After a few moments Ivory says, “This is insanity, zombies aren't real, how can this happen?” directing her question at Story October.

“I don't know, Ivory. This is some powerful stuff and it's far outside my frame of reference, even for me,” Story replies and then continues, “It was definitely some kind of dark spell to reanimate a corpse, spells like that shouldn't even be working because there normally isn't enough connection to the Aethereal.” He's obviously shaken, finding it difficult to maintain his normally calm and cool composure.

A few minutes later, Ivory is cleaning the bite on Steve's shoulder, and she says, “So, is Steve going to turn into a zombie now? You know, because he was bitten..."

Steve has a concerned look on his face, despite his normal level of skepticism.

Story replies with, “This isn't a television show, and what I think you're referring to; that was some kind of impossible biological pathogen that was transmitted with contact of an open wound, even though everyone in the world was supposedly already infected, it didn't make any sense but was fun to watch. Anyway, I don't think he's going to catch a magical pathogen and become a zombie,” then adds, “But you might want to get some shots and some serious antibiotics."

Ivory and Paul both kind of nod in acknowledgment to Story's assessment.

“That's good know,” says Steve, unsure of what to believe anymore.

Moving once again through the tunnels, the group is still in mild shock about the corpse attacking them. To take their mind off of the reality of these disturbing events, they begin to discuss the esoteric nature of the events that are occurring. This is relaxing for Story and the doctor; Ivory can appreciate it a little as well, but Steve doesn't know what to say and doesn't completely understand what they are talking about, so he keeps quiet.

“Okay okay, this is really happening, so let's try to wrap our heads around this, if you'll indulge me, Story,” states Dr. Abernathy, then continues, “Obviously I never believed in anything like magic, even with my faith I never really believed in the supernatural, and I always assumed the stories in the Bible were mostly, well, stories but the writers were guided by the hand of God; I never thought that any of the more fantastic stuff actually happened."

Story starts to speak reluctantly, “Paul, without walking all over your faith too much. . . I'll tell you what knowledge I have gleaned from my Visions over the years. Some of the stories are mostly true in your holy book, some are propaganda, and some are stolen/revised from much older stories of events that happened, possibly even from previous epochs of human civilization."

“But how do we know which stories are real?” asks Ivory, she believes nearly anything Story says because she's never had a reason not to, Story October always seems to just know things. Things that don't seem to fit into the conventional rational paradigm, but his insights also seem to feel right.

Dr. Abernathy interjects, “I have to admit, I would like to know too. After all, I am a scholar and theologian.”

“The important thing for you to know doctor, is that your Tetragrammaton, I mean, your deity is real, more or less and he did have a son, so-to-speak. Your power to make that zombie return to being dead flows from that deity through your faith... sort of,” explains Story October, in a matter-of-fact tone. He then continues, “It's complicated and I'm still not sure exactly how it all works but I know enough about the Other Side and the Aethereal, to have been burned-alive in times past.”

The doctor says, “I'm almost afraid to ask for specifics.”

“I'll say this, the Gnostics probably came closest to the truth with regard to the metaphysics but add in the Earth Goddess as the only native deity and all the others are extra-dimensional invaders/immigrants from the far reaches of the Cosmos; then you'll be getting close to the truth, but I really shouldn't be talking about this stuff, it's not meant for the minds of mortals. The closer one gets to the Aethereal and the further from the Material World, the further one strays from sanity.”

Being ever inquisitive and always asking the hard questions, Ivory asks, “If that holds true, why are you not totally insane Story?”

Story replies to her, “Who says I'm not?” then they laugh, he continues, “But seriously, I don't know. Maybe because I have a stronger mind, maybe because I'm different... I really don't know, Ivory.” Then he goes quiet in contemplation.

His contemplation only lasts a short time before it's interrupted; the tunnel opens up to a larger cavern and Steve McCoy says, “Guys, this doesn't look good.” He's talking about the shoddily built rope bridge up ahead.

It's a rope bridge that is about 20 feet long with old rough-hewn wooden planks for a walking surface. It looks like it's many years old and with the damp nature of the cave, it's very likely the wooden planks are severely decayed. The sides of the cave on each side of the crevasse are way too unstable and dangerous looking to cross without being highly skilled climbers with proper climbing gear.

The group shines light into the crevasse below but all they see is mist, dust and darkness. They hear the sound of rushing water like there is a subterranean spring flowing below. There is also a strange and ominous sound of ticking, shuffling and a scratching-like-sound.

As they approach the bridge, Steve says, “I should go first.”

“No Steve, I'm lighter and quicker on my feet, I'll test it first,” says Ivory in a tone that is as if the debate is already over.

Steve reluctantly agrees because he knows that stubborn tone of hers, “Okay, but I don't like this at all.”

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“I can't say I'm a fan of this idea either,” states Story, as if to make a formal verbal record.

Ivory slowly steps onto the bridge and puts some weight down, putting pressure down three times to see if the board will hold her and it snaps when she puts all of her weight on it, but she holds firmly onto the ropes, so she doesn't fall. Her eyes widen but she's determined to make it across and says, “This is going to be fun..."

