Rise of the Dead

Chapter 11: The Almost Human

"This claustrophobia was the only weakness I had." ~ Felix Baumgartner

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The darkness creates an eerie silence that settles around us, draining the life out of the suffocating air. I shuffle as quietly as possible but it's no use. The cave's silence just makes our movements sound louder, shivers creep up my neck and I squeeze my eyes tightly shut as I take a deep breath. Every now and then the sound of a rat or the splashing of water will make me jump but even when I calm myself down I'm still undeniably on edge.

Nobody has so much as whispered since we entered the cave and I think it's adding to the tense atmosphere, we must continue forward now or we might never get out of the cave. It's no use though, no matter how persistent I am, I'll have to turn on a light source. I didn't want to turn on the torches unless we had to, knowing it will attract the zombies that inevitably followed us into the pitch-black death maze but I know we're just walking around in dizzy, hazardous circles.

"Guys, as much as I hate to say it, I think we need to turn the torches on," I whisper, someone jumps at the break of silence but sooner or later I feel the torch pressed haphazardly into my sweaty palm. I struggle for a minute, trying to find the switch before a very dim ray of light shoots out I front of me. It takes a while for my eyes to adjust but soon enough if I squint, I can make out the wet rocks around me. I move forward and press my hand against the damp rock- a dead end.

I'm about to complain to the others when I look down, a tiny hole appearing to go under the rock face in a tiny tunnel form. It's the only way forward so I have to go through, but the darkness and lapping of water unsettle me.

"There's a small tunnel that looks like it leads to the other side of this rock," I explain- crouching down and tapping the stone in front of me. "So how about Toby and Maria first, then Sophie, Josh can take Ashia and I'll ho last?" I suggest and hear a rough murmur of consent.

"What do we do with the torches and when we come out the other side?" Soph asks and I think for a second, my mind twirling about the darkness.

"Try and keep them above water level, there seems to be enough of a gap, just wait at the end for me to come through," I explain and she nods.

The others lower themselves one by one into the freezing water before disappearing from sight, I wait for thirty seconds, shining the ray of light around the cave- before following after my group. I submerge myself in the icy black waters and slowly swim forward, after about two minutes I emerge in a tiny pond with a few rock islands. I gasp for air and point the torch around looking for my group, when I come up empty I presume they continued after a moment's air. Claustrophobia floods through me as the narrow passage seems to be getting tighter and tighter, suffocating me. My breathing quickens and I spin around in panic. 

I stop and take a deep breath and about to go under again when a frown etches onto my forehead- I don't know where to go. The disorientation makes me feel sick and I pant queasily, flickering the torch to each available exit before randomly deciding on one. I flash the torch around one last time when the beam of light fixes on something in the corner. I squint at the pale rock formation for a long while, swearing it wasn't there before. My heart skips a beat but I squeeze my eyes shut, assuring myself that it's just a hallucination caused by my panic.

Just as I pull the torch away movement catches my attention, I hear a small splash and yelp in purely sickening fear and terror.

I back away slowly, my eyes fixed on the now empty space. I thought the zombies hadn't found us but there's no other explanation, not only are there zombies here- but they have evolved to the water and darkness. Even more chillingly, they've evolved in a matter of mere seconds.

Bubbles start rising from the water over the other side of the pool and I press up against the rock, squeezing my eyes shut for a second, the cave goes silent and my stomach lurches. Everything has stopped, I feel the waters ripple from movement below the surface and I have to bite back a scream that rises in my throat. Bubbles start up around the pond again but in multiple places, getting closer and closer.

I'm being hunted.

The first creature rises in front of me, its teeth chattering as blood drips from its mouth. I bite back the scream that rises in my throat and slowly pull the knife from beside my thigh- my movements cautious as to trigger their attack. As I stare up into its eyes and I feel the acid rise into my throat, tears welling up and threatening to fall into the murky waters. The lifeless inky black eyes have all but retreated, instead, the creature's eyes are piercing and filled with hunger- a look that is almost human. 

The zombie snarls and in one quick movement, I plunge my knife into its skull with a sickening crunch, black blood splattering across my ashen cheeks. I clamp my hands over my mouth as the creature stumbles back into the water before submerging beneath the waves, its eyes lifeless once again. As the zombie's blood seeps across the water movement erupts around me, snarls and splashes filling the air. I look around frantically as more creatures rise from the water, their eyes focused on my trembling frame. I clench my bruised knuckles tightly, taking small steps backwards until my back hits the solid rock wall behind me. 

That's when the torch flickers out and I'm plunged into darkness.