Philippa had ventured further than she ever had before. It felt illegal for her to be down this far within the cave system on a level she didn't belong. Was she even ready for this new territory? The first floor of the tunnels had given her a taste of what it was like to be amongst the rocks, avoiding the slime and its odd residents but Philippa felt bored now she'd explored all there was to see. Every lump of moss had begun to look the same and she was tired of wandering in circles, looking for a purpose to her life. The real adventure was down here. This is where it became serious. However, she was venturing through the unknown before. On one of her previous missions, she'd come across a friendly soul who was happy to be her guide. They were one of the same and she got on with him well. She was excited to learn more about him.

Eagerly, she stood by the entrance, weight shifting from hoof to hoof as she awaited his arrival. Her wait was short as Crispin arrived with a smile. "Hello again," he spoke, his voice low and calm. "Hi," Philippa replied, her tone matching his. They begin down the path side by side, making light chatter.

"It's lovely to see you again. How have you been?" Philippa started.

"I've been well, thank you. Keeping busy?"

"Oh, you know, this and that."

It continued in this polite manner, their hoofbeats matching one another's as they walked. Their tails swished occasionally, flicking away any unwanted passengers. It was warmer on this level than the first, causing Philippa to perspirate. Her thick mane began to stick to her neck and the tail swishing became more and more frequent in a dire attempt to stay cool. Beneath her hooves, the stone floor was radiating heat, pulsing up through her legs and rising her core temperature. The further they walked, the worse it got and, to make matters worse, a low smog dropped over them, making visibilty almost nothing. The floor disappeared as did the walls. Philippa had to trust Crispin and sheer luck to ensure she didn't walk into something. At first, she was hesitant, unsure of the unknown. What she thought was a boring, repetitive circle of nothingness upstairs was actually beginning to look rather comforting and she desperately wanted to crawl back and head home. Crispin, however, stood his ground, coaxing her forward.

"Come on, we can't stop now."

"Look, I'm sorry. I just think that I've pushed myself a little too far with all of this."

"You can't turn back now."

"I can."

"Well, yes, you could turn around but could you live with yourself if you did? You were the one who almost made it to level 3. Is that what you want to tell people when they ask why you haven't left level 1?"

"Well...I..." She was speechless and had no comeback to the point at hand.

"No no, that's fine. Let's turn around."

"No, wait...I..." She stood there for a minute, pondering her choices. "Let's keep going."

"That's more like it!"

His slightly bossy but encouraging nature had got the better of her and she continued forward through the heavy smoke, gingerly stepping forward. She was right to listen and it didn't take long for it all to drop lower, clearing the path at eyesight. She looked down, squinting to see if she could see the floor but it was so thick, everything that was below had disappeared from sight.

The pair rounded the next corner and a suprise greeted them as they did so. A large face emerged from the wall, red hot eyes blinking. Crispin and Philippa stared back, unknowing of how to move on. Pip looked to Crispin for guidance but he was as shocked as she! The thought of turning back crossed both their minds but when they glanced back to the path they had just come from, it was now blocked off with a wall of smoke. It stirred with rage, big black clouds rumbling and spitting towards them, almost daring them to try and run. They turned back to the blazing pupils protruding from the wall, hoping for answers. A few seconds went by and nothing happened. Seconds that felt like eternity. Both froze to the spot, waiting for the inevitable death that surely followed.

Without warning, it's mouth gaped open into a scream. No sound came out, though, its voice forever silenced. What did eminate from the black hole was air. Cool, refreshing air. It was ever so gentle and easily missed but Philippa's sweating kneecaps felt instant relief as it hit the jet just right. It was a portal! A portal to where though? With the exit blocked and no other way forward, they were going to find out whether they liked it or not.

"Are you ready?" Crispin said, his voice unwavering in these uncertain times. Pip nodded, unable to answer with any verbal word. Her tongue was like sandpaper; her throat as dry as a desert.

Crispin stepped forward, allowing the darkness to swallow him whole. He vanished, leaving Pippa alone. Her life flashed before her eyes - all the things she had done and all the things she had yet to achieve. All the questions she had yet to ask. Was she happy with all she had done? Had life been enough even though it was so short? She simply didn't have an answer but she knew she had a hell of a lot more to give.

Bracing herself, she took the brave step forward and, just like Crispin, she allowed the darkness to swallow her. With a snap, the sweltering heat had disappeared. The intense brightness had faded. Now, she was left with the darkness. Panic began to slowly seep in. Where was she? What had happened? What had i done to her? Where was Crispin? All those fears and worries and doubts piled up and up, her brain screaming, until a saving grace came along.

"Philippa? Philippa! Open your eyes Philippa, you're okay!"

The soothing monotone voice of her guide clawed its way through all those negative feelings, pushing them away. She did as she was told and unscrunched her face, allowing light once again to greet her eyes. The environment smelt damp and was a vibrant green. They were back on the first level! She was back home! She'd never been so happy to feel the drip of cavern water fall on her back, soothing the burning temperature her skin had rocked to.

"Thank you," she said, breathless and sad. It was the last thing she said before collapsing to the floor, her body shaking with fear.