Terrifying monsters lurk in the foul-smelling, stone room. Creatures with extra limbs and multiple heads. Their hairless, gray bodies are skeletal, thin skin stretched across their bones. They lurch around, awkwardly moving on several pairs of legs ending in clawed feet.
I shake my head, trying to make sense of it.
On the wall far across the space are glowing entities. At first, I think it’s something emitting light for the monsters to see in the dark, but when I narrow my eyes, my heart freezes and my blood turns to liquid nitrogen.
It’s souls.
Stuck to the wall are dozens of wispy, glowing lights—essences trapped down here, destined for some harrowing end. Their sightless eyes stare off into oblivion, limbs unmoving, mouths hanging open in shock and terror.
“What’s going on, Brax?” Merik asks from behind me. I hold up a closed fist, indicating he should shut the fuck up.
One monster reaches up to a soul and somehow removes it from the wall. It brings the bright golden light over to the front left corner of the room I didn’t notice before.
Huddled together are what appear to be giant eggs. No. Not eggs.
Pods.
I watch in abject horror as the monster takes his prisoner and stuffs it inside one before closing it.
The pods vary in size, from smaller ones the size of a basketball, to much larger ones that are the size of a fully grown person, maybe even bigger.
With my jaw open in shock, I hear the monsters chitter and growl, snapping at each other with mutated jaws and disfigured, clawed hands when a cracking noise distracts them. I freeze, wondering if I’ve somehow disturbed my hiding place, but when none of their black eyes turn to me, I know the noise is from something much, much worse.
A group of monsters lumbers over to the pods, and with brute force, picks one up from the ground. A fourth monster severs a vine-like tube wrapped around its base, and a foul, black liquid pours out from it in response.
They stumble together, an awkward mess of distorted legs, and bring the pod to a sunken area in the middle of the floor. Not so gently, they drop it down into the hole.
I see now that the pods emit a yellow glow that fades in and out and that the smaller ones ‘blink’ slower than the larger ones. And this one? Its light flashes rapidly.
Another crack sounds, and part of the pod flies off, pelting another monster in the head. Its gargled roar of anger echoes off the stone walls, its four eyes turning to the pod with potent rage, green slobber dripping from its teeth.
“What the hell is that?” Merik whispers, pushing up next to me. I don’t stop him as he pulls away another bit of rotten vines to look for himself. “Holyyyyy fuck,” he says under his breath.
The sounds of a pick axe crashing into a rock reverberate around the large space, bouncing off the jet black walls. Below, the monsters become restless, skittering about. Ones that have multiple heads snap and snarl at each other, their bodies flailing about as if controlled by multiple brains warring for dominance. I thought the Verniquin were unnerving, but at least they are predictable. These things? These are creatures made from nightmares, monsters you dream about when you think of the terrifying beasts lurking in Hell.
Another loud crack booms, and the monsters grow increasingly agitated, skulking about the hole. The pod’s blinking light increases speed, its pace rapid until its flashes become one, solid glow.
And then I see it as another crackling noise reaches my ears. Frozen in horror, I watch as a limb pushes out of the pod, and then another, then another. Three arms now flail about, yellow claws grasping at the pod. A wet snarl emits from the hole, the noise so grotesque that bile rises in my throat.
The monsters’ unrest grows, and they aid the imprisoned creature, tearing at sections of the grayed pod. Finally, they free the top, and a new, horrifying monster emerges. Snarling, with putrid, brown ooze dripping from its body, a fully-grown monster breaks from the rest of its pod.
Five arms jut out from its torso, with two heads dueling for dominance. It jerks towards the top of the hole, claws sinking into the ground above, digging its way out, abandoning the now-darkened pod behind it.
The other creatures run towards it and lick at the brown goo covering it, making a high-pitched rasping sound as they do. The new monster allows it, spinning around in its sickly, gray body, offering the slime freely to the others. As the last bit of slime is licked from its body, the new creature turns and tests its seven legs. Off balance, it stumbles towards the wall we hover above.
Merik flinches, the slight movement causing the smallest pebble to fall from our hiding place and into the cavern below. As if a boulder the size of Texas just crashed into their space, the creatures still the moment after it drops.
Eerily, as if controlled by one massive brain, they all gaze up, dark eyes landing on us. I think I stop breathing as I lock eyes with the closest monster, the newest one, a flicker of recognition filtering through my brain.
I know this monster.
Gazing at the angry face, though distorted and mutated, I would know him anywhere.
“It’s Fucking Jake,” I whisper, pulling Merik back.
The creatures begin to scream, heads raised to the ceiling, ear-piercing screeching bellowing from them.
Anger surges inside me. This can only be a product of the Darkness’s fucked-up mind. Hadley may think she’s in love with him, but he’s lied to her, because only another monster could create something as evil as this.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” I say low, backing away from the opening. I don’t know what the fuck the monsters are doing, but the way they all cry together makes it seem like they are calling for something. Whatever it is, I don’t want to be here when it comes.
“Retreat!” I shout behind me as we make our way back through the tiny tunnel. I stay behind them, sword poised as I creep backwards, ready to battle a monster should it manage to crawl in through the opening.
I’ve got to get back. My brothers need to know about this. Hadley needs to know about this.
My heart breaks for my sweet Hadley. Part of her heart lies with the Darkness, and unfortunately, that part will have to die.
Chapter 24
Hadley
It takes convincing, but the guys eventually allow me to travel back to my dorm room and grab supplies. I may be dead, but a girl’s gotta have a fresh change of panties.
Auston hands me an oversized sweatshirt and pecks me on the cheek before sending me off with an anxious Preston.
“Be safe,” my Angel warns as I step out of Karston’s dorm room.
Braxton gives me a chaste kiss goodbye and heads off to his dorm to wash off the funk from his trip into Hell. My mind is still whirling from what he told us. “Be careful,” he warns, eyes darkening.
“Aren’t I always?” I jest, burrowing further into the hoodie. It smells like Auston, like home. It’s as if I’ve been stumbling through an atrocious snow storm only to chance upon a minuscule home with a lit hearth and freshly-baked cookies. Instead of being turned away, I’m welcomed with open arms, knowing innately that I’ll find peace, comfort, and security within the house’s wooden walls.
Preston staggers along beside me, periodically casting inscrutable glances in my direction. When he notices me looking, he quickly turns away, cheeks flaming.
“What is it, Pres?” I question, placing a hand on his arm to still him.