Descent (Part Three)

Note: the following is based on a continuation of “Community Story” prompt presented by most excellent fellow Canadian Donna Fox. If you would like to join the fun, please go to the original post and either pick a story line or invent your own!

This is a continuation of the wonderful piece that Mackenzie Davis added to my own continuation of Donna's work. Links to all previous entries in order below. Happy Reading :)

"A Community Story [Challenge]" By Donna Fox

"Descent: A Community Story Challenge" by Yours Truly

"Descent (Part Two)" by Mackenzie Davis

"Descent (Part Four)" by: this guy right here.

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My thoughts still full of Sasha, worry crowding out any other concern, it took me a long moment to notice the size of the cavern.

The stairs let us out into a chamber vast enough to contain a cathedral. It's height could only be guessed at since the light of the twin lamps on either side of the door died within three meters. Consumed by the silent darkness.

"Do you think we're supposed to be here," someone asked, shuffling a fidget cube in their hands.

"The lights are out, that's a bad thing right?" Suddenly every student in our group was gabbling at once. I could barely hear myself think over the din of voices slowly edging from polite concern to open worry.

Sasha stood stock still next to me, looking like she'd seen a ghost. Her eyes were locked on something far away, as though she were watching a horror movie that only she could see. Sweat beaded on her forehead, rivulets streaking down her face and dripping off her chin.

Wherever we were, it was cold. I pulled my St. Martha's blazer tighter around myself and shuddered, wondering how it was possible for Sasha to sweat. She was on the damned track and field team, no way the stairs had been that much work.

Certainly they had been narrow and steep but - Mr. Sage! Where was he? I didn't think he would be able to take the stairs with his limp and all. Were we supposed to meet someone here? Did he even know the lights were out?

I spun back to the door, ready to sprint back up and let him know that something had gone wrong, but froze when I saw the perfectly smooth face of the pillar. Black stone that glimmered like glass in the fading light of the lamps that had flanked the door, stretching up... up... up...

Wait, no, it wasn't smooth. There was something there, movement almost. Something almost familiar. Trembling, I put my hand on Sasha's shoulder, trying to turn her around without scaring everyone else out of their wits, and the darkness won.

Black.

Lightless.

Someone screamed. A high, piercing scream.

Silent.

Breath coming in suddenly ragged gasps, I groped blindly desperate to find Sasha's shoulder. I needed her, more than I had ever needed anything before. The darkness was whispering to me, I could almost hear it, words I did not understand, steady, repeating words in a cadence that seemed to undulate around itself.

Too many voices in the silent black. Too many! There should be nothing, no one! Dead silent but I could HEAR them, chanting, chanting...

Something brushed my leg, something long and slimy, just above where my sock ended. I screamed.

I screamed and the dark consumed it.

Frantic, I kicked out and connected with something. Something heavy and wet. It gurgled and I swear I could hear the voices that were not chanting laugh at me. In that moment I knew I was going to die. I knew...

Another scream.

My eyes snapped open, burning in suddenly intense light. Above me floated Mr. Sage's face, he looked worried but not caring, almost as though he was hoping his toast landed butter-side up. When my eyes opened he nodded and two other girls hauled me to my feet. My legs wobbled but supported me, one of the other girls kept her hand on my shoulder just in case, but I could stand.

"What," I started to say but Mr. Sage was already striding away from me, checking on another student who had collapsed. At least I wasn't the only one.

Striding.

"Mr," again I cut off, a wave of nausia pushing that thought out of my head. It was immediately replaced with another. "Sasha!" I said, loud enough to make the girl holding my shoulder jump. "Mr. Sage, I don't see Sasha where is she?"

"What's that," his sandpaper voice echoed through the massive cavern. "Dear, Sasha went with Ms. Sherman's group. Did you hit your head?"

Who? No. No that wasn't... she had... she had touched something and... her hand.

My head ached, and I leaned harder on the girl holding me up. Her friend, who had stumbled back at my shout and grabbed the obsidian pillar to catch herself quickly shoved her hand in her pocket and threw me a dirty look.

"Well," grumbled Mr. Sage, "it doesn't look like any of you are hurt. Come on, this way. We're almost to the altar, then lunch, yes?" There was a smile in his voice and he strode purposely off, following a trail of the same kind of lamps from the tunnel up above.

For some reason, a stubtle click echoed with his every other step. As though something were keeping time, like a cane... but he didn't have one... A stone in his shoe maybe?

Sasha... she was with Ms. Sherman... but I could have sworn...

At the urging of Mary, the girl holding my arm, I followed after the iceberg, wondering why I called him that. It's not like he was slow. But, that didn't seem right either.

Throwing a look over my shoulder I stumbled again. The lamps on the pillar stood out against the solid black mass of it. No door in sight. One by one, as though they were motion activated, the lamps went out as we moved futher away from them.