The Cruel Crevice

Diana looked down the large crevice that was in the middle of the woods. Luscious green plants, multicolored mosses, and thick vines clung to each side of the rock walls. Tiny beetles and gnats flew around, glittering in the shadows. The sun was setting, so it’s light couldn’t reach the crevice. Despite this, the crevice still had a but of light, as some plants and bugs were bioluminescent. They had a gentle blue, purple, and green glows.

To think that such a crevice filled with beautiful life had become a symbol of horrid death to her and her new homeland.

She tugged on her harness and the rope that was attached to a large tree one more time. She couldn’t risk falling to her doom. “It’s tight enough, alright. Now to go down.” She stepped closer to the edge, and hesitated.

All who had tried to climb down the crevice to see what was beyond in the darkness had never lived to tell the tale. Even the best of climbers had met their fate down there. One man who had went with his friend to keep and eye on him, had said that their rope had snapped, and he had fallen to his doom.

So why risk going down there?

Because I need to see if my hunch is right, and I need to stop this madness!

She rubbed the necklace she was wearing. Her necklace was made of a silver chain, and it had a green butterfly pendant on it. As long as I have this necklace, I’ll be fine. 

She took a deep breath, and started climbing down, 

  down,

   down,

     down.

She hugged the rock face, carefully finding as many handholds and footholds as possible.

After climbing down for a couple of minutes, she stopped. Something was on a rock ledge near her. “Is that…a tiny house?”

It was.

It was a tiny cottage made out of yellow moss, with a blue and green mossy roof. It had a tiny brown door with a tiny brass knob. It even had too windows with shutters out of tree bark.

She climbed further down and saw another tiny cottage. And another, and another. Each one was different. Each one was beautiful.

These must be the houses that her neighbors were talking about. They had mentioned legends of tiny houses in the woods that were homes to spirits. Some even believed that the spirits were the ones responsible for the unexplainable deaths of those who went near the Cruel Crevice.

But Diana knew better. These houses were not the homes of spirits. They were—

Snap!

Her rope jerked.

What in the world was that?

She looked up. At first, it looked like a hummingbird was fluttering near her rope. But after watching it more closely, it became clear that it was not a hummingbird at all. It was a pixie. A pixie with a small saw, sawing away at her new rope.

Snap, snap!

More rope strands broke.

Diana’s eyes widened. “Don’t you dare!”

The pixie looked at her for a moment, as if considering her demand. But then she went right back to sawing, smirking the whole time.

Snap!

The half of the rope still attached to her harness fell.

Diana hugged the rock ledge, and glared at the pixie. “Seriously? Well, fortunately for me, I can climb pretty well, even without my—”

The pixie pulled flew closer to the rock face and waved her hands in the air. Within seconds, rocks and debris fell on Diana, and the rock handholds and footholds she had disintegrated.

Dang it!

Wind whistled in Diana’s ears and her cloak billowed as she fell,

 fell,

   fell.

Diana rolled her eyes. Way to expose yourself, buddy. She touched her butterfly pendant, and green light flashed around. 

She ascended.

The pixie stared at her in shock.

Diana smirked as she flapped her big, emerald butterfly wings. “That’s right. You’re not the only one who can fly.”