Emerged In Darkness

Chapter 19

Saran was still cloaked in darkness when the elevator decided to stop.

The metal gate creaked open to reveal a dimly lit, rocky tunnel. An abandoned mine, if she had to guess. It stretched on, only stopping at a metal gate that Saran could only faintly see.

Ethan looked at the tunnel and then her.

"Ladies first, right?"

Saran shook her head, smiling, but stepped out first. She took a few tentative steps, her gun up and ready. The sound of another set of footsteps behind her confirmed that Ethan was close by. It was reassuring in its own way, knowing that he had her back.

As they both traversed closer and closer to the gate, Saran vaguely made out of the shape of another molded, one that crawled on the ground.

When it noticed her, it gave a growl and began to move toward her. She shot off three bullets and each one hit it. One in the chest, one in one leg, and the last in its head. The creature gave a dying wail before slumping on the ground, still.

Once she was satisfied that it would no longer move, Saran walked past it and toward the gated opening. She stopped quickly when she saw a small bomb attached to the doorway.

"Careful, there's a bomb," She spoke, ducking under it.

Although Ethan gave no verbal reply, she knew he had nodded at her words.

As soon as she was past the first one, she spotted another attached to a wall and what looked to be another elevator.

Someone had been down here recently. Saran seriously doubted that someone should just leave bombs like that lying around. Briefly, she wondered if it was Lucas. Hate began to overwhelm her mind and she had to take a deep breath to calm herself. She knew soon enough, he would be dead too. Maybe not by her, but dead was dead and that was good enough.

Saran shook off her thoughts and looked around again.

She and Ethan could go around the other side, safely. It seemed to be the best way until she heard low growls coming from the dark hallway.

"Ethan," She called, backing up slightly.

He looked at, bewildered before he heard the noise too.

"Duck back beneath the laser."

He looked at her strangely before going to do as she said. When he was through, Saran ducked back under it too and faced it. Ethan opened his mouth to say something but she shushed him, eyes locked on the doorway. Finally, two molded stumbled into the light of the doorway. Their eyes were trained solely on her and Ethan. She gave a tiny smile as she watched both stumble and walk right into the laser connected to the bomb. A small explosion went off as bits and pieces of black goo flew everywhere.

"Two birds with one stone," Saran confirmed, satisfied.

Ethan looked between her relaxed form and the doorway before chuckling.

"That was a good idea. Killing the molded with the bomb. I'd have never thought of it."

Saran shrugged, grinning, before walking through the now clear doorway. She walked to the safe side of the elevator and peered into the dark tunnel.

"Hey Ethan, I don't think we'll be able to se-" She turned, pausing as Ethan clicked on a flashlight.

"Alright, never mind. Let's go," She said, turning back around and walking into the dark tunnel.

Ethan's light only gave them enough light to see two feet in front of them but it was more than enough for Saran. As long as she could see to shoot, it would be fine. Luckily enough for her, the walk was mainly quiet. The occasional molded came out of some deep dark corner but she and Ethan would take turns shooting them down. It stayed that way until they came to a small area with several dark tunnels leading to different ways, but one of them was lit up. She and Ethan walked into that one.