White Wall Cave

Too Late

         A bright yellow Mustang was parked in front of the old farm house. The robin egg paint peeled away from the wooden boards that were trying to keep the house together. A porch extended from the house, weather beaten and worn down. With midnight approaching the house’s lights were off causing the farm house to take the appearance that it was haunted. Dark clouds rolled over the crescent moon when the purr of an engine brought Enya’s attention to the gravel driveway. The headlights bounced up and down as Eli’s cherry red Prelude swerved to miss the large potholes but ended up hitting a few. Rolling to a stop he shut off the engine and the lights clicked off. Enya leaned against her Mustang, a black outline against yellow.

            “I said hurry, Eli.”

He slammed the car’s door before responding.

            “You try loosing cops on an old dirt road with a bright red sports car. Being a hunter is never easy when the police still think that a monster is a human. Murderer, they call us! If only they knew. We saved their lives so many times and what do we get for it? Jail time! Why I never….” He sighed, shaking his head. “Well at least you got some good news, right?”

            “If you call a whole family dead with eyeballs gone and skin burnt to a crisp good news, then yes. “, Enya sarcastically remarked as she turned around to open up the Mustang’s passenger door. “I went inside and checked out the first and second floor when you showed up. Nothin’ but that white goo everywhere. The basement is all that is left.” She grabbed the bottles in the seat and tossed one to the younger hunter. “Don’t spill that. It will burn your skin. Save it for the worm.”

Sloshing around in the bottle, the clear liquid didn’t seem deadly but Eli knew of its’ power. The wooden porch creaked and groaned with every step they took up to the door. Without thinking Eli carelessly pushed the door open banging it against the wall. The hollow thump sounded through the house like glass breaking in a silent room.  

            “Idiot! It may still be inside. Just because I said I saw nothing the first time doesn’t mean that the monster isn’t here.” , Enya harshly whispered. Sticking to the walls, she took a sharp left down the hallway toward the living room. Eli followed her, running down the hallway on the opposite side. They scanned every room, one entering before the other. With the first and second floors checked again, the basement was the last place. Eli placed his hand on the tarnished brass door handle and his blue eyes looked toward Enya. A nod of the head and the door to the basement flew back. White goo covered the walls and wooden railing. Dripping onto the concrete steps, the stench of rotting flesh filled the corridor. Carefully placing a foot on each step, the basement floor came closer. Without thinking they both pulled out their flashlights. The thick fungus was illuminated in the flashlights’ beam. Curving around the stairs, it trailed to a five foot hole.

            “ I don’t think that hole was there when the family moved in.” Eli peered into the gaping hole. “It’s a ten foot drop straight down. How are we…”  A wad of shirts flew toward his head.

            “Start tying.” , answered the thrower as she tied a shirt with a pair of pants.

            “But this is their laundry!”

            “They won’t be needing it now.”

Tying the two ropes of assorted laundry together she attached it to the base of the stair’s railing. Slinging the end of the rope over the edge of the concrete hole, Enya and Eli quickly slid down. The thump of their shoes hitting the bottom of the drop, bounced off the walls. Hungry for the hunt, Eli trotted aimlessly ahead.

          "Rookie." , Enya mumbled as she reached into her jean pocket. She pulled out a thin thread that luminated her hands in a blue light. Those finger shrunk as she remembered the last time she used this rope to know where she is going. She sees the rope but it is in her small five year old hands instead of her grown eighteen year old palm. She handled it gently sliding it over her fingers. Enya looks up and stares into the black tunnel. Finialy she ties it to the swinging laundry rope. Threading it out behind her, she slowly continued down the tunnel. The darkness consumed Eli, as Enya swung her flashligh around the walls looking for the younger hunter.  A small speck of white light glowed ahead.

       This is it. I take revenge or I die like my family. I will not let this crime go unpunished. Where are you Mongolian Death Worm? Fight me one last time.