Only eight of us were left. I didn’t know where the rest of the world had gone. I didn’t remember anything except the overwhelming fear which consumed my soul. I ran through the red, smoke-filled air, following those ahead of me like a shadow. There didn’t seem to be much of me left, whoever I was. My body seemed healthy but my memory was gone!
Where had I lost me? What had happened? I didn’t know. I didn’t care. I just kept moving forward. Looking down, I saw traveling clothes; heavy, coffee-brown walking boots, jeans, a sage-green flannel shirt, and a warm, light cocoa-colored, down-filled coat. I must have known I’d be traveling on foot, but from where and, more importantly, to where?
Our leader led us to a cave in the side of the mountain at the end of the valley. I had not noticed it until we stood in front of it. A part of the mountain side, the entrance was hidden from inquiring eyes, yet right there before us. Perhaps it was the way the shadows played across its rocky face. I didn’t take time to find out.
I saw the others enter the cave and wondered what could be found there to keep us safe from whatever we were running away from. I took a quick glance back but could only see the same red, smoke-filled sky I had seen before. Though trees near us weren’t burning, it seemed as if the whole world was on fire.
No one except the eight of us, and our helmsman, were in sight. I wasn’t even sure who they were but we were together in this and struggling to get somewhere. I entered into the rocky, dark opening not knowing what to expect. There was no slowing down.
We ran down the damp hallway of the cave as if it were welcoming us, though rocky outthrusts poked at us as we ran. Down the entranceway we went into the first room which stretched before us like an over-sized living room. I glanced around and saw nowhere to go, but those in front kept moving. I followed along.
Why couldn’t I remember anything? What were we running away from?
Curiously, I ran with no effort. None of us appeared tired or ready to slow down. The urgent sense to escape was all powerful. At the back of the room the leader jerked on something in a small, unnoticeable hole in the wall. When the wall moved silently aside, we followed like rats following the Pied Piper, but in silence—no music, no words.
Ahead I saw the long hallway ending at a wall. Frantically looking about me I saw no other openings, only sheer rocky walls reaching up, up, up. Dark grey and beaver brown walls poked in and out at us. Gratitude washed over me as I realized there were no cliffs going down, but one less worry didn’t entirely reassure me.
Where could we possibly be going?
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