Adil's final fan fiction

The Descent: Survival

I stared at her blood soaked pendant. It's vivid glow hypnotizing me. Frozen. A sharp pain jolted up my body, I almost collapsed in place. A throbbing sensation ran through me as I staggered to find my footing. I looked down in horror. Sarah had plunged a pickaxe directly through my ankle; it went numb as the blood ran down my leg. I couldn't scream. I gazed back up to see her staring through me, unable to comprehend what had just happened. My first instinct was not to remove it. But to strangle her. "You ruined my life, you deserve to die down here!'' she yelled. I leapt at her. Striking her across the cheek as we both hit the ground with a heavy thud. She swung wildly but couldn't connect with my face, we crashed against the cavern rocks. I pushed her off me, gasping. We both stared one another down, as we tried to compose ourselves. I couldn't fight with the pickaxe lodged in my leg, if I were to have any chance, it had to go.

I started to rattle as my fingers lowered towards the handle. I gripped the cold steel. For all the traversing I had done, it had been my guide down these thick and misty corridors, now it could be the end of me. I took a pause that felt like eternity, a gaping crater in my flesh. Squirming. One swift pull was all it would take, but I couldn't muster the courage. If I didn't, I would quickly bleed out. As a tear ran down my cheek, I clasped the handle tightly and pulled with all my might. I screamed as the pickaxe flew out of my leg, the bellowing soared throughout the halls of the cavern. Cracking against the rocks and crevices. Dead silence. I took pressure off the leg and raised the blade towards my chest, ready and willing, to do what was necessary. Sarah watched on seething. I slowly began taking steps towards her, my resolve unshaken. I would return her gracious favour. A deafening screech rattled the passages and we stopped dead in our tracks. Death lowering the curtain on both of us.

"They've found us, run." I pleaded.

 "I'm not going anywhere with you, murderer"

"All I wanted was to take you and the girls on an adventure, I had no idea those fucking things would be down here"

"Because of you they are all dead, but that wasn't enough for you, you took my husband and my son away from me!"

"Don’t you dare put their lives on my head! I can’t pretend that I know how you feel, the accident could have happened to anyone! You were never there for him and we became close, I messed up. I was going to tell you but I couldn’t find the words.”

“I will never forgive you,” she whispered.

“SKREET!” I pushed her aside and swung the pickaxe as hard as I could. It slid right through the creature’s temple, it roared in pain as it was stifled backwards. Swinging its claws wildly, almost cutting my arm open in the process. It roared as it stumbled into a corner, not even a moment to breathe; I strode towards it, removing the blade in a swift movement and swinging downwards to finish what I had started. One last screech and it slowly whimpered to silence.

Sarah came to my side, a knowing exchange, before she slipped her arm around me. Her pendant crashing against my shoulder. I lit the flash light in front of us. We paced forwards.

Winding narrow paths of all varieties, beautiful patterns etched by the rock formation on every surface. Moving in and out of corridors with no sense of direction or progress. Suddenly, dust began to filter to the ground. The passages ceiling rattled, as its surface was grazed. I threw my hand over Sarah’s mouth. Slowly tilting the flash light up. Arcs shimmered directly off the creature’s serpentine skin. A lucid dark blue. Scales rigidly covered its body, a flat nose between its glowing green eyes, dark claws like steak knives with rows of teeth that would make a shark blush. It didn't move, laying perfectly still. Then I realised. IT WAS BLIND! Only twitching in response to echoes, perfectly formed for survival in these caverns, evolved as a killing machine, our argument had drawn the first.

The fear on Sarah’s face was palpable. I motioned at her to throw a rock. I could feel her sweat on my palm. As it slid away from her face. She slowly leaned down to slip a rock into her hand. Cocking her arm back and hurling the rock as hard as she could in the direction we had come from. The creature twisted, before letting out a blood curdling roar. It dropped quietly to the ground on all fours, before scampering into the darkness.

There was no time to celebrate, or think for that matter, just onwards into the endless divide. I saw Sarah breaking internally, her composure could not hide her fear. Suddenly, a small beam of light in the distance. A lone beacon of hope. We trudged towards it. I lost my balance and fell, tugging Sarah down with me. The pickaxe flew into the sludge as I crashed into the flowing pit. My head dunked firmly under the turgid foam. I gripped the flash light as firmly as possible. As I came to my senses, I realised I was tasting blood. Flowing through my hair and nose. I flew upwards and gasped for air. Sarah quietly shuddering next to me. We gripped the edges of the pit straggling out. I rose to my feet and stepped forward, something shattered underneath my weight. Arrested by shock, I wiped blood off the flashlight, and swept round the room. Bones. Everywhere.

Dozens of glistening eyes. The circle of light to the far distance. The sun's rays peeking through. We were in their nest. Staring death in the face, with the remains of past failures as mementos scattered everywhere. They all stood, wailing. Sensing there next meal was close. We were doomed. I turned to Sarah, ready to whisper my final words.

She looked deeply into my eyes, throwing me her pendant. I knew what she was going to do, the thought made me nauseous.

"Sarah, don't you dare!" 

"There is nothing left out there for me, run, save yourself"

She screamed at the top of her voice. The brutes flew forwards sending her hurtling into the bloody pit. As rows of beasts dove into the murk to get their fill. I dashed towards the light. Pushing rocks and bone out of my way, I turned to catch one lost glance, the creatures scrambling, shredding her flesh, her lone hand flew out of the bloody pit, I watched in silent agony. I continued thrashing at the rocks and began climbing to the surface, I was in limbo, dirt and rock surrounding me, I heard life, soothing light breeze, I pushed my hand through the dirt and felt the surface, and I finally fell out and landed on soft grass. Crying hysterically. I could not look anywhere but my hand, the pendant that she had thrown me. The words seared into my mind, engraved with a steady hand, "Love Each Day."