A quiet desert cave

You feel the heat of the relentless sun burning down on you, each step on your aching legs agony, each breath feels like sandpaper on your dried tongue. As you approach the dark, forboding entrace to the cave before you it seems like a dark maw that swallows the light and the heat of the desert. You wonder what dangers might lie within, but desperation pushes you forward. You take a deep breath and step into the shadows.
As your eyes adjust to the darkness, you see a faint glimmer of light at the other end of the tunnel's entrance. It seems far away, like a distant star in the night sky. You walk cautiously, exhausted, feeling the sand crunch softly under your feet.
Suddenly, you see a beam of sunlight piercing through a hole in the rock ceiling. It illuminates the cave with a dim twilight, revealing more details of the interior. The cave is almost circular, the walls made of red stones that have been eroded by time and wind. They form a rough, weathered circle, larger than some mansions. You marvel at the ancient beauty of this place, wondering who or what created it. You gasp as you see the floor covered with soft sand that sparkles like gold. It feels gentle under your feet, unlike the coarse and rough sand of the desert ouside . You hear the faint splashing of water, and you follow the sound to the edge of the cave. There, you find a small pond of crystal clear water, fed by a small stream that runs over the red rocks, it's quiet gurgling almost lost to the howling desert winds. The water reflects the sunlight, a shimmering dance of mesmerising colors that calms the mind. You feel a surge of joy and wonder, and you can’t help but smile. The first taste of the water is like liquid fire that burns your throat, the second a moment of pure, brilliant coldness - the third is liquid bliss. Hastily you drink your fill and a quiet laugh escapes you, dancing away into the twilight. You let yourself fall down in the soft, warm sand that cushions your fall and close your eyes.
As tired as you are, you don’t notice the sand moving, creeping ever closer. You don’t hear the low growl that echoes in the cave. You don’t see the creature rise silently from the sand, the soft, golden grains cascading down its chitinious body. You don't realize that you were not alone all this time - and you never will.

Maps

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  A quiet desert cave

Type

Cave