Hidden Hollow: City of Evil

Back Underground

 Ash raced down the tunnel, the beast huffing and snarling just a few meters behind. The twisting, turning tunnels never seemed to end. He stumbled over a rock on the ground. He was unable to keep his footing, and he fell forward, driving his knee into the ground. He cried out in pain, but forced himself up. He had to ignore the pain, if he stopped to tend to his wound, a much worse fate would overtake him. The beast was gaining on him, and it was gaining fast. He pushed as hard as he could, he had to get away! He felt his energy draining, but he refused to give up, to let the beast catch him. Turning the corners was almost automatic. Left, right, right, left, right, left. It was a one way labyrinth with no end. His legs aching, his heart pounding, his lungs burning, his injured knee screaming at him in the back of his mind. He gritted his teeth, and kept going.He turned one final corner, and to his horror, the corridor ended with the wall. There was no turning back, the hall was too small to dodge around the beast. Ash ran to the wall, and began pounding on it. "Somebody help me!!! Please!!!" He spun around to see the beast right in front of him. He reached down to his belt to grab his hunting knife, but he caught only air. His knife was gone! He screamed as the beast lunged, jaws wide open. Just as the creature's teeth were about to rip into his flesh, he snapped awake, still screaming. He looked around, panicked. "I'm okay, I'm in my room, I'm back home..." It had been nearly six months since everything went down in Hidden Hollow, but every night, he had nightmares of the mines, the Wendigo still hunting him down. The nightmares varied, but always ended the same: The beast cornering him, about to kill him. He turned and looked at his clock. "6:45..." A feeling of dread washed over him. Today was the first day back at school. When Ash got back from the whole ordeal, he didn't feel up to going back to school, so he switched to homeschooling for the rest of that year. Maybe it would be good to go back, to take his mind off of things. He remembered something, and perked up a bit. This year would be different, this year Kiera was going to be there with him! After Hidden Hollow was destroyed and condemned, Kiera and her mother had moved down out of the mountains to the town where Ash and his parents lived. Ash had spent most of his summer with Kiera, exploring the foothills outside of town, reminiscing on the events that had unfolded a few months prior. The most common topic of discussion was Thomas. Kiera always spat his name like it was poison in her mouth. Ash felt the same. He had manipulated both of them. Regardless, they still wondered what had happened to him. Was he still alive? Did he have the crystal? Was he plotting revenge? That question had always scared Ash. Was Thomas coming for him? Would he be able to fend him off a second time? He shook these thoughts out of his head, and rolled out of bed. He threw on some clothes, and headed downstairs.