by Perrin Briar
Zoe and Cassie ran, pumping their legs as hard as they could, entering the darkness without checking where they were going. If they knocked themselves unconscious while running, at least death would be less painful.
12.
BRYAN AND AARON slowed, panting and out of breath. Aaron bent over, then lay on his back, exhausted.
“You should stand up,” Bryan said, tugging on Aaron’s arms. “You need to expand your lungs and use your muscles as a pump to get the blood moving.”
“I can’t,” Aaron said. “Let me lay here. I’m okay.”
“You won’t be,” Bryan said.
Aaron grunted and let Bryan pull him up onto his feet.
“Wait,” Aaron said. “Do you hear that?”
There was a light slapping noise, like a pair of hands clapping. It was getting louder, closer.
“If it’s the monster, just let it come,” Aaron said. “It can eat me. I can’t take another step.”
“It’s not the monster,” Bryan said, squinting at the darkness to make out what it was.
Shapes danced in the dim light. It was difficult for Bryan to make out who—or what—it was. It wasn’t small. And then the figures became clearer suddenly, lit by an intense light that nearly blinded Bryan. He threw up an arm to protect himself. Arms and legs pumped in unison, the figures haggard and drawn.
Bryan’s heart swelled. It was Zoe and Cassie! They were alive! And then he saw the expressions on their faces. They looked pained. And terrified.
“We need to get moving again,” Bryan said.
“I can’t,” Aaron said. “Go on without me.”
“If you don’t run, you’ll be going on without your head,” Bryan said. “Come on!”
Bryan and Aaron ran alongside Zoe and Cassie as they beat a trail down the tunnel. There was a burning smell that accompanied the girls. Bryan pushed it from his mind and focused on placing his feet.
“Why don’t you have your shoes on?” Zoe said.
“To camouflage the noise our feet made,” Bryan said.
“Did it work?” Zoe said.
“Not if we’re running with people still wearing theirs, no,” Bryan said.
13.
“IN HERE!” Bryan said. “Quick!”
The doorway was large, a little too big for Bryan’s liking but there was nothing for it. Everywhere else in this place was only tunnels. This was the first room they had found. They filed inside.
The creature attempted to follow them, burying itself up to the neck in the doorway. It could not squeeze through, its head and body moving side to side to gain every inch it could through the doorway. It had something strapped to its back, what appeared to be some kind of metal armor. It was the family’s saving grace, and kept catching on the doorway.
The monster threw back its head and a stream of fire leapt from its blackened lips, sending out a spray like a flamethrower up at the cavern’s ceiling.
“Woah,” Aaron said.
Bryan glanced at Zoe, and then double took. He slapped at her back.
“What?” Zoe said. “What is it?”
“You’re on fire,” Bryan said.
“The fire must have gotten closer than I thought,” Zoe said. “You don’t think he can get in here, do you?”
Bryan looked the situation over. The monster was jammed in there pretty tight. He was still struggling to get through, straining his gigantic muscles.
“He might,” Bryan said. “But not yet. We have a little time. What happened to you, anyway? We all woke up in the same room.”
“I woke up early, I guess,” Zoe said. “The rest of you were asleep too?”
“Asleep?” Bran said. “It didn’t feel much like sleep to me.”
“I’m not so sure,” Zoe said. “Maybe we were all exhausted and our bodies were recovering themselves.”
“Maybe,” Bryan said. “Some of the things I saw did remind me of dreams, the way they looked and felt.”
The monster pulled itself backward through the door. It glared at the family, at its lost meal. Its footsteps headed away.
“It’s gone,” Zoe said, stepping forward.
“Woah, woah, woah,” Bryan said. “Cool your jets there, partner.”
“Why?” Zoe said. “You heard it leave.”
“I heard it walk away down one tunnel,” Bryan said. “There’s no telling where it really went. It could have looped around, waiting for us.”
Zoe smiled.
“You’re overestimating him,” she said.
“No,” Bryan said. “I’m not. He cut me and Aaron off, knowing ahead of time where we were going to be. A dumb animal doesn’t do that.”
“Bryan’s right, Mom,” Aaron said. “This monster, whatever it is, is smart.”
“Then how do you suggest we get out of there?” Zoe said. “It’s a dead end.”
Bryan turned and appraised their location. It was a large area with two dozen curved shapes sat shrouded with cloth. To the right was a pool of still water. Bryan approached it and peered into its depths.
“It’s an underground pool of water,” Bryan said. “It looks like it goes down a long way.”
Cassie crouched and put her fingers into it. She shivered as she stood up.
“It’s freezing cold,” she said. “I saw a waterfall on the way here. Maybe this is part of that system.”
“Maybe,” Bryan said. “Was it a steep drop?”
“Yes,” Zoe said. “We’ll never survive it.”
“Then maybe this might help,” Aaron said.
He stood beside one of the cloaked shapes and had pulled part of its tarpaulin off.
“There are twenty-five of them,” Aaron said. “They look like some kind of transport. They’re on rails.”
“What do you suppose they are?” Bryan said.
“Only one way to find out,” Zoe said.
