The twilight was too inviting a time to pass up; you went for a walk. You just happened to take a path you never did before, but you did not just happen to get lost or anything silly like that.

And nothing went bump in the dark.

As it was the path you took, although not recently trodden, was easy to find in the dark twilight. The path lay along a riverbank, following the river's winding course. You trot along upstream until the distant roaring of a waterfall can be heard.

Curiosity aroused, your pace quickens. The hope that the waterfall will be well worth a look spurring your imagination. Or is it, the hope that the waterfall will be well worth the walk spurs your pace on?

Whatever, that is immaterial, the point is that you do indeed come upon the waterfall. It is a beautiful sight despite the lack of height. The waterfall is not more than 15, maybe 18 feet high. Feeling a little hot from your walk you approach the side of the waterfall with the intent of catching the fine mist of spray floating off invitingly.

It is then that… noooo, you do not slip! although the area is drenched in spray come to think of it. But anyways, it is then that you notice the easily accessible cave behind the waterfall.

*Whoa!* your heart beat quickens with excitement as your imagination blooms up the possibilities; What if you are the only person to ever have discovered this cave? Indeed the whole area has the distinct feeling of unspoiled nature. Or perhaps this is the long abandoned hideout of some desperate thieves who left their treasure behind. Perhaps… perhaps…

The fact that there is nothing to discourage you in the least from entering and exploring the cave boosts your courage and, tensed, you duck beneath the waterfall and enter the cave.

Small, the ceiling nearly eleven feet high, the area semi-circular. The cave is a perfect hideaway, the floor sandy, moss growing on the boulders making excellent seats. There is even a shelf where there sits… books?

Puzzled, you approach the natural shelf and peer at the two books in the gloom. Both look old, one is comically titled, "A packrat's guide to the common molds and fungi found in their acquired clutter." But the second one is more ominously, titled, "The top 100 things I'd do if I ever became an Evil Overlord."

."Like meh library?" asks a cheerful voice with an unusual accent.

There is something about the tone that kept the voice from taking you by shocked surprise, and instead of jumping and whirling around, you merely turn to look for the source of the voice.

There is a tall xweetok, clearly one of those anthropomorphic, or anthro, neopets seen wandering around now and again. His fur is that of a shadow pet, his hair darker than his fur, almost velvety black except for the bangs which glow green. He wears fingerless gloves with glowing green stripes around them.

His bushy tail flicks back and forth as he grins at you in bemusement, "'ello thah," he says, clearly confused at your presence, but willing to be friendly, "Nice whethah' we been 'avin." he tries for conversation.

."Oh, yes," you reply with a smile, feeling affable towards him straight off, "I'm sorry about intruding into your, er, cave," you apologize, "I just came upon it and didn't realize it was occupied until I saw the books." you gesture to them for verification.

He glances at the shelf and nods, "Ah seh," he replies understandingly, "This'ns meh special place. I dun live hearah," he explains, "T'is meh Sanctuary wherein I hide away from deh real world."

His accent is a little hard to follow, but 'Sanctuary' and hiding from the real world are obvious enough. But he is still talking;

."Shyleal, he kin jist withdraw inta his mind teh shut out deh world," he says, clearly talking about someone, "But people like you and meh, we must search for the Echoes." he nods.

."The Echoes?" you ponder. Could you have misheard him?

."Hai," he nods again and explains, "Heaven's Echoes."

."Heaven's Echoes …" you muse aloud as you look about the natural cave. What on earth does he mean?

."Oh, I seh you are a materialist perchance?" he says with some mild scorn, "O' course you wouldn'a understand. I will show you," crossing the cave he kneels down at the far wall and disappears into a near invisible cleft. Curious, you follow.

."Watch'a your head, yeah?" he warns, his voice echoing weirdly ahead.

Feeling a little like Alice down the rabbit hole you scramble through the short downward tilting passage. When you come out you gasp in surprise.

The xweetok has brought you to a small underground cavern. Dimonds and glowing ore are scattered across the ceiling like so many stars, and reflecting off them is a small lake, mirror still. Before the lake some glowing objects careen strangely about. Then they approach you and you realize it is the green on the xweetok's clothing that is glowing.

."Come," he says, finding your hand, "Th' Echo is strongest buy th' weeping rock." he guides you partway around the lake to where a rock juts away from the shore. "Take a seat." he suggests as he takes a stand next to you.

As his words echo away into nothingness silence pervades. It stretches until it is no longer a silence, but a sound, a vibration, a melody, surreal, faint, imagined. Then, gently, another melody joins in with the silence, and it does not shatter, but entwines with the silence as though a part of it, and yet separated.

Slowly it grows in strength and volume, gently pushing through the silence and over the mirror-lake, into the stars and through your mind. It is neither happy, nor sad, and yet it hurts to listen to, as if whispering of a lost beauty in your life. It fills you with longing for a place; mountains, valleys, deep oceans, flowering fields; All and none of those.

The place it whispers of it placeless, fills the heart with longing, with sadness for what cannot be found.

Before you know it your eyes sting and water up. You want it to stop and go on all at once, for ever and ever. Eternal whispers.

~*~

The song ends and fades to silence once more. After some minutes the xweetok pats your shoulder, "Heaven's Echo, you understand?" he asked gently.

You gulp and nod, "Th-thank you." you whisper.

."Let us back to the waterfall, time grows dim outside while it remains locked in here. Besides," He adds with a wink, "Meh voice hurts from all tha' singing."

~*~

Awwwwe! Eh gets me an adoptable! Thank you. T'is verra nice!

Want ta link back, mate?