Story 868: Blood in the Dark

The tunnel walls seemed to close in around them, slick with moisture, pulsing like veins beneath the dim glow of their flashlights. The survivors moved cautiously, their boots sloshing through ankle-deep sludge.

Reaper grunted, pressing a hand to his bruised ribs. “Next time, let’s not go underground where the monsters live.”

“Noted,” Mia muttered, gripping her knife tightly.

Evelyn glanced over her shoulder. The creature was still out there. Lurking. Stalking. It wasn’t done with them.

Then, the laughter returned. That sickening, chittering noise.

The survivors froze.

From the shadows ahead, something slithered.

A long, wet, sinewy appendage snapped through the air, nearly catching Lucas by the throat. He dodged, barely. The massive tongue retracted, disappearing into the dark.

“Move, move!” Leon shouted.

They sprinted forward—only to slam into something wet and pulsating.