I stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath. The fresh air engulfed my lungs in a warm hug. We had finally arrived in Castleton, Derbyshire to celebrate my dad’s birthday. And so, down the cobbled streets we went, exploring as many different sites as we could. My favorite so far had been the Peak Cavern, also widely known as the Devil’s Arse (this creative name came to be from the strange noises produced when the cave flooded). It was an underground walk of 1 km, with unusual rock formations and ominous water sounds. We also learned how people lived in that environment and how their main source of income was producing rope. An intense competition was then held for us tourists to see who could create the best rope. Fun fact: we won! (It really wasn’t an easy task and I was completely worn out afterwards).
         

After finishing our one hour tour, we came upon a bulletin board advertising the Speedwell cavern. Intrigued by the advert, we decided to purchase a ticket and see what it was like for ourselves. After we were made to wear uncomfortable helmets for safety reasons, we started descending very steep steps in order to go 450 meters under. Occasionally, I would see people coming out saying that it was too scary, or children crying because they were frightened by what they encountered. This didn’t help lessen my nerves. Lost in thought, I slipped, nearly losing my balance before falling head-first on the floor. After regaining my composure, I continued my journey with a newfound bravery and, soon enough, we arrived at the bottom where a boat was waiting for us. The three of us sat at the last couple of rows. The tunnel was very narrow and low enough for my helmet to occasionally scrape against it. After the guide checked to see if any claustrophobic people were present (I was tempted to raise my hand, however, a warning look from both my dad and brother made me reconsider my decision) we set off into our journey. After quite some time, we came upon an intersection where two tunnels were. We then aligned our boat to the side. Since the two tunnels joined together, we had to wait for the other group to come out, so that neither of the boats would get stuck. As we continued on, the temperature became considerably lower and I thought it couldn’t get any colder; my teeth were constantly chattering and my body wouldn’t stop shivering. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
         

As soon as we got off the boat and entered the chamber, a violent chill went down my spine: a result of the freezing temperatures. But, despite all of this, I was in awe. The rocks were beautifully illuminated by white lights and all that was heard was the peaceful sound of gushing water. I started walking around, my fingertips lightly grazing the smooth surface around me. I closed my eyes, absorbing everything, yet the voice of the guide quickly brought me out of my trance. He started explaining how the area was utilized by miners and talked about the different types of rocks present. He also didn’t fail to mention that the place was haunted. I personally do not believe in ghosts; however, I noticed that a few people’s faces paled immediately when the word ‘haunted’ escaped his mouth. After looking around for some more, it was time to return.

And so, back at the intersection we were, patiently waiting for the other group to arrive. The sound of chatter could be heard and a boat full of kids approached. They were constantly rocking the boat and then “BAM”, it roughly hit the side. It all happened in the blink of an eye: a young boy sitting on the edge toppled over with a loud splash into the water. Everyone was panicking and the young kids were constantly shouting “Oliver.”
          “Maybe he cannot swim!” I yelled through all the commotion.
          “Someone help him!” another person cried.  
The guide from their boat jumped into the water and grabbed ahold of the boy. Oliver started coughing and shivering vigorously. The guide then approached us and slowly raised Oliver. I reached for his arm and then, all of us, lifted him onto the boat. Everyone began bombarding him with questions:
          “Are you okay?”
          “Did you get hurt?”
          “Do you need anything?”
         

After Oliver reassured us that he was alright, we all breathed a sigh of relief, glad that no serious damage was done. In the end, we all made it out safe and sound, with a new experience to share.