by Adam Watson
"There's no one here," remarked Aiden. Greegan nodded, it did seem that way, but as they got closer to the end, he noticed something strange.
"Brother look!” Aiden peered into the dimly lit cellar, what he saw made his heart beat uncontrollably. In front of them was a gaping hole in the far wall - a hole that looked like it had been ripped open by some titanic force.
"What do we do now?" asked Aiden. Greegan peered into the darkness beyond, from this side of the wall nothing could be seen - it was as if the darkness itself was sucking the light from the torch.
"The only thing we can do … we enter."
***
Inside, the darkness somehow seemed heavier. The light from the torch didn't travel as far as it did in the cellars; something weighed down upon it.
"By the gods, its dark in here," commented Aiden. Looking around he could make out that they were in some kind of tunnel, but seeing beyond that was near impossible. There were no branches leading away from the sides, there were no forks or turns. The tunnel appeared to be a dead straight line - one that was slowly descending.
“Stay close Aiden, it would be easy to lose each other in this darkness.” The brothers continued walking down, and with every step, the very air around them seemed to get darker and heavier. Aiden could feel himself sweating, the humidity and heat was making it difficult to breathe. He turned to look at his brother, even with the torch right next to Greegan’s face Aiden could barely make him out.
“I don’t like this Greegan. This darkness is unnatural. We should turn back before we lose our bearings.”
“I think we already have.” Aiden turned around, the entrance was no longer visible; behind them only a long, black void. Every direction he looked blackness reigned supreme. The darkness destroyed his bearings and nulled all sense of direction; he was no longer sure from which way they came or even which way he faced.
“Where’s the entrance?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” came Greegan’s voice from the darkness. He sounded worried, his voice strained from the pressure. Was he experiencing the same feelings as Aiden? Aiden’s heart began to race, the room had become pitch black, smothering the flames - all light was gone.
“Greegan are you still there?” he asked, with raised voice. Don’t panic.
“I’m here.” Greegan’s voice sounded like it had moved twenty yards away. Sweat beaded down Aiden’s forehead, he was starting to feel the heat from the humid darkness. Just remain calm.
“Brother, stop moving!” he yelled, and reached out in desperation. Even though Greegan’s voice sounded far away, Aiden felt like he could feel his brother’s presence right next to him.
“I’m not." Greegan's voice whispered from the void. Again it sounded like he had moved, this time a great distance away. Panic threatened to overwhelm Aiden’s mind, somehow he knew his brother was gone. Somehow he knew that they would be the last words he would ever hear from his brother’s mouth. What happened to him and where he went, he did not know, but deep down in his gut, he knew his brother was gone. Fear of darkness, fear of loss and fear of the unknown combined forces, and terror took Aiden in its grip.
"GREEGAN!" he screamed. He reached out, there was nothing around him. "GREEGAN!" he shouted again, quickly moving towards the spot he thought the whisper came from. Reaching out in front of him, he could feel nothing. The walls weren’t where they should be, his brother was gone. Everywhere he looked was darkness with no hope of escape, he wanted to get out of there. Forget the gold, forget the glory. I just want to be back with the spiderwebs and dust.
Suddenly he stopped dead. What was that? He wasn't alone. He needed to focus, he needed to hear. His mind was racing, his breath was too loud; he needed to calm down - he needed silence. There was something down here with him in the darkness. Was it a presence or some kind of beast?
He held his sword out in front of him, looking around, he strained his ears and tried to listen for a sound of movement or breathing; anything that would tell him if he was alone or not. He thought he could hear the beast’s heart beating or was that his own? He wasn't sure, so he kept walking, knowing that staying still was unsafe.
He could feel the ground beneath his feet changing. Where once there was stone, now there was mud. The mud was thick and stuck to his boots. What’s happening? This was strange, the world around him was changing. He looked around, it was no longer pitch black. The world had a vagueness to it - a faint silhouette. It wasn’t much, but it gave him comfort knowing that he wasn’t trapped in an endless void. Ahead was the faintest light and like a moth to the flame, he walked towards it.
