Narrator

I tried to convince myself it was just a dead raccoon, something ordinary and explainable, but my gut wouldn't accept it. Whatever we had crawled over in that tunnel wasn't anything natural. Trevor rubbed his palms against his jeans, pacing anxiously. Zeke's face was pale, eyes wide with something close to shock. What the hell was that? Trevor finally broke the silence, voice shaking.

He peeled off his jacket, revealing streaks of blackish-red sludge smeared along his arms. The same muck covered my own clothing, making my stomach twist again. Maybe just an animal caught down there, Zeke muttered, sounding unconvinced himself. I glanced at the narrow pipe entrance. Animals don't usually feel warm like that, and the smell, it was wrong. Trevor grimaced, looking at his hands.

He peeled off his jacket, revealing streaks of blackish-red sludge smeared along his arms. The same muck covered my own clothing, making my stomach twist again. Maybe just an animal caught down there, Zeke muttered, sounding unconvinced himself. I glanced at the narrow pipe entrance. Animals don't usually feel warm like that, and the smell, it was wrong. Trevor grimaced, looking at his hands.

I need to get this off me. We moved quickly down toward a stream nearby, trying to scrub off the grime. The water turned a rusty, oily red as it washed over our skin. Zeke was quiet, his breath shallow and shaky. We should leave, he whispered. Forget this ever happened. I agreed silently, but Trevor hesitated, looking back toward the pipe entrance. "'We never turned away before,' he said quietly.

I need to get this off me. We moved quickly down toward a stream nearby, trying to scrub off the grime. The water turned a rusty, oily red as it washed over our skin. Zeke was quiet, his breath shallow and shaky. We should leave, he whispered. Forget this ever happened. I agreed silently, but Trevor hesitated, looking back toward the pipe entrance. "'We never turned away before,' he said quietly.

"'This is supposed to be our last run. Are we really going to let it end like this?' Zeke stared at him in disbelief. "'You didn't feel what I felt. You didn't see that thing ahead. It looked like—like a body, but worse.' Trevor clenched his jaw. "'Maybe your eyes were playing tricks.' We can't leave without knowing, I heard myself say, surprising even myself.

"'This is supposed to be our last run. Are we really going to let it end like this?' Zeke stared at him in disbelief. "'You didn't feel what I felt. You didn't see that thing ahead. It looked like—like a body, but worse.' Trevor clenched his jaw. "'Maybe your eyes were playing tricks.' We can't leave without knowing, I heard myself say, surprising even myself.

The need to confirm what lay ahead was suddenly powerful. It gnawed at my rational thoughts. We need to be sure. Zeke looked at me sharply, fear mixed with disbelief, but Trevor nodded slowly. We go back. We see clearly what's down there. Then we're done. Forever. Zeke looked between us, hesitant before reluctantly agreeing. The dread in my gut deepened as we approached the pipe again.

The need to confirm what lay ahead was suddenly powerful. It gnawed at my rational thoughts. We need to be sure. Zeke looked at me sharply, fear mixed with disbelief, but Trevor nodded slowly. We go back. We see clearly what's down there. Then we're done. Forever. Zeke looked between us, hesitant before reluctantly agreeing. The dread in my gut deepened as we approached the pipe again.

We squeezed back inside, the tunnel colder this time, air thicker. It was harder now, knowing what waited ahead. Still, we crawled forward, our breathing rapid and ragged. When we reached the junction room again, the dripping water echoed louder, the space darker somehow. Zeke stared silently at the narrow pipe ahead, visibly shaking.

We squeezed back inside, the tunnel colder this time, air thicker. It was harder now, knowing what waited ahead. Still, we crawled forward, our breathing rapid and ragged. When we reached the junction room again, the dripping water echoed louder, the space darker somehow. Zeke stared silently at the narrow pipe ahead, visibly shaking.

But he crawled forward again, driven more by grim determination than curiosity now. I followed, feeling trapped once more, the darkness pressing from all sides. After several long minutes, Zeke froze, whispering back urgently. The smell's worse. God, it's awful. I can't breathe. We were close enough now that I smelled it too. A putrid odor, thick with decay, chemical-like and burning my throat.

But he crawled forward again, driven more by grim determination than curiosity now. I followed, feeling trapped once more, the darkness pressing from all sides. After several long minutes, Zeke froze, whispering back urgently. The smell's worse. God, it's awful. I can't breathe. We were close enough now that I smelled it too. A putrid odor, thick with decay, chemical-like and burning my throat.

Nausea gripped me instantly. I see it clearly, Zeke hissed, barely audible. There's something sitting up ahead, against the wall. It looks… human. Are you sure? Trevor whispered frantically behind me. Yes, but the arms are too long, twisted weirdly, it's slumped like it's dead. Zeke's voice was panicked now, higher pitched, strained. We have to get out, now!

Nausea gripped me instantly. I see it clearly, Zeke hissed, barely audible. There's something sitting up ahead, against the wall. It looks… human. Are you sure? Trevor whispered frantically behind me. Yes, but the arms are too long, twisted weirdly, it's slumped like it's dead. Zeke's voice was panicked now, higher pitched, strained. We have to get out, now!

I felt frozen, trapped between Trevor blocking the way back and Zeke ahead, panic rising in my chest. I strained to see beyond Zeke's silhouette, my weak headlamp illuminating just enough of the shape ahead. It was slumped against the tunnel wall, clearly humanoid, but the limbs were distorted, overly thin, and extended.

I felt frozen, trapped between Trevor blocking the way back and Zeke ahead, panic rising in my chest. I strained to see beyond Zeke's silhouette, my weak headlamp illuminating just enough of the shape ahead. It was slumped against the tunnel wall, clearly humanoid, but the limbs were distorted, overly thin, and extended.

The figure's skin glistened wetly under our lights, slick and strangely reflective. The pool beneath it was thick, dark, and shimmering like oil. My stomach lurched again as the smell intensified.

The figure's skin glistened wetly under our lights, slick and strangely reflective. The pool beneath it was thick, dark, and shimmering like oil. My stomach lurched again as the smell intensified.

go back i urged quietly now we began scrambling backward in clumsy terrified bursts the tight pipe making movement difficult my heart hammered painfully trevor cursed rapidly behind me breath shallow i could hear zeke whispering urgently to himself words unintelligible As we reached the mass again, the thing we had crawled over, I paused instinctively. My beam flickered over it once more.