Benny Bones by Brian Hogan

Chapter 4 Into The Cavern

From the shallow black water, she burst up. Away from the watery world she once lay within, Ariya pulled for air. Vile water lay on her tongue, a smoke laced liquid that left her mouth dry and coarse. She spat at the lingering taste.

Met with darkness Ariya stared into the abyss. Slow dripping echoed off in the distance, rhythmic and slow, compared to the panicked beat of her pounding heart. Not a soul stirred within the dark world.

Then she heard a splash. Jessie, pulling out from the water, gasped. Ariya made for the sound of his ragged breathing and murmurs,

"No-no-no-no. This can't be happening. What did I do?"

"Jessie?"

"Ariya, is that you?"

"Yes." She called back, still unable to see him. "Stay there, I'll come to you." She waded over to the sound of his fading voice, echoing through the damp cavern. She pulled legs through the water, sloshing forward.

"You're getting closer!" Jessie called.

"Keep making noise, okay?" Ariya replied.

"Okay!" He waited and clutched his head. In the distance, the white island lay empty. Maybe he's not here — yeah. That feeling vanished when he heard a heavy splash.

"Ariya? was that you?"

"No..." She froze, sensing the edge in his voice.

He stared back at the white island. His eyes widened in stark realization: they had made more than enough noise to signal that they were here. He's coming. Jessie felt him, waiting in the water: that creature, that lurking figure of dread and displeasure, waited for him. Jessie felt his gut sinking and the dread, falling like a curtain within his mind. Guilt and realization rang through, I did what he asked. I brought her to him.

"Ariya. Run!" Jessie shouted.

The sloshing of water quickened. Ariya picked her legs up, pushed them faster but couldn't gain any more speed. Instead, she only lurched, over and over, as she fought to hurry.

Among panting breaths, she looked to the lone island. There, silhouetted by the island's light, stood a tall black figure. She panted, wide-eyed and cried. Fear, once edged upon her mind, now stood out and fought to overtake her. Looking back she stopped, the black figure had vanished.

"I think we're okay now." She said, to Jessie's outline.

"We have to go. We should find an entrance, maybe follow the walls and—" Jessie stopped to stare at what lay behind Ariya:

The dim visage of Benny Bones peaked through the dark. He leaned down close. Fingers spread, his long claws curled in and out like a spiders legs, skittering along a web. Saliva hung from his mask, produced by the delight of having a new visitor. He breathed shallow breaths through her hair, pushing strands across her ear.

She froze.

The feel of his breath on her neck sent chills up her spine, and with it, the dreaded awareness of something behind her.

"Well! What do we have here!" Benny Bones shouted, spinning Ariya around. She winced at the pain of the beast's claws, digging into her flesh.

"Mr. Bones, wait!" Jessie cried.

"Hm?" Benny Bones looked to the boy. Ariya cried in the creature's grasp, quivering within its claws.

"We--we came to play. Don't you want to play with us first?"