Chapter Three
The torches on the wall all seemed to douse at once as the old man drew back into the shadows and they were cast into total darkness. All but one distant torch that flickered eerily down a stretch of black hallway behind them that led farther into the massive construct was all the light that they had.
Ronon's gun blasted away in the dark towards the sounds of heinous screeching that surrounded them, giving momentary light with each trigger pull. Sheppard heard Rodney's shrill scream and barely caught a glimpse of Teyla trying to seperate one of the small slimy creatures from Rodney's back just as Ronon fired off another shot.
Sheppard called for them to follow him and with Ronon taking up the rear with his weapon still rapidly discharging, they blindly followed Sheppard towards the only visible light and the sounds of screeching slowly began to taper off the farther away from the entrance that they became.
The hallway seemed an endless darkness and Sheppard fell forwards twice, catching himself against the solid stone wall and praying there was no unforseen pits or crevices in the ground ahead.
The lone torch seemed much closer than it actually was and minutes had passed of them racing down the dark hallway before they finally reached it.
"Well now what?" Ronon huffed as they came to a brief rest by the burning light in an effort to catch his breath.
Rodney was doubled over, his hands resting on his knees while Teyla remained beside him. She was also out of breath but she was examining the large lacerations on Rodney back from the attack of the eyeless creature.
Sheppard caught her eye and Teyla nodded silently in an understanding gesture that Rodney would be fine and not to make an issue about it.
"We need to find another way out," Sheppard said trying hard to squint through the dark in the hopes of seeing anything besides the endless stone walls.
"There does not seem to be any other way to go except to continue down the path," Teyla said calmly. "And I do not suggest we go back the way we came."
"Agreed!" chirped in Rodney, trying desperately to swivel himself in the hopes of getting a good look at his own torn back.
Ronon nodded and Sheppard said with a tight lipped smile, "Allright then, we keep going, but we're taking the damn torch."
Taking it off the wall and holding it before him, Sheppard continued leading the others down the remainder of the long hall noticing almost instantly there were echoing voices coming from up ahead though garbled considerably by the distance.
Step upon step upon step they took in the direction of the wavering noise and soon the sounds seemed to flow together as one while they followed Sheppard and his brightly burning torch through the dark, their own shadows casting haunting images against the hard stone walls.
"Chanting," whispered Rodney with a terrified look upon his face.
Seeing a sliver of light and something oddly shaped up ahead, Sheppard held his fist up for a full stop and placed the torch down on the ground digging it deep into the dirt trodden floor so it remained upright.
He approached the odd formation which was a large gaping hole in the stone wall before them and peered down.
"Oh, this is not good."
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