John pulled his raincoat tighter as the heavy rain pelted down. He snuck another peek at his watch - by his count, it was at least the dozenth time in the past thirty minutes. The day was growing long and his concern was mounting. His friend Mark was supposed to meet him here over an hour ago to begin their cave exploration expedition. John had been planning this weekend getaway for months and had invited Mark along, knowing his friend's love for adventure and discovery. But now it seemed Mark was going to be a no-show.
John was on the verge of abandoning his search and returning to his vehicle when he discerned a silhouette materializing from the gloom. "Mark! Over here!" he called. Mark jogged over, raincoat pulled up over his head. "No worries, I'm just stoked you're here. Ready to get started?" John asked enthusiastically. Mark bobbed his head eagerly, eyes alight with exhilaration. "Let's do it!"
The thrill-seeking partners shouldered their sizable sacks, packed with implements, glowsticks, cords and victuals for their underground quest. They set out along the path into the woods, the soaring trees granting some respite from the downpour. Soon, they spotted the large rocky mound up ahead - the entrance to the cave system they had come to explore. As they neared, John pulled out the map and notes he had compiled from his research.
We'll start by following the main passage and seeing where it leads. Be extra careful though, the rock can be slippery when wet like this." Mark nodded again as he inspected their headlamps and checked the battery on his backup light. Once ready, they began their descent into the darkness.
The first hundred yards or so went smoothly as they picked their way along the wide, winding tunnel. Water dripped constantly from the rocky ceiling but the floor was mostly dry. The gleam of their lights made spectral darkness dance all over as they shined them to and fro, marveling at the intriguing configurations. "Spot on," John agreed, clicking pictures with his impermeable camera to archive their revelations.
As they went deeper however, the passage narrowed and became trickier to navigate. The ground grew muddier and in a few places they had to wade through ankle-deep pools. "Careful here, it gets a bit tight" John warned as they squeezed through a narrow crevice. On the other side, Mark pulled up short. "Do you hear that?" he asked nervously. John listened closely and at first heard nothing but the dripping water. Then faintly in the distance, he detected a low rumbling sound. "What is that?" wondered John aloud. "I'm not sure but I don't like the sound of it..." replied Mark.
A sudden booming echoed through the cave, louder this time and accompanied by the unmistakable roar of rushing water. Cornered between the deluge and the obstruction, their plight was appearing hopeless. John flung his pack off and began desperately searching through it under the beam of his headlamp. "There must be a solution, cogitate faster!" he muttered under his breath.
Mark was glancing frantically around, looking for any alternate route or hiding place that could save them. And then, peering up, he spotted a thin fissure in the cave ceiling high above their heads. "John, help me up!" he yelled over the raging water. John understood immediately, cupping his hands to give Mark a boost. Grabbing handfuls of rocky ledges, Mark heaved himself up with all his strength towards the narrow opening. Squirming and crawling, he pulled himself through just as the flood reached John below. With a final outstretched hand, Mark was able to grab John's arm and drag him to safety as well, moments before the torrential water filled the tiny chamber.
Panting and shaking with adrenaline, the two men clung to the wall of the crevice, wedged inside as the flood rushed by only feet below. After what seemed an eternity, the noise started to fade as the surge began to recede. Peering cautiously over the edge, John calculated they had only a few feet of headroom but the rushing water was dropping rapidly. Eventually, it was just a rushing stream filling the passage below. "That...was too close" gasped Mark shakily. John nodded in agreement, trying to catch his breath. After taking a few minutes to recover, John pulled out his flashlight to inspect their precarious position.
In the glow, they scanned the cavern for an exit route. Just then, Mark spotted something along the far wall. "Over here, I see light coming through!" Navigating over, they found a diminutive aperture exiting outdoors. Pushing and wriggling determinedly, they squeezed through one by one back into the rain-soaked forest. Gasping lungfuls of fresh air, they collapsed onto the wet ground, exhausted but thrilled by their narrow escape and remarkable discovery underground.
"Some cave adventure, huh?" grinned John. Their close call with calamity had only intensified their zeal for investigation, and they were certain this wouldn't be their final exploit beneath the surface.
Ending number one
Several weeks later, John was reviewing the images from the grotto on his laptop when he spotted something peculiar in one of the photos of the fluorescent hollow. Zooming in, he saw what looked like ancient glyphs or symbols etched into the stone wall, glowing dimly in the strange blue light. "No way..." he muttered in amazement. And so their next expedition was planned, hoping to uncover more secrets left behind in the depths of the mysterious underground world they had barely escaped from before.
Ending number two
John was editing the cave exploration photos on his computer when he spotted something unsettling in one of the shots. Zooming in on a shadowy corner of the bioluminescent cavern, he saw what appeared to be an odd bony shape partially hidden among the rocks. As he enhanced the image, he realized with a jolt that it was unmistakably a partial human skeletal remains. Goosebumps rippled down his vertebrae as he peered at the ghastly uncovering on the interface. He immediately called the police and reported the find, not daring to go back to the cave alone. It seemed their close call had unearthed a long buried mystery after all, and John wondered what dark secrets still lay hidden deep below the underground world they had trodden.
