The Truth Hidden in the Mysterious Cave

There was a cave in the village, and strange sounds could be heard every night.

Joseph, my elder brother, couldn't help but quietly follow the village's men's footsteps into the cave.

That night, when Joseph returned, his face was flushed, and his belt was loose, indicating that he seemed to desire more.

But a few days later, the men in the village disappeared one by one.

There was a small cave in the village, which was deliberately covered by grass.

We had been taught since childhood that only men are allowed to enter this cave, not women.

I heard men making strange noises when I passed the cave entrance.

As a child, I had always wanted to go into the cave to see what it looked like, but my father severely reprimanded me. He said that only men could enter.

"Why could only men enter?"

When I was young, I was always so curious.

Later on, growing up, I was no longer curious about that cave.

It was always particularly cold in the countryside at night. I crossed my arms and shivered, ready to go to the bathroom.

Suddenly, I found Joseph sneaking toward the village entrance, where the mysterious cave was.

I looked at his back suspiciously. "Where was he going in the middle of the night?"

Suddenly, I had to go really bad, so I hurried into the bathroom. By the time I came out feeling relieved, Joseph was already nowhere in sight.

I didn't mind. I washed my hands and was about to go to bed.

At midnight, I faintly caught the sound of the door creaking open. Peeking out of my room, I noticed Joseph's belt dangling loosely around his waist, suggesting a sense of ease. His face was contented, akin to one who had just savored a hearty slab of braised pork.

I hesitated momentarily and closed the door before he could find me, pretending to be asleep.

The next day, the third day, and the fourth day passed.

Joseph was sneaking out night after night. The direction he took seemed to lead straight to the man's cave.

On the fifth day, something unexpected happened.

The next-door neighbor, Randy Rowlett, who was fond of visiting the cave, has disappeared.

Early in the morning, the villagers were roused from their slumber by Cherry Rowlett, Randy's wife, who pleaded with everyone to assist her in searching for Randy.

"Randy hasn't come back since last night..."

"Randy used to come back no matter how late it was."

Bob Lupton, the old hooligan in the village, whispered next to me,

"Randy wouldn't have spent the night in that cave, would he...?"

David Lynn, Randy's neighbor, lowered his voice even further.

"Isn't it forbidden to spend the night in that cave?"

Sophie Smithson, my friend, came over and doubted.

"Why?"

Bob spun around and recognized it was a girl from their village. He said impatiently,

"Buzz off, buzz off. Don't disturb a man when he's in the middle of a conversation."

Sophie pouted and discreetly flipped Bob off with her middle finger.

Then, she turned her head and spotted me, joyfully dashing towards me.

Bob didn't notice the middle finger and approached David like a buddy.

"Randy wouldn't let that pleasure go to his head and forget the rules, would he?"

Before David could reply, the village head, Wilson Parkins, drove him away and asked him to find Randy with tools.

Sophie and I teamed up to search for Randy in the fields near the village entrance, fearing that he might faint or suffer a heart attack on his way home after indulging in alcohol.

Having exhausted our search of the surrounding fields, we retraced our steps to the village entrance only to find that Wilson had thoughtfully dispatched a small group of men to investigate the cave. Shortly after that, the men emerged from the cave's depths. The lead man solemnly shook his head at Wilson, signaling that the cave was empty.

Gradually, the others in the village gathered together to report the situation to Wilson. Most of them shook their heads or sighed.

The playful children had also searched the other corners of the village, but there was no one at all.

Wilson's expression was a little solemn, yet with so many villagers eagerly awaiting his words, he had no choice but to stifle his concerns and offer us solace.

"Maybe Randy will come back by himself in a few days. You can leave now. Go about your own business."

The crowd gradually dispersed, and each family was busy with their farm work.

Only Cherry was still tugging at Wilson's clothes and begging him.

"I saw Randy enter the cave yesterday. Let me in and look for him."

Wilson, who had been gentle to the villagers, became severe now.

"Women are not allowed to enter. This is the rule."

No matter what Cherry said next, Wilson ignored her and left her alone.