Hidden Window

The mountain kept a trove inside That was known only to the three Closest friends now that their greed Had burdened them with things to hide The entrance was a hidden window Punctured through a narrow vein To crawl inside as light would wane And come to pitch in caves below In secrecy, they would converge To split the rocks and mill to dust Revealing spoils within the crust From when those peaks had first emerged Blurred intent through eyes that stung Their fingers cut upon the slate While stale air would suffocate And sap the vigour from their lungs The taper's flame was just enough To see each pick from fall to rise So desperate that they find their prize Before the wick would finally snuff But when one paused to heave a breath Their friend's hand would conceal, it seemed Which caused a thought had something gleamed And trust began to sense its death What if he knows that I saw? And what if he decides to strike? But what if it was nothing more Than light's deceit and failing sight? From just a flicker in the mind The thought would twist, consume, then grow And with each wave, doubt would erode Til all he knew confirmed his bind Those ancient paths bore only fear That, left unchecked, had overflowed To shatter balance he had known As shrinking walls began to near In pebble's bounce - the avalanche In falling drop - the bursting dam He gripped the pick, and looming, then Swung an arc that killed his friend He barely saw their third had fled As febrile haze evaporated And with it, certainty faded Abandoned now for churning dread Endless whispers from the void Each offering narration He searched the body frantically And begged for vindication