Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Tennessee, Earth - Home Sweet Home

Posted by Civilian Micah Pikelsimer (Federation Security Agent) in Tennessee, Earth - Home Sweet Home

Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Tennessee, Earth - Home Sweet Home
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Micah grinned and said “Oh, I think you’ll like this a lot. Follow me. It’ll get narrow, but just for a bit, ok?” He took a deep breath and then jack-knifed and dove under the water, heading straight down.

Inhaling deeply and feeling her lungs expand but not to their fullest, Shara dove under the water, following Micah with both eager anticipation and wariness. Why the wariness though? She trusted Micah completely in a way that was unusual, even unnatural, for her.

The water was as clear as any, and the sunlight filtered down about forty feet before gloom overtook them. Suddenly, a light flared, illuminating the water around them… Micah’s cybernetic hand shone a light from the palm like a flashlight. There, in the shadowy sides of the poll’s border, was a dark opening. Without hesitation, Micah surged forward and into it, illuminating a tunnel about six feet wide in all directions. It went for about twenty feet and then angled up. Micah, still underwater, looked back at Shara and smiled and pointed above him. The surface was visible, but dark past the border between water and air.

Micah

The weird feeling was back, but trusting Micah, she pulled herself along and into the the tunnel. An underground cavern was her guess at this point and that meant breathable air. She nodded to him so he knew she was alright and continued to follow, aiming for the surface.

~Shara Calloway

Micah broke the surface and kept the light down for Shara. As she surfaced he held the light up. It illuminated a natural cavern. A dark opening in the far back of the cavern sent the faint noise of the waterfall into their space. As Micah wordlessly shone the light around, drawings could be seen on the walls… old drawings. Probably from ancient Indigenous peoples. They covered the walls and ceiling and depicted hunting and communal life.

Shara took in the surroundings with curiosity and a touch of awe. There was something beautiful about the drawings that resonated with her. Maybe it was the resemblance to a life she had known before and loved, or maybe it was the core root of being connected to a people that had dwelled here so long ago. “They’re beautiful,” she whispred, almost afraid to disturb the place. It almost felt wrong to be here and she couldn’t explain exactly why.

“Chickasaw, I think. I’ve shown pictures to folks who research things like this and thats what the majority have said, anyways. Found this place when I was about twelve. Didn’t tell nobody… not till today, anyways. But if I ever up and vanish? If I was able to, I’ll be right here.” and he moved to the side and climbed out of the water. He moved to the side of the cavern and found a large black case which he drug out from behind a rock. Opening it, he pulled out a fusion lantern and activated it, filling the cavern with light. He shut off his palm light and then pulled out two jars of clear liquid and a mesh bag. He looked at Shara and smiled. “For tonight.”

Micah

Still treading water, Shara smirked at him. “You keep the ‘shine out here?” she said, clearly amused. “Worried someone’s gonna hunt your land and steal it?”

~Shara

Micah smiled at her and said “This ain’t your ordinary shine, woman. This-” and he gestured to the bottles and the case, “- is the last batch my daddy made. I was.... oh… six? Seven? No one’s ever been able to match it, and I only bust it out for very special occasions. I think you bein’ here qualifies.” and he winked at her. “And everybody ‘round here knows better than come to this land looking fer anything unless they have clear and concise permission. If my neighbors don’t get ‘em, my surprises sure will.” and he moved and sat down. “You comin’ out? Or do I have to come in and get ya?”

Micah

Shara wasn’t shy about being naked, she was entirely unashamed of her bare body and its indicators of age, exposure to weather and hard training, and childbearing. But there was something odd about sitting about naked in a cave. But then again, Micah inspired all sorts of unexpected actions on her part and so she silently swam over to the side where he had gotten out and, bracing her hands on the rock, she pushed upwards, lifting her body straight out of the water in a smooth and strong motion, turning at the end to sit on the edge. She spun her bent knees and drew her legs fully out of the water and then moved closer to Micah. Sitting in front of him. The temperature was pleasant in the cave though it took her body a moment to adjust, leaving prickled skin on her arms.

~Shara

Micah watched her leave the water, unabashedly following her form with his eyes. He moved so that she was directly in front of him and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him so her back was to his chest. They sat in silence for a few moments and then he said “I don’t know why I want to show you my life. But I do, an’ that makes me leery. But the thought of not showing you makes me sick to my stomach. You’re important to me… in a way I can’t really describe.” His voice was calm, even… matter-of-fact. But there was a sense of something else… not hesitation… but that his words were carefully chosen. That care was being given to her as he tried to say what was on his mind.

Micah