The Blue Cave

Legends & Fairytales

Standalone episode — no prior listening required. 

Seven minutes in the depths of the Blue Cave.
Driven by pain that has followed her for so long, she enters a place few dare approach — a cave whispered to devour the minds of those who walk too far within it. 

In the cold blue tunnels where light should not exist, the stone seems to listen, and the path itself begins to question her resolve. Voices of doubt creep into her thoughts, urging her to turn back, to surrender, to accept that some trials were never meant to be overcome.

A quiet tale of endurance against a place that tests not the body, but the will to remain oneself, where the greatest danger may be the thoughts the cave awakens.

Transcript

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Presenter 0:02

You are listening to Stories from Väruld. In this episode, the Blue Cave.

Narrator 0:18

She removed her backpack and sat down. Her legs expressed their joy as she stretched them out on the cool floor of the cave. They were tired and stiff. She had been walking for a long time. Too long, maybe. She found some bread and dried meat in the bag and chewed on it. Her appetite wasn't there, though her body should have been screaming for food. It was the cave's doing, her loss of hunger. As for the other changes, if she hadn't put down on paper what she was about to do in there, she would have probably been dead by now. Dead or lost or out of her mind. The cave was a challenge that few could handle. Those who had met its demands had come out enlightened and healthy, but also quiet about what had happened to them. There were stories about what the Blue Cave obliged from its visitors, for them to be worthy of its powers. But none of them originated from those who survived. If they didn't remember or didn't want to tell, she didn't know. Whatever they had been through, none of them had ever revealed anything. She had searched the stories to find the key to getting back safely, but found none. One was rich, another poor. Where one was sick, another was healthy. One woman came out enlightened, and another lost her mind. Two twin brothers went in, one was successful, the other not. Out of five brave adventurers, two never returned. And the other three most likely returned like ghosts and out of their minds. One in about twenty came back out with the mission accomplished. She had never been able to figure out what they did that made them special. She had walked into the blue cave without a clue if she had the right qualifications. All she had was a firm determination and the stories told of those driven insane. And they were concordant on one thing. The cave ate their minds. There was always light, though there should have been complete darkness down in the mountain. The blue walls were spooky. Creaking, clicking sound made her think that the tunnels would crumble and fall, burying her. And then these mind-nagging emotions overwhelmed her from time to time, causing her to question everything, even her right to exist. She did her best not to listen. She looked at the paper where she had both written and drawn images to illustrate that her mission was to regain her health. She hoped to find something or someone in there that would take her pain away, to make her well again. It was nothing noble, nothing that had to do with saving others. No sacrifice made. Just her and her well-being. She put her hands over her ears in a vain effort to keep the nagging from the cave out. She had the right to try, she reminded herself. She had the right to exist. She was worthy of a life without solid pain on all days. She was not worthless. She rolled up like a ball until she realized that it just made it worse. Instead, she jumped to her feet, her back turned to where she came from, and continued her journey further into the blue cave. Her only chance was to move further inside. If she stopped and started to listen, even just to keep the voice out, she was doomed. If she were going to keep the cave from poisoning her mind, she could not even allow herself to acknowledge that there was a voice. It was just solid rock. Things are what do you make of them? She reminded herself. The pain in her body screamed and forced her down on her knees. It was more intense than it had ever been. Good. It reminded her of her quest and made her even more dedicated. The pain had been her companion for most of her adult life. She rose to her feet and let out a long breath. The pain was just pain. It could be controlled and contained. She put one foot in front of the other, forcing herself to walk forward. Perhaps those who came out sane and enlightened did so because they had the sanity to give up, she thought. Without thinking, she cast an eye over her shoulder and saw a much friendlier tunnel. She shut her eyes firmly and turned her head forward. Giving up had never been encouraged. Weak people gave up. Stubborn people bang their heads against doors that will never open. The cave echoed her thoughts. Obstinate people do, she replied, but I'm smart. Smart people find ways to open the doors. The pain rushed through her body as fire, laming her. She fell to the floor. The coolness felt comfortable as a bed, and she had to force herself up to her knees, crawling forward. Did the cave start to lean over? Was she climbing? She looked around and saw the path as a steep hillside behind her. A foot slipped, causing a small stone to fall in what was now a shaft. Her hands were about to grab for a hold that did not exist on the flat floor when she closed her eyes, keeping her palms firmly to the ground and continued to crawl. The surface under her changed. The tickling of grass was unmistakable. She opened her eyes. The cave was behind her. She had just crawled out of its opening. Confused, she rose and looked at the bluish opening in the mountainside. She had returned with her mind intact. And, she realized, without the pain.

Presenter 7:37

Thank you for listening to Stories from Väruld. In the next episode, Ghost Story from Alsukhur .