The Dreams We Have

Emily slipped into the crisp sheets, which straightened to perfection that morning. She arranged her head on the pillow and drifted to sleep, the muffled sounds of her parents' hostile fighting sinking into the back of her mind. 

Panting echoed around the cavern walls, filling the moist air eerily. Emily's hands pressed against the slimy surface behind her. Her vision was blurry because of the mist floating around in the cave, though she could still make out the crystal blue pool in the middle of the cavern. One thing Emily's puzzled mind could not make out was a fiery red blob in the middle of the pool, on what looked like a stone pedestal. Though Emily’s senses were tainted with bewilderment, she felt a strong urge to step into the pool,  and touch the red shape.

Common sense screamed inside Emily as her hands left the slimy wall. Cold chills sped up Emily's spine as she stepped into the pool. The icy water soaked the bottom of her pajama pants. She reached out to touch the red blob, which she can now tell was a crystal. When her fingertip’s brushed against the surface of the precious stone, Emily felt a strange warmth consuming her body, despite the freezing water she was in.

A deep rumbling filled the cavern.  The ground began to tremble, drops of liquid fell from stalactites above, and the water became tumultuous. Then a deafening explosion erupted. Emily was plunged into total darkness.