Glow

The air was still. The smell of mould and dirt was everywhere. The only light was that faint glow that seemed to come from air itself.

I carefully took a step forward, my hands outstretched in front of me. Then another one. Moss and gravel crunched under my bare feet. I didn't feel a wall. I slowly took another step, and another one.

Nothing.

The floor was even and as far as I could tell mostly horizontal. The same rough stone as where I woke up. I stretched my arms as far as I could in both directions, but couldn't feel anything there either.

Wherever I was, it was large.

I stretched as tall as I could, and felt the fabric of my dress fall down my arms. I couldn't reach the ceiling.

I kept walking. As straight as I could. Sooner or later I had to reach the end of the room. Right?

Right?

The sound of my footsteps did not reach far, eaten by the damp air. I considered shouting, listen if there was an echo, but then again, I might not like the answer.

I wondered what I would do if I heard someone else call out. Would I answer?

It took my sixteen steps to reach the wall, curved and slightly inwards-leaning. It led me to believe that I stood in a natural cave, the proportions of which I couldn't even guess. The wall was rough and slippery of water and algae.

I watched the faint light spill over the rough wall, when I moved my arms and saw the light patterns change, I realized uneasily that the light came from myself, emitting from my skin like if I had been a firefly.

A princess of light, burning and bright...

I hesitated for a moment, then I started to walk with the wall to my left. I wished I had something to mark the spot with, in case I would walk in a circle, but I had not found anything suitable on my short walk so far, and I didn't want to sacrifice my clothes or tiara.

My steps echoed against the wall as I slowly made my way forward, my left hand trailing against the wall.

My thoughts kept churning.

How did I get here, wherever 'here' might be?

Had I been on the run from pursuers, desperately trying to lose them in the caves? Had I been playing a merry game of hide-and-seek with my ladies-in-waiting that ended in tragedy?

No.

I was here because I was meant to be.

Someone had decided I should be here.

I wondered if it was me.

The wall curved slightly to the right. As I walked, I tried to estimate the circumference that would bring me back to my starting point. The cave was huge, but eventually I felt more and more confident that I had walked the full circle.

There had been no opening in the wall.

How would I get out?

How had I got in here in the first place?

I reached as high as I could along the wall, felt the rock leaning inwards. There were no handholds. I'd have no chance of climbing it. I shifted my weight between my feet for a few moments, weighing my options, then I pulled off my dress. I put it in a bundle next to the wall and walked on, counting my steps.

The damp air was cooler against my bare skin, but I could see further ahead. Either my eyes had got used to the dark, or my skin emitted more light now that it wasn't covered up.

The curvature of the wall was uneven, but always leaned inwards.

Eventually my feet touched soft cloth as I came upon my dress again. I had walked around the entire cave, without finding any exit.

I picked it up, and held it in my arms, staring into the gloom in frustration.

There had to be a way out of here, right?

With a little growl, I stepped away from the wall, walking slowly towards what I estimated to be the middle of the room. I walked slowly, sweeping my feet before me for each step to be sure not to stumble upon anything. I could see better now, that my light was brighter. The floor was uneven, but apart from a few rocks, there was not much to be found.

I kept walking in as straight a line as I could, straining my eyes to the uttermost to see through the gloom, to find something else. Anything.

Eventually I reached the wall again. I walked three quick steps along the wall, then I stepped back out into the darkness.

Mapping the room this way would be a more stochastic than systematic process. I had no way of knowing if I retraced my steps or if I covered new ground. But without a good way of marking my progress, I had few alternatives.

It took me five times of traversing the room until my feet hit upon something. I stopped and picked up the small metal object. My fingers felt the cold metal and I knew what it was even before I saw the spikes and the gems of the small, intricate tiara.

My trembling hands went to my head. I held the small, spindly crowns side by side.

They were identical, to the last little facet.

For a long time I stood there, in the middle of the room, holding the tiaras in my hand.

Then I kept walking.