CHOICE SIX (END)
Really, you’re too tired to care about danger now anyway. Running from the last imaginary terror has completely wiped you out. You couldn’t even make icons in this state. So you slip your graphics program off your back and settle yourself on the floor, resigned to sleeping on cold, packed earth floor and not a nice warm bed.
You do manage to sleep after some tossing and turning, and you only wake a few hours later when you feel someone poking your person. The pitch black night has lifted to reveal a purple grey dawn the bathes everything with just enough light for you to see, but the old crone poking at you is not necessarily the most welcome sight.
She stops when she notices you are awake and staring at her with wide-eyed confusion.
“Jus’ lookin’ for useful stuff,” she mutters, backing away a few inches to give you some space.
You scramble up and away from her with your pack in your hands. The crone doesn’t physically follow you to the mouth of the cave, but her eyes--which are far too all-knowing for your taste--do.
You walk backwards to keep a watch on her, but you continue steadily toward the cave exit. At least, that was your intent, but when you back hits a wall, you realize that, in your flustered state, you must have just backed into the opposite side of the cave. The same distance away as before, the crone has started cackling and banging a skinny knee with her bony hand. You dare to take your eyes off her for a second--she seems quite engrossed with her amusement--you turn around to face the wall you’ve hit and are startled to find that it is, in fact, the cave exit. It’s just not letting you leave.
When you turn back around you find the crone much, much closer than before; some might even say she was too close for comfort, and you get a good look into her dark brown eyes. She seems...kind of addled.
“Once ya get into the Cave of Wonders, see, ya can’t get out again!”
She starts cackling once more and hopping from foot to foot, a strange mimicry of dance.
“The Cave of Wonders?”
You’re not sure what you expect her answer to be, but you couldn’t stop the question from slipping out of your mouth.
“Ooooooh, yes. Wonders, wonders. See?”
She waves her hand toward the back of the cave, but all you see is darkness.
“You’re…”
“Batty?”
She seems tickled with her own admission of craziness, and you press your back harder against the invisible barrier between you and outside of the cave.
“Ya, ya” she continues, shaking out her long, tangled mess of hair. “So they tells me, but I have the wonders, you don’t.”
Personally, it doesn't look like she has any wonders either, but when she skips off toward the back of the cave, you figure you don’t have anything to lose by following her. The barrier shows no signs of disappearing any time soon, and you’re too curious to stay sitting at the mouth of the cave.
So you creep behind her, thankful that there’s enough light that your eyes can adjust and still see, even if everything is softened by shadow.
The shadows slowly dissipate as you walk deeper and deeper into the cave, listening to the old crone singing to herself and giggling at nothing. Everything is gradually illuminated by shiny light of all different kinds, and you stop, staring in awe at the numerous gems and jewels jutting from the cave walls. Each one emits its own light, and there are hundreds upon hundreds of them.
“What are they?”
You speak your amazement aloud, and the crone pokes her head up from behind a tower of the gemstones to grin madly at you.
“Wonders!!”
You blink at her uncomprehendingly. They are beautiful, true, but that doesn’t tell you what they are. The crone holds up one long finger before she launches into action. She grasps a stone and places on foot against the cave wall. Then she tugs and the gemstone comes free of its mooring to sit in her smooth as paper palm.
She holds it up, peering into it with one eye. Apparently satisfied, she holds it up to you for inspection. Not knowing what she expects from you, you just nod, and then she throws the gem on the floor. You jump back away from the scattering pieces, but creep forward when you realize they are all reforming into something brand new.
The resulting creation is what you would definitely call a praise worthy icon. It’s unique, creative, well balanced in crop, lighting, and coloring. You can’t stop staring,but you fore your eyes away when you feel the crone poking at you again. She gestures for you to give it a try, and you’re too eager to be skeptical as you yank your own gemstone from the wall and toss it to the ground with as much force as you can muster.
Truly astounded, you watch as, once again, the broken pieces reform into an icon. It’s utterly and completely different from the first but equally as skillful. These are the kind of icons a maker could only dream about making. Icons truly talented makers might only fashion once or twice in their career. And here they all are, ready and waiting, for you to yank from the walls and bring into existence.
