I awoke in a pitch-black room, disoriented and groggy. The floor
beneath me was damp, and I lay there, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the
complete absence of light. There were no windows, no sources of illumination to
guide me. As I tried to sit up, I was abruptly stopped by a solid barrier
above, causing me to smack my head against the confining surface. A feeling of
panic welled up as I moved my arms, encountering nothing but the same dampness.
Desperation led me to attempt moving my feet, wiggling my
toes, and bending my knees until they met the unyielding ceiling. I reached up,
searching for any opening, but my hands met only empty air.
Struggling, I attempted to shift my position, trying to scoot
backward, but the space was so constricted that my efforts quickly proved
futile. My mind raced with questions, one of which was how much precious oxygen
I had left in this cramped enclosure.
Finally, I managed to roll onto my stomach, though the darkness
persisted, and there was still no sound to be heard. I cautiously explored my
surroundings. On my left, I encountered a smooth, damp wall, while on my right,
my hand brushed against an object. It felt like a bone – smooth and cold to the
touch, with tiny, irregular bumps in some places. It was roughly the length of
my hand.
In the oppressive darkness, something suddenly stirred. I
strained to listen, and my heart pounded as I heard a faint scraping sound –
slow and soft. My breath caught, as I was unsure if my mind was playing tricks
on me. Then, I heard it again, confirming that there was indeed something in
the confined space with me. The sound was not like a slithering creature but
more akin to a soft object being dragged across the floor.
Determined to escape, I inched forward, my hands
outstretched above my head to guide me. The texture of the ground beneath me
began to change, no longer flat but sloping upwards. I pressed onward, the
strange noises growing closer. There had to be a way out, I told myself, as I
dared to hope.
With a concerted effort, I managed to lift myself into a
crouching position. I reached my arms above my head, anticipating more space or
an exit, but my hands met only empty air again. Panic and frustration gnawed at
me as I realized there was nowhere left to go. A breeze wafted down from above,
and I looked up to discover a small hole emitting a feeble, grayish light.
I cried out for help, my voice raspy and hoarse, but my
pleas were met with silence. My calls persisted, growing more desperate, and
the thing behind me began to quicken its approach. No longer moving slowly and
softly, it now scampered toward me with an unsettling intensity. Its breath
grew louder and more erratic, and I could smell its putrid stench.
In my frantic state, I pounded on the walls, screaming for
assistance. Dust rained down over me, and the sounds outside remained elusive.
There was nothing but the wind, and no sign of any human presence. As I
continued to shout for help, I felt a presence at my feet, and sheer terror
gripped me as I felt it begin to climb.
It had claws, sharp as a cat's, and its touch sent shivers
down my spine. The creature was freezing cold, and I could hardly bring myself
to look at it. Stringy hair dangled from its grotesque head, and its eyes were
large, black orbs, seemingly even darker than the surrounding darkness. It was
about the size of a medium teddy bear, its breath hot and fetid, carrying the
stench of death and the unnatural.
The creature fixed its gaze upon me, and I let out a scream of pure horror. In a terrifying instant, it lunged for my throat, and my world once again descended into an inky black abyss.