The air around him was still thick and hot. He looked around, nothing seemed familiar. He could feel the sweat on his body, it was literally dripping off him. Was it the heat or just his nerves? He could never remember being this nervous. He made his way through the darkness. What am I doing here? As he walked he could feel the cling of the mud with every step, it seemed to sap the strength from his legs. A faint outline of walls appeared, it was good to see something, but with every step, they seemed to close in. Where was he going and why could he not stop himself?
A soft breeze blew through the tunnel, but it brought no coolness with it. Aiden held the rusty sword before him ready to strike at anything that threatened him. Something is down here, but what? He did not know. This place seemed strange to him, it seemed to cloud his mind, but something about this place also seemed familiar; he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Nearing the light, he could now see that there was a mist in the air. Was it this mist that was making his thinking unclear? His mind seemed as hazy as the fog. He could hear something, but couldn’t quite make out what it was. He travelled ever closer to the light, and the closer he got, the thicker the mist seemed, but it was moving now, blown by a soft breeze.
His thoughts were coming and going like so many pieces in his mind as the wind grew louder and blew in his ears. Is that laughter? Laughter on the wind? He couldn’t be sure, but he knew he didn’t like it. Got to get out of here, he thought. Laughter echoed through the tunnel, it seemed to follow him. He turned around, the walls seemed to be closing in on him; ready to smother him in a stony embrace. That laughter … is someone watching me? Aiden didn’t like it one bit.
“Is someone there?” he shouted. “If there is, then show yourself.” He started to run. There was only one way to go, and that was towards the light.
As he ran, the laughter became louder. Was there no escape from this cursed void? The land itself seemed to want to keep him there. The mud flung up and clung to his legs adding more and more weight; every step was becoming more and more of an effort. The wind was against him, the laughter deafening, and it seemed to be coming from the very walls themselves. Madness, this is madness. Aiden was in a panic now, he sprinted as fast as he could. I have to reach the light.
Suddenly there was great movement beneath him; roots and great tendrils were springing from the ground. Aiden tried to run, but they had already latched onto his legs, and he couldn’t move. The tendrils made their way up Aiden’s back and started winding around his arms and shoulders. He was slowly sinking; he could feel the tendrils pulling him down. He tried with all his might, but there was no escape from his bonds. He could feel the mud’s coolness slowly rising up his body as he sunk further and further down. It slithered over his face and up over his head - all light disappeared.
It was all over and with the light gone there was only the pressure of earth pressing in on him, slowly squeezing out all breath. His panic had ceased, now there was just a cold, black, silence - the last few moments before death, but they were peaceful.
Then a burning light came before him. Closer and closer it came, burning brighter and brighter. A darkened figure emerged from the light, he was tall and looked very strong; he had the body of a man and the head of a bull. There seemed to be great wisdom in his eyes. In his left hand he held a spear, and in his right hand a red robin. He closed his hand ar
ound the bird and spoke with great power.
“Aiden Thun'dira, in my hand I have a red robin. Is it alive or is it dead?” Aiden tried to speak, there were so many questions, but nothing came out. “Ask nothing, only answer. In my hand, I have a red robin, is it alive or is it dead?” Aiden studied the hand and thought back to the last time this had happened. He remembered that he had answered that it was alive, then watched in disbelief as the Minotaur had killed it - he already knew there was no way to answer this correctly.
“It’s dead.” He answered with the only other alternative and watched as the hand opened and released the robin unharmed - just as he knew it would.
“No, the robin is alive … but you will never be, until you understand.” But Aiden didn’t understand, and he didn’t know what the Minotaur meant by that either. But there's no way to answer that! He wanted to scream, but no sound came out.
The pressure began to push on him again, he tried to scream, but just like the first time, it was a silent scream - fear had never been this great. The pain was immense, the pressure so great it would surely crush him at any second. He couldn't move, couldn't even breathe. The laughter was back, echoing in his mind; driving him to madness and growing ever louder. The pressure grew and grew, the pain was unbearable. He closed his eyes and everything went silent.
