Chuck came out of the water section of the cave and for sure seemed to have been rained on, though she was not perturbed by this, instead wrapping the fur on top of her head and her body in a strangely uniform animal skin. I must admit that I lost interest in this grooming process as she went on to pluck at her face with various instruments. That is, until she picked up the roaring tool. I don’t know what she did to it, but almost as soon as she picked it up it makes a really hideous noise, like no other animal I’ve heard. Though this again must be something she controls, as she raised it up to her fur, moving it over and making it blow out behind her. I know I’m strong, but these two-leggers must have nerves of stone that they interact with all these strange creatures around them. I don’t think I’ve puffed up my tail fur this much in the space of a few light and dark periods in a long time. After a bit more of this she put on a different skin – all of which are very strangely colored, I can’t imagine what the animal from which they came looks like – and left the cave after talking to me a bit. Finally, some privacy to do what I want unimpeded!
First things first, I go to the water room. I know sometimes caves have water in them for various reasons, but I get the feeling that this particular one might be quite a bit different going off what I’ve seen so far. Inside the water room, the floor is of smooth cold stone, different from the rest of the wood of the cave. It is separated by darker lines into squares. There is a wooden container on one side and more white stone structures that rise up on the far end., one curved at the bottom and with a protrusion out the back, and one fairly flat with what appears to be an indentation in the middle. The wooden container seems to be a good vantage point from which to view the rest of this section of the cave, so I jump on top of it, and land on top of it, skidding a little on the lightly-colored stone atop it. It is then that I see I’m not alone. There is a recess in the wall in front of me, and in that space is an identical room to the one I’m in, and in that room is another cat. I am completely shocked. To not have heard or smelled this rival is beyond my comprehension, and suggests that this cat is quite skilled, a foe that should be treated with caution. I first try intimidation, and it seems as though this cat has the same idea, its back arched, fur flared, and ears flattened, a silent hiss issuing from its mouth. In my panic I forgo caution and swipe and again am copied by the unknown cat, our paws and claws colliding and… leaving streaks through the air? There are four indentations in midair where our blows met, and they do not disappear with time. The other cat is as perplexed as I… or is it? A memory floods back to me. I think that this is perhaps similar to times when I’ve seen myself in the water, but this is a much clearer image than looking past the ripples and waves of a lake. Is this some kind of wall of solid water? But then how did Chuck become wet? It doesn’t seem as though you can enter it, as I tentatively touch my nose to the cold, smooth surface. I did not realize such illusions were possible, but it’s definitely good to know. Don’t want to become agitated by something so mundane. I turn from the water wall and look at the rest of the place.
The other white container is partially surrounded by a white skin hanging from some sort of shiny curved branches, the skin so thin that I can almost see through it. I hop down onto the circular white stone structure and my landing makes a hollow noise. Not sure what that’s about, but from my perch I can see that the indented container is flecked with water, as are the walls, the surface of which is patterned with smaller squares than the floor but with the same white lines dividing their rounded edges. So there must have been water in here at some point, but I can’t imagine how it would have completely covered Chuck. I don’t really feel like getting my paws wet, so I leave the water room.
I basically covered the rest of the cave last night, and there’s still no sign of Chuck, so I decide to get out of here. I’ll come back later after I’ve taken a look around outside. I insert my claws into the cave entrance’s cover and pull… there! I think I may have broken it, as there was a cracking noise. Who knows. All I know is that I need to get out and explore!
( ©2016 Sean Dorsey )
Tome of Goatllama 