Clack *clack*. Clack *clackclack*. The sound of pebble hitting rock reverberated in the darkness, the time between echoes suggesting a larger space than I expected. At least the room sounded unobstructed by debris. I swallowed, throat dry. It had been hours since I lost my group during the cave tour and I left my bottle of water in the car, and, of course, the battery in my lantern had died twenty minutes ago, so I had to feel and hear my way around in the darkness. The prehistoric paintings in one of the lower caverns we visited had held my attention as I marveled at the artworks my ancestors created tens of thousands of years ago, before a collapse two rooms back cut off the easy way inside. The paintings described the people's hunts and the passing of seasons. Their world was so different from our own, yet so recognisable. One painting had stood out to me in particular. A creature with a human upper body and deer-like legs, and what seemed like branches sprouting from its head. Compared to the other depictions of humans and animals here, this painting had finely detailed eyes, which, in the incessantly moving beams from the lanterns provided for us by the guide, seemed to observe these light-bearing visitors with great interest. I had stared into the eyes and when I turned around, my group had been gone, not a sound from them to be heard. I had started back the way from which I came, walking upslope to find my way back to the visitor centre. I must have missed a turn, because after a while, I found myself in a room the group hadn't passed through going in...walking down again. It was time to admit I was lost. If only I could find my way back to a room that was included in the tour, or near it at least, I could wait there until a guide came to find me. Someone would surely notice I was missing at the exit. Maybe they were looking for me already. I sat down to rest for a while, to come up with a plan. I shivered despite the extra sweater I wore, the cool underground air stirring slightly with a soft breeze. A breeze! Of course! There should be an opening somewhere, a place where I could get out of the darkness at least. I got up again, wet my finger in my mouth and tried to feel the direction the breeze came from. Clack *clackclack*. I went silent abruptly. I hadn't thrown another pebble. I held my breath, straining my ears, but all heard was the sound of blood rushing in my ears. Then came a whisper, a voice in a language I could not understand, yet grasped somehow, "Fear me not." "Hello? Who's there?" I felt around, throat clenched and breathing shallow, for something, anything, I could use to defend myself. "For I am the Earth and I am the space within." A tiny flame appeared across the cavern hall, blinding to my eyes after the absolute darkness of the cave. A tiny flame floating above a paw, casting its light on a terrible beast, its animal legs strong and covered in coarse fur. Their rump and arms unsettlingly human. "Fear me not. For I am you." Clack. *Clackclack*. The beast walked towards me. Clack. *Clackclack*. As it approached, I saw a broad face with an elongated jaw, unkempt strands of hair hanging down from the beast's head. "I am the Water and the Fire. I am Thunder and I am Light. Fear me not..." I stood locked in place, unable to move, to run. What else could I have done than tremble before this apparition? Then, it was upon me. "...for I am Death."