You’ll worry about how to get out of the cave later. Right now, all you want to do is create.
THEME: GEMSTONE
daynawashere | petite_tomate | youwatchusrun | schryosel | damsiedam
You do manage to sleep after some tossing and turning, and you only wake a few hours later when you feel someone poking your person. The pitch black night has lifted to reveal a purple grey dawn the bathes everything with just enough light for you to see, but the old crone poking at you is not necessarily the most welcome sight.
She stops when she notices you are awake and staring at her with wide-eyed confusion.
“Jus’ lookin’ for useful stuff,” she mutters, backing away a few inches to give you some space.
You scramble up and away from her with your pack in your hands. The crone doesn’t physically follow you to the mouth of the cave, but her eyes--which are far too all-knowing for your taste--do.
You walk backwards to keep a watch on her, but you continue steadily toward the cave exit. At least, that was your intent, but when you back hits a wall, you realize that, in your flustered state, you must have just backed into the opposite side of the cave. The same distance away as before, the crone has started cackling and banging a skinny knee with her bony hand. You dare to take your eyes off her for a second--she seems quite engrossed with her amusement--you turn around to face the wall you’ve hit and are startled to find that it is, in fact, the cave exit. It’s just not letting you leave.
When you turn back around you find the crone much, much closer than before; some might even say she was too close for comfort, and you get a good look into her dark brown eyes. She seems...kind of addled.
“Once ya get into the Cave of Wonders, see, ya can’t get out again!”
She starts cackling once more and hopping from foot to foot, a strange mimicry of dance.
“The Cave of Wonders?”
You’re not sure what you expect her answer to be, but you couldn’t stop the question from slipping out of your mouth.
“Ooooooh, yes. Wonders, wonders. See?”
She waves her hand toward the back of the cave, but all you see is darkness.
“You’re…”
“Batty?”
She seems tickled with her own admission of craziness, and you press your back harder against the invisible barrier between you and outside of the cave.
“Ya, ya” she continues, shaking out her long, tangled mess of hair. “So they tells me, but I have the wonders, you don’t.”
Personally, it doesn't look like she has any wonders either, but when she skips off toward the back of the cave, you figure you don’t have anything to lose by following her. The barrier shows no signs of disappearing any time soon, and you’re too curious to stay sitting at the mouth of the cave.
So you creep behind her, thankful that there’s enough light that your eyes can adjust and still see, even if everything is softened by shadow.
The shadows slowly dissipate as you walk deeper and deeper into the cave, listening to the old crone singing to herself and giggling at nothing. Everything is gradually illuminated by shiny light of all different kinds, and you stop, staring in awe at the numerous gems and jewels jutting from the cave walls. Each one emits its own light, and there are hundreds upon hundreds of them.
“What are they?”
You speak your amazement aloud, and the crone pokes her head up from behind a tower of the gemstones to grin madly at you.
“Wonders!!”
You blink at her uncomprehendingly. They are beautiful, true, but that doesn’t tell you what they are. The crone holds up one long finger before she launches into action. She grasps a stone and places on foot against the cave wall. Then she tugs and the gemstone comes free of its mooring to sit in her smooth as paper palm.
She holds it up, peering into it with one eye. Apparently satisfied, she holds it up to you for inspection. Not knowing what she expects from you, you just nod, and then she throws the gem on the floor. You jump back away from the scattering pieces, but creep forward when you realize they are all reforming into something brand new.
The resulting creation is what you would definitely call a praise worthy icon. It’s unique, creative, well balanced in crop, lighting, and coloring. You can’t stop staring,but you fore your eyes away when you feel the crone poking at you again. She gestures for you to give it a try, and you’re too eager to be skeptical as you yank your own gemstone from the wall and toss it to the ground with as much force as you can muster.
Truly astounded, you watch as, once again, the broken pieces reform into an icon. It’s utterly and completely different from the first but equally as skillful. These are the kind of icons a maker could only dream about making. Icons truly talented makers might only fashion once or twice in their career. And here they all are, ready and waiting, for you to yank from the walls and bring into existence.
You’ll worry about how to get out of the cave later. Right now, all you want to do is create.
THEME: GEMSTONE
daynawashere | petite_tomate | youwatchusrun | schryosel | damsiedam