The tunnel seemed to narrow as we moved deeper, the walls pressing in and swallowing what little light trickled down from above. My heartbeat thudded in my ears, every scrape and scuffle of movement making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Ava led the way, knife drawn, her steps precise and deliberate. Will stayed close behind her, her breathing quick and shallow, like a trapped bird. Cole remained beside me, his presence oddly comforting despite the growing unease prickling at my skin.
Then I saw it.
The shadows, darker than black, began to ripple along the stone walls, stretching and twisting in unnatural ways. They weren't just shadows—they moved as if alive, slithering and coiling like snakes. My breath caught in my throat, and I stumbled to a stop.
"Do you see that?" I whispered, my voice shaking.
Cole turned to me, his brow furrowed. "See what?"
"The shadows." I pointed, my hand trembling. "They're moving."
Ava stopped dead ahead of us, spinning to face me. "What are you talking about?"
I looked back toward the tunnel walls, my chest tight. The darkness still danced there—almost pulsing—as if aware I was watching. Figures began to emerge within it, barely formed, little more than dark, twisting silhouettes. Eyes—pale, gleaming pinpricks—blinked to life, staring right at me.
"They're there," I said, my voice louder now, panicked. "They're watching us. Don't you see them?"
Ava's face hardened as she scanned the shadows. "There's nothing there."
But there was. The darkness peeled itself away from the stone in long tendrils, dragging itself across the walls and floor. I could hear it now—a wet, slithering sound, like something heavy being pulled through muck. The shapes moved toward us, creeping ever closer.
"Cole," I hissed, grabbing his arm. "Please tell me you see them."
He turned to me, his face grim and unsure. "I don't see anything."
But the way he spoke—the way his eyes lingered on my face—told me he believed me. He might not see the monsters, but he saw me, saw the terror in my expression, and that was enough.
Will whimpered from the front. "We need to go," she said, her voice wavering. "I don't like this."
Ava shot me a sharp look. "We keep moving. I don't care what you think you see. We can't stop here."
"No," I blurted, my heart pounding. "You don't understand. They're moving closer."
I pointed again as the shadows grew bolder, the figures almost stepping out of the walls now—tall, spindly things, their bodies twisting unnaturally, their hollow eyes fixed on me. One of them tilted its head, the faintest sound slipping out of it—like a whisper, too soft to make out.
"Run," I breathed.
"What?" Cole said sharply.
"RUN!"
Before I could process it, one of the shadow creatures lunged, its elongated arm stretching across the tunnel, grasping for me. I threw myself backward, barely avoiding the inky tendrils that struck the ground where I'd just stood. Ava cursed, and for the first time, I saw panic flash across her face.
"Move!" she barked, grabbing Will by the arm and dragging her forward.
We sprinted down the tunnel, the sound of scraping and slithering growing louder behind us. I risked a glance over my shoulder—and wished I hadn't. The shadow creatures were crawling from the walls now, their limbs spiderlike and jagged, their hollow eyes locked onto us. They moved quickly, too quickly, folding and unfolding their limbs as they pursued.
Cole grabbed my wrist, pulling me forward. "Come on!"
We ran faster, the air growing colder with every step. My lungs burned, my legs screamed, but I didn't dare stop. The tunnel twisted and turned, and the light from the cavern was long gone now, replaced by pitch black. Only the faint glow of Cole's flashlight kept us from stumbling blindly.
Ava skidded to a stop ahead of us, nearly crashing into a dead end. "No, no, no—"
"What now?" Cole shouted, his voice echoing off the walls.
The shadows were almost upon us, writhing and crawling. I turned to face them, my back pressed against the cold stone. My crowbar felt useless in my hands. How could I fight something that wasn't really there?
A tendril lashed out toward me, its form shifting as it moved. I flinched, throwing up the crowbar—and to my shock, it struck something solid. The shadow creature let out an unearthly screech, recoiling as though burned. I stared down at the crowbar in my hands, realizing it was slick with some dark, inky substance.
"They can be hit!" I shouted. "They're real!"
Cole didn't hesitate. He snatched a loose piece of metal piping from the ground, his jaw clenched. "Then we fight."
The creatures swarmed toward us, and the tunnel erupted into chaos. Cole swung at one of them, the pipe slicing through its outstretched limbs. Ava jabbed and slashed with her knife, though it was clear she couldn't see what she was hitting. Will huddled in the corner, tears streaming down her face as she covered her ears.
I swung wildly, my crowbar colliding with shadow after shadow. Each time, they screeched and recoiled, but more came to take their place. My arms burned with the effort, but I refused to stop. I refused to let them take us.
"Keep going!" Ava yelled. "We have to find another way out!"
Cole grabbed my arm, pulling me toward another narrow opening in the wall. "Here!"
The shadows hesitated, almost like they were afraid of that passageway. It didn't make sense, but I didn't care. We ran for it, squeezing through the tight gap, our bodies scraping against rough stone. The creatures screamed behind us, their cries echoing through the tunnel, but they didn't follow.
We stumbled out into another cavern, gasping for breath. The silence here was deafening, broken only by our ragged breathing.
"What the hell were those things?" Ava demanded, her voice shaking despite her attempts to sound strong.
I slumped against the wall, my hands still trembling. "You didn't see them?"
"No," she snapped. "But I heard them."
Cole turned to me, his expression dark and serious. "You saw them. You knew they were there."
I nodded, swallowing hard. "They're everywhere. Watching us. Waiting."
Will let out a quiet sob, curling into herself. Cole crouched beside her, murmuring soft reassurances, while Ava paced, her knife still gripped tightly.
I stared back at the narrow tunnel we'd come through, the shadows lingering just out of sight. They hadn't followed us—but I could still feel them.
They were waiting. And next time, I wasn't sure we'd escape.