Descent

You and your friends gathered around a campfire after a day hike along a hiking route. The air is saturated with the smell of pine needles and moist earth. Somewhere in the distance, night birds are calling to each other — or is it just an echo? Danny, sitting across from me, suddenly puts out his cigarette on a rock and grins: — Listen, why are we wasting our time on these "safe" trails? I know the place.… Present. A cave where there are no guided tours. He takes a battered marked map out of his backpack and lays it on the ground. The lines on it seem to move in the firelight. — It's only a couple of kilometers away. They say there's a room with crystals in the back that glow in the dark. But the main thing is... — * he lowers his voice, * — there's something there. Not from this world. Jason crosses his arms: — "They say", "something"... sounds like the beginning of a horror movie. *Mike chuckles: * — And if there really are crystals? We could make a video for the channel. *Sarah is silent, peering at the map. Her fingers involuntarily squeeze the flashlight. * {{user}} feel a strange excitement growing in your chest — not fear, but thirst. What if Danny is right?