> Read a Story > Mythos Nocturnal
In the utter darkness
of the cave mouth I could feel a breeze blowing into my face. The choices before
me ran through my mind swiftly. Below me in the inky water waited a creature
of great size. Even now I could hear it moving in the water, the sounds alone
telling of enormous bulk. If I left this cave, climbing the very tall cliff
above would afford me my only escape, if the hand and foot holds continued upward
and my strength held out. The darkness of this terrible place surrounded me
and I could not imagine climbing upward blindly, not knowing what I would encounter
with only my hands to guide me. My last alternative stretched out in front of
me; a cave I could sense by the feel of my hands and the wind upon my skin.
But what evil lurked inside of it?
I considered sitting down where I was and waiting, but the thought sent a chill
down my spine. What would find me if I chose to stay at this cave mouth? Surely
something. The slosh of water below me made up my mind. I moved forward feeling
with my hands and found the cave roof and sides. Walking in a hunch so as not
to knock my head I crept forward, listening every few steps for the sound that
would surely come, some new monster rushing toward me. Time passed terribly
slowly as I pushed onward but the breeze in my face gave me hope. It had to
come from the other end of the cave. The passage I traveled down meandered some
and once I passed by a place where water dripped. Other than that I heard no
sounds beyond a lonely cricket far off somewhere. Twice I came to passages that
led off from the one I traveled but no breeze came from them and so I passed
them by. Two hours might have passed when I heard the first of the sounds.
I stopped and listened intently. Had I heard an echo of my own footsteps? The
sound had come as a grating of a shoe on dirt. I took one cautious step and
decided I had spooked myself. Several minutes later however, I heard the sound
again, and this time I knew I was not alone. The grating of feet on dirt had
come rapidly, more rapid than my own walking pace. I took in a breath of fear.
I had gone deep into this unknown cave and the footsteps had come from behind
me, I felt certain. I ran the sound through my mind but I could not determine
the weight of whoever or whatever followed. Fearfully I moved forward with greater
speed. The result came as I heard more sounds behind me. Whatever followed increased
its speed and I then heard a kind of snort, perhaps like a dog taking a scent
it did not like. My fears had come true. Something inhabited the cave and it
was not human.
Then came the breathing, heavy and with the sound of interest. Delight? Was
I to be a meal? I rushed forward blindly and only managed to collide with one
of the walls which created a loud sound and I even grunted out. Behind me I
heard a growl and in desperation I turned to face whatever was coming. I had
no weapons and I wore only a rather wet set of pajamas. I backed down the passage
around the turn I found there as sounds of my pursuer grew closer. Something
changed but at that moment I did not know what it was. I only knew that this
thing had almost reached me. Behind me my foot found a ledge and without turning
around I felt for a foothold. There was none. Then around the corner came the
beast.
It strode on two legs and wore clothing like battered leather. Its face appeared
red and as it saw me it opened its mouth and exposed a savage set of teeth.
It's shoulders were wide and though its body might not have been taller than
my own. It wrinkled its snout and spread its arms out, each one ending with
powerful hands bearing sharp nails. In my horror I stepped back and met with
empty air.
I reacted at once and caught the ledge I had just stepped off of just as the
creature lunged forward. Too late to stop its own momentum, it rushed over me,
and as it did it shouted out in gruff surprise. The shout turned quickly to
dismay as it passed over my head and fell away behind my back. As it fell it
cried out and my own terror increased as I realized the drop below me must be
immense.
I gripped at the ledge in a panic and one of my toes found a crag in the rock.
I pulled my self up and rolled onto my back in relief. My head spun with the
fright of what had just transpired but in the next instant I caught my breath.
Above me I could see several feet of a rock face going upward, lit by soft red
light. I could see.
I rolled swiftly onto my belly and peered over the cliff from which the beast
had just fallen. I gaped. Hundreds of feet below me lay three large lakes of
red. The light emanating from them hit the walls dully around where I lay but
here and there in the distance I caught other reflections. Though the lakes
glowed dully indeed, in the utter darkness I had just come through they seemed
to glow brightly. Looking up I found only one point of reflection which I quickly
lost sight of, but it was enough to inform me I looked upon an immense cavern,
a mile across and perhaps five hundred feet from ceiling to floor.
I looked straight down in order to see where the fearsome beast had landed and
only found darkness. I guessed it did not matter so long as it had died and
did not come for me again. Four beasts now I had encountered, all of them impossible.
I thought of my tiny poodle Fritz and my heart sank. Surely he had already met
a terrible end.
"You have done well," said a voice from behind me.
I shouted out in shock and found myself flying up onto my feet in a violent
reaction. There in the dim light of the lakes below stood a man who reached
only up to my chest. He held a long dangerous looking knife out in front of
him and as I jumped up he backed away a step and waved it about threateningly.
My next reaction was to look him over and at once my shoulders sagged. This
man was not human. He bore a pronounced brow and a rather large looking mouth
filled with large flat teeth and his eyes, though I can not quite say why, seemed
alien as well. Perhaps they were too large or deep set.
"That ogre hunted me in this cave," said the man. "What is your
purpose?"
My mind swam with confusion. Should I respond? Would this creature soon try
to kill me? Desperately I tried to come to a conclusion but only found myself
thinking that I would have to escape this new danger.
I answered, "I'm passing by."
"With what purpose?" demanded the man as though I had not answered
satisfactorily.
I thought quickly and into my mind came the sound of the beast that had chased
me into the cave.
"I came here to escape the swamp," I said.
"You came from the swamp?" he asked, and seemed surprised.
"I fell into it," I said, the words coming out of me almost of their
own accord. "A snake chased me off the cliff above."
The man then made a displeased face and said, "They have loosed snakes
upon the Bleak Farthing?"
But it came as a statement rather than a question and I waited because I did
not know what effect I had created.
He looked me over then and asked, "Did you lose your weapon in the fall?"
I looked to his long knife and lied, "Yes."
"Do you know the way to the top?" he asked.
I looked behind me at the glowing lakes below and turned back to him, saying,
"I need to go down to these lakes."
He nodded as if understanding something but I knew not what, for my purpose
was to get to these lakes so that I could see danger coming my way if it came.
Then I would have a chance of defending myself and surviving.
"I will show you a path," he said. "If you like you can have
a meal with me first. I have a fire inside."
I wanted to run away but the offer meant that perhaps this man meant me no harm.
Perhaps. I realized I would take my chances when I heard myself answering that
I would join him for his meal.
He turned away and strode into the pitch black tunnel as if it offered him no
troubles and hesitated. Thoughts of distrust and fear crowded my mind but mostly
I noted that the man who would be serving me dinner had quite a bit of lizard
tale coming off his back end.
Main | News | Issues | Submit | Workshops | About | Links
Revised
November 19, 2002
by David Kraybill
©2002 Beard-Kraybill
Studios
Credits