The door creaks
Rusty hinges protesting
I put my weight into it
And it opens far enough
To let some light in
In the corner
Cowers a nightmare with legs
And teeth
Oh my god, the teeth
I grab the door handle
And pull it shut with all my might
Lest that horror get loose unto the night
Going forward
Because I cannot go back
I hold my lantern higher
To keep my fears at bay
Another door on the left
Dare I open it?
I do
Because I have to find a way out
This one doesn't want to open
No matter how hard I push
I curse loudly as I bruise my shoulder
From the other side of the door
An answering ominous hiss
I didn't want to open that one anyways
I think to myself
A little further
And some steps going down appear
Crap on a stick
I don't want to be going down
Do I?
My steps are tentative as I go
Step by downward step
The temperature changes
Getting warmer
Seems like it should be getter colder though
Isn't that how basements work?
This isn't much of a basement
More like a dungeon
But those thoughts aren't helpful
So I drive them into the darkness
At the bottom of seventy-two stairs (!)
I pass through a narrow stone archway
And I try to puzzle shapes out of the darkness
But there is nothing
I make a small noise
To try to judge the size of the space
And all I get are faint echoes
I get a chill in my bones
Imagining this cavernous place
Suddenly a noise above
A flutter, and some clicks
Something wrenches me painfully by my shoulders
Sharp talons with toes three inches thick
I'm lifted into the darkness
By black beating wings
Someone is screaming loudly
I look down
And watch the pinpoint of light
That is my dropped lantern
Receding
Fading
Until it disappears
Into the night
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