Ear to the Serpent | ONC 2020 WINNER ✓ [ PUBLISHED ]

chapter 8

NOT TO MY surprise, Valdez was the first to scream.

We were sitting there, flat on our asses stunned, when Valdez Lors opened his mouth and yelled bloody murder. It only shook us up more, genuine fear replacing the initial surprise. So much so, that Dr. Lorenne Dench's arm slid through mine and she pressed herself against me. I could feel her body tense.

She couldn't see my blush, but maybe she could feel it.

Regardless, she didn't move, even when the three of us scrambled to our feet and tried to reorientate ourselves. It was almost pitch black, and the little air was thick with the smell of soil and rock. Valdez, who hadn't stopped the hysterics, hastily whipped out his flashlight and jerked it wildly from us to behind him.

"Holy gods —what the fuck. We're going to die —we're trapped down here and we're going to die —!" he shrieked, flailing his arms and causing the light from his flashlight to shake erratically.

Lorenne's hazel eyes went wide as she leaned away from him, shaken by his display.

"Valdez, calm down!" I hissed, slapping an arm across his shoulder. "That isn't going to help!"

"How can we be calm?" Lorenne cried. "We just fell through the ground. Is this another vision or something, Maya? What —what are we going to do?!"

"I —" I struggled. This...can't be a vision. There's no smoke, and no stench of death. Come to think of it, there was no sign of magic or gods, or even skeletons. "...I don't know," I breathed in answer.