For my summer job, I work in a cave. No bats, no monsters, no "ghost legends" but scary just the same. There is a reason that none of the tour guides will go down there by themselves. There are the common incidents in the cave. The sudden change in the noise of the river: one minute it is rushing underneath you, drowning out your voice, the next it is a barely audible whisper of a stream footsteps sound beside you, although there is no room for two people to walk double. The sound of child laughter behind you so real you turn to see who it is. (When there is no child near you or on your tour). This happens when you have a tour down there. When you are not alone. The minute the entrance is no longer visible, the whole atmosphere changes. Your senses are heightened: you hear ever little noise, you see every little movement. The blood begins to pound in your head. You are intent on one purpose: getting the job done and scampering out as quickly as possible. You have no idea the sense of utter aloneness this can give you. No one would come for a scream: no one could hear you. Your only company is the breath that vaporizes in front of you and the darkness! Darkness so thick an absolute that even if It came up to you face to face, you would know It only by the breath on your cheek. The sounds, oh yes, the sounds are the worst. With each drip of the water, your ears listen harder; your hearing becomes keener. Your eyes dart to one noise and then to another and to another until you cannot bring yourself to look anywhere but on the path you walk. But your ears still work and each drip is louder than the last. And each time your mind asks if that is what it really was. Then you begin to hear what isn't there. Each sound is a thing, as tangible as your fear. Your breath shortens and your heart beats faster. Resisting the urge to scream (because it won't do you any good), your step quickens, you verge on running, you see the exit, the air warms, and you rush out, thankful to be done, glad to have left the cold, the darkness, and the sounds.
