Miller edged closer to the cave, listening. The entrance breathed out cold, musty air, and it chilled his skin. He peered into the solid darkness, like looking down the throat of a huge beast, and shuddered. He was about to turn away, when he heard the sound again.

It was a whimper.

Deep in the cave, a young girl was crying.

A Parable

The sun was low, burning orange on the horizon, as Miller trudged home, wiping the sweat of the day from his brow. His path led him through a darker part of the forest, the part where he told his children they must never go by themselves. Miller caught a glimpse of black out the corner of his eye.

There was the cave entrance. A dark, gaping mouth. Normally, he would walk by quickly, eyes averted, but this evening he paused. He thought he heard a faint sound.

Miller edged closer to the cave, listening. The entrance breathed out cold, musty air, and it chilled his skin. He peered into the solid darkness, like looking down the throat of a huge beast, and shuddered. He was about to turn away, when he heard the sound again.

It was a whimper.

Deep in the cave, a young girl was crying.

Miller’s heart pounded. Should he do something? Could he do anything? He wanted to get back to his bright house and warm dinner.

That isn’t my daughter, he thought. My daughter is safe at home, where good girls belong. If this girl hates the cave so much, why doesn’t she just get out?

He started to turn away again, but then a still, small voice whispered to him, “She could be your daughter.”

The girl’s whimpering changed, lilting into a sad tune. Voice trembling, she sang of how she had come to be trapped in the cave.

When I was Bella

I lived in a house

On the edge of town…

Bella stood on the threshold, hung her basket on her arm, and examined the list of things she needed to buy at the market. She glanced back at her thin mother slouched in her chair knitting, and her younger brother and sister tussling on the rug, and shut the door.

Bella hummed to herself as she walked down the dusty road. She wondered if the handsome stranger would be there again. The tall man with the black and gold coat had been at the market several times, and whenever she peeked at him, his dark eyes were watching her. She entered the jumble and racket of the marketplace.

Then she saw him, leaning against the wall of the cake shop, a brass flute in his hands, and a smile on his lips.

She blushed at his intent gaze, and wondered what he was thinking.

He strode toward her. “Hello. My name is Tenebris.”

She stared up at him. “M-mine is B-Bella.”

“I know,” he said with a wink. “I’ve been interested in you for quite some time.”

Her heart beat wildly.

“You’re an amazing girl. I know that your father ran off years ago…”

She hung her head.

“…And you’ve been helping your mother take care of your siblings.”  He placed a hand on her shoulder. “How old are you?”

“Twelve,” she admitted, with a shy glance up at him.  Tenebris smiled. “I would have guessed you were much older.” He ran a finger along her cheek. “You have such a mature beauty.”

Tenebris took her into the cake shop and insisted on buying her the most delectable dessert she wanted, and they sat down at a back table.

“It’s delicious!” Bella giggled, licking cream off her fingers.

Tenebris smiled, taking a bite of his own dark chocolate cake. “I want to make every day for you like this.”

As Bella was getting up to leave, Tenebris asked, “Do you like to dance?”

She hesitated, then nodded.

“Come with me tomorrow, and I’ll take you to a special place for learning to dance.”

She smiled. “Thank you! I’ll ask my mother, and—”

“Oh no,” he said quickly, grasping her wrist. “You shouldn’t tell her about us. She won’t understand, and I couldn’t bear to be parted from you.”

Bella took a deep breath. “Alright. I’ll just say that I…that I’m spending the day with friends.”

Tenebris patted her hand. “That’s my pretty girl.”

The next day, Bella followed Tenebris deep into the forest.

“Where’s the dancing place?” she asked in a small voice.

He smiled and pointed to a black cave entrance.

“In there?” she gasped, staring into the darkness.

“You’ll like it,” Tenebris said. “Trust me.” He frowned. “Or maybe you aren’t as strong and womanly as I thought.”

Bella swallowed the lump in her throat. “It’s alright. I’ll go in. Just, please…hold my hand.”

So, Bella followed Tenebris into the first cavern. A little light from the entrance seeped in and shone on sparkling quartz embedded in the wall. It was pretty, and it made her feel better.

Tenebris sat down on a stone and brought out his flute. “Now, my beauty, dance for me.” He began to play an alluring tune, and, with her heart pounding, she put one foot out and then the other, doing a little jig she’d made up.

The flute stopped abruptly on a sharp note, and her fear surged. He doesn’t like me.

Tenebris looked at her and shook his head. “No, no, my dear. You dance like a child. I’ll teach you how to dance like a woman.”

The dance he taught was strange to her. Its steps were uncomfortable and wrong-feeling. Shame churned in her stomach. But Tenebris seemed pleased, saying how pretty she was and how he wanted her to dance for him forever.

Bella returned to her house at a late hour and crept into her room. She heard her mother’s soft footsteps approaching, and swiftly jumped into bed and pulled the covers over herself.

Her mother leaned in the doorway. “Did you have a good time with your friends?”

“Yes,” Bella mumbled, turning her face away.

The next time she met Tenebris at the market, he took her into the dress shop and bought her a red velvet gown. She tried it on and twirled in circles. He really loves me, she thought. She happily followed him to the cave.

But this time, Tenebris led her through the first cavern, down a narrow passageway, and into another cavern, much darker than the first. It smelled of rotten things, and the walls were damp and sticky to the touch.

“Please, Tenebris, I don’t want to dance here!” she cried. He gripped her arms and gave her a shake. “You ungrateful little wretch! After all I’ve done for you!” Then his grip and his tone softened. “Oh Bella, I need you to dance for me.” Tears sparkled in his eyes. “Don’t you love me?”

She felt tears welling in her own eyes. “I’m so sorry; that was bad of me. I do love you.”

Much more than Bella feared the cavern, she feared the thought of Tenebris being disappointed with her, so she danced that day, and each day that he asked her to. He led her into deeper and deeper caverns, where no light came. Though she didn’t like those places, she dreaded going home, because it was becoming harder to avoid her mother’s questions.

Then one day, after Bella had danced in a black cavern until her legs were weak and shaking, she turned to go and heard a huge crumbling roar. She stumbled forward and her groping hands found a wall of broken rock blocking the passageway she had come through.

“Tenebris, help me!” she cried, clawing at the stones. “I want to go home!”

He pried her hands away, tsk, tsking at her. “My beauty, you are home. You can’t go back out there anymore. I’m all you have now.

She began to cry, and his arms wound around her.

“Life with me will be good,” he murmured. “As long as you dance to my tunes.” Tenebris patted her head. “You need a dancer’s name. I’m going to call you Goldie.”

Slowly, she nodded, accepting her new name and new life. As long as she had him, she thought, it would be alright. She put her hand in his and let him lead her to an even deeper cavern.

There, a murmuring, chuckling crowd waited in the darkness. Men or beasts—she couldn’t see their shapes. She heard the chink of coins being exchanged.

“These are friends of mine,” Tenebris explained. “They need someone to dance for them, too.”

She groaned, “But—”

“If you really love me, my darling, you’ll do me this favor.” He shoved her toward the strangers, and began to play his flute.

 …Now my name is Goldie

 Here in the cave is my only chance

 So what else can I do but dance?

As the girl’s song faded into silence, Miller lit his lantern.