"Look guys!" Alan pointed excitedly down the right tunnel, to the distant sparkle. "That's too far away to be catching our light! What do you suppose it could be?"
"Another crystal." Ethan shrugged, not really seeing what Alan was so worked up about. "With another crack letting in sunlight. I'm more interested in that." He pointed to the left tunnel, and the obvious daylight at the end. "It might be a hidden valley -- we could be the first ones to find it!"
"Yeah..." Ricky looked dubiously at the uneven floor of the upward-slanting tunnel. "I'd just as soon go back... but..." He looked at the middle tunnel. "This one's nice and smooth."
"And wide?" ribbed Alan. "Come on, where's your sense of adventure? And I don't think a crack could reach this deep."
"So, what, you think it's glowing?" Ethan scoffed. "A magic gem down here?"
"Well, maybe." Alan hesitated, then blurted, "Maybe there's something to the legends about this place!"
"W-wouldn't that mean whatever's down there is responsible for all those people disappearing?" asked Ricky, eyes widening. "Now I really want to go back."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Nobody's going to disappear. Come on, you two, stop messing around and let's go." He started walking towards the left tunnel.
"Hey!" protested Alan. Ethan paused and looked at him. "We can come back for your 'secret valley' later. If it turns out just to be an ordinary crystal like you said."
"Hmph. We could also go to the exit first, and explore your shiney later." Ethan hitched his backpack up on his shoulders. "How about a vote? I say we go this way."
"Well, I want to go this way -- obviously." Alan crossed his arms. Then he smirked at his gaming friend. "Well, I guess that makes you the tie-breaker, Ricky."
"Uhh..." Ricky looked back and forth between the two, and their chosen tunnels. He edged closer to Ethan. "I... I guess if I have to choose... I'd rather get out of these caves, if only for a while. Let's go this way."
Alan stared at him for a minute. Then he gave an exaggerated sigh. "Et tu, Brute? Fine, you guys go that way. I'll go this way by myself."
"What!?" Both of the other young men burst out almost at once.
"You can't be serious, Alan," Ethan remonstrated. "It isn't safe for one person to explore an unknown cave!"
"Y-yeah," Ricky chimed in rather lamely. His eyes now seemed big as saucers, and they were filled with worry.
"Relax guys, it isn't that far. I'll make lots of marks." Alan fished up a piece of chalk and held it up. I'll find my way back no problem. Or you can find me."
Ethan took a deep breath, and let out a heavy sigh. "I don't like it. But you look like your mind is mind up." He looked up his chosen route. Then he held up his wrist, which sported an old-fashioned watch with a compass clipped to it. "I'll give you fifteen minutes. If you haven't joined us by then, we're going to look for you."
"Deal!" Alan was off just like that, waving to the other two before he disappeared down the tunnel. "Have fun in your secret valley!"
"Hey! Er, good luck!" Ricky managed to call back, startled by the sudden departure. He turned to Ethan. "Lead the way, I guess?" He looked wistfully down the middle tunnel, but said nothing as Ethan began to grimly pick his way up the left path.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Despite his words, Alan couldn't help but be nervous. Once the light from his companions vanished, his pace slowed significantly. He almost went back. But he was really curious; and having said he would do this, he wouldn't back down.
The tunnel went on, straight down, no branching paths. The light grew brighter ahead -- but oddly, his heavy-duty flashlight grew dimmer. Alan didn't notice at first, fixated on his goal, and then thinking it must be his imagination. But no, it was definitely getting darker. He frowned, hefting his flashlight, and found he could look at it dead-on, the bulb was so dim.
"Weird, I could have sworn I put fresh batteries in it just a month or two ago." Fortunately he carried spares. However, to his dismay, he found that the flashlight remained just as dark after he swapped the fresh batteries in.
Looking ahead, he was certain he could make out the source of the light -- a luminous mineral deposit, maybe a large crystal. He'd come this far, and with no branches there was no danger of getting lost, so... why not. The flashlight was broken either way, he might as well see what he came for before heading back.
Yes; as he got closer he could definitely confirm that a large cluster of six-sided crystals was growing from the wall ahead. The light grew as he approached, even as the bulb on his flashlight faded; the folds and cracks in the cave walls were bathed in a soft, off-white glow. And when he got there -- he caught his breath.
There was no crack above to let in sunlight. His flashlight had completely died. The crystal was glowing!
And now he could see more of them, down two further tunnels ahead, winding deeper into the heart of the hills. The crystal, or crystals, he had seen was embedded in the wall that divided the two. To his left, the crystals were sporadic, and the cave dim; but to his right they seemed almost regular and lit the walls as bright as day, mingling pale blues, yellows, greens and pinks.