The Cavern

Falling down deep into the cavern below, my expeditions climbing expert hoists me up.

“You scared me for a minute.” Lilly pipes up trying to ease the heart-pounding death that almost occurred.

“I’m fine.” I state mechanically. I turn to the abyss and feel it’s chilling call.

As the group begins to ascend to the Cavern’s entrance, I stop and free-fall:

Falling feeling the wind whooshing past, Lilly grabs my rope and plummets with me.

Descending quickly into the Abyss, our intertwined harnesses shift and allow us to land relatively safe.

It only takes a few moments before our death-escaping moment is over.

Lilly: “Over there.”

She shines her flickering flashlight, damaged from the fall, over by one of the Cavern’s forks

We witness a creature covered in blood hissing and feeding off of one of the other crash survivor’s corpse

It is scared off by the light and flees.

We venture forward only to run around in circles.

When we return to our original camping spot, two of the others are waiting:

Brent: “We’ve been searching for hours!”

Lacey: “The others head out before the storm hits. We really need to leave.”

Lilly: “Did you guys run into anything?”

The group looks at both of us puzzled. We exchange looks and decide to call it a night.

After the long ascent, we finally make it to our old beaten up Jeep.

Our attempt to flee the cold Cavern’s chilling call is short lived as the back tire blows before we reach the main road, and causes us to spiral and crash into a tree.

Lilly: “Everyone okay?”

She beats the old airbag back into its casing and brushes the blood off her forehead.

Everyone is exhausted and exits the vehicle. We assess the organic injuries first and then the Jeep.

Brent: “I hate to say this but we need to return to the cave.”

Lilly: “Are you insane?!”

“She’s right. We saw something that spooked us, didn’t look natural.”

Brent: “It’s better than being caught in this storm.”

The wind starts to pick-up, violently shaking the trees and making every step feel like we’re walking into our tomb.

Upon returning to the Cavern’s central chamber, the group lights a fire and lays out their sleeping bags.

Lilly: “Looks like we didn’t have enough space to carry our tents.”

“Did you guys see that?”

Liam pipes up after scratching at his side

He flashes his light over where Lilly and I originally spotted the unknown creature

“This isn’t good, we’ll be food and no one will ever find us!”

My mind reels and I leave the camp to regroup alone.

My isolation is short lived as I reach the end of the Cavern and peer below into the cold-dark, murky water.

I turn to discover the same creature donning it’s claws and misshapen figure.

It’s very sight sends my heart pounding and me flying back, descending into The Abyss below.

This time, there’s no rope: no safety, just the sound of the whooshing wind, and my imminent oblivion.

Once I hit the water, I feel it’s odd warmth surround me along with several of the other creatures.

Instead of feeding, they toy and push me to the shore.

Confused and concussed, I stumble to find the group.

Once I return to the camp, I discover their half eaten bodies and torn garments.

Shocked, I turn to find shelter only to be met face-to-face with several of same creatures circling me.

They slowly back me into a corner and before I see my life flash before me, one of them sniffs at their den’s bloodied water stench reeking from my clothes.

The creature smacks me down and drags me by my leg.

During my kidnapping, I weave in and out of consciousness.

Once we arrive back at their lair, the creatures circle and plop a semi-fresh deer carcass in front of me.

Puzzled at my two minutes of processing, they become impatient and screech at me.

I grab my flint and some dry cavern brush and start a small fire. I grab my hunting knife and cut a portion of the deer and cook it.

The creatures are somewhat in awe, until one of them digs their teeth deep into my flesh.

I try to swing my blade only to discover their transformation is not evolutionary. My arm begins to mimic their slimy structure and my teeth begin to misshapen.

My insides harden and I feel stronger, but like a monster.

Lilly’s annoying generic ringtone is heard and without thinking, the den and myself run on all fours to the camp.

Liam is alive, clutching his side and trying to signal for help.

The group looks to me as to what to do, and I bite deep into his flesh adding one more to our Nest’s ranks.

They drag him like they did with me, and I follow.

I start counting the creatures as my mind starts to madden, then I realize they’re the missing group years before us. They’ve been making this their den for at least two years.

One of the creatures goes to his corner and starts toying with one of his possessions from when he was human.

I go over and discover it’s his bag from the climb. ‘Brent’ the bag’s lettering is no longer new. It’s worn and faded. I turn to the others as they scavenge any meat from our supply.

Liam now looks identical to the creatures and we hunt for food and screech and hiss at the nearby wildlife until a group of wolves decide to challenge us.

Each feed, gains a new mutation.

Days, months, years go by before I overhear a familiar voice:

Lilly: “Over there!”

She shines her flashlight at Liam feeding from a wolf carcass and I realize in order to exist, I need to turn her.

I follow my mortal footsteps only to discover it’s not me at all, it’s Lilly. She sees me and falls back into the bloodied water, her recruitment eerily identical to mine.

“It’s only ever other year.”

The oldest of the den, gestures to The Abyss’s entrance which shifts between ancient and newly formed.

Time is different here. The world is different. We survive but only in hell...

Journal Log DAY #2: Lilly just changed her cellphone’s ringtone. I’ll never be more grateful to never hear that annoying generic tune again.

Journal Log DAY #4: Liam’s side has started showing signs of scabbing

Journal Log DAY #5: I am alone.

Journal Log DAY #8: The warmth of the water was blood

Journal Log DAY ???: I saw our decent

Journal Log DAY ???: I’m so hungry *the page is gnawed at its edges and the bloodied fingernail is stuck into one of the nearby rocks*

Journal Log DAY 1: Sewed Brent’s bag again. Needed stitching after the Jeep blew out...

——————————————————————————————————————

[THIS WAS A SHORT HORROR STORY MIMICKING ‘THE DECENT’]

THE CAVERN: {-$3,655,948.39}

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Mojo Box Office {-$14,548,308.07} - {$24,709,234.79}

Tips until CONDO {-$10,235.41}

[-$817,568.93}

[131 N GALE DR UNT 1E] {$3,745,698.09}

{$139,384.31} CABIN IN THE WOODS DIV

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Living 3M -2.7M - 17.8M

{-$9,708,304.08} - {$18,975,304.79}

{PROPERTY DIV} {-$208,347.39} -3.7M {$4,367,098.76}

09/09/2018:

8890 words

$0.85 per word

$7,546.28

$0.60 per hour

$8,308.57

$80 per chapter

$720

Total: $64,987.03 MOVING FUNDS/RENT

{-$876,341.93} - {$2,679,087.04}

{-$673,431.28} - {$92,646.68} PROPERTY COMMISSION

Vatican City (Sequel Bundle) -1.9M - 7.4M {-$768,098.03}

{$14,768.07} DIV/RENT

03/07/2019

6806 words

$0.85 per word

$5,828.67

$0.60 per hour

$3,442.18

$80 per chapter

$560

Total= $26,581.89 {MOVING FUNDS}