3037 Read Online Free Page B

looking for my skywheel during the day before I realized something was off.  For one thing, all I had to do when I felt hungry was wish I had a certain food and it would appear.”
         I stood up and began pacing the cave, “Are you trying to tell me this cave has some sort of magical powers?”
         “It’s more than that, Ashley.  It’s actually a living thing and will not let you go once it has bonded with you.  You woke up this morning wishing you had a cup of coffee, am I right.”
         “Yes, everything I wished I had was on the table including the table and chairs.”
         “I’m sure they had the saying in your time, ‘be careful what you wish for?’  That saying is very true here.  Try not to want anything.  I’ve learned to eat off the trees and bushes surrounding the cave.
         “I keep thinking that if I depend on it less and less, then I can eventually leave.”
         I had a hard time taking in what she was saying, “If it gives you everything you want, why do you want to leave?  From what I’ve seen of the rest of this place, this is better than out there where you have to get stuff implanted into your brain.”
         “It doesn’t matter what’s out there, Ashley.  A prison is a prison.”
         “What happens if you do try to leave?  It lets you go outside.”
         “Yes it does and at first I didn’t understand that I couldn’t leave.  It will let me leave for a little while but then brings me back.  The first time I tried to leave I saw all the people walking around with shaved heads.  When I tried to approach one of them, I blacked out and the next thing I knew, I was back here.
         “That’s why I was so glad to meet Joe.  He was the first person I was able to talk to since I’ve been here.”
         “Do you know how long you’ve been here?”
         “At least a hundred years.”
         “Is it going to let me leave?”
         “I don’t know, Ashley.  Now that you’ve accepted it’s hospitality it might not.”
         I was suddenly furious, “You know, I heard you last night as I was going to sleep promise it that you would deliver me if it would let you go. 
         “How could you do that?  I thought you were being kind when you asked me to spend the night, but you weren’t being kind, you were being selfish.”
         “No, I was being desperate.  I don’t know if it will let me leave even if it keeps you.   We’ll see when you try to leave.  I’m going to try to leave with you.”
         I began to feel panicky but just as soon as I began to feel that , all of a sudden I was calmer than I had ever been in my life.  This living cave was very seductive.
         Then I thought of something I hadn’t considered before now, “Do you think it can hear our plans.  Maybe we should discuss this outside.”
         She shook her head, “It probably wouldn’t matter.  Whether or not it can hear our plans, it will keep us if it wants.”
         I walked to the entrance of the cave intending to see if I could leave when I saw Joe coming up the hill toward the cave entrance.
         He saw me and waved.  I waved back and felt like he had touched me.  This connection we had seemed to be getting stronger.
         Irene invited him inside and she fixed tea for us all.  It had a minty flavor but with a touch of clove and I loved it.  I hadn’t noticed her brewing it but it didn’t surprise me that it was suddenly there.
         I decided to tell Joe about the cave but the cave wouldn’t let me.  As soon as I said, “This cave…” I felt like my throat was stuffed with cotton.
         “Let it go,” Irene said and I pictured in my mind the cotton leaving my throat and almost immediately my throat cleared.
         Once again Joe took my hand and turned it over and lightly ran a couple of fingers over my wrist and once again I gasped.
         I wish I