Sunday Storytime: 002 (Patreon)

CONTINUED FROM 001

No sooner had they grabbed the branch than it began to snap and crack apart. With a desperate flailing motion, they failed to grab onto anything else and fell into the waiting snow below. They coughed and sputtered up more blood before rising to their knees and peering around.

It quickly became apparent that they had landed on a ledge. Working up the courage, they approached the edge and squinted their eyes through the whipping snow. Moonlight wasn't reaching down here as clearly as above, but there was still enough light to make out another ledge a few feet below. A fallen tree was sticking out along the cliffside, precariously perched and leading to nowhere. Right near it however was what appeared to be the entrance to a cave, but it was hard to tell from where they were.

While the ledge wasn't too far down, the thought of climbing down it was exhausting all the same. Letting out another strained, painful sigh, they began to descend. It was just then that the sound of barking dogs grew much clearer, coming from just above. They craned their head upwards to look, and sure enough, torchlight was flickering outward from just beyond the edge.

"Focus" they muttered to themselves before continuing their descent.

Surprisingly, they made it down quickly and without incident, despite the pain. Now that they were down here, it was clear that there was indeed a cave entrance nearby. They happened to glance back upwards right as multiple silhouettes of people and dogs came into view. Their pursuers shouted something and then moments later, a spear went whistling past.

Suddenly it was as if all they could hear was their heart, pounding rhythmically in their ears. To them, it seemed loud enough to cause an avalanche. Dragging one foot after the other, they inched closer to that cave as multiple arrows began landing around them.

"You're almost there" they kept muttering, as if it were mantra. Now just steps from the entrance, they heard someone yell clearly from above "..ou IDIOT!!"

There was no time to look back now. Mustering every remaining scrap of energy that they had, they hurled themselves into the cave, only to tumble down the slippery pathway within. Then, as if the air itself were instantly sucked out of the cave, a massive BOOM tore through the air and seemed to shake the mountain itself. Just like that, they were plunged into complete darkness as the entrance collapsed in on itself.

They tumbled and slid through the dark for a few more moments, painfully slamming into everything on the way down before slowly sliding to a stop in the pitch black silence.

CONTINUED AT 003