Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Update: Keppa and the Cave

Kheppa and the Cave © story adaption by Steven Hickcox

Chapter 1

Reaching his outstretched hand towards the warm, wet air above the hot spring, Kheppa wondered to himself if this is what sunlight might feel like. Kheppa continued to squat on the large flat rock, listening to the sound of water flowing as it echoed through the cave, and thinking about the stories Papa has told him about the outside. "When I was smaller than you, I would run between the shadows of trees into the bright, warm sunlight, hearing the echoes of laughter of my brothers closing behind me in a game of chase. We'd climb the branches to pick the ripest fruit and sit under the shade.” Papa would go on about how delicious the fruit tasted and Kheppa tried to imagine what it would be like to taste such sweetness. Kheppa then picked a mushroom from a nearby rock after reminding himself what he had been sent out to do and his mother would be expecting him back soon.

So he began to fill his pouch with mushrooms that grew on large, flat rocks near the hot spring. As he ran his fingers across one of the rocks, feeling for the mushrooms in the darkness, he was startled by the sound of breathing near him, but nobody called out to him. Kheppa stood motionless with all his senses keen to the strange presence. "Who's there?" he cried out.


"I am the dweller of this cave," hissed a voice. "Who are you and why are you in my cave?"


Kheppa did not move or make a sound, wishing that he was back with his family on the other side of the cave. After several seconds had past, his voice finally cracked, "I, I am Kheppa and I was born in this cave."


"Ahhh," replied the stranger. "So you've only known the darkness."


Kheppa, letting his guard down, proudly replied, "…but my grandfather has told me about the sunlight beyond this cave. He says that one day he hopes I will see it too."


"Indeed," cackled the stranger, followed by a moment of silence. "Well, you have taken something that belongs to me and I want it back."


Kheppa held the leather pouch close to his body, "My mother sent me to gather mushrooms. She is waiting for me to bring these back to her."


"Hmmm…I see," hissed the stranger. "Since you have been brave, I will let you take what is mine, but do not come back here unless you have something useful you can give to me in return," replied the stranger.

A faint whistle from off into the distance of the dark cave had Kheppa's feet fast into the air as he leaped from stone to stone until he reached the ground. "Thank you, mister, but I must go now," he shouted back towards the stranger as ran in the direction of the whistle.


Chapter 2

"You were out too long!" cried Kheppa's mother. "You know that it is dangerous to be alone in the cave for very long."

"Yes, mother," replied Kheppa, whose heart was racing from the strange encounter and the fear of upsetting his mother.

"Let us eat now." Kheppa's gra