A World of Darkness (DSMP Horror AU)

Dire Caves

I stifle a yawn as exhaustion pulls at my eyes. I haven't slept in what felt like ages. The last time I even really stopped to rest was briefly after I met Puffy. No way was I going to stop now though. Not here, in what is said to be an extremely deadly place. Since I entered the caves, the walls have started to close in more & more. The ceiling was now only at most 2 feet above me & the walls were so close that my arms were almost brushing against it. Luckily, I wasn't terribly claustrophobic but the whole thing still made me uneasy. If something jumped out at me, it would be hard to run.

Darkness pressed in on me from both sides. A few heart-stopping times, my torch would flicker but just when I thought it was going to go out & plunge me into suffocating darkness, it came back to life. It honestly impressed me how long it has lasted so far. There was no way to tell time here of course, but it felt like I had been walking for a while with no end in sight. Occasionally, I would hear a faint sound coming from farther away in the caves. Sometimes it would sound like someone screaming. Other times, some kind of weird animal call. I think they have been getting a little louder, but it was hard to tell.

Once or twice in the caves, I swear I had seen Phil briefly appear in front of me. Earlier, his appearance would have scared me, but now it kind of comforted me. Though I was still a little unsure of some kind of unknown being I had just met watching me all the time, It was nice to know that someone was looking out for me in this strange place.

I was suddenly pulled out of my thoughts by something cold touching both of my arms. I froze and realized the cold stone walls were now pressing against my arms. I felt my heart speed up a little. Should I keep going? If I did, I might get stuck. Nobody would be able to help me. I could turn around. There was no guarantee Wilbur was even in here. I could leave and look for him elsewhere. The more I think of it, the more stupid I realize I am. What am I doing here? There's no way Wilbur would have entered, right? I only came here because of what that flayed man said. The flayed man could have easily just lied. On the other hand, what reason did it have for lying? It was just about to kill me and somehow knew Wilbur was looking for me.

As I think about it more, I feel a small surge of determination. If there was any chance Wilbur was here, I had to look. Wilbur wouldn't have left me for dead. I know that he would never give up looking for me if I were lost. Standing a little taller, I summon my courage and continue to make my way through the tunnel. The walls don't get any closer however and eventually, it starts to retreat away from me until it finally opens up into a large dark space.

I shiver a little. It was so cold here. I try to scan the area but don't see anything beyond the light of my torch other than the cold stone floor. I cautiously started to walk forward. As I walk, I can faintly make out the faint glow of some kind of light source in the distance. I pause and try to determine what it was. Was there someone else here? I feel a small twinge of hope. Could it be Wilbur? I head towards the light. It seems to grow brighter & warmer the closer I get.

Eventually, I reach the wall and peer around the corner. When I see what the source of the light was, I felt a little disappointed. In front of me was nothing other than a lava pool. I sit down on the hard floor and let out a small sigh. I stare at the lava for a moment. There was something memorizing about staring at the thick orange pool. The warmth it let off made me a little sleepy, and I slowly start to feel my eyes close. I try to fight it the best I can but eventually, it becomes too much and I fall into a light slumber.

I was woken up by a loud inhuman groan. I quickly grab my torch, which is somehow still lit, and jump to my feet. I scan the area, looking for any signs of danger. At first, I don't see anything but then my eyes landed on what looked like a small boulder in the middle of the lava pool. I squint, trying to get a better look. Was that there before? The brightness of the lava hurts my eyes and I rub my eyes. When I open them again, it almost looked like the boulder in the lava was getting both bigger & closer. Wait, what? How was that possible? Despite the voice in my head telling me to turn & run, I slowly crept closer to the lava.