She followed Royce deeper into the cavern. There was an eerie silence around them punctuated by the crisp staccato noise of Royce’s footsteps on the icy ground. It was creepy. And scary. She’d seen some rough places in her time, but she’d never done any caving. She didn’t like dark places. Or confined spaces. Again, she reminded herself of the joy of having Royce with her. He stopped suddenly and she bumped into him. “What is it?” “The pathway splits here.” “Where do the footprints lead?” “Both directions.” There was an odd tone in his voice. There wasn’t room to get past him. She tried to peer around his shoulder but couldn’t see much. “Is there a path more travelled?” “No. I’m thinking they’re well used.” “Recently?” she asked incredulously. “Really? How is that possible?” She slipped closer to him. “That is so bizarre.” “I know.” He hesitated. “I don’t like it.” Relief flooded her. “Neither do I. I’m just not sure what to do about it.”
