The beam of Weisman's flashlight was all that broke up the darkness in the cavern. 'How deep is this thing?' He thought as he continued into the void. It looks like it could go on for miles. It had been almost twenty minutes since Hawthorne last communicated with him, his last message was that someone found a chest of sorts and they were going to try and open it. Weisman guessed it wasn't opening too easily.
Except for his breathing, and a bit of water dripping from the ceiling, he didn't hear another sound. It was quiet... dead quiet. The echoing breaths were bouncing off the wall back at Jonathan; if he didn't know any better he'd swear it sounded like there was more than one person breathing in there with him. He stopped and took a deep breath, shining the flashlight around to see his surroundings. The beam traced the cave wall, and he looked at what the light revealed.
There were a few more carvings in the rock. Like on the wooden signs outside, they read "Klatuu Barada Nikto." All he could do was think to himself: 'This Alzeez guy must have frightened the natives terribly.' He leaned on the wall and looked at his watch. He'd been walking for at least an hour, and decided it was time for a break. Sliding down the wall, he sat down and looked around all he could make out in the darkness around him were these little mushrooms that grew near the walls.
Growing restless, he looked at his walkie-talkie. On the surface, it read "2 mile radial limit." Jonathan looked at this and it struck him: He hadn't talked to Hawthorne more than twenty-two minutes ago and the walkie-talkie was breaking up. It didn't occur to him until now that it could be because he was out of range. But, he had also talked to Hawthorne from outside of the cave, meaning they were within the two-mile range before he entered.
Yet, the cavern was a straight path... how could he have gone in such a different direction from the others this didn't make sense at all... He should be this deep in the cave without running into the others... was he just paranoid or did the cave itself lead him this way, far from the team...
"Come in" He tried again on the walkie-talkie, as he got up determined to make contact. "Come on Professor... come in."
Nothing.
As he took a step, Weisman heard a squish sound come from he feet. He looked down and saw that he stepped in some mushrooms. The ooze they squirted out was a vial looking green, similar to puss. He looked at the mess and wondered why he hadn't seen the mushrooms there before.
As he shifted focus again, his stomach started to tie up in knots as he had visions of him being lost in this stupid tomb, forever looking for the lost team. He started to walk back the way he came when he realized there were now three paths were there was just one a moment ago.
"Okay, Jonathan," he said to himself... "Don't panic, there is a rational explanation for this... there has to be..."
Suddenly his walkie-talkie started making sounds and was full of static... "Kkiiizzzzkkkk..Swall... Kkzziikkz... r soul... Kiiizzzkkkzz"
"What?" Jonathan said out loud as he grabbed the walkie-talkie "Repeat, please god... repeat what you just said..."
"KkkkIiizzzkkkkz... We'll... swallow... your... soul... kkkkiiickkiizz"
"WHAT!?! Who is this? Answer me! Who are you? What are you doing to me?" Jonathan started shaking in fear. He ran for one of the three exits, only to find they were now all gone. "This is not happening." he told himself.
He twirled around to find that he was now sealed in a room... There was no exit. The only thing he could see in the light were the mushrooms he had stepped on earlier... As he stepped closer, to them, they emitted an eerie glow. Weisman had to turn off his flashlight to make sure for himself that they really were glowing.
That was his first mistake...
No sooner than he turned off his light did the glowing become brighter... so bright in fact that it was blinding him. He fumbled for his light again, but it wouldn't turn on. He turned around and noticed the room was now filled with these green glowing mushrooms.
They were surrounding him... enclosing on him. He had never felt a case of claustrophobia before, but this must be what its like, he thought to himself. The thoughts he ad were clear, so he knew that he couldn't be dreaming. He wished he was, though.
Little by little the green mushrooms moved towards him... Weisman could hear them chanting... "This way...that way... you always go to the same place." They approached his leg, crawling upwards. Jonathan knew this was the end. As he focused on the front of the army that was engulfing him, he could see they had little teeth and they were gnawing away at his skin."
"God help me.... HELP ME!" He shouted as the little parasites covered his body. They were inching closer and closer to his face... he could no longer feel any part of his body that was covered in fungi. He closed his eyes but realized they had reached his mouth when his voice was muffled. Still, the little mushrooms crawled on him, until he was completely covered...
It was dark.
So dark.
"You are ours now" a voice said to Jonathan.
Yet, as he heard it, a light hit him in the face and he immediately realized he was still sitting against the wall in the cave. He looked to his left and right and saw no mushrooms anywhere. He looked at the light to find Hawthorne staring back at him.
"Jeremy?" Weisman said to the older man before him.
"Damn it, Jonathan," Hawthorne began "What are you doing taking a nap here? We've been waiting for you for two hours, and I find you here taking a nap?"
"No... I mean... I was... sleeping?" Jonathan couldn't believe it was all a dream.
"Come on, then. The others are waiting."
Still in disbelief, Weisman got up and walked ahead of Hawthorne in the direction he pointed... They walked on for a good five minutes before they reached a widened space in the cave... "This is it, Jonathan... the tomb of Alzeez. I knew you'd want to see it." Hawthorne said.
"Yes it is quite a sight... wait a minute... who told you about Alzeez?"
"I DID." A voice came and the room lit up. Around the room were hundreds of bodies that laid motionless at the feet of a hooded figure. Among the bodies were Hawthorne's men. They looked as if they killed each with their digging equipment.
"I am Alzeez. You are invading my space."
"Jeremy we need to get out of here... NOW!" Weisman said as he turned to face his friend. But Hawthorne wasn't there... a Deadite possessing Hawthorne's body was now there and facing Jonathan.
The decaying mass of flesh floated a foot from the floor and moved towards Weisman.
Weisman took a step back and fell down trying to scurry away from the monstrosity.
"I'LL SWALLOW YOUR SOUL"
Ash rose out of his dream ready to fight. He looked to the left and right before realizing that he was still in his home in Deerfield, Illinois. Relaxing slightly, he loosened the grip on his shotgun and eased back down in his bed. He was just about to go back to sleep when he heard a knock at his door.
His heart pounded slightly, knowing this would be trouble. He only dreamed of Deadites right before things got messy... He cocked his gun, with his left hand... his only hand... and approached the door. "You better not be what I think you are... knocking at this hour of the night." He talked loudly to distract himself from the fear in his voice. "Just once, I want you to be a hot chick who wants me and not some hideous monster trying to digest my chi or some crap like that."
Using his right arm to steady his shot... he stood in front of the pounding door and realized he couldn't open it if he was holding his gun. "Well, it seems you have me at a disadvantage..." Ash said slightly annoyed as he put the gun down.
He opened the door and saw... nothing. Quickly grabbing his shotgun again he headed towards the door when all of the sudden something jumped in front of him.
"PLEASE DON'T SHOOT ME!"
Ash lowered his gun to see that he almost put a hole in one of the most beautiful women he had ever come across.
"My name is Melissa Hawthorne... I had a dream about you."
Ash smirked as he heard this..."Groovy"
