Michael held a torch up with his right hand as his left slid along the wall. The light from the torch somehow made them all feel even smaller. Like a small dash of paint in an otherwise completely black painting. It was as if the darkness was pushing in at them, trying to overtake that small bit of fire giving them light.

Still, in that small bit of light holding them safe from the unknown, much was illuminated. Despite the massive structure, as they moved along the left side, sizes for things seemed to fluctuate. Some doorways reached up so high it went well past the torch’s illumination, while other arches were maybe two feet high. The design seemed so unintuitive, as if things were just randomly strewn about with no greater thought to their position. Like a child’s first foray into making buildings in Gary’s Mod.

Step by step Michael kept his left hand against the left wall, leading them along it. The wall had a similar strange feeling to the floor. Like a strange dance of comfort on a sturdy platform, but with an endless abyss of ever-present threat surrounding it. Just one slip, and it’d be all over.

“Why are you…leading us so far…along the edge?” Sharon’s face looked especially ominous in the torchlight as her ears seemed to be straining to hear even the faintest sound.

“It’s an old trick I learned. Back when I was a little kid, my dad taught me this at a fair.” Michael smiled remembering one of his few happy memories that was easy to bring to mind. “I was scared to go into the hall of mirrors, because I was sure I’d get lost. Well, my dad took me aside as my mother and sisters went ahead without us. He said, ‘Mick, if you ever have to get through a maze, the most sure-fire way is to keep your left hand on the left side. Follow that wall, and you’ll always find your way out.’ I was skeptical how this could magically help me, but he was right. I made it through that hall of mirrors just fine. It was one of the few times I had a talk alone with my dad that didn’t involve screaming, so it stuck with me.”

“Like that was a real sweet story Mikey, but you totally brought the mood down right at the end.”

“I am also glad…you at least have some…good memories of family…and the premise of following…a wall to find the…way makes sense…Though I fear it may…be the longer way.”

“Totally right Shar bear, but it’s like so Mikey to do something the safer way. Like he’d so use measuring spoons on a stew instead of like feeling out the spices.”

“I mean, obviously. How else would I be sure I put in the right amounts? I mean, who knows how terrible it might turn out if I didn’t stick to what I know works?”

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“Established ways are…not always best…”

“Like way to talk some sense finally Shar.”

“I always speak…sense. You just have…trouble listening.”

“Like O M G, someone woke up on the wrong side of the ship. Is it because you don’t have like a full crew to help explore this place?”

“I can make…due without a crew…You are probably more…lost without a…recent betrayal.”

“Hey, come on now. Can we focus on this alien fortress we’re on instead of bickering maybe?”

“It is not…technically alien…It simply predates…the time of man…”

“Okay sorry, the ancient fortress that predates man,” he conceded with a sigh before hearing what sounded like a brief shuffling of feet out in the darkness. As a shiver violently ran up his spine the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up. “I don’t know about you guys, but this whole place has me freaked out. Just something about it really doesn’t sit right.”

“Of course, it…is unknown to you…A mystery of architecture…without a basis in…human history. Of course…it would be off-putting…”

In the distance a sound echoed. It sounded almost like someone had just thrown a rock through a window. Like glass shattering followed by a small thud hidden in-between the pieces of glass falling. All three of them froze in place and looked all around, their eyes and ears straining to find the source of the sound.

“Like that sounded totally far away, right?”

“Or perhaps it is...simply not as loud...as we would think…”

In a hushed voice Michael interjected, “I don’t think there’s a lot we can do about whatever that was, but maybe we should keep a little quieter and pick up the pace a little bit?”

“Like do you think the light isn’t totally a loud enough symbol of strangers totally invading their castle?”

“Well, it’s dark, so maybe they don’t see like we do?”

“How uncharacteristically optimistic…of you Michael…We have nothing…to imply that…beside our present darkness…”

Michael sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Yeah well, without any optimism I probably wouldn’t have come in at all. The smart move was to leave this place in the dust.”

“Like duh, I’m pretty sure that’s like exactly what I said.”

“Yeah yeah, but whatever’s happening I do want answers if they’re there. We have seen nothing resembling nuclear fallout. Just Sharon’s crazy book, and now this giant island.”

“Humans have always…had a deep instinctual…curiosity.”

“Like yeah, it’s totally obvious I’m like curious too, but…”

There was another crashing sound, but it was much louder this time. Carolyn grew silent immediately as they all stood still and anxiously looked around again.

No one seemed willing to break the silence this time, and it was almost a full minute before Michael started to move again. Carolyn and Sharon quickly fell into step behind him.

There was a solid thump sound as Michael ran face first into a solid object. He grunted quietly as he struggled to not cry out and pushed against the likely bump growing on his forehead. Carolyn and Sharon turned to see what had happened but stood with their mouths agape as a deep blue light started to spread out from where Michael had hit his head.

Lines like the mysterious writings in the book began to form from the dark blue light as they ran up what was apparently a massive statue of some strange parody of a human holding a two-pronged spear. Like it had been carved by someone who had only heard of humans second hand.

The blue light continued to spread, and soon filled in the eyes of the statue before spreading out to the walls and ceiling. Their torch was once the only light, pushed down by the darkness, but as this mysterious light spread the alien architecture became more and more apparent. But before they could marvel at the grand splendor, a third crashing noise rang out from just behind them, followed shortly by a melodic voice that sent shivers up their spines with each syllable.

“Crtthnit mrooofgh’llt tghiamsdda llhg gyhu offftaru!”