She moved to the vehicle beside Aaron and tugged the tarpaulin completely off. The cover fell away. Those assembled gave a sharp intake. It wasn’t that it looked so out of place hidden here in the mountains, the shiny metal making warped reflections of the inner cave, but the fact they had all seen this thing before.
“It’s the submersible,” Zoe said.
“The what?” Aaron said.
“The submersible,” Cassie said. “We came across it while you were aboard the Mary Celeste. You saw it too, under the sea when it attacked the Mary Celeste.”
“We spent all that time in the nest at the top of the mountain,” Aaron said. “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”
“I guess it must have slipped my mind,” Cassie said.
“It’s well and truly fastened there now,” Aaron said. “What’s so special about it?”
“Nothing, so far as we know,” Bryan said. “But what is it doing here?”
Zoe moved to the next covered vehicle and pulled the cover off. It was an exact replica of the first. As was the third, and the fourth. They didn’t look at any of the others. They didn’t need to. It was obvious judging by their shape. They were all the same.
“How did they get here?” Zoe said.
“The same way we did, I suppose,” Bryan said.
“Yes,” Zoe said. “But… how?”
“Anything I say will be a guess at best,” Bryan said. “Who knows?”
“Someone clearly does,” Zoe said. “Someone in this world.”
ROOOAAARRRR!
The whole cave shook at the monster’s booming bellow. Then there was the rushing thump of heavy feet on the cave floor.
CRUNCH!
The family could make out the powerful hind legs of the creature as it slammed itself and its immense weight into the doorway arch.
“Looks like someone got tired of waiting,” Zoe said.
“Judging by the falling rocks, it doesn’t look like he’ll need to wait much longer,” Bryan said.
Huge great cracks appeared above the doorway like the lines in an old woman’s smile. Rocks were already beginning t
o fall, shattering on the floor. The monster took a step back and slammed its weight into the wall again, dislodging more rocks.
“We need a way out of here,” Cassie said.
There was nothing they could use inside the room.
“The only way out is through the door,” Aaron said. “Or the pool of water.”
“Veto the door,” Cassie said.
“I second that motion,” Zoe said.
“The water it is then,” Bryan said.
“You’re forgetting we wouldn’t survive five minutes in there,” Zoe said.
“Not by ourselves, no,” Bryan said. “But we could with the latest in submersible technology.”
It took a moment for Bryan’s meaning to crystallize in Zoe’s mind. She turned to the row of submarines. Of course. It was obvious. But then, the best ideas were always simple, and this was about as simple as they came.
14.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The slamming of the monster’s weight against the front wall was the countdown the family didn’t need.
They moved behind the first submersible and pushed. It was already loaded onto twin metal tracks and slid easily into the water. The family jumped on board and pressed and pried at the smooth glass surface.
“Any ideas guys?” Bryan said.
They scrambled across the surface to locate the door handle, but couldn’t find it.
“Here!” Aaron said.
His hands had located a small recess. He slipped his fingers into it, pressed down, felt a click, and then pulled up to open it. He wasn’t strong enough. Bryan grabbed it and heaved.
“We should take one pod each,” Cassie said.
“No time,” Bryan said. “Everyone get in.”
They piled inside, Zoe and the kids wrapping themselves around the back of the driver’s seat. Bryan jumped into the seat and pulled the door closed behind him. It clicked, latching into place.
Bryan grabbed the joystick and pressed all the buttons he could see, and flicked all the switches for good measure. A series of lights came on, flashing, but for the life of him, Bryan couldn’t locate the on switch.
“Guys?” Bryan said. “A little help?”
The cavern’s ceiling was caving in, rocks the size of large dogs raining down, splashing into the water and tossing up white wash. A few smacked the pod’s roof, breaking and running down the side.
The monster had jammed itself under the newly widened door, and roared, screeching as it dug in its flanks and forced itself against the overhang. The metal pack on its back cried out as the creature pushed itself further inside. The rocks smacked its snout, making it angry. It thrashed harder.
“There!” Aaron said.
He leaned forward and pressed a button on the terminal. The little machine rumbled into life, a cat’s meow compared to the lion’s roar behind them. But the monster was working itself free, the cavern disintegrating around it.
“Go, go, go, go, go!” Zoe said, slapping the back of Bryan’s chair with her palm.
“I’m trying!” Bryan said. “But the controls are screwy!”
He pushed and pulled at the joystick. It made no logical sense to him. Finally the little pod jolted forward. They were going to collide with the wall ahead.
“Down, down, down!” Zoe said.
“Quit backseat driving!” Bryan said.
He pushed forward on the joystick, and the pod began to lower. Slowly.
Looking back, Zoe saw the gaping mouth of the monster as it widened to bite into the little pod. Zoe turned away, not wanting to look, as if that might prevent it from happening.
The little pod entered the darkness of the water and they sank further.
They were away!
CRUNCH!
The monster’s jaws crushed the back of the pod, squeezing it, crushing it like it was nothing but an empty can of pop. But the little pod kept going, pulling against the might of the great beast.
Bryan yelled and turned the handles, full lock, in either direction. The monster’s jaws followed, the tendons in its jaws and neck tightening, but a creature’s jaws can only go so far before it must stop. They were going to snap if the monster didn’t let go soon. Finally, the monster did, though not of its own free will.
