Hidden in the Dark

Last updated on August 25, 2020

I tried something new with this one. I don’t really write in first person, I don’t tend to ever read first person either if I can help it (that might have something to do with having a Fanfiction background though, I will nope right outta those fics). But I thought I’d give it a go, and, yeah, I’m still not a fan of first person.

Also an attempt was made at a little bit of a horror vibe. Don’t think I quite succeeded, but this gave me a chance to play with some ideas.

-x-

I awoke to pain.

Frankly, I was amazed I’d woken at all.

My skin felt scraped raw in places and my leg was screaming.

My helmet was probably the only thing that had saved me from bashing my brains out when I fell, it almost made me grateful for the pain ricocheting through my skull. The headlight hadn’t fared so well though, giving a less than reassuring crunch when I touched it.

I couldn’t believe I’d been so stupid.

We’d all known the cave wasn’t stable.

But oh no, I just had to push it. Had to prove myself.

Of course, I regretted it now, but hindsight was always 2020.

All I could do right now though is lay in the dark, breathe through the pain, listen to the plink plink plink of water dripping somewhere to my left, and the low hum of moving water.

It’s cold down here.

Though not as dark as I’d originally thought, faint patches of bioluminescence light up the walls and ceiling of the cave. It wasn’t enough to actually see by, but it was enough to gauge the size of the cave I’d decided to tumble into.

And it was…big.

Fucking huge would probably be a more accurate description.

Moving to get a better look was a bad idea.

So very, very bad.

Fuck.

I saved the remaining tatters of my manly pride though, only letting out a pained hiss instead of the scream that wanted to get out. Not that it really mattered, no one was down here with me. No one would hear me scream.

…and since when did I become part of a cliché horror film?

No one will hear me scream.

Pfft, I’m such as idiot.

That slithering sound didn’t come from me though.

The hairs on my arms rose.

“I’m not in a horror film. It was just a lizard or something.”

Something moved in the water, barely visible for a moment in the faint glow of bioluminescence.

“Hello?” I call into the darkness because of course that’s the logical response when you’re lying injured in a deep, dark unexplored cave you just fell into.

Shrill laughter echoes throughout the cavern in response.

I need light. I need it so badly right now, but my hands are shaking like I’ve got advanced Parkinson’s or something.

I know my headtorch is no good, but I had a spare on my belt right?

“Who’s there?”

Because of course that’s what you ask next when there’s a creepy laugh in a creepy cave and oh God I’m in a horror film.

I’m the idiot who dies first.

I’m the one people scream don’t go in there at.

I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’mgoingtodieI’mgoingtodieI’mgoingtodie.

I have a spare torch!

…

It doesn’t fucking work!

Why doesn’t it work?

That slither was closer.

Is that a silhouette?

No.

Nope.

Not looking.

If I don’t look it can’t get me.

Why won’t my torch work?

Why am I such an arrogant fucking idiot?

The shadow moved.

I refuse to be ashamed for my totally manly shriek.

I do however curse my entire being for lobbing my torch.

Especially when it hits that shadow, clatters to the floor and miraculously turns on.

I have never hated the saying ‘If in doubt, give it a clout’ more than I do right now.

That thing is the stuff of nightmares.

At first wide eyed look it seemed human.

But then you notice literally everything else.

It looked…waifish?

All skinny and gaunt.

Long hair that looked like a mass of catfish whiskers fell down its back in a wet clump.

White skin with hints of pink and, oh Christ its see through.

I can literally see its heart beating.

That pink is blood.

That’s not normal.

It doesn’t have eyes.

Not like they’ve been removed so its blind.

Like it literally doesn’t have eyes.

There’s no eyelashes, no eyelids, no eye sockets which I can see because I can see the shape of its skull and would somebody please save me!

Its moving closer.

Why is it moving closer?

Clawed webbed hands balance it on the cave floor, why doesn’t it…

Oh.

That’s a big fucking tail.

Translucent, faintly glittering scales.

Almost entirely transparent fins.

Disney lied to me.

Fairy tales lied to me.

Every documentary I’ve ever watched about this shit lied to me.

Gothic Ariel over there isn’t going to sing to me.

Oh no, that ghost of sirens past is grinning at me with really sharp looking teeth.

I’m going to be eaten by Gollum’s fishy cousin

Noooo.

Don’t touch me.

Don’t!

My leg is blatantly broken, but fuck if that’s going to stop me kicking this blind grinning arsehole.

Ow, owowowowowOW!

Those claws are sharp.

And they’re in my leg.

I can see blood.

Its going to drag me to its underwater lair.

I’m going to drown and be eaten.

I’m going to die.

“Tyler!”

Oh thank you God.

“Help!”

The claws are gone.

A quiet splash.

When did I close my eyes?

Open damnit!

It’s gone.

I can hear the sound of boots on the wall.

The creak of ropes.

But I can’t look away from that gently lapping water.

I know what’s hiding in there now.

I don’t want to be here anymore.

But I can’t look away.

What if it comes back before they reach me?

The cave walls are high, it could still shoot out of that water and grab me.

The sudden hand on my shoulder has me screaming.

But who can blame me? You don’t just go around grabbing people.

“Tyler! It’s just me!”

I have never been so glad to see Matt’s old weathered face in my entire life.

“I’m sorry,” so that came out more sob like than intended, but hey, the adrenaline is still coursing through my body right now. “I swear I’ll never ignore your advice again. I’ll never be reckless. Or arrogant. Or stupid.”

“Hey, it’s alright. I found you, no need for all this, we all make mistakes.”

Was that a ripple in the water?

A flash of pale translucent tail?

“Can we get out of here? Now, please?”

“Let me get you strapped up, then we’ll get out of here.”

“No, don’t bother, just get me out. Please.”

Don’t frown at me Matt, you don’t know what’s down here.

“You know that’s not safe.”

“Matt, please, just get me out of here.”

“If you’re sure, this’ll hurt.”

“I don’t care.”

Strapped to Matt, clinging to his back as we scaled the cave wall I did a stupid thing.

I looked back.

My spare torch was still there, pointing out over the water’s edge, over the gently lapping surface.

…over a pale eyeless face grinning up at me.

-x-

If you like anything I’ve written, and feel like chucking some spare change my way like I’m some sort of street artist with an open guitar case before me, I’d be eternally grateful.
If that’s not your thing, then no worries, just ignore the red button.

Copyright © 2020 by Andi Drew
Title image from pxfuel.com
Title font ‘Beyond Wonderland’ from 1001 fonts