Devil's Attic

Chapter Thirteen

"That's a joke, isn't it?" Even Eden, usually composed, couldn't help but lose her composure as disbelief washed over her. "That... That can't be true, can it?"

"I'm afraid so," Jonathan replied as he reached out to hold her hand. At that moment, she sought solace in his embrace, her hand instinctively covering her mouth.

The sight before them was both awe-inspiring and unsettling, captivating Jonathan's gaze despite his fear. As far as the eye could see, rows upon rows of eggs stretched out in both directions, each at a different stage of development. The eggs varied in color, with the greener ones revealing less of the mysterious creatures inside, while the transparent ones seemed on the verge of hatching at any moment.

Breaking the silence, Jonathan pointed towards the distant end of the cave. "Do you see that over there? It appears to be a passage."

"Another pass, yay! Because we clearly haven't had enough cruelty already," Henry remarked.

Nodding slowly, Eden cautiously approached the edge of the abyss and peered down. "That's easily a 20-foot drop. We do have a rope, but there doesn't seem to be anything here to secure it to."

Jonathan's throat tightened as he contemplated their predicament. While he, Eden, and Paul might be able to navigate the descent, Henry's injury made it impossible for him to join them. It seemed that Henry had already come to the same conclusion. "Leave me behind," he said softly.

"What?" Jonathan was taken aback. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Just kidding," Henry quipped, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I just wanted to see your reaction."

Jonathan was still reeling from the shock of Henry's prank, but he couldn't help but chuckle as he playfully slapped the back of his friend's head. "You're a complete idiot, Rutherford!"

"I couldn't agree more with Jo," Eden chimed in, as she prepared to secure the rope to Henry. "Now, be quiet so we can get you down safely. I'll descend first and then assist you."

Five minutes later, Eden had successfully descended to the bottom and was now standing in front of one of the eggs. The egg was massive, twice her size, and almost completely transparent. As she peered inside, she could make out the shape of a luminescent being, its arms wrapped around its legs, its head slightly turned to the side with closed eyes. To keep her composure, Eden quickly turned away from the egg and saw that Henry was already halfway down the rope.

Once Henry had safely reached the bottom, Jonathan tossed down the rope and climbed down with Paul. Meanwhile, Eden carefully untied the rope from Henry and tended to his injury. After a brief rest, Jonathan couldn't resist the urge to explore the eggs more closely. Together with Paul, he ventured a little further and stopped in front of an almost completely green egg. He tentatively placed his hand on the egg's surface but quickly recoiled as he felt the icy coldness and a tingling sensation in his hand.

A little further on, they came across an egg that appeared to be on the verge of hatching. The creature inside was almost too big to fit within the confines of the egg. Jonathan took a moment to observe the creature up close, noting its long and thin arms and legs, and its slender rib cage. The creature's feet were flat and wide, and its proportions were distinctly different from those of a human.

"It seems so... different," Paul whispered.

Jonathan snorted softly in response. "Yes, but at the same time, there's something so... human about them," he mused, his curiosity piqued, turning to see that Henry had already risen to his feet with Eden's assistance. When Paul nervously called out his name, Jonathan turned to him with an irritated expression. "What is it, Paul?"