The pod bolted forward, as if given a shot of adrenaline having escaped the clutches of the demonic monster.
The creature buried its head back in the pool, but the pod was nowhere to be seen. It tossed its head and emitted a tremendous roar of rank disgust.
Those in the pod didn’t hear it, as they moved at a gentle, but serene pace through the water.
“No sweat,” Bryan said.
“No sweat for you, maybe,” Zoe said. “Plenty for us.”
“Do you think one of these days we might go somewhere we don’t need to fight for our lives every second?” Cassie said.
“Where would the fun be in that?” Bryan said.
15.
THE WATER flowed gently and smoothly like a family ride at a theme park.
“This isn’t so bad,” Bryan said.
“Maybe not for you,” Zoe said. “We’re cramped in the back.”
“I’m quite comfortable,” Bryan said, rubbing it in.
“I don’t want to alarm anyone, but-” Aaron said.
“When you say it like that, how can we not be alarmed?” Cassie said.
“I’m wet,” Aaron said. “Water is leaking in somewhere.”
“We’re underwater,” Bryan said. “It’s to be expected.”
“We’re in a waterproof underwater pod,” Zoe said. “It is certainly not to be expected.”
“It won’t matter for long anyway,” Bryan said.
“Why’s that?” Cassie said.
“Because the waterfall is just up ahead,” Bryan said. “Hold on!”
The calmness of the water was disrupted, churned up like white rapids over sharp rocks. It was incredible how fast the water’s temperament changed. The water roared around them, infused with raging bubbles.
“Is it a long drop?” Cassie said.
“Does it make a difference?” Zoe said.
“Not really, I suppose,” Cassie said.
Bryan braced himself on the terminal. The others held onto Bryan’s chair and the handholds around them. It was the best they had. This was going to be painful.
The water evolved into a raging tempest, turning white. The little pod was thrust up onto the surface. They floated there for a moment, getting a good look at the cavern roof about them, and then perched on the edge of the waterfall. It was a long way down.
“It didn’t seem this high from the ground!” Zoe said, pulling back at the sight.
“Nothing we can do about it now!” Bryan said.
The pod floated over the edge like flotsam. Lights on the terminal flashed and a noise wept. It didn’t sound happy. The pod lost all sense of gravity, like a rollercoaster, but without the health and safety standards. The fall didn’t last long, a few seconds at most.
The family took the impact well as there was little space for them to get thrown around. Bryan suffered the worst, his head flying forward and smashing on the joystick. It was covered with rubber, so the impact wouldn’t cause too much damage. He hoped.
The small lake was surprisingly deep. The little pod never made contact with its floor. It hissed as it rose to the surface, the water spilling over it, impossible to make out clear distinctive shapes. The monster could have been standing there waiting, wagging its tail for all they knew.
Bryan pushed the pod door open. It rose up on bent hinges. There was no monster. For now.
Bryan drove the little pod toward the water’s edge and climbed out. He helped the others out too.
“What do we do with the pod?” Zoe said.
“We leave it here,” Bryan said. “Someone will find some use for it someday.”
“As an expensive fountain,” Aaron said.
“I don’t like to litter,” Zoe said.
Brya
n chuckled.
“I think the authorities will be lenient on us, considering what we’ve been through,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Zoe said.
“How do we get out of here?” Bryan said.
“This tunnel,” Zoe said, walking toward it. “Other than that, I don’t remember the way out.”
“It’s better than where we were,” Bryan said. “A lot closer to home.”
The family entered the tunnel and were filled with dread, visited by the same emotions they’d experienced when they were last there.
“What do you think it was?” Cassie said. “It looked like a dinosaur to me.”
“It breathed fire,” Aaron said. “It couldn’t have been a dinosaur.”
“Of course it wasn’t a dragon,” Bryan said. “Dragon’s don’t exist.”
“We thought dinosaurs were extinct before we came down here,” Zoe said.
“Dinosaurs are extinct from the surface,” Bryan said. “The ones we saw were anomalies, that’s all.”
“And dragons couldn’t have gone extinct on the surface too, and only reside down here?” Zoe said. “The Chinese have believed in dragons for thousands of years. It’s possible they might have known about a real-life monster like this.”
“Dragons breathe fire,” Bryan said. “This monster didn’t.”
“Yes it did,” Cassie said. “Look.”
She turned, grabbed a handful of her hair and showed it to Bryan and Aaron. It was black and singed at the end.
“You think I stopped off at a salon on the way here?” she said.
“I assumed it was escaping gas or something,” Bryan said.
“No,” Zoe said. “It was the dragon. I heard it inhale and breathe out when it blew the flames at us. There is no question it came from the beast. And, if you got a closeup look at its lips, you can see where the flames come out. The monster is not flame retardant. Its lips were melted and scarred from the fires it breathed. God knows how painful it must be.”
“Yes,” Bryan said drily. “Poor thing. I feel sorry for it already.”
“But that sounds to me like a mark against it being a dragon,” Aaron said. “If it was born to breathe fire, shouldn’t it be able to withstand a little heat?”
