Sans scratched his head, still shaken by Elsie’s strange method of disappearance.

“I knew she could move quickly, but I didn’t realize she could just… vanish.”

He shuddered as he thought about the implications.

She can appear whenever and wherever she wants.

He felt like an invisible noose was tightening around his neck.

“I guess I should get walking...”

He inspected the path of skeletons that lead away from the mound of tombstones.

“Every great journey begins with a single step.”

Just as Sans placed his foot down onto the sickeningly black earth, an incredible pressure crashed down onto him!

“Hup!”

He immediately retracted his foot in fear.

“What the hell?! The gravity was real?!”

He shouted in anger and fumed through his nostrils. His journey to the valley’s entrance suddenly became much more difficult.

“And she just left me here too? Never trusting her again. Never, ever.”

His heart sank as he gazed into the infinite darkness.

She gave me three days, right? She could have at least told me how far away it was. All she said was for me to stay ahead of…

With a panic he spun around and faced the wall. The blue mist that illuminated the message was rapidly fading!

“W-What happens if the blue mist goes away?”

As if to answer his question, a barrage of shrieks and wails rained down from above. His heart thumped wildly, and his pupils shrank in fear.

“Time to go, time to go, time to go.”

He faced the pathway once more and took a deep breath.

“Maybe I can at least get a head start by jumping over the ground…”

He briefly mused and thought about how far he could jump, fantasizing about leaping over the entire valley in one go.

“Let’s try it on three. And one, and two, and three!”

He leaped into the air, which resulted in a severe miscalculation. The moment his body left the mound, he came crashing down harder than before.

The crushing weight of the atmosphere was enough for his bones to creak and his joints protest in agony. As if that wasn’t enough, he intimately discovered that the black earth was soaked in a blood-like substance.

Disgusted and furious, he aggressively picked himself off the ground, wiping his face with his sleeves.

“Oh how I hate this place.”

With great willpower, he took a step forward, followed by another. After a few minutes of desperate struggle, he stood still and rested his hands on his knees.

It was strenuous work, but at least he was making progress. He could almost taste the fresh air from the valley’s entrance if he just kept up the same pace.

“Ugh, how…how far have I gone?”

He took a gander over his shoulder, only to feel his heart drop to the pit of his stomach.

Practically within arm’s reach, was the mound that he started at. To make matters worse, he could see the blue mist fading faster.

Was that a claw just now?! Are those spiky legs?! What the fuck is this place!

A new fear was born after catching brief glimpse of the horrors that awaited him.

“Nope, nope, nope!”

He clenched his teeth and ignited with a surge of adrenaline.

This place is so dark and terrifying. Let’s fix that.

After a small delay, gold-white flames swirled around him like melted sunflowers mixed with winter snow.

“The pressure… it’s less?”

Sans sprinted forward once more in delight, attempting to rid himself of the terrors that lurked behind. His eyes lit up in excitement once he noticed the ease at which he moved.

“Okay, progress. Just follow the mist and I’ll be out of here.”

His feet pounded into the earth with renewed confidence. Before it was like running through a quagmire of liquid metal, but now it was like wading through shallow waters.

A piercing screech echoed overhead, sending a chill along his spine.

They’re in the air too?

He willed his feet to stomp harder as perspiration enveloped his entire body. He breathed in gulps of air as he passed over skeleton after skeleton, their remains becoming more dispersed.

Sans paused and glanced behind. The mound was far in the distance now, and the trail of blue mist was still decreasing at the same rate.

“If I keep up this pace, I can stay ahead of the mist.”

He frowned as he watched the protective fire writhe and curl against the still darkness.

“But how long can I keep this up for…?”

He muttered before resuming his trek. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn he glimpsed some movement in the darkness.

“Just follow the skeletons.”

Sans pressed on, ignoring the all-consuming fear that ate at his mind. Wails and growls continued to assault his ears, but like a holy mantra he remained transfixed on the skeleton pathway before him.

After countless hours, he finally wavered. His knees wobbled with each new step, and his only company, the once vibrant fire, was now sparse and reduced to mere wisps.

How long has it been?

He dragged his foot forward with glazed eyes, passing over another skeletal remain.

When does this end? Ah, I’m so tired. I wish I had slept last night.

Just as he considered a break, two wooden posts appeared, faintly illuminated by the dim blue mist. After getting closer, his eyes widened as he developed a brand-new fear.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

A bridge, extending across an unseeable chasm, gently swayed from side to side.

Sans crept closer, resting his hand on one of the posts for support. He peered into the darkness on either side, shuddering to think of how far the drop would be.

“If I fell, would I survive? Do I really have to do this?”

He looked back at the path of skeletons, perhaps he had missed a turn somewhere. Unfortunately, he could only steel his nerves and take the first step onto the creaking bridge.

He swallowed his unease, dragging his other foot forward. His only solace were two frayed and gnarled ropes that acted as guardrails.

His gold-white flames dispersed more and more, allowing the overbearing gravity to return with a vengeance.

“Should I have rested before trying to cross?”

Sans muttered, but quickly dropped the idea after remembering the disappearing mist. He glanced behind him for the umpteenth time, but that’s when he noticed something even more terrifying.

The blue mist was fading faster than before! At his current rate, it was even possible to overtake him while still crossing the bridge.

“Time to…”

He panted hard and inched forward.

“Time to go faster.”

The bridge cracked and moaned with each step. The sounds echoed outward as if he were traversing over a massive canyon.

Sans motioned for his next step but paused his foot in midair.

“Why… why are there planks missing!”

He internally wept as he calculated how far of a jump he would have to make.

Ohhh, I don’t want to do this. It’s too dark to see the other end clearly!

He hyperventilated for a few moments while the uncaring bridge swayed in the air.

I can do this. If I pour all of my energy into the fire, I can offset the gravitational pull as much as possible. And then, with a powerful jump… maybe?

Glancing behind, the blue mist was almost at the bridge’s entrance.

Huh… I wonder if those creatures are still following.

His stare intensified, looking for any indication of horrors lurking in the dark. Just as the blue mist disappeared at the entrance, he felt a small tremor ripple through the ropes.

Something is on here with me… They’re following me!

Sans’ eyes crackled with newfound adrenaline as he mustered his courage for his jump. He wasted no time and burst with the brightest flames he could. His entire body was like a flashbang within the still and murky darkness, lighting up the immediate vicinity.

He jumped with everything he had, blazing an arc of purity through air like a dazzling and dying star.

I made it! Whoa-

He panicked while his legs wobbled for balance. After finding stability, urgency flooded through his veins as he felt the constant tremors through the ropes and planks of the bridge.

They’re coming!

He willed himself to make another step, followed by another. Through his peripheral vision, he could see the blue mist around him fading faster.

Go, go, go!

The shrieks became louder. He could now hear strange clicking sounds within the dark, a detail that escaped him before.

Are those mandibles of some type?

He shuddered and focused on crossing the planks one at a time.

Maybe I just need to pass this bridge, and this will all be over. Maybe the exit is right there. What if all of this isn’t even real.

Sans’ thoughts drifted again and again, when he noticed something peculiar.

“The noises are gone.”

He turned back in confusion. The bridge no longer shook, and the random shrieks no longer echoed in his ears.

Are they remaining dormant? Have they disappeared? Can I finally rest?

Just as he was thinking about his next course of action, the blue mist finally surpassed him.

“Oh…looks like I couldn’t keep up.”

Without the impending sense of danger, staying ahead of the mist suddenly didn’t seem all that important.

Was everything truly an illusion? A collection of phantoms to haunt his every step?

Can I finally take it easy?

He made another step forward and that’s when he noticed the dim red light that faintly illuminated the bridge. He froze, slowly turning his head toward the source.

A giant crimson orb, tens of meters in diameter, loomed within the infinite black. Sans stared at the orb, afraid to move a single muscle.

While Sans remained locked in terror, the orb blinked, sending a wave of chills underneath his skin.

I see. It’s a massive one-eyed giant monster. Is this why the little creatures stopped moving? Or perhaps they fled. Smart.

Sans wasn’t just imagining shadows as he sensed the dark air rippling with motion. He could feel gusts of condensed wind pressure slamming against his body as a hidden mass sailed through the horizon.

So, is this where I die?

The giant’s massive red eye glared at him, and with a deafening crash the bridge was destroyed. A single swing from the giant was all it took to dash all hope of escape.

Sans sailed through the air like a ragdoll, but his moment of flight was swiftly cut short.

The enhanced gravity worked against him in double time, dragging him out of the sky and plummeting him to the depths of the massive canyon.

Sans felt the air shift above him, followed by an enraged roar from the giant. The colossal beast had missed its target.

The wind howled in his ears as he shot downward like a bullet. Spreading his arms and legs out wide, Sans tried to slow his descent, a futile attempt.

Before he could make out the incoming ground, his body careened into a series of branches and leaves. In the next second, he fell into a massive lake with an enormous splash.

Saved! I’m saved!

