Smoking Power

Chapter 16

The Escaletti tunnels are surprisingly lighter than I expected. We've only taken a couple of steps inside, but I can still see quite well without my eyes lighting up. The outside world soon fades behind us, leaving us in the labyrinth of tunnels and dull noises of dripping water and the scurrying of critters tiny feet.

I stop walking when we come to the first intersection, of three possible paths that we could take. "Which way do you think?" I whisper to them. If there is an Escaletti down here, which there most likely is, I don't want it to hear me.

"Light up," Amber whispers, indicating for me to start making my eyes glow. "That one goes up the most." She points to the left passage.

"If we get lost in here. I'd like you to know that it will be technically your fault." Declan mumbles as we start moving into the far left tunnel.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Amber mutters back.

The first thought that enters my mind as we turn, is the smell. It was alright before we turned, but now it smells like someone decided to dig in a graveyard and pull up a coffin of a rotting body. I scrunch up my face, trying not to breathe or smell the toxic fumes radiating around us.

"Eew, what is that?" Declan says, disgusted.

"Midnight snack." I mutter back. I guess we all know now that Escaletti's aren't vegetarians.

The light from my eyes, bounce around the rock walls, casting strange shadows as we pass. Inky puddles of blackness decorate the cold rock floor. I think it's water. Or is it the blood of some other poor victim to the Escaletti?

I shiver and pull my snow jacket more tightly around me. This place seems to be quite a bit colder than it was outside. I un-easily watch my feet, trying to avoid stepping in any rather gross things that could be lying around in a place like this.

We reach the end of the passage way with no encounters with creepy creatures or monsters of any sort. As we turn the corner, I can feel the pit of my stomach squeeze in such a way that can only be described as anxiety. The smell of rotten carcasses seems to intensify significantly as well. Something's wrong. Something's not quite right.

I look across at Amber, wondering if she can feel that something isn't quite right too. She looks at me and nervously smiles. I guess I'm not the only one then. I turn my head slightly so I can see how Declans going. One arm is wrapped around his waist so he's hugging himself. The other arm is plopped up at his mouth as he furiously chomps down on his nails.

The next twenty minutes pass in a blur of passing through tunnels and passages, each time choosing the path with the steepest ascent and continuously checking over your shoulder, expecting to see an army of angry Escaletti's charging after you.

One thing is for sure though, the higher that we climb, the stronger the repugnant odour becomes. What is it? It doesn't smell like off meat exactly. It smells a whole heap worse. I shrug it off and focus on not bumping into any Escaletti's.

The minutes soon tick by into hours and we still haven't bumped into any life forms. The same pit of anxiety bubbles around me. I have this feeling that won't go away, like my subconscious is screaming at me that this isn't normal or right. What's going on? Our luck could just not possibly be this good to not meet at least one Escaletti.

"I think we're almost there." Amber states after what feels like forever.

"How come we haven't met anything?" I quietly ask.

"I'm wonderin' the same thin'."Amber nods at me.

My black combat boots struggle to gain friction on the slippery slopes as I walk up the last final turns of this horrid place. The first Rays of the rising sun dance along the mossy wall in front of me. Almost there.