The whisper startled Gabriel, he looked around wondering where it had come from.
Gabriel let go of Michael's hand unknowingly.
Michael touched the monolith. It was slimy, he felt writhing beneath the surface as his hand sunk slightly into the wall.
He tried to pull his arm out but was unable to move it. He had a confused look on his face as he kept trying to tug his arm out. His arm never stopped, going deeper and deeper.
"Michael!" Gabriel tried to pull Michael out of the monolith's slimy exterior.
"Wait, Gabriel. Let me go in," Michael stopped struggling.
He was being swallowed at an increased speed. The monolith had fully captured him, engulfing his body.
He fell deeper into the slime, not being able to move. He felt as if he was drowning, his lungs being filled with the liquid, yet he could breathe. It was an odd feeling, the liquid seemed to be oxidized, allowing him to breathe as his lungs were filled.
Gabriel dove in after Michael, being fully devoured in a second.
Michael reached the end of the slime. Falling into a large black chamber. The walls were made up by the black pulsing veins, with a red liquid inside.
Gabriel fell a few seconds after, falling into the pile of slime that Michael left behind.
Michael walked towards the walls, touching them. They had small grooves in them, indenting slightly into the wall of the tube.
The red liquid inside... was blood. There wasn't only blood, there were skulls and other bones. The tubes were the monoliths intestines. It was feeding on humans.
Why did the monolith call to Michael and Gabriel? Why hadn't it killed them yet?
"What is this place?" Gabriel looked around in bewilderment, slowly walking towards Michael as he admired the chamber's scale.
"It's the intestines. Look at the walls; it's digesting the remains of humans, " said Michael.
Gabriel stared silently, his expression solemn.
"There's a door over there," Michael pointed in the direction of the door, "Let's go."
"Alright."
Michael walked over to the door, a few paces in front of Gabriel.
The darkness within the doorway was impenetrable, ancient shadows blocking the red light from entering.
"Do you think we should go in?" Gabriel hesitated.
"There's nowhere else to go, is there?" Michael was steadfast in his decision.
Gabriel nodded.
They walked through the door.
The low humming stopped. As if the hallway was not connected to the monolith.
The whispers only got louder, as if they were getting closer to the source of them with each step.
The corridor was pitch black, the silence was deafening.
They walked, and walked, and walked.
It felt as if they walked for hours.
The darkness around them unchanging, deep, primordial shadows surrounding them.
Michael stopped, raising his hand as if to gesture Gabriel to stop.
"What is it?" inquired Gabriel.
"There's doors everywhere. Come here."
Gabriel walked beside Michael.
"You're right. What one should we take?"
"Just keep going straight." Said Michael.
Gabriel nodded, following beside Michael instead of behind him.
Growl
A growl came from one of the doors they walked past.
Both their heads spun instantly toward the noise, both pausing on the spot.
Footsteps came crashing towards them.
"Run." Michael started to sprint away, Gabriel lagging a few paces behind.
The footsteps got louder. They heard a loud crash as the creature ran into the wall.
The creature charged toward them in the unending darkness.
"It smells the blood from our clothes," Michael cursed.
"Brilliant," Said Gabriel sarcastically.
"Quick, throw your shirt in to one of the doors, it might throw off our scent." Michael clambered to get his shirt off without slowing down.
Gabriel followed suit quickly after Michael.
The footsteps of the creature continued, seemingly not thrown off by the plan.
"Shoot it Gabriel."
Gabriel hesitated.
"Shoot it, Quick!"
Crack Crack
Gabriel fired two shots back at the creature.
It shrieked in pain as the bullets hit it. Its' footsