Firelight bounced off the slick stone walls. All down the hall were geometric etchings that spiraled inward, like walking through a kaleidoscope.
Price held the makeshift torch he formed from rags and rubbing alcohol forward, trying to keep our vision as far in front of us as possible. We grew closer to the heart of these caverns, and the closer we went, the more the pungent aroma of iron filled the air. Death was lingering, and it was obvious we were all on edge. Well, everyone aside from me.
My friends were tense, unknowing of what their fates might be. Their future was a foggy road that took any sort of twists and turns, but I had realized my path ever since I spoke to my mother.
I went to the front of our group and looked over to Price. As much as he was born to lead, his tendency to paranoia made anxiety gleam past his tense glare. I held my hand out, offering to take the torch.
Price refused for a moment, not wanting to leave the frontline, but I had a certainty that he was unable to grasp. Eventually, I received the torch, and Price was able to take a deep breath. The man was not made to have such a clashing battle of steadfastness and doubt. His curse corrupted him in a way that took away his greatest strength, but that would not be for long.
We continued down the stone hall, and the smell of blood only became more pronounced in the stagnant air. I spoke out calmly, trying to take attention away from our grim journey. “So, what are you all going to do if… When we’re freed of this curse?” No response came, not due to some esoteric force or eldritch monstrosity, but because deep down I don’t think anyone truly could envision coming back out of the dark. I, on the other hand, saw them leaving. This wasn’t a death march. Not for them. “How about you Bradley? Ever going to finish university?”
It may have been a bit manipulative, but I knew Bradley’s mouth would run if I let it loose. “W-Well, I suppose so.” He stuttered out. “Not sure anyone will take me after what happened.” I looked back to Bradley and saw him glancing at the others. “When my, er, symptoms began showing up, I just spoke whatever was on my mind... I did not have many pleasant things on my mind regarding my professors.” He let out a soft chuckle while the rest grinned. Their minds began to wander from the path we walked, and without my provoking, Bradley continued. “But if…” His eyes locked to mine, and whatever he saw within mine caused him to steel himself. “When we get out of here, I’d like to continue my studies, wherever that may be. Quitting the bottle is also a wise decision, most likely.”
Price nodded at Bradley’s last sentiment. “Cutting down liquor sounds like a good first step to me, too…” His gaze went to ambient space as Price thought. Such a simple answer was not the only one on his mind. “Maybe I’ll go back home… God knows what’s waiting on me when I get back, but it’ll be worth it if I can see L-“ Price stopped himself before he could conjure the name, and instead just grunted. “My wife is still there.”
The group fell silent after what Price had said. Such silence did not last for long, though. Hughes had been formulating his own thoughts as we walked along.
His hand tightened the bandage wrapping his arm, then slowly moved to his face. His gloved finger ran over the taught dressing that twirled around where his nose was, before he scraped it off in his deliria. “I-I-I believe I will take my fortune and move somewhere a bit more open and alone…” He itched at his neck. “I would quite like to feel the cold breeze on my skin once more.” Hughes then looked to the rest of us. It was hard to make out his thoughts while his face was mostly covered, but from what I could tell he looked conflicted, guilty, or some mix of the two. “You could have all left me in that padded cell but instead you bandaged me and brought me to my senses… If any of you want to get away from this place, I would be happy to purchase somewhere everyone could escape to…” He then looked to Price, knowing as well as the rest of us that he was not liked by authorities in any of the Isles. “Perhaps you find your wife and come along. Somewhere quiet and near the ocean.”
Price nodded appreciatively and swallowed a lump in his throat. He did not respond, as it seemed he had other things grabbing at his attention since the conversation of his old home was brought about.
We went on in silence for another moment before Emilia talked about her hopes. “I think I’d like to go back to the countryside. I’ve got some bad memories there, but I think it’s about time I met with those rather than run from them… I’ve tried to make up for the things I’ve done by helping others, but I think there’s only one way to make it all right.”
