UnSeelie Dreams Chapter One Page 4

Slowly he tried to move; he reached up to touch the side of his face. His hand came away moist but he couldn’t see anything. Maybe if he sat up he would be able to locate the hole he fell through. Thomas clawed at the dirt brushing against root veins above but grew dizzy when he lifted his head off the ground. Fear ate at him as thoughts of being buried alive seeped into his mind.

His stomach knotted up with nausea as terror coiled around him. A primal scream resounded in his head but his voice would not work he could only hear faint animalistic keening coming from his throat. His lungs squeezed shut and a cold paralysis crept over him as he lay locked in the earth’s belly. He shook with tremors of shock as time stood still and he blacked out.

Where am I? Thomas woke slowly from a peaceful dream state. At first confusion overwhelmed him until he began to remember chasing Lily into the woods. Tears streamed down his cheeks as despair tugged at him.

Pulling himself up he inched toward a soft red glow. Thank the Lord, light. The tiny crimson flame floated near hovering over him. He blinked several time wondering if he was just seeing spots. Its movement was clear but the light did not illuminate the cavern. Sluggishly he pushed to his hands and knees as it started down the tunnel. A chill run through him when he heard the low crunching sounds and knew he was not alone. He shuddered as he felt their slimy bodies and the tickling of thousands of legs crawling over him. He slapped at them, the chain links of his mantel scrapped together, as he made his way toward the flame.

The reddish glow danced just ahead and out of reach coaxing him down the winding path. He slipped around in the mud attempting to find a way to keep his balance as he crawled after it. The tunnel seemed to go deeper underground. Sweat rolled down his neck as he continued along the steeper warren. Time passed slowly with each movement. Despair filled him with rage; all he had to hope on was probably a trick of his imagination. What if he was moving in the wrong direction? But he kept following his only hope.

“God, help me.”

His voice came out as barely a hoarse whisper in the dark sounding foreign and distant. It surprised him that he still had the ability to speak. Thomas sat down and laid his head on his folded arms. He felt numb with fear; trapped, his pounding heart threatened to explode from his chest.

Taking in a deep breath to steady his nerves, he thought about Lily and wished he had never set eyes on the creature.

How long have I been here?

The reddish glow faded in the distance but he paid it no mind.

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