The Bewitching - Midsummer Aine - Book 2

Chapter 13 - Dantes' Prison

"Don't move," Dantes whispered to Dewdrop as the cave became filled with clicking and buzzing sounds. Louder and louder it grew until they were forced to cover their ears from its deafening sound. And then, just as quickly as it started, it died down.

"I don't get it. They looked right at us," she whispered back as soon as the buzzing in her ears had stopped.

"I do. Look at the heads," Dantes spoke as he pointed to the nearest bug on the ceiling.

"Now tell me, how many insects do you know that have large holes on the sides of their heads," he continued. As she squinted her eyes, she noticed it too. On each side of their heads were large holes, filled with tiny little hairs.

"Like you said, they looked right at us and didn't attack. Yet, their teeth and legs tell us they were made specifically for killing. My guess is they're like an insect version of bats. Their eyesight is likely bad, and those holes allow them to hear vibrations to find their prey," he concluded as he picked up a small pebble and tossed it as far across the room as he could.

The minute the pebble hit, the bugs began once again to stir, and then slowly quieted back down.

"Although that is odd..."

"What's that?" asked Dewdrop.

He pointed to a far corner where one of the bugs appeared to be laying dead. The shell on it's back was cracked wide open, and spread in a puddle across the floor was its blood, which happened to be glowing blue.

"I don't think they're glowing. I think that's the color of their blood...and that's what's lighting everything up." He grabbed one of the last remaining sticks from the backpack, and then slowly tiptoed over to the dead creature. After poking it a few times to ensure it was actually dead, he slid the end of the stick through the creatures blood. It stuck to the stick like a lump of snot, and created a brilliant blue light at the end.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about running out of torches now," he said as he stepped back into the entrance to the caves.

"There has to be another exit around here somewhere. Those bugs might be able to survive down here alone, but I know the dead Wendigo here couldn't. From the looks of it, there are more tunnels than this one leading to the center here," Dewdrop said as she glanced around noticing all the tunnels opening up from various points in the wall, including some half way up the walls of the large domed area.

"...But which one. That's the question." Dantes said as he took a few steps back into the area to get a better look. Somewhere close a Waheela howled, followed by several loud clangs. The echoing threw the bugs above into almost a frenzy as several dropped from the ceiling and skittered across the ground.

Dewdrop opened her mouth to scream as one brushed across her leg, and if not for Dantes hand that clasped across her mouth to quiet her, the whole swarm would have been on them. It scurried around them for what was at least a minute, its head craning as if listening for any vibration it could pick up on.

Dantes could feel the lack of air on his hand as she held her breath, watching the bug skitter back and forth along their feet. For a moment he debated driving the stick into its back and killing it, but then thought better of it. There was no telling what sound it might make if it wasn't killed in a single blow, or how penetrable their shell might be.

Finally it seemed to give up, and slowly skittered back to the wall. Its powerful claws dug into it, and before long the large bug was back overhead perched once again among the rest of them.

"I don't think we'll get that lucky again. We better start searching for another exit," Dantes said as he pointed her down one side of the dome, and then started making his way down the opposite side. Slowly they made their way along separate walls, until they met on the other side.