Cretaceous Cave: The Cave

If you're lost here, be sure to refer back to Episode 1: The Spiral Staircase. You might get lost anyway, but reading the first segment should, at least, lose you in the right direction. And don't forget: this was a dream.




EPISODE 2: THE CAVE

As we entered the Cretaceous exhibit, the general mood shifted dramatically. We were surrounded by rich beauty, as if peering out from inside a prism; entrancing rays spilling color into all our eyes took in. The diverse assembly of living foliage and small, docile creatures glowed bright and cheery, like a child's array of Easter treats. And the sounds! The room was alive with melodic sounds as each leaf we brushed against on the narrow trail sent chimes of musical tones reverberating all around.

Only a couple minutes passed, however, before a man's voice at the very end of the line shouted, "Hey! Didn't T-Rexes live in the Cretaceous Period?!" Suddenly, our collective senses re-awakened to the reality of grave danger, like trapped flies, aware of the web's gentle sway as the spider approaches...

Once again, the herd was in panicked motion. Toward the back of the line again, I followed feverishly, driven by instinct, adrenaline and the screams of terror immediately behind me. The narrow, foliage-lined trail soon dimmed to a darkened hallway with many rooms on either side. As others ran ahead, I ducked into a side-room followed by one other person from the herd.

The room was dim and sterile - like a vacant science lab; clearly not in use. We began to look for hiding spots beneath desks and cabinets. As we looked through the room, I noticed that the left back wall had bundles of some kind stacked against it. My fellow traveler and I approached the stack, and were amazed to find every kind of material provision we could imagine. Packaged food, pots and pans, tools, weapons, floor-mats. There were many layers of supplies; we peeled through all, taking stock of each type as we pulled its packaging away from the wall and reached for the layer beneath. At last, in peeling back the final layer, we found the greatest provision of all: entrance to a cave of safety.

Peering in, we saw the cavern was large enough for us - and many others - to fit, tall enough for us to stand, and would easily hold our new stash of precious supplies. Yet, thankfully, the opening was too small for the massive, snapping jaws of a T-Rex. There was a strong sense that we were meant to find the cave, that the packaged supplies had been pre-measured with perfect foreknowledge of what we'd need... That we had, somehow, been led to a place of safety and fulfillment, carved out especially for us. The source of security opened itself before us.

All we had to do was enter - and the time was now! We heard nearby roars and turned to see two T-Rexes skidding into a corner of the dark, curved corridor approaching the room. Flinging as many supplies into the cave as we could, (we couldn't save everything), we scurried up through the narrow entrance, nearly losing our feet in the flashing daggers anchored to rancid gums of the red-eyed monsters...


No date estimates this time, but I promise to share Episode 3: The View once it's written down. Thanks for reading!