What if We all Cared?

Pulling on the door, Celeste was unable to open it and realized there must be a catch somewhere that she had to release. She felt around the door, her brain in motion, trying to think and feel where the catch/hidden lock might be. 🗝️ There was, after much searching, a very tiny notch in the grain of the wood near the edge of the small door. All she had that was that tiny was an old safety pin and she carefully slid it into the notch. The door popped open a smidge and Celeste gently pulled it wide open, not sure what to expect.

Celeste had been taught by her grandma to be content and so sighed blissfully as she entered the tunnel. She’d always wished she’d had a forever sister. Someone to giggle and share secrets with. Quietly grandma reminded Celeste, “Dear, your parents weren’t meant to have one girl, much less two! Be content to find a close girlfriend as you grow up.” A single lonely teardrop slid silently down her cheek. Really.. she hadn’t always been an only child, but that train of thought was better left for another time and place. Bending down to crawl through the small door the musty tunnel smell so similar to the tunnels she’d found by the creek surrounded her and drew her in.

As Celeste stepped in she realized she was in a room of sorts, maybe more of a cavern or cave? There were two passages she could choose from to go further and a slight beam of welcomed sunlight filtered down from an air shaft in the hillside.

Looking around, it was an unassuming place but obviously long abandoned so a great private hub. There was space to set up a bed of sorts as well as begin to store food items. Imagine, her own secure and dry home!! “Home.. and love..”, Celeste thought, “I’ve had those off and on. But both are always fleeting and to slippery to hold for long…” She had yet to sit down and take time to deal with all her shattered relationships. Since it all fell apart when she was still a small girl she’s been locked, for the most part, into survival mode.

Celeste realized a comfortable place to call home was important but knowing where those passages went could be life and death down the road. She would need to explore both and needed light. She did have a small oil lamp she’d made from a tiny bottle. She kept it with her so pulled it out now and lit it carefully. 🕯️First she peeked into the passage on the right and saw, amazingly, that it appeared to be a slide going down towards light and the faint sound of water lapping. “Hmm,” Celeste thought, “down to the river..” The left passage was fairly level and went a ways out before the light faded in the distance. Which one first?? 

“Wee!”, Celeste giggled as she slid down towards the water on the ribbon-like slide. She’d set all her possessions down in her new home and taken the opportunity to be silly a bit. Yes, she knew the water below was beyond filthy but it was water nonetheless and a good dunking might be nice. She’d hold her breath and close her eyes as she went under..