This instantly causes more protests from the group, but she holds the palm of her hand up toward them in a gesture indicating for them to back off and she says, “I got this, guys.” The next board holds as she keeps a steady grip on the ropes; she slowly works her way across. She makes her crossing, boards creak and crack but they hold as she makes it to the other side. With a relieved look on her face she says, “Okay... who's next?”

The three guys look at each other, no one sure which is braver: going next or going last. After a few moments they settle on Dr. Paul Abernathy going next and he agrees saying, “Okay, I guess it's age before beauty.” Paul slowly and reluctantly works his way across, slipping once as a board splinters and some pieces fall below but he holds himself stable, so he doesn't fall.

While Paul made the crossing, the strange noises from the crevasse became increasingly louder and more frequent. The noises are making Story October ever more curious and concerned so he shines his light down into the crevasse but still can't see anything other than the mist, dust and darkness.

Steve says to Story, “Go ahead and I'll go next.”

Story doesn't seem to respond or seem to be paying attention and is lost in thought. So, Steve mumbles to himself, “Oh forget it..." and starts to cross the bridge slowly and carefully.

Lost in thought, Story is thinking about a spell he wrote a long time ago to see in the dark and to see through fog and dust, he thinks to himself, “It never worked before, but maybe it will now?” While Steve works his way across, Story October begins to speak,

“Cannot behold it, does not resound

Cannot feel what cannot be found

Far above and over head

Enemy of living, friend of dead

Cannot breathe it but all around

Below the surface, deep underground

Resides behind the veil of night

What hides in the dark

Shall be brought in the light”

Story's eyes flash a pale blue, then they begin to glow, and his enhanced vision reveals what lurks in the darkness below. He says, “I can see it!”

Steve looks back and asks, “What do you see?!”

Story simply replies with a terrified look on his face, “h u r r y... hurry, GO, RUNNN!”

Without hesitation, Steve moves as fast as he can and nearly tumbles over a few times, but he makes it across. Story doesn't wait for him to cross and starts across the bridge with reckless haste. He gets about halfway when a freakishly giant spider climbs up to the edge. It's on the side where the group started their crossing. This horrifying black creature easily measures ten feet in leg span, a terrifying sight and completely outside the normal human experience.

Dr. Paul Abernathy finds it nearly impossible to speak and simply looks terrified.

Ivory Campbell can't believe what she sees and yells, “Oh my fucking god!”

A second giant arachnid ascends from the crevasse. Steve looks back to see what Ivory is screaming about and he is completely speechless and forgetting to breathe but still manages to react, mainly because his combat training from when he was in the US Marines.

With one foot still on the bridge and one on the ground, Steve McCoy pulls out his .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol, takes quick aim and unloads a full clip on the second unnatural monster from the pit, hitting it with three or four rounds causing the massive carapace to essentially explode from the large hollow-point bullets. The giant spider screeches with a piercing sound that is painful to the ears of everyone, disgusting viscera spews out of the ruptured exoskeleton as it tumbles into the hellish black abyss below.

While the first monstrous spider starts to climb onto the bridge, jarring it so violently that Steve is nearly knocked over the edge but manages to grab a rope while hanging halfway over the side. His pistol falls into the dirt but luckily not over the edge as Dr. Paul Abernathy grabs him to keep him from falling over.

Steve can only manage to say, “Oh shit!”

“I got you Steve, hold on!” yells Paul.

“No Steve, oh my god, don't fall!” screams Ivory, now reaching the upper registers of her voice.

The entire group is in a panicked state at this point. From the massive jarring, Story is tossed clean over the ropes and is hanging on under the bridge as it's violently yanked with each movement the spider makes as it moves toward him.

The bridge was built poorly to begin with and because of all the stress it begins to come apart, ropes snapping, boards splintering, the group screaming and yelling. The only thing slowing the spider is the bridge that is coming apart, as it places a leg on one board they sometimes snap, causing it to lose footing for a moment. “Fuck!” Story yells.

His yell causes Ivory to notice that he's under the bridge holding on for his life and she yells, “Hold on Story! Someone..." She quickly ascertains that no one can help him but her. She looks around desperately and sees what she needs. She picks up the biggest rock she can throw and hurls it as hard as she can at the giant arachnid, hitting it hard enough to crack its huge carapace and some fluids pour out, spattering Story. Currently he's less concerned about nasty spider guts and more concerned about holding on to the bridge.

The flashlights that the group members dropped provide the only light sources in the cavern, only Story can see all the details of the terror with his enhanced magical vision. As the spider tries to grasp Story with its barbed legs, he kicks at it and makes a desperate attempt to resolve the situation by pulling out his ritual/survival knife while trying to hold on with one hand and starts to slash the ropes between him and the creature. He tries to twist the rope around his hand and wrist as best he can, anticipating the drop and knowing his grip along will not be enough to keep from falling into the crevasse. One rope goes, then another and another.

Ivory scrambles around until she finds another large rock and throws it desperately hard and almost falls over the edge but hits the monster again, causing more of its inner bodily fluids to splatter.

Story slashes another rope then slashes at a leg of the spider that tries to grasp for him until finally the bridge comes completely undone at mid-point and crashing down with a thundering, roaring calamity, sending the giant spider hurling into the crevasse along with the majority of the bridge.

Ivory Campbell screams, “Story!” as she sees him fall into the darkness.