Aaron Miller

Narrow, delicate prints, like those of a child, leading directly toward the shaft we'd just investigated. John noticed them too, his eyes wide with disbelief. Those weren't here when we came in, he whispered harshly. Move! I urged, voice cracking. Panic edged into my bones as we stumbled hurriedly through the debris-filled passage. Every step toward the tunnel mouth felt impossibly slow.

Narrow, delicate prints, like those of a child, leading directly toward the shaft we'd just investigated. John noticed them too, his eyes wide with disbelief. Those weren't here when we came in, he whispered harshly. Move! I urged, voice cracking. Panic edged into my bones as we stumbled hurriedly through the debris-filled passage. Every step toward the tunnel mouth felt impossibly slow.

Behind us, I imagined something unseen rising silently from that dark shaft, following quietly. We burst into open air, gasping, sucking in clean breaths. The sky was overcast, the afternoon oddly quiet. John leaned forward, hands on his knees, struggling to steady his breathing. ''Specimens,'' John repeated numbly, staring blankly toward the gaping mouth of the tunnel.

Behind us, I imagined something unseen rising silently from that dark shaft, following quietly. We burst into open air, gasping, sucking in clean breaths. The sky was overcast, the afternoon oddly quiet. John leaned forward, hands on his knees, struggling to steady his breathing. ''Specimens,'' John repeated numbly, staring blankly toward the gaping mouth of the tunnel.

They kept something locked down there. The forest around us stayed silent, a heavy unnatural hush blanketing the hollow. I shuddered involuntarily. We report it. I finally managed, gripping John's shoulder. We'll head out at first light tomorrow and tell someone at the ranger station. John didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on the dark entrance behind us, lost in thought.

They kept something locked down there. The forest around us stayed silent, a heavy unnatural hush blanketing the hollow. I shuddered involuntarily. We report it. I finally managed, gripping John's shoulder. We'll head out at first light tomorrow and tell someone at the ranger station. John didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on the dark entrance behind us, lost in thought.

as we climbed back to camp dusk seeped into the forest shadows growing long and tangled by nightfall john was mumbling quietly to himself by the camp-fire endlessly flipping through the damp clipboard pages eyes wild i lay awake staring into the blackness of the tent feeling a creeping certainty that we had disturbed something long forgotten and deliberately buried and that john might not let it rest until he knew exactly what it was

as we climbed back to camp dusk seeped into the forest shadows growing long and tangled by nightfall john was mumbling quietly to himself by the camp-fire endlessly flipping through the damp clipboard pages eyes wild i lay awake staring into the blackness of the tent feeling a creeping certainty that we had disturbed something long forgotten and deliberately buried and that john might not let it rest until he knew exactly what it was

I jolted awake to cold morning light filtering through the tent. A chill prickled down my spine when I realized I was alone. John's sleeping bag lay crumpled, his gear neatly stacked in the corner. But John himself was gone. My gut twisted painfully. Something felt deeply wrong. Scrambling outside, I called John's name into the crisp dawn air. Only silence answered.

I jolted awake to cold morning light filtering through the tent. A chill prickled down my spine when I realized I was alone. John's sleeping bag lay crumpled, his gear neatly stacked in the corner. But John himself was gone. My gut twisted painfully. Something felt deeply wrong. Scrambling outside, I called John's name into the crisp dawn air. Only silence answered.

My heart began racing as I glanced around frantically. His shotgun was missing along with his headlamp. Dread gripped me. I knew immediately where he'd gone. In desperation, I dialed the ranger station. A sleepy voice answered, bored until I mentioned the quarantine signs in the hollow. Suddenly the line crackled strangely, then went silent. Hello? I shouted into the phone. Nothing but dead air.

My heart began racing as I glanced around frantically. His shotgun was missing along with his headlamp. Dread gripped me. I knew immediately where he'd gone. In desperation, I dialed the ranger station. A sleepy voice answered, bored until I mentioned the quarantine signs in the hollow. Suddenly the line crackled strangely, then went silent. Hello? I shouted into the phone. Nothing but dead air.

Panic surged. Without thinking further, I grabbed my pistol, extra batteries, and a handful of flares, then raced down the slope toward Warden's Hollow. The forest seemed to close in around me as I approached the collapsed tunnel entrance. John's headlamp lay abandoned just inside the gap, still lit, pointing directly into the suffocating darkness. My breath caught, heart hammering. ''John!''

Panic surged. Without thinking further, I grabbed my pistol, extra batteries, and a handful of flares, then raced down the slope toward Warden's Hollow. The forest seemed to close in around me as I approached the collapsed tunnel entrance. John's headlamp lay abandoned just inside the gap, still lit, pointing directly into the suffocating darkness. My breath caught, heart hammering. ''John!''

I shouted. Only echoes returned, ignoring every screaming instinct I crawled inside, flashlight shaking in my grip. The tunnel stretched deeper than I remembered, less obstructed. Soon, I was standing beneath cracked concrete arches, their surfaces slick with moisture. Footprints, drag marks, scuffed along the dirt floor, vanishing into the shadowed corridor ahead. My throat tightened.

I shouted. Only echoes returned, ignoring every screaming instinct I crawled inside, flashlight shaking in my grip. The tunnel stretched deeper than I remembered, less obstructed. Soon, I was standing beneath cracked concrete arches, their surfaces slick with moisture. Footprints, drag marks, scuffed along the dirt floor, vanishing into the shadowed corridor ahead. My throat tightened.

I had no choice but to follow. After a few careful steps, I noticed the walls changing. Rusted rebar jutted outward, bent strangely, while overhead, ancient ductwork snaked through the gloom. My pulse quickened as the corridor opened into a larger chamber. The room was lined with rusted medical equipment. Broken monitors lay toppled.

I had no choice but to follow. After a few careful steps, I noticed the walls changing. Rusted rebar jutted outward, bent strangely, while overhead, ancient ductwork snaked through the gloom. My pulse quickened as the corridor opened into a larger chamber. The room was lined with rusted medical equipment. Broken monitors lay toppled.

glass shattered across damp stone along one wall a shattered observation window stared blankly into an empty space beyond opposite were several heavy containment doors each marked with faded torn yellow tags impossible to read clearly in the weak light

glass shattered across damp stone along one wall a shattered observation window stared blankly into an empty space beyond opposite were several heavy containment doors each marked with faded torn yellow tags impossible to read clearly in the weak light