Don't Go Down There!

Looking into the glowing hole, you don’t know why you had to go for that walk. Sure, you were bored, but couldn’t you have just read a book or gone to bed or something? No, on a moonless night you had to go for a walk. You thought that once around the block would do it, but then you had to see the glowing light. Most people would’ve seen this light and rushed on home. You had to go up that hill and figure out where the light was coming from. Despite tripping over a branch and falling on your face, you still kept searching for the light. With each step, the light became brighter until, once directly beside it, it all but vanished.

Now that you found it, you regret every step that you took. Illuminated by the light, you see that the hole can’t be more than a few feet deep. On closer examination, you realize that there are dirt steps leading down into a tunnel. Listening closely, you can faintly hear someone (or something) chopping at rocks and dirt. Suddenly, it stops, and the hole goes black. For most people, this would inspire them to run away. However, you being you, you now want to explore the hole more than ever. Here are ten reasons why you should turn back before it’s too late.

1. What If You Find Something That Shouldn’t Be Found?

   There is obviously someone down there with a tool that is sharp enough to break rocks. They must’ve heard (or sensed) you up here or else why would they have stopped working and shut off the light? Knowing this, you would be insane to go down there. People don’t like being disturbed. People don’t like having their territory invaded. Yes, you may have been guided to the hole by the light. You also may just have an overactive imagination that has made you believe that lights can guide people. If you were to go down that hole, you may find something that isn’t meant to be seen. Is relieving your curiosity really worth risking your life for?

2. How Are You Going to Get Back Out?

   I know that it's common belief that something you get yourself into you can also get yourself out of. However, just because you can drop into the hole doesn’t mean you can climb out of it. Your upper arms are strong, but do you really want to test their strength when you’re in trouble? Unless you packed a ladder in your back pocket, don’t go down the hole.

3. You Aren’t Dressed Properly

   Since when do pajama bottoms, a t-shirt and taped up sandals make for good exploration attire? You don’t know what is down that tunnel. If you had worn better shoes, exploring may have been an option. Yet, you didn’t, and you should turn right around and mind the fallen branches.

4. You Don’t Have Any Gear

   Aside from not having a ladder in your back pocket, you also don’t have a flashlight, a compass or anything else that could be remotely useful. Unless gum wrappers magically turn into travel gear things once you enter the tunnel, you’re out of luck.

5. Bugs

   As you’ve already been feasted on by countless mosquitoes, one can only imagine what bugs may find you appetizing once you’re underground. Before you go into that hole, you need to take a bath in bug repellant. If you don’t, there won’t be a piece of you left if you do get to exit the hole.

6. Animals

   Sure, cats and dogs love you. However, squirrels enjoy throwing acorns at you and birds always aim for your head. Animals of a fiercer nature most likely dwell in that tunnel. Do you want to see what they’ll throw at you?

7. Goblins

   Haven’t you always read in fairy tales that goblins live near tunnels like this one? Yes, goblins probably don’t exist. Still, on the off chance that they do, do you want to find out if they are carnivores or herbivores?

8. Lost People

   People go missing every day, never to be found again. What if they haven’t really disappeared, but are actually lost in this tunnel? No, not just this tunnel, but tunnels like it throughout the world. All of these tunnels could meet in the middle and that noise you heard could be people chiseling through the tunnel walls. If you go in there, who knows what could happen to you.

9. Who Would Believe You?

   Let’s say you do go into the tunnel and discover a world where mythical creatures live, and plants not even found in your wildest dreams grow freely. Once you leave this place, who would believe your stories? If you tell them to the wrong person, they may end up having you locked away in a mental ward. At the risk of being labeled a lunatic, would you be able to refrain from telling people your story?

10. What If You’ll Never Want to Return?

    After much debate, you do decide to venture down that tunnel. You find a world too beautiful for description. Humans and creatures live together in peace. They have never heard of war, hatred, oppression or discrimination. In this place, anything can happen because no one here has heard of limitations. It is a utopia. How could you force yourself to return to where you came from?

Realizing all of this, you decide to walk home. You will return to the hole tomorrow dressed properly with a backpack full of supplies. If it is still there, you’ll explore for as long as you feel comfortable. Something tells you though that when you do return to the hill the hole won’t be there. Truly magical things rarely stay around for long.