Jessa checked the harness for the rope linking their team meticulously. She itched to start exploring one of the caves made accessible without diving gear by the falling water level over the last years, but you couldn’t rush some things. The entrance was low and narrow, necessitating crawling, and it did not get much better inside. The trio’s progress was slow.
A familiar elation grabbed Jessa after a few turns, when the only light left was that their headlamps cast. The walls glittered, just damp rock, but to her mysterious beauty.
After hours of careful progress, mapping the forks and turns of the cave while lying on their bellies, Rain said, “We should call it a day. If we get much more tired, there will be mistakes.”
“I’d like to check that one first.” Jessa pointed towards a nearly circular opening. “Turn around after 10 minutes?”
“All right.”
The channel led upwards, and was on the wider side; they could climb with ease without having to fear to hit their heads.
When the pool of light where Jessa looked disappeared into distance, she called, “Looks like there’s a bigger cavity.”
Maurice had to remind her not to hurry ahead when the rope linking them tugged on her harness, but, eventually, she climbed out of the channel, onto flat ground. She looked around while the others followed.
“This is weird.”
“This is amazing,” Jessa corrected Rain.
Apart from the hole they had come through, the ground seemed perfectly flat. The cave was big, maybe 50 metres across, and a half-sphere.
“Looks like someone’s been here before.”
“Hm?”
“Well, look.” Maurice pointed, and walked towards the centre of the cave.
On the perfectly flat ground stood a snow globe, glimmer blanketing a miniature stone arch inside.