100-Word Horror

The Cavern

Deep into the cavern, hundreds of feet below the surface, you see more gaping holes in the rock, which lead farther down, but just how far down you are unsure. Your lantern flickers, as does your guide's. The musty, cool air flows through crevices, and on the ground you avoid stalagmites, which if you're not careful may trip you.

You're there for the speleothems, that cave decor and the feeling of the unknown which rouses your heart. But you're not there for the gust that comes from the shadows, that extinguishes the lanterns.

Or the hands that grip your ankles.