Sand Rooms

3. The Hallway

He ran.

He ran as fast as he could, but the swirling sand underneath him continued to pull at him. The sand clung to his feet, drawing them further in. 

The long and dark hallway seemingly had no end. It was narrow and just barely taller than him. the walls were just far apart enough to run without bumping into them.

He could still hear the thing following. It was close, yet still so far away. He hadn't seen what It was, but he knew that it would rip him apart if it caught him. At least, that was what he thought. The truth is that he didn't know. He could only feel the presence behind him, the shuddering breath behind him. The smell of rotting getting closer and closer. 

He shuddered and continued to run. 

His legs burned, lungs heaving, and his head pounded. The sand still grabbed and pulled him. 

Maybe he should let go. 

Maybe he should let the thing consume him.

He dropped down. 

The only sounds now were the low growling of the thing and his stuttering breaths.

He laid his head down and fully collapsed on the cool sand. His body being slowly engulfed by it. The growling thing didn't stop, it only got closer. He turned and spread out on his back, eyes closed.

The growling was much closer now, he could almost feel the wet huffs of the thing, the smell overwhelming. The sand was up to the sides of his face, body fully submerged. He could almost pretend that he was relaxing in water instead of sand. 

It stopped then. 

The sand stood still, and he opened his eyes.

There was nothing there. The thing seemed to be right over him, but there was nothing there. He tried to move. The aching muscles and sand preventing him from doing so. Then he laughed.

He laughed, and laughed, and laughed until there was no more air in his lungs.

And as his consciousness faded, his now wet face continued to fill with tears.