Poolside Prophecies

The campus pool area vibrated with music from the wall-mounted speakers. It had been rented for the day by a few fraternities and sororities, marking the end of exams and the beginning of summer with a lively party. College students of all ages filled the space, surrounded by simple decorations strewn across the room. In one corner, a special attraction beckoned attendees—an elegantly dressed fortune teller stationed at a circular table. Cloaked in maroon linen, the table showcased a lavender-colored crystal ball, as she read palms and revealed insights with tarot cards.

Drew, Blair, and Kacey patiently waited in line for their turn to have their fortunes told. Engaging in conversation, they sipped their beers from red plastic cups. The line moved swiftly, and soon it was Drew’s chance to sit across from Madame Celeste. She predicted a future filled with true love and a life of happiness for him. Next up was Blair, who was promised wealth and a stable lifestyle. However, the atmosphere suddenly changed as Kacey approached the fortune teller.

Madame Celeste gripped Kacey’s hand firmly, her concerned eyes scanning the cards in her deck. With a sense of urgency, she placed three cards before Kacey—The Tower, The Moon, and The Devil. Confusion furrowed Kacey’s brow as she questioned, “What’s the matter?”

“There is great danger in your path,” Madame Celeste responded, carefully examining the cards. “An adventure awaits you, but it will be a chaotic one.”

“Kacey going on an adventure.” Drew burst into laughter, playfully placing a firm hand on Kacey’s shoulder. “We practically had to drag her here tonight. She hardly leaves her dorm or ventures beyond the safety of this campus.”

Kacey let out a sigh as she gazed at Madame Celeste. “He’s right. Adventure is not really my thing.”

Madame Celeste raised an eyebrow, running her hand over the three cards. “The cards never deceive.”

Blair chimed in from the other side of Kacey, adding, “It’s all just a bunch of nonsense anyway. None of this is real.”

“I understand your skepticism, but I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve never been mistaken,” Madame Celeste replied calmly.

Drew scoffed, “Sure, whatever you say. Thanks for the fun.”

The trio disposed of their cups and settled at the pool’s edge. Kacey tried to shake off the lingering thoughts from Madame Celeste’s words and chuckled. “Can you believe that?”

Blair chuckled along, shaking her head. “Most fortune tellers are a bit eccentric. I’m just glad it was a free reading. It was entertaining, to say the least.”

Drew nodded in agreement. “Yeah, they’re just scam artists preying on people who believe in that nonsense. They twist their words to make it sound believable.”

Kacey shrugged and suggested, “Why don’t we just forget about it and swim before the party ends?”

Blair nodded eagerly. “Yes, let’s enjoy ourselves.”

Drew, fueled by their enthusiasm, stood up and executed a cannonball into the pool, eliciting laughter from the girls. Following suit, they slipped into the water and swam around, playfully maneuvering through the other college partygoers. Eventually, they reached the deeper end of the pool, which was about 15 feet deep. As they swam, Kacey’s attention was drawn to a peculiar shape at the pool’s bottom.

Intrigued, she dove down and retrieved the object she had noticed. As she held it in her hand, a strange crescent-shaped item, it began to emit a vibrant blue glow. Her heart raced with a mixture of excitement and unease as she struggled to reach the surface. Once she emerged, Blair swam over with a concerned expression on her face.

“Are you okay?” Blair asked, her voice filled with worry.

Kacey lifted her hand, revealing the cream-colored claw with a few nicks on it. “I found this. It started glowing.”

“Glowing?” Blair questioned, her eyebrows furrowing. “Claws aren’t supposed to glow.”

Drew’s eyes widened with delight as he snatched the claw from Kacey’s hand. “Whoa! Where did you find this?”

“At the bottom of the pool,” Kacey replied.

Blair joined in, adding, “She mentioned that it glowed.”

Drew raised an eyebrow as he chuckled. “Maybe it’s a new kind of glow stick?”

He examined the claw, searching for any signs of functionality. Blair let out a sigh and remarked, “It doesn’t seem like a light-up device. There are no switches or buttons.”

Kacey reclaimed the claw from Drew’s grasp, a determined expression on her face. “Guys, it didn’t feel right down there. It felt like there was a pull or something.”

“We’re in a pool,” Drew scoffed.

“Not that kind of pull,” Kacey insisted, her eyes narrowing. “It felt like there was something down there that the claw was drawn to.”

“That’s odd,” Blair commented, nodding in agreement. “It’s just a regular college pool area. There shouldn’t be anything of significance down there.”

Kacey shook her head. “I’m going back down to investigate.”

Drew groaned. “But everyone’s heading to the block party.”