Aiden awoke with an immense scream, his pulse racing, his heart beating like a drum. This time he knew it was a nightmare, just like the one he had had before, but he also knew that these were something more than just bad dreams; they were telling him something. They were sending him a message that he was supposed to understand - the fact that he didn’t, disturbed him deeply.
He rolled over drenched in sweat, breathing heavily like he had undergone some great physical exertion. He could see that he was in some kind of vast cavern, the unnatural darkness was gone, leaving only natural light and shadows in its wake. Light was shining in from somewhere high above, but from where exactly he could not determine. There was enough light to see that the cavern was a large expanse.
Around the outer edge, a winding river ran. In the centre, a great spire rose up and joined into the roof forming a large column. Around the column was a garden, but it didn't look healthy; it looked dark and tainted, the plants corrupted. The dirt was like ash, and yet they thrived, but only in this spot.
Before him was an altar made from stone, a dedication to some kind of rat-god judging by the way the stone was carved. Wooden totems with green-jewelled eyes guarded each side. A yellow-green smoke seeped from deep cracks within; stinging the eyes and burning the throat with its toxic mix. In all of Aiden’s years, he had never heard of a rat-god, so to whom this particular altar was dedicated to he had no idea. The intricately carved message at the bottom was just as mysterious and written in a language he had never seen.
He struggled to his hands and knees trying to make sense of his surroundings, there was an ominous feel to the air. The cavern seemed quiet, too quiet. Was he being watched? And how did I get here? He didn’t know, but he knew he didn’t like it - any of it. I just want to be back home with Greegan by my side.
Suddenly he saw something out of the corner of his eye, and he quickly spun around to look - it was a body. Shock and worry took hold as he realised who it was.
“GREEGAN!” he shouted, rushing over to him. "Greegan, are you all right?" There was no response. Aiden rolled his brother over fearing the worst. "Greegan, wake up!" Greegan slowly opened his eyes. "Greegan, it's Aiden, are you all right?"
"Aiden?" Greegan was looking around disorientated, as if awakened from a deep sleep. "What’s going on? Where are we?"
"I don't know Brother, but am I glad to see you back. I thought I was never going to see you again when you disappeared in the tunnel." Greegan tried to think back. Walking in the tunnel? Yes, that was the last thing he could recall. But what happened after that? He couldn’t remember. Something had happened obviously, but what? He tried to think, but there was only darkness. Greegan sat up.
"How did we get here?" Aiden shrugged, he had no answer to that.
"I don't know Brother. One minute we were walking down a dark tunnel which was slowly getting darker and darker, then I couldn't see anything, and your voice seemed to be jumping all over the place. Then I must have fallen asleep or lost consciousness and woke up here." Aiden decided to leave out the part about the dream.
"Hmm." Greegan pondered Aiden’s story for a moment, it was pretty much the same thing that had happened to him. "I bet that has something to do with it." Even from here they could smell the acidic stench that accompanied the yellow smoke billowing from the altar. "It's noxious and making me feel sick. I bet it knocked us out." It made sense, Aiden was feeling light-headed whenever he breathed it in.
"Let’s get away from it, and out of this place." Greegan nodded and turned to walk away, he smiled when he saw what was laying on the ground ahead of them.
"Look! It’s the weapons!" He picked up the rusty axe and handed the sword to Aiden. "Here, be on guard, whatever we're looking for, I bet it’s down here." Aiden grabbed the sword, and they started walking.
Two hours later they had made it to the far side of the cavern, following the winding river all the way. The light was slowly fading, indicating that the sun was going down outside. The yellow-tinged sulphuric mist had spread lightly throughout the cavern and almost glowed in the twilight; the ominous feeling began to descend upon the brothers once more.
"This place is giving me the creeps," remarked Aiden, and Greegan nodded. "I feel like something is watching us."
