The Cave Exploration: A Father and Son Adventure
Chapter 1: The Cave (1995)
It was a clear afternoon as Michael and his father, John, explored a remote cave nestled within a mountain hamlet. The seven-hour drive and 45-minute uphill trek had been rewarded with breathtaking scenery, a stark contrast to the cave’s damp, dark, and slippery interior. John, a caver by profession, wore the necessary attire: sturdy trousers, a fleece jacket, a helmet with a headlamp, high boots, and a backpack filled with supplies, including ropes and extra flashlights. Michael accompanied him on this expedition to study and classify rocks.
“I think we shouldn’t have taken this route,” Michael complained. “It’s much darker and narrower than the other one.”
John glanced at his watch. “It would have taken us an hour and a half longer the other way. We only have 35 minutes before we need to head back. The sun waits for no one, and we can’t return to the car without natural light.”
“Well, let’s hurry,” Michael grumbled. “I’m freezing, and all for some stupid rocks…” he muttered under his breath.
“Did you say something, son?”
“No, Dad!” Michael quickly denied, mentally chiding himself for his careless words.
Suddenly, John’s voice filled with excitement. “Son, come quickly! This is incredible!”
John pointed to some arrowheads embedded in the cave wall. “Look at these! We must be the first people to ever see them. Judging by the carvings, they could be from the Paleolithic era, when arrowheads were often carved from bone.”
“I don’t know much about the Paleolithic,” Michael admitted, “but I doubt we’re the first to see them…unless Neanderthals had video cameras.”
Michael held up a camera he had found lying on the cave floor. “See? Not the first.”
John examined the camera, a puzzled expression on his face. “That’s odd. Why would they leave their camera and arrowheads behind?”
“Maybe they dropped the camera accidentally,” Michael suggested.
John stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Perhaps…but this cavern has a lot of echoes. A dropped camera would have made quite a noise.”
