Below [SEC2014]

**plink, plink, plink**.

The drops fell on Samuel Harris' eyes. He awoke to darkness, the ever present (ever annoying) sound of water drops, his own breathing, and an occasional crackle of some joint that was a little sore from the landing. It had been his own stupid doing that got him here; rumors were flying around the small coastal town Sekelp of caves that had drawings far older than the typical Native American designs in the area. Myth became legend, as the natives in the area explained that the pictures were made by evil spirits that only came out at night. The crude diagrams sent even the least archeologic of people in search of the caves.

Samuel and his friends stumbled on the cave completely by accident; Although the cave was known to the locals, it did not look like a typical sea cavern. Something about it was, off. After a little prodding around, excited shouts came from one of the group.

"Look at this!" he exclaimed proudly, showing Samuel a hole half their size, going straight down to the bowels of the earth - Dropping a stone did not easy Samuel in the least, for there was no echo. After fetching a flashlights, matches, a quantity of chain and rope, and a backpack each of rations, the 5 drew lots, and one person volunteered to remain behind. Samuel wen first, holding onto the chain for dear life. Down, down, down it went, his body barely fitting into the hole. After some time, the chain stopped, and then slipped from his grasp. He hit a ledge, and fell, off; darkness enclosed his world.

**plink, plink, plink**.

The sound and touch brought him back. Feeling around, he could still touch the pack, most of the food safe. The matches, however, far and few, flashlight broken. Although it was black, Samuel could see various shades of black. Deciding anything would be better than doing nothing, he decided to move, and see if he could discover another way to get back to the surface.

His first decision came in a tunnel that split off in two sections. Taking the left branch, his senses told him he entered a wide, open cavern; the smell unbearable. Risking a little light, a match flared. The scene left him in amazement: piles of bones, with occasional glints of metal that seem to prove not all were animal; carvings mixed among them. His awe turned to horror, when his second match flared on the mural, for it was not a pretty one. Marked in red (blood?) paint, the drawings showed a curious scene: "Things" (for they could not be described as men), pouncing on what was clearly a figure with a headlamp. The next wall, chilled the blood even more, for it showed the very cavern he was in, with the Things feeding something that looked like an over-sized worm with a dragon's head. Stumbling back, he fell into a pile, making the noise echo to the ceiling. It was answered by something else; several scurrying noises above the cavern.

Samuel, In his terror, grabbed something cold and hard, and put it in his pocket without thinking about it. Halfway across the cavern, he felt it: Eyes, watching him, observing him. Slipping into another tunnel, he felt them following him, watching him struggle up the steps. Peeking from around the corner, he sensed a shape blacker than the surrounding black, moving slowly towards him. Reason left him - He fled, following whatever path in the darkness that would take him from the uncouth horror that almost seemed delighted to give chase.

This went on for some time, until he noticed that his pursuer seemed to be falling back; the tunnel was getting lighter. His head made a sickening **thud!** against the cement wall. An abandoned well!? Samuel, dazed, found an old, rusty chain; the bucket long rotted away. He started to climb, heedless of the murmur that seemed so close. Just as he grasped the lip of the well, a hard yank on the chain almost sent him back down. The blackness, in contrast to the sun could only be seen as a seething, ichoric mess, dragging the chain down with it. He took a last look, and fainted.

Samuel came to - and immediately went into town. He was instantly taken to the police headquarters, as his friends and himself were missing several days; the search party had lost all hope. He wanted the next few days to be a dream - Had he really gone into the cyclopean depths, and had he really picked up his friend's lighter, with blood on it? When he was able to muster up the courage, he took one more look at that cave. It was almost a dream - the hole that had been opened previous was not there. Samuel sighed "Then it was a dre..." horror appeared again. For above where the entrance was sealed off, there were several crude drawings: One showing three people being chased off a cliff, one who appeared to be looking down the round tunnel as a worm came up to it, and with mounting horror, one showing a person running to a cone of light, with the Thing behind him!

-fossilera

Good one!

Creepy!

Never good to find a pile of bones with glints of metal whilst in a strange cave...never good!



Thanks for an entertaining read!

- AB

a reply to: fossilera


Awesome read Foss!!! Fitting then for me to give You Your 6th S+F!!! Great Job!!! Syx.

a reply to: AboveBoard

Atatchment? Treasure? Not getting u. Edit: oh wait you mean the metal was IN the bones????? WTF, lol did someone drop their Android???¿ :p

Cool story bro

a reply to: fossilera



Great! Good job! I love it!

a reply to: funkadeliaaaa
No, the bones he saw in the tunnels has glints of metal around them, which implied they were people, perhaps who had metal objects or weapons.

Sorry to confuse!

- AB

originally posted by: AboveBoard
a reply to: funkadeliaaaa
No, the bones he saw in the tunnels has glints of metal around them, which implied they were people, perhaps who had metal objects or weapons.

Sorry to confuse!

- AB

Yep, that be the original intention; If you ever see a mention of treasure in my writings, then watch out - chances are, there's something attached to the treasure, or following close behind it.

Now, as with some of the previous things I've written, I did a twist on the original theme. Instead of presenting the person as "discovering" a civilization, I had him follow in the footsteps of others. The actual civilization, and its denizens, are all implied; you never "see" them, but they are there nonetheless. The drawings are what makes the story fit the theme though - To me, drawings (even if crudely drawn), show signs of intelligence. When you put multiple creatures that have intelligence together (as shown through the pictures, and repairing of the wall in the cavern), you have a group that can be classified as a civilization.

Can't wait for the next contest, as I'm betting I didn't win this one; although if the next is Christmas-themed, that'll be a bit challenging for me.