Riley's Journey by P.L. Parker, Sandra Edwards

intrusion into his life and went out of his way to make her feel welcome and needed, and if ever a man needed a companion, he did.
    Nathan had fashioned a shelf for her parents’ picture, and other than her one pair of modern day panties, it was the only possession she had. He had helped her sew another pair of leather leggings and several soft tunics. On one occasion, they had made felt, laughing and talking as they walked and walked. Nathan had hummed a tune and they had even danced on the felt for awhile. Demon had viewed the whole incident with bored disgust, yawning and finally snoozing while they played.
    Nathan proved to be an excellent hunter and fisherman and there was always sufficient food on the table. In the deep recesses of the cave, Nathan had stored dried vegetables and meats for the winter, but Riley looked forward to warmer weather and the addition of some fresh fruits and vegetables to the daily fare. She learned that although they were in the midst of an ice age, they were far enough south that the seasons did come and plant life was abundant during the warmer months. It would be interesting to see if she could identify the vegetation.
    Nathan left one morning to hunt, faithful Demon at his side, leaving Riley to fend for herself. With nothing else to do, she decided to investigate the deeper recesses of the cave. Nathan had indicated there was an escape tunnel that exited out from the spring room, and she decided now was as good a time as any to investigate. A quick inspection did not reveal the location but by careful scrutiny and well placed raps with a wooden mallet, she was finally able to locate the opening. Nathan had concealed the opening with another cleverly designed door, rolling on wooden casters like the door to the inner room of the cave. She forced the door open and peered down into the dark. Not eager to explore without some sort of illumination, she found some tallow candles and lit one from the fireplace. A slight breeze wafted through the tunnel, and she had to cup her hand around the candle’s flame to prevent it being blown out.
    Riley stepped into the naturally formed tunnel, walking carefully on the uneven floor. The tunnel was claustrophobic. Riley barely had room to stand up, and the tunnel itself was extremely narrow. Anyone much taller than Nathan would be hard pressed to move through the tunnel easily. The candle cast a weak glow in the dark—shadows danced eerily on the rock walls. Riley’s imagination went wild. Nathan had assured her that the tunnel was empty of animal life, but in case it wasn’t, she didn’t want to be the first to make such a discovery. Dying of heart failure so young wasn’t on her present agenda. Her mind conjured up the image of the monstrous bear, now lurking in the shadows. She found reassurance in the fact that it was doubtful he could have fit into the confines of the tunnel, though other creatures might not have the same problem.
    She gingerly made her way along the slightly angling downgrade, keeping her eye out for anything slithery or slimy that might be waiting in ambush. If the size of the bear was any indication, she didn’t want to encounter any spiders or snakes, if there happened to be any in here.
    Skittering sounds broke the silence and spider webs caught in her hair as she moved forward, her skin crawling with visions of the imagined occupants. Obviously, Nathan didn’t use this outlet on a regular basis and anything could have gotten in. Water dripped down the walls along the way, making the pathway not only uneven, but slick as well and she had to concentrate to keep her footing.
    After what seemed like an eternity, she finally arrived at what she believed was the outer door. A quick check of the door proved once again that Nathan had used wooden casters and the door could be opened quickly if needed. Since she was unsure of what might be lurking on the other side, she opted to forego opening the door for another day. She