Chapter 3
The Girl peered out of the pipe into the valley of cages, looking for any source of movement in the gloom, but she saw nothing.
She slowly stepped out into the open, stepping forward with the carefullest of footfalls.
She had only walked for a few minutes before realizing she had disoriented herself in her previous retreat and had no idea where she was at all. All the cages looked the same and the floor of the cavers stretched far out in both directions.
I'm looking for a single cage, near the floor with the door hanging open. From there I can figure out what direction the group of children went.
She thought, the plan soothing her nerves a little bit.
All around her, the cages swung and creaked quietly.
She walked for what seemed like hours, retracing her steps, looking around cages, losing her bearings and finding them again. She constantly had to remind herself where the rust pipe was so she didn't lose herself in the dark.
As she went on, the temperature started to drop and certain creaking sounds began to echo through the chasm. She shivered, the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up.
Suddenly, her plans didn't seem so smart, the unmoving lumps in the cages only added to the eeriness that was starting to get an edge on her. Her confidence began to wane and she began to realize how worthless her efforts were.
There were several more creaking noises from the far off gloom. The Girl's heart began to pound as she frantically searched for that rusty pipe, but she felt her stomach drop when she realized she'd lost it again.
She started to run, her feet slapping the ground as she desperately searched and tried to be quiet at the same time.
The creaking noises were closer this time, and as they drew nearer The Girl noticed a peculiar rhythm in the way the sound seemed to rupture and echo around the cages.
They were footsteps.
The Girl began to hyperventilate, feeling completely exposed with the open ceiling and sharp walls on either side of her. She was like a rat, trapped and alone.
She knew those footsteps.
She curled up on the wet floor next to one of the cages, trying to control her breathing. Memories filled her mind from the last time she had been caught by that thing. It hadn't
killed her then, but it would probably kill her now.
No! A part of her fought.
I'm not going to let my freedom get taken away again! I'm here already, if I don't try and survive, what am I here for?
She took a deep breath and released it slowly so as not to make too much noise. Standing up slowly, she turned around in a slow circle, seeing nothing but mist and cages.
Suddenly not too far in distance, The Girl noticed one of the suspended cages hanging at a slight angle with the weight of the open door. She must have missed it in her panic but now she could clearly see, it was the cage she had been looking for.
Despite herself, she let out a half-giggle and felt dizzy with the feeling of relief. She stumbled over to the empty cage, running her sweaty hands over the cool bars and noting the faint footprints in the grime.
She lingered there for a moment, finally accepting that she had actually done it, that she was going to find help, that she wasn't alone in the dark - when a huge, clammy, terrible hand wrapped itself around her midsection and lifted her into the air.
Her abdomen independently contracted and she felt the air being crushed out of her. She kicked and shook as she saw the ground disappear from beneath her, but it did nothing.
She breathed and coughed desperately, trying to get air into her lungs while the sides of her arms pressed into her ribs.
There was nothing but fear.
The hand pivoted in the air to face a set of grinning teeth and eyes, terrible eyes, deep and black like a void.
Rodger, the Janitor. A creature with twice the length of arms and half his length of legs.
The Girl choked on violent sobbs and screams as her shoulder popped against her side, the mouth opening into a terrifying darkness.
I'm going to die.
As if she was in a dream, she accepted this fact, falling limp and helpless. She was too tired to brace for the pain. Maybe it would be over quick.
"HEY!"
The Girl was halted in mid air as the clear voice of a child rang out in the darkness.
There were sounds of shouts and yelling, at one point the world turned sideways and she felt the wet ground slap her face.
Everything was so cold and far away, she could hear her own heartbeat.
That was strange.
"Take evasive action! Use the cages as a defense!"
More voices. Her heartbeat seemed to be going faster now.
Blurry faces. Her skin felt prickly, too hot and too cold at the same time.
"What's wrong with her?"
"She's in shock most likely."
The Girl caught sight of a blurry figure in…blue?
"Hey, try to stay awake, alright?"
A pair of arms, normal sized, picked her off the ground, and everything faded to black.
Hey there! If you've made it this far, thank you so much for sticking with my mess of a story. I promise we'll meet some familiar characters and questions will be answered soon. Until then, feel free to comment and let me know what you think.
Happy reading, BlackCat.