Devil's Attic

Chapter Nine

Eden and Henry hurried back, with Jonathan carrying both backpacks, while Kevin and Paul had already disappeared behind a bend. As they ran, Jonathan dug out his water bottle and opened it, dripping a little bit of water onto the floor, hoping it would burn the creatures' feet. He heard the soft hissing and growling of the creatures coming closer and closer behind him. When they came to another intersection, he yelled at Eden to turn left, hoping to find their way back to the cave where the lakes were and where they would be safe.

A loud roar made him flinch, causing him to turn around. The pounding sound indicated the presence of a larger creature among the smaller ones, but he didn't want to find out just how big it was. At the next crossroads, Kevin and Paul suddenly appeared, running towards them and waving their arms wildly. With no other option, they had to go right. Having lost their bearings in the labyrinth, they ran as fast as Henry could go. When one of the creatures got too close, Jonathan splashed it with water, causing it to writhe in pain and scream. He called out to the others to have their water bottles ready, but not to waste the water under any circumstance.

The tunnel led them to the next intersection, and in blind panic, Paul and Kevin ran straight ahead, followed by the others. The screaming and hissing grew louder and louder, and Jonathan heard the dull tapping of countless little feet. He felt his heart beating fast in his chest and hoped they could escape the creatures long enough to get into one of the lakes. However, his hope was abruptly dashed when he heard the louder and louder murmur of the river. They had missed the turnoff and ran straight into a dead end.

"We have to jump into the river," Jonathan urgently shouted over the deafening noise. Eden turned and looked at him in disbelief, but he repeated his words, knowing they had no other option. Uncertain if the river water would have the same effect as the lakes, Jonathan glanced back and saw the creatures crawling along the walls, dangerously close. Kevin's loud cursing snapped his attention forward again, and he shouted once more for them to jump.

However, Kevin and Paul hesitated. Eden, displaying bravery, was the first to leap into the water, letting out a scream before helping Henry into the river. Jonathan didn't hesitate for a second and jumped into the river as soon as he saw it. Despite expecting the cold water, he gasped for air as the water reached his waist, and the current was strong. To support his friend, he put Henry's free arm around his shoulder and asked Kevin and Paul to jump again. However, it wasn't until the first creatures ran through the tunnel opening that Paul jumped, closely followed by Kevin. For a brief moment, Jonathan panicked, fearing that the creatures would follow them, but they stood hissing on the shore and stared at the students with poison-yellow eyes.

Jonathan tested his theory by splashing water on the creatures, and immediately smoke rose again, filling the cave with a foul smell and the screams of the creatures. Jonathan continued, with Kevin, Paul, and Eden helping him. The screeching was deafening, and Paul even vomited from the stench. After a short hesitation, the surviving creatures withdrew, hissing into the tunnel. Henry cursed, "Fuck, What the hell just happened?"

"I have no idea," Kevin whispered in disbelief.

As Eden cautiously took a step further, Jonathan noticed how much she was struggling with the current. Henry stood unsteadily on one leg, and his swaying was not much help, but Eden resisted with all her might. Although the river was not wide, it seemed like an eternity to Jonathan until they reached the other side.

Kevin and Paul progressed more slowly, and the other three were already back on solid ground when the two had barely reached the middle of the river. Jonathan was about to shout to them that the floor was slippery when Kevin lost his footing and was immediately swept away by the current. The others had to watch helplessly as he crashed into a rock a little downstream and got stuck motionless on it, the sound of the crash echoing through the cave.