Howdy! This chapter is awesome in my opinion. I hope you like it too.


I head up the stairs and the next room has six stones on the ground, a switch on the wall, and a closed door. I try the door. Locked. I flip the switch near the floor. Nothing, so I switch it back. I look at the stones. Some of them have some wear on them, a little smoother than the other two. I step on one and it sinks into the floor for a bit. It is a puzzle. I quickly punch in a few combinations before I hear the door slide open. I slink through the door. It slides back into place, clicking the lock again.

Phew, that puzzle is done now. I walk through a corridor-like tunnel with busted switches along the wall. They look like someone melted them with a blow torch. Yikes. Then I found myself in a room with a dummy in it. Like a terribly sewn together cloth mannequin. I passed it without a second thought. The next part of the tunnel is a real pain in the ass. This part was surely a puzzle too. Spikes on a bridge across some water. I put my notebook and pen in my bag, then I take my shoes, my socks, and my backpack off and toss them to the other side of the bridge. I wasn't going to play this one. I lowered myself to the edge and and got into the water. It was about chest-deep and smelled horrible. I waded to the other side and pulled myself up. I pick up my backpack and my shoes and keep walking until I was dry enough to put my shoes back on.

At the end, I find a room to my left, the continuing tunnel to my right, and the floating diamond in front of me. In the room is a bowl of something on a pedestal. Next to it is a pile of dust. I shake my head and go to investigate the diamond again. It pulses this time. Interesting. I reach out for it and it shatters again. I feel warm, like everything is right with the world. I peek into the room with the pedestal. I decide that my curiosity wasn't worth the effort and I continue down the tunnel.

The second I get around the corner, I get to these two vents and a very unstable-looking patch of flooring. I step back a few feet and book it. Inches from the edge, I push off with my right foot. I land on the other side, clearing it by a foot. I take a relieved breath and sit down to put my shoes on. Once on, I get up. The next room has a bunch of spikes lined up wall to wall. I step over, my legs easily long enough. I have this terrible feeling that all these puzzles were meant to hurt children...

The next room is one with unstable flooring. This is going to be difficult. I reach a foot out to test it. Parts caved in, while others didn't. I test my weight across it. It holds. But I have no idea for how long. I kind of wish I had a stick to poke holes in the spots that are weak. I eventually make it across, but it takes way longer than I would've liked. That crazy lady is still behind me and after this puzzle, she'll know for sure that I was here.

The next room had three rocks and three plates of metal in front of a short bridge made of spikes. This one is double wide so it looks like I'll have to jump. I make sure I get a running start and I launch myself over them. So many damn puzzles. The next room is short. A piece of cheese stuck to a table and a glowing diamond. I touch it and continue, I don't have a lot of time. The next room has this classic sheet-over-your-face kind of ghost. It'd would be almost comical if it wasn't breathing.

I walk over to it. It's actually too big to step over. And... I see that it's wearing headphones. I probably shouldn't, but my curiosity has gotten the best of me. I reach over and I touch it. It's soft, like it's got skin. Then my hand goes through it and it's icy cold on the inside.

It opens its eyes and floats upright. I step back to give him some space. "You could at least buy me dinner first." it says. Definitely male, if we're going by the voice. "You're pretty forward, human." he says. "I'd love to take you out, but you've pissed me off. I was getting my beauty sleep!" Suddenly giant black fourth and eighth notes come flying at me. I duck and weave out of their way but they keep coming. He's moved from the doorway so I take this opportunity to take off. I hang a left. He doesn't follow me.

In the next part, I'm jumped by three gigantic frogs. They jump at me all at once, knocking me over. They start biting at me like some kind of zombie. Jesus, I didn't know frogs had teeth! The one trying to get at my face is drooling and slobbering all over the place. I have my hands on his neck and jaw, trying to push him off. I let go of him with my left hand swing it back for a heavy punch. He still doesn't stop. I punch again. And again until he jumps off of me. The other two are on my stomach and legs. I grab the second by the back of the neck and squeeze with all my might and throw him off of me. He hits the nearby wall. For the third, I sit up and unsheathe my knife from it's strap. I slice at him and he lets go instantly. The three collectively deuce out the way I came, leaving a small pile of what looks like gold coins. Ten I count...