Bradley spoke up. “W-What about you, Theo? What are you going to do when we get out of here?”
For a long while I was simply silent, and even after my extensive thoughts, I could only conjure the words “I’m not sure.”
Those sorts of questions did not concern me, but they nevertheless brought me to delve into thought. If I were to go back into the world, free of my curse, what would I do? The plaguing visions consumed my entire adult life, leaving me absent of almost any greater ambition. The last long-term plan for my future I had was to take a hot air balloon and fly into the stars as a boy. Ever since adolescence, my time and concentration had been almost solely focused on feeding myself, supporting my mother, and resisting the temptation to cut my time below the stars short. My life was robbed from me by this force; by entropy. It was my turn to take something from it.
I began moving forward at a quicker pace, nearly leaving the others behind. They trot along behind me, not interested in asking questions as to why. Assumedly, they were just as ready as I was to leave these endless sprawling stone corridors and see what we were meant to find from the very beginning.
Finally, I met the end of the hall, and what I found was a large and spacious stairwell. Light and putrid stench emanated from far below us, but the stone steps spiraled down so far that there was no way to reasonably tell what was at the bottom.
We stoically continued down the stairs. Eventually, our makeshift torch would only give us away, so we extinguished it and left it behind.
Whispers were carried along the updraft as we grew closer. Hushed conversations between only a few voices. It was near impossible to concentrate on them, though, as the sulfuric stench of rot began to clog the sinuses.
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Despite it all, we continued our descent. Most of us, and especially Price, found some way to cover our noses as the smell became near unbearable. Along with that, the temperature of our subterranean coffin brought most of us shivering to the bone.
I made the foolish decision to get closer to the edge of the stairs and peer downward. Immediately, vertigo took hold, and there were no guard railings to brace myself on. To keep my balance, I had to stumble backward. Though at that moment I could see what awaited us. Bodies were piled in a mass at the center of the circle, all mangled, shriveled, and pale. Any blood left from the pile flowed into a larger room by etched markings in the stone floor.
We finally reached the ground floor, and I could see the runic symbols all merge into a singular trench that streamed to the center. The voices also grew louder but were still muffled beyond comprehension.
I pushed myself against the freezing cold wall and shuffled quietly to the entrance of the large room. Peering past the doorway, I saw multiple figures. They wore white surgical gowns that were stained in deep crimson. I couldn’t identify any of them, and their heads were all shawled in a cloth sack with two glass eyepieces and a metal filter by the mouth.
The count was only four men, and they carried themselves as if they were frail and old. They moved old ceramic jars and primitive clay sculptures in a circle around something, but my sight was so diffused by the objects that I could not make out what. The only thing I could see for sure was the trickling stream of blood that ran to the center.
On the other side of the room were shiny medical tools hung on the wall, alongside five surgical tables.
The others had grouped up close behind me, with Price closest. I whispered to him. “Four doctors. I’ll fire as much as I can. You run in and finish them.” To which the red-haired man simply nodded.
I would’ve taken a deep breath, but I was already so close to vomiting I thought it best to take my shot without bracing.
Price pulled the knife from his boot and got ready to run. Once he was ready, I leaned past the doorway and retrieved my revolver. I pointed it at the farthest man and squeezed the trigger.
A deafening shot echoed throughout the stairwell as the masked man’s head spouted a red mist. The others began to confusedly scramble for cover while I simply picked another target and began firing. One shot went wide. Another pierced through my target’s shoulder. One more shot landed in his abdomen and brought him tumbling to the ground. The rest all found themselves safety before I could retrain my sights.
I held out my gun, to which Price snatched it and broke into a full sprint. He ran straight towards one of the two remaining doctors’ cover and vaulted over it. He fired a shot with the revolver in one hand and dived down with the knife in his other. There were muffled screams, then silence.
Price stood back up, now sprayed in blood himself, and began walking towards the other doctor. The masked figure jumped up from his hiding spot with his hands raised. He shouted something that was incoherent past his panic and mouthpiece. Price simply held out my revolver and planted a round into his chest. We had all heard well enough lies and pleas.
