrive.Ī shadow of something on the opposite wall caught Ethan's attention. You've got to see this!" Ethan yelled back. "TJ, grab the others and follow my markers. The rock skipped a few times until it settled. This definitely wasn't in the guidebook.īeing the curious man he was, Ethan took a stone and tossed it on the ground a fair distance in front of him. He grabbed his phone and took a picture to show his group and the park rangers later to ask about it. Could this be phosphorescent rock? No, phosphorescent rock needs to absorb light to emit any kind of light, Ethan thought. The smooth stone floor of the cave was glowing a bright yellow. Ethan found the source of the light, but what he saw didn't make sense. After a moment, he continued forward.Ī couple of minutes passed before the cave opened up into a large cavern. As he got closer to the light, he decided to call out, "Hello? Is anyone there?" His words echoed, carrying his soft-spoken voice. I'm not sure what else it could be, assuming that it's not another person, Ethan thought. We're too far below the surface for that to be sunlight. He continued to place stickers every fifteen or so paces so he could find his way back later. We should be the only ones down here. After pocketing the guidebook, he placed a reflective sticker on the wall of the path, adjusted his hard hat and headlamp, and descended farther to investigate the light. Satisfied, he was about to turn back when he noticed a dim light shining from the other path. When he reached the next fork, he consulted the guidebook that the park rangers had given him to confirm his location and which path to take. During a break to rest and rehydrate, Ethan scouted the next portion of the cave. Parts of the narrow tunnel Ethan and his group traversed were cramped, permitting them to crouch or crawl through one at a time. They had made plans months ago to explore the caves. Right now, he was… where was he? Not even a few moments ago, he had been leading a youth group in an exploration of the lava tubes in Snow Canyon State Park. Still breathing heavily, Ethan let his head fall back to the ground as he started organizing his muddled thoughts. The hole or portal or whatever it was that ejected him here started to shrink. A pillar of unnaturally bright light from the lake he pulled himself from caught his attention. Ethan collapsed on the shore, soaking wet and gasping for air.
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