Odd... But alright.. I wipe my blade on my shorts and sheathe it.

The next puzzle is a long one about changing perspectives or something (I can't really read the plaques). I ignore it completely, being able to step over all the spikes. When I get to a big dead tree, Flowey pops up, looking singed around the edges. He's out of breath and frantic. "You have to hurry! She's on her way! She knows you're here!" he says, gasping for breath. "Go into her house and down the stairs. It's the only way out of here!"

I nod and look at him with concern.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Get out now!" he says. An explosion echos from the tunnel behind me. "She's catching up! Move your feet, Frisk!"

I nod and book it into the house, high-fiveing the diamond on the way by. I suddenly feel much better. All the bites and scratches from the frogs have healed. Even my clothes have mended themselves. I blink in surprise, but i don't really have time to stop and admire it. I quickly find the stairs and throw my legs over the chain. I skip several stairs down the two flights, but apparently its not enough. She's fast for a goat woman. I hear an explosion against metal and the sound of small pieces of the chain falling onto hardwood floor. And then heavy thumps down the stairs. I have the door in my sight.

And then something hot embeds itself into my leg. I cry out, something raspy like a squeaky rasp and fall forward. I roll onto my back and stand up again. The goat woman is standing at least five meters from me. Her hands are glowing in blue fire. I lean down slowly and pull out my knife again. She laughs.

"You are a clever human, getting passed all my traps like that." she says. If her eyes didn't look half-crazed, I would've thought that she would've made a lovely mother. "I honestly never would've noticed if it wasn't for the flimsy floor trap. And then that weed tried to slow my down."

She steps closer and I lower myself into a fighting stance. 'He's not a weed, he's a buttercup.' I sign, not taking my eyes off hers.

"Dear, I don't speak in hands. Never learned the damned language. It wasn't ever my job." she says, stepping even closer. Speak in hands? Why do they call it that? She's a few feet from me now. "Prepare to die." She throws her the fire from her hand and I narrowly escape it by jumping to the side.

I really don't want to fight her, but she's leaving me no choice. I don't have to wait long for her to throw it again. I dodge it and rush her, slashing at the front of her dress and jumping backwards. It's not deep, but it'll smart. He touches her chest in shock and looks at me with wide eyes.

"You're no ordinary human. You fight well." she says. She reaches into her pocket and drops several gold coins onto the ground. "Try not to die human. There's hope for you yet." And with that, she turns around to leave. i wait for her to be out of sight before I ease up and sheathe my knife. I collect the coins and put it in my pocket.

I pass through the door and there's a long hallway. I walk through it and I find Flowey in a patch of grass grown from the sun coming through a crack in the ceiling.

He looks up at me and he looks relieved. "You made it.." he says, letting out a breath.

I smile softly, showing him the burn on the back of my leg.

"Only one? Wow you're good." he says.

I shrug and sit down to pull out my first aid kit. I pull out the small packet of burn cream. I rip it open and squeeze it onto my leg. I rub it on my leg and sigh with relief. I look over at Flowey's singed petals and rub a smidgen on him. He freezes but lets me. I'm gentle as possible. He looks like the pain is gone.

"Are your a warrior?" he asks softly.

I give him hand motions to tell him 'Kind of.'

"You're gonna have to be able to fight to survive this place." he says gravely.

I nod in understanding. I draw a frog in the dirt and shake my head at it. Then I show him the coins from my pocket.

He chuckles. "So Froggits attacked.. and you fought back.. once they realized that you weren't an easy target, they left you money so you wouldn't kill them? Is that the story?" he says.

Maybe that's what they thought. I really don't know why they would have that sort of mentality. I nod and shrug.

"It's good that you got some money now. You might be able to bribe a few monsters to leave you alone." he says. "Everything else is too expensive to buy."

I nod. That's good advice, I suppose. I get up and head for the second door. I can feel the temperature dropping. I motion for him to come with me.

He shakes his head. "I can't. I'm too weak and the next set of caves is to cold for me to be in.. I'll catch up with you later.." he says with a fond smile. "Until then, good luck Frisk. It was nice talking to you." He sinks into the ground like a mole of some kind and disappears.

I blink in surprise and take a minute to take this all in. This is serious now.. Monsters are real and magic is real. I still can barely believe it..