The one I had shot in the side was still crawling, so Price made his way over. With no more ammo, he simply dropped the gun and grabbed the man. Without much struggle, the dagger plunged into the white fabric and brought red slowly staining the gown.
Once he looked back and nodded to me, I walked in with the others.
My eyes were not drawn to the cryptic symbols on the walls, nor the many ancient artifacts surrounding the room. I was encompassed by the stream of blood, which ran down stone steps to a large square pool that shimmered sanguine in the torchlight.
The more I stared at the murky liquid, the more my head began to ache. A pulsating pain pounded to the beat of my heart. That was my destination.
I continued to walk toward the pool as the others gathered in the room. They began to inspect all our surroundings as I stood entranced at the foot of the basin.
Emilia was the first to come up to the pool. We both pondered upon it for a moment before she spoke. “Are you alright, Theodore?”
I looked over to her and smiled a false smile. “Yes. I’m fine…” I tried to conjure something more to say, but that was all I could muster. Our gazes stayed locked for a long while as the others began to gather around the pool.
For a brief moment, my gut churned as my throat clamped shut. My mind wandered to what my life could have been.
My arms wrapped around Emilia as I brought her into a hug. Although surprised at first, she hugged me back. My mind slowly let those thoughts go. Like a leaf on the wind, they eventually floated along the breeze to some greener place. Such fancies had to be put aside.
Although I did not want it to, our embrace came to an end. A tear ran down my cheek, both due to having to let go, and for what was to come.
I turned back to the pool and stepped in. The others quickly gathered close, but none dared enter. Although the dead bodies should have had blood to fill the entire room, I found the liquid to only reach my ankles.
Wading into the middle of the pool, I looked back at my friends.
Bradley tried to run after me, but his foot never found purchase. In the very first step, he very nearly fell knee-deep into the blood, only saved by Price grabbing his arm and hoisting him back out. My old friend shouted at me, this time in perfect punctuation. “Theo!? Get the hell out of there so we can figure this out!”
Unfortunately, I had already figured it out. Nevertheless, I was glad to see Bradley so prepared to come after me. Almost anyone who met him in his adult age would have called him a selfish layabout, but he had become one of the most reliable and determined of us all.
Hughes muttered out. “I’m not sure this is a good idea…” As well as Bradley changing, so did Hughes. He may have lost the pride he held on to so dearly, but he gained a group of people that cared for him. Offering to help the others on his own dime was not something I had thought he would do in any situation.
Emilia simply grimaced and looked away. There were too many things to be said about her. She took better care of my mother than I ever could have, and her care for Hughes was the only thing that could have brought him to such a cognizant state. In the end, I was glad she planned to reclaim her past life. Redo what should have been and come to face what had happened.
Price simply looked me deep into the eyes and slowly nodded. Despite how standoffish and untrusting he was to everyone around him at first, and as scary as it might be to leave such grave work to another, I knew he was depending on me. He still had work to do on this earth, which left me to handle the rest. I wouldn’t let him down.
Giving them all one more glance. I smiled. “Well. Goodbye, friends.”
As soon as I said that I felt a long cold hand grasp my ankle and pull. The sudden jerk caused the wind to escape my lungs as I plunged deep into the pool.
Instinctually, I tried to resist, but I was sinking at such a speed that my arms were locked above my head.
The pounding headache I felt earlier grew more and more intense as my body tried to convulse and failed due to the pressure of the flowing liquid. My concentration was spent on not breathing in and filling my lungs with blood, but my consciousness did not last for long.
The headache became dull as my thoughts drifted. The forceful push of the current around me began to instead feel like a gentle wave washing over me.
My consciousness dissipated as I felt like I was floating. Nothingness into nothingness into nothingness.
Then, something whispered directly into my ear. The sounds startled me as if I had been violently awoken, and most concerning of it all, the words came from my very own voice.
“Wakey wakey.”