"You're not imagining it, Brother," answered Greegan. "I’ve noticed it for some time. There are a hundred eyes watching us from a distance. Watching our every move, biding their time, waiting for us to make a mistake.” Aiden scanned the outer edges of the cavern.
"What do you mean? I don't see anything." Greegan had a fanatical look in his eyes, like the inside of his mind was showing him something divine.
"Don’t worry Brother, they're there all right ... waiting."
"Who are they and what are they waiting for?" asked Aiden.
"Nightfall … be ready Brother, when darkness descends they will come scurrying up from the depths." Aiden looked at his brother carefully, studying him. Greegan was not known for his dramatic statements, in fact, it was quite out of character.
“How do you know this?” he asked, Greegan’s far away stare disappeared as his intense concentration was broken.
“I … I don’t know … I just do.” The way Greegan answered had Aiden more than a little concerned. Did he hit his head in the darkness? Aiden looked for bruises; his brother was starting to act strangely. "We need to head to the centre and get up to higher ground," continued Greegan. He immediately turned to the central pillar and started walking. Aiden sighed, he felt he had no choice but to follow.
***
The bottom of the central pillar was sloped as it went from horizontal to vertical, once they got as high as they could, they stopped. Greegan turned around and surveyed the surroundings.
"Everywhere is exposed. There's nowhere to hide, nowhere to take cover. There's nothing to set up defences with, and even if there was, we’ve run out of time." Aiden looked around, everything his brother had said was true. The sunlight had almost gone, soon they would have to rely on the light of the moon and hope it was bright enough to illuminate the cavern. "We'll have to make our stand here ... we should make a fire before it's too late.”
***
Soon the fire was lit, and the brothers were ready, Aiden had his sword and Greegan the axe. Aiden still wasn't entirely sure what they were preparing for, but the fire was warm, and that felt good.
"So what exactly do you expect to happen?" Greegan had been scouring the far side of the cavern ever since the sun had gone down. There were cracks and openings that seemed to lead down; too small for a human, too dark to see down, but big enough for something the size of a dog to come out of.
"I'm n
ot sure what is going to happen, but I'm certain that something will. I can feel it."
"Are you sure you haven't breathed too much of that gas." Greegan eyed Aiden harshly - this wasn't the time to joke around.
"Look Aiden, I didn't want to say this because it sounds crazy, but since I’ve woken up ..." Greegan stopped mid-sentence, and Aiden eyed him expectantly.
"What? Since you woke up, what?" Greegan looked away unable to meet his brother’s gaze.
“Never mind … it's nothing.”
“Greegan look at me. It’s your brother … Aiden. You don’t have to keep secrets from me.” Greegan glanced back up. He knew his brother was right, he knew he was being stupid. Yet, it would take everything he had to utter the words. He’s going to think I’ve gone mad.
“I’ve …” Greegan wiped his eyes and rubbed his temples. Why is this so hard? he thought, he had never had a problem telling Aiden anything before. “Someone’s whispering to me … in my head.” Greegan felt relieved that he could finally tell his brother that. He felt like a great weight had been lifted, but the look on Aiden’s face suddenly made him feel sick. He thinks I’m mad.
“What?” said Aiden, in disbelief. “Someone’s talking to you … in your head?” Aiden didn’t know what to think. It sounded like madness, but this was his brother. “What are they saying?” Greegan let out a sigh of relief, at least Aiden hadn’t laughed straight in his face. He knew the whispers were real, but it was still disturbing - maybe even more so.
Something had changed when he went into unconsciousness. He wasn’t sure what, but something had changed in his mind. He felt more serious, he felt like dark thoughts had descended into his mind and smothered his happy-go-lucky nature. Before they came here, his highest priority was the menu for the night’s tea, now he wasn’t even hungry. Now he only felt peril and danger - and an overwhelming feeling that something was coming for them.
“It’s like a thousand voices whispering from the void all at once. I’m not sure what they are all saying … they just whisper.” Aiden stared at his brother intently and became more and more disturbed with every word that was uttered. “Sometimes the whispers become clear, and I can understand them.”