Out of all the outcomes that could have occurred, landing in a body of water was the last thing on his mind. Nonetheless, he cherished the development with his whole being.

It’s better than landing on a bunch of spikes.

Sans mused as he stretched his sore body. It was only then that he noticed something strange. He could see underneath the water.

What was supposed to be a black abyss of unknown liquid, was instead luminated by countless baubles of twinkling light. The baubles swirled about as more and more of them lit in the distance.

How pretty.

Sans noticed one of the baubles come closer. He stared at the light as if it were a symbol of security. He couldn’t help but smile knowing that he wasn’t stuck in permanent darkness.

If only these lights could follow me around. That would be nice.

The bauble came even closer, and that’s when Sans realized his grave mistake. Behind the orb of light, was a wide mouth full of jagged and razor-sharp teeth.

The fish beast didn’t have any skin, displaying vines of sinewy muscle tightly wrapped around a lattice of bones. Its body was the size of a human skull, and in place of its eye sockets, were empty black holes that seemed to stare at everything and nothing simultaneously.

Sans remained stock still, floating in the water’s depths. The corroded and terrifying beast steadily wiggled through the water and passed by.

Watching the beast leave, Sans slowly turned around like a wooden puppet. Behind each of these thousands of baubles, was a horrifying creature that looked ready to devour him.

Just as he was about to begin his swim to the surface, he caught sight of the fish that previously swam past him. It was facing his direction!

Unsure of what to do, Sans stared back at the fish. He sensed that the swirls of lights surrounding him had also come to a stop.

I’d rather deal with the giant…

As if prompted by his thoughts, there was a subtle movement from the bauble before him. Like a signal to the charge, the hordes of monster fish started swarming!

Adrenaline and fear gripped Sans’ heart once more, urging him to cleave through the water and reach the surface in double-time.

Which way is up?!

He wildly swam in a direction in hopes of reaching air. It didn’t take long for the first fish to close on him. He felt its serrated teeth envelope his leg before suddenly crunching downward!

“Mrrgbl!”

A muffled scream disappeared into the ink-like water.

Sans kicked backward in a desperate attempt to free is leg. At the same time, he saw the horde of wiggling lights coagulating together like an underwater tsunami of consuming death.

Escape from the water was suddenly at the top of his priority list. Making a snap decision, he grit his teeth and ignored the pain coming from his leg, furiously splitting through the water with unknown tenacity.

They’re gaining on me!

Sans stroked through the water faster as the wave of lights converged on his location. Just when everything seemed bleak, a massive foot came crashing through the horde of fish from above.

If I hadn’t swam away from there… I would have been crushed!

He stared at the massive leg that continued all the way down into the abyss. It had crushed the entire horde of fish without a single care, inadvertently saving him from being ripped to shreds.

The fish still gnawing on his leg woke him from his stupefied state. He desperately kicked at it once more, finally freeing himself. A rush of blood poured out of his leg, mixing with the dark water.

The bauble that hung in front of the fish, his only source of light, was growing dim as the fish turned upside down.

At least I know which direction to swim.

He followed the fish upward, even after the dead fish’s light extinguished he continued swimming. Finally, after much exhaustion, he broke through the water’s surface. With a deep gasp of fresh air, he kicked and paddled in a random direction, praying that it would take him to shore.

With no moon or stars, he was lost in a chasm of darkness without a single notion of where forward could be. In the deep black he couldn’t even make out the water that surrounded him.

Fatigue assaulted him, and with the absence of adrenaline, he felt like he could fall asleep even while swimming. After some time, his hand grasped onto something familiar.

“L-Land!”

He withheld tears and hastily heaved himself out of the water, allowing his fingers to dig into the dark earth. Crawling further inland, he let out a sigh of relief before flopping onto his back.

Before he could get too comfortable, a wail sounded from above, followed by a series of screeches and snarls.

“Those things followed me… ahh.”

Sans remained still, slipping in and out of consciousness. His loss of blood was becoming excessive, and now he was surrounded by creatures of the dark.

Just before he could lose all hope, the beasts suddenly stopped.

“No, no mon. A bro-ken thing you are, lil’ mon.”

A cloaked figure floated toward the broken boy, its bandaged hand waved whimsically into the air. As if it were some sort of signal, the surrounding mass of beasts dispersed, leaving the two alone.

“Poi-soned? Dam-aged? Oh-ho, lil’ mon you be sumting.”

Seeing as Sans was no longer awake, the figure reached with his hand, grasping onto the boy firmly.

“You be-a comin’ wit’ mee.”