Don't Mine At Night

Save File 10 - Chances Are If You Think It's A Bad Idea...

     They watched the zombies burn and run for cover for a few minutes before retiring to their home away from home. "So..." Peri began. She let her voice trail off in thought.

"That's about as deep a subject as when you start with 'well'."

Examining a pickaxe she'd made, Peri continued, "Maybe it is a deep subject. Not what I was going for though."

"Don't be bitter," Onyx chuckled, forcing warmth back into the conversation.

"I was going to ask what you wanted to do."

"What do you want to d-"

"Go mining."

Onyx blinked. Peri was nothing if not determined. "Alright... are you sure? It was pretty dark down there, monsters..."

"I made us torches and more weapons while you were sleeping." Peri offered up some torches and another wooden sword.

"No stone?"

"We were almost out."

Onyx took the sword and gave it a rather ungrateful look. "Thanks."

"No problem," Peri chirped obliviously. She started for the mine with Onyx lagging behind obligatorily.

And back into the cave they went. Peri didn't seem at all concerned by the bats that flew out at them. Onyx on the other hand was a bit more concerned. As they passed the location Peri had been mining at the previous day, she didn't stop, nor did she slow her pace. She kept sticking torches to the walls and continuing into the dark. Only when they had come to a small section of iron ore did she finally stop.

"Are we good?" Onyx asked, taking in the new surroundings. It looked like every other part of the cave they'd been in previously.

"We're good. I'm going to mine here for a bit. Why don't you continue on and look for more resources?"

Peering into the dark cave Onyx let out a heavy sigh. There was no arguing with Peri now. That would be a truly lost cause. So, deeper into the cave she went. After a little while she came to a fork. Left? Or right? There really was no way of telling what was down either path. She had no coins to flip so she acted on impulse and slipped down to the right.

A few twists and turns later and she was lost. However she'd done it, she was lost deep within the cave with a few torches and a wooden sword. "Peri?" She called and waited but there was no response. She tried wandering back but found herself wandering in circles. Panic rose in her chest. Her breathing got lighter and more fearful as she looked around the nearly dark space. She was lost. Completely and utterly lost. She sat against the wall and took a deep breath.

"Calm down Onyx," She quietly told herself as she hugged her knees, "It's ok. It's all ok. You'll find Peri, you'll find a way out, just keep your head."

Somehow the pep talk didn't ease many fears. Somewhere in the dark something caught her attention. A move. A swift and silent noise. Curiously she followed it. What did she have to lose?

A few glittering purple flecks hung in the air. They didn't feel like much in her hand as she tried catching a few of them. Placing another torch, she tried to see what had made the flecks. Unfortunately she couldn't find a source. Not right away at least.

Pressing on, Onyx continued into the dark. She placed her last torch and tried to find the source of the flecks. A few still hung in the air. Almost like magic. Then something in the dark caught her eye. "Hello..?" She quietly implored as she hung close to the torch.

The monster, being that of a true nightmare, turned to her. It's purple eyes glowing bright in the dark. The purple flecks glittered around it. It moved swiftly then disappeared into thin air.

"That's not natural!" Onyx gasped. The worrisome pit returned to the bottom of her stomach and panic rose quickly in her chest. There was no time to waste. Lost or not she had to get out of there. With her sad sword in hand she retreated with great haste.

As she rounded a corner the monster stood before her. It was much taller than her and even more horrifying in the torchlight. Upon seeing her its whole head lifted up exposing an unsettling jaw and making the most horrifying noise.

Onyx accidentally screamed in fear. Her scream was lost in the depths of the cave, too far for Peri to hear. The monster screeched again in response. With all the strength and energy she could manage she ran past the howling monster. It started to chase her before disappearing into thin air again.

"Not again!" Onyx panicked as she tried to make her way out of the stony labyrinth she'd gotten herself caught up in.