“We’ll catch up with you later,” Kacey assured him, and with determination, she dove back down to the bottom of the pool, where the claw once again began to emit its mysterious glow.

As Kacey reached the edge of the deep end, the claw suddenly ripped from her grasp, fitting itself into an oddly shaped hole. It spun rapidly, causing the wall to open, and water began to drain profusely from the pool. Once the process was complete, a doorway stood before the bewildered college students.

Drew was the first to find his voice, staring at the unexpected sight. “What did you just do?”

“I’m not sure,” Kacey mumbled, still in a state of disbelief.

Blair, ever curious, ventured forward and gestured for her friends to follow. “Come on, guys.”

Drew wasted no time and hurried after Blair, while Kacey hesitantly stepped through the doorway, ensuring to retrieve the discarded claw from the ground. The trio continued along the passageway, with each step illuminating torches mounted on the stone walls. Midway through, they arrived at a cavern that split into two different paths.

“Which way should we go?” Blair asked, surveying the options.

“This way!” Drew pointed confidently to the left before hesitating and slowly changing his direction to the right. “Or perhaps this way.”

Kacey stepped forward, holding the claw in front of her, indicating each path. Blair tilted her head and inquired, “What are you doing?”

“The claw led us here. Maybe it can guide us to whatever lies ahead,” Kacey suggested.

“I hope it leads us to some kind of treasure, like in The Goonies!” Drew exclaimed, excitement evident on his face.

“Calm down,” Blair cautioned. “We have no idea what awaits us, and it’s likely any treasure has already been taken by previous explorers.”

“Ugh, you’re no fun.”

Kacey cautiously approached the two passageways, and once again, the claw emitted a glowing light, leading them to the right path. They followed its guidance, relying on the glowing claw to navigate their way through the cavern. The journey initially felt safe and straightforward, but as they delved deeper, they encountered a significant obstacle—a wide gap. Three separate columns with flat circular tops were the only means of crossing to the other side. Drew retrieved a torch from the wall and leaned over the edge, attempting to gauge the depth of the gap.

“That’s quite a drop,” Drew muttered, stepping back from the edge.

Kacey swallowed nervously and suggested, “Maybe we should turn back.”

Blair shook her head determinedly. “We’ve come too far to give up now.”

“But we could die,” Kacey countered.

Drew nodded in agreement. “I’m usually up for an adventure, but this seems excessively risky.”

Blair rolled her eyes, dismissing their concerns. With a confident smirk, she hopped onto the first rock formation, effortlessly maneuvering her way to the last two before reaching the other side. Raising her arms triumphantly, she called back to Kacey and Drew, “Come on, you two. It’s not as difficult as it seems.”

Drew glanced at Kacey before deciding to take the leap of faith, joining Blair safely on the other side. From there, they encouraged Kacey to follow suit. Peering anxiously over the edge, Kacey took a deep breath before leaping onto the first column. With a determined focus, she made it to the second column, but on the third jump, her footing slipped, causing her to tumble to the ground. The claw slipped from her grasp, bouncing and rolling perilously close to the edge of the column. Aware that the claw was their guide through the treacherous cavern, Kacey swiftly scurried towards it, managing to snatch it just before it teetered over the edge, disappearing into the abyss below.

Kacey could hear her friends let out a collective gasp, and Blair anxiously asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Kacey assured them, standing up and brushing off the dirt from her bruised legs and arms.

With relief flooding their expressions, her friends enveloped her in a tight hug after she joined them on the other side. Drew spoke, his voice filled with genuine concern, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Thank you,” Kacey replied. “I just hope whatever awaits us in here is worth it.”

Blair’s determination resurfaced as she declared, “There’s only one way to find out.” She turned towards the next part of their adventure, leading the way.

The trio continued their journey, each step fueling a growing curiosity. They couldn’t help but wonder if this cave would ever end; it seemed to stretch on for ages, and none of them knew how much time had elapsed since they entered. After a bit more walking, the claw in Kacey’s hand began to glow brightly once again, reminiscent of its glow in the pool. They arrived at a doorway obstructed by two magnificent statues resembling phoenixes. Drew ran his hand gently over the left statue and marveled, “These are incredible.”

“I wonder how long they’ve been here,” Blair pondered aloud, studying the intricate details of the statues.

Kacey moved closer, her eyes fixed on the right phoenix. She noticed that it was missing a claw, and a realization struck her—she held the missing piece in her hand. Carefully, she inserted the claw into the statue, and like magic, the phoenixes parted, revealing the doorway for the three of them.

Drew couldn’t contain his excitement any longer and dashed through the opening, exclaiming, “This is so amazing!”

Before anyone could react, a spear shot out from a hidden compartment in the wall, narrowly missing Drew’s head and embedding itself in the nearby wall. Frozen in shock, Drew stared at the deadly projectile just inches away from him. Blair approached cautiously, her eyes scanning the floor. “I guess we really need to watch our step. Who knows how many traps are lurking here.”

Drew nodded, his senses heightened as he remained on high alert for any further dangers. The three proceeded down the hallway with the utmost caution, passing by the unfortunate remains of previous explorers who had fallen victim to the treacherous path. As they reached the end of the hall, their attention was drawn to vibrantly painted walls adorned with depictions of Greek gods, mythical creatures, and enigmatic symbols. In the center stood a weathered, cracked pillar of off-white stone, supporting a majestic vase with intricate gold and black designs. The patterns on the vase mirrored those on the wall, suggesting its significance.

Eager to seize the treasure, Drew reached out to grab the vase, but Blair swiftly intervened, preventing his hand from making contact. He let out a frustrated sigh, demanding, “Why did you stop me?”

Rolling her eyes, Blair retorted, “Have you ever seen Indiana Jones or any other adventure movie? Taking treasure usually leads to trouble.”

Kacey nodded in agreement. “She’s right. We’ve already encountered traps in this place. The last thing we need is to trigger a massive boulder that crushes us.”

Drew’s shoulders slumped in resignation. “You both make valid points, but finding treasure was supposed to be the highlight of this adventure. We could have been rich.”

Blair crossed her arms, unwavering in her stance. “Not if we’re dead.”

Frustrated, Drew muttered, “This is disappointing. What was the point of coming here then?”

Kacey sighed, feeling the weight of their predicament. “I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s worth risking our safety. We should leave.”

Agreeing with Kacey’s cautious approach, Blair added, “She’s right. Let’s not tempt fate any further. It’s time to go.”

Kacey and Blair nodded in agreement, their hearts pounding with adrenaline as they quickly retraced their steps through the hall and back to the main cavern. However, as they hurried along, the entire cavern began to tremble violently, showering them with falling debris from the shaking ceiling. Startled, they turned to see Drew clutching the vase with a mixture of surprise and mischief in his eyes. With a sheepish grin, he exclaimed, “Oops.”

Without wasting another moment, the trio sprinted through the cavern, desperately trying to remember the correct paths they had taken earlier. When they reached the three rock columns once again, the structures appeared significantly less stable than before. Blair confidently leaped across with agility, while Kacey followed closely behind, feeling the columns sway beneath her weight. Drew, burdened by the precious but ill-fated vase, made his leap last. As he landed on the final rock formation, it began to tilt and crumble, threatening to plunge him into the abyss. In a split-second decision, Drew prioritized his own safety and threw the vase into the air, narrowly catching the edge of the cliff to prevent himself from falling.

Meanwhile, Blair and Kacey instinctively lunged forward, extending their arms to rescue Drew rather than saving the elegant vase. The terracotta clay vessel plummeted to the ground, shattering into countless pieces upon impact. There was no time to dwell on the loss as they pulled Drew up, relieved to have him back on solid ground.

Drew’s face fell as he gazed at the broken fragments of the vase, disappointed by the missed opportunity. Blair grabbed his upper arm firmly, urging him to stand up, and led the way toward the hall. The three sprinted relentlessly, their legs carrying them as fast as they could until they finally arrived back at the bottom of their college pool. Behind them, the doorway was sealed by a mound of rubble, effectively closing off any chance of returning.

Drew slumped down, burying his face in his hands, his voice filled with remorse. “We were so close.”

Blair’s frustration boiled over as she smacked his shoulder, scolding him, “You almost got us killed!”

“I’m sorry, but...” he sighed. “I just thought it would be nice to have extra money for tuition and an epic story to tell.”

Kacey knelt beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “We still have something invaluable, something that money can’t buy. We have our shared experience, the bond we formed through this incredible journey.”

He nodded, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes, and slowly rose to his feet. Blair, unable to contain her amusement, let out a hearty laugh. “I can’t believe it, but that fortune teller was right.”

“I guess the cards really don’t lie.” A bittersweet smile graced Kacey’s face as she nodded in agreement. “We may not have tangible proof, but we hold the truth within us, forever.”

With a renewed sense of appreciation for the memories they had created, the trio shared a knowing look, silently acknowledging the unbreakable connection they forged on their extraordinary adventure. As they turned to walk away from the covered doorway, a sense of fulfillment settled in their hearts, knowing that their tale would forever remain etched in their minds.