I am taken along a narrow path, through tall, dreary trees and tall, dark grey rocks. A clearing looms up in front of us through the dense fog. They lead me straight through the clearing. The darkness increases as we walk closer to the rock wall bordering part of the clearing. A cave opens up in the rock, thirteen feet above the ground that we are on. Mossy ropes dangle down to the ground, a flimsy way into the cave entrance. It’s apparent that it’s the only way up, and even if there had been another way, I’m almost certain that I would have been made to take this way if they wanted me to. My hands are not freed for me to climb the ropes, and as I try to communicate with these people to see if they will let me go, they shove me, not gently for that matter, next to the ropes. Three of the men separate from the rowdy bunch, coming towards me. They grab the ropes and bring the ends around me, tie the ropes around me. And, I will say, they tie their knots pretty well here. The tallest and strongest looking, who I presume to be their leader, raises his hand slowly to unseen people above. Suddenly, the ropes grow taught, and slowly but surely, I am lifted up to the cave entrance. The grunting and groaning of the lifters because of my weight, much more than that of their associates is loud in my ears, making it hard for me to think of a way to get myself out of this mess.623Please respect copyright.PENANA5nTdqpVBY3
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Hands grab me as soon as I come into reach, willing to get me up and to have a break from their labours. As I am hauled over the edge, I get rolled away from the side, should I try and escape by dropping back down to the clearing. As the lifting ropes are untied, and my relative freedom returns, I raise my head and roll over, so that I can see what new things I will face inside this cave. What I see shocks me. The inside of the cave is lit up with rocks glowing with phosphorous. It fills the cave with an eerie glow, though it is plenty of light for me to see by. Rough walls of stacked stone bordered off parts of the cave, making rooms that some of which had extremely uneven sides. The walls are all made up of these phosphorescent rocks that have phosphorous, this being the only light source other than small fires that only light up a small area of the cave around them. I am grabbed by my bindings, the small men who grabbed me hoisting me onto their shoulder. They carry me deeper into the cave, away from the light of the sun, dim though it is.