Hunter said not to touch the lights. You're pretty sure he just meant the ones on the side of the cave, but if the blue light really is him then he'll come find you. You stay put, like a lost child, and wait patiently.

All around you, the darkness remains and all you can hear are the shuffling of footsteps and the sounds of breathing.

Suddenly, the light ahead of you is obstructed, and you see the silhouette of a woman. Cindy, maybe? She's too far away to see for sure. A scream fills the air and you take an involuntary step back, away from the sound. Ahead of you, the woman lunges forward suddenly, and the light is gone. Fear fills you, making adrenaline flash through your limbs.

You're ready to run, but you don't know where safety lies. Something touches your back and you scream, turning around and lifting your fists. Whatever it is won't take you without a fight! You swing your right fist out into the darkness.

Instead of a bear or weird light, you find a warm body.

"Ow!" Hunter's voice is familiar, and calms you.

"Hunter! I'm sorry. I thought..." You rush forward and wrap your arms around him, closing your eyes tight. You don't want to dwell on what you thought he was. You still can't quite wrap your mind around it. His scent fills your nostrils, further calming you down, and he wraps his arms around you.

"Hey, now, it's okay." He runs a hand over your hair. "You did good, staying put. C'mon. I'll lead you out." Without removing his arms from your waist, he starts to guide you through the darkness. You don't know how he does it, but soon you can see the opening of the cave exit. Relief floods you.

Rain is pouring outside the cave, but you don't even care. It's so much less scary out here. Hunter looks back over his shoulder before he starts moving further out into the rain. After a moment, it hits you that you're down one person. You look around. "Where's Cindy?"

Hunter's face is serious as he looks ahead of you. "She touched the light."

Somehow, you know that she won't ever come out of the cave. You shiver again and lean closer to Hunter. He squeezes your shoulder to keep you close.

[Go to chapter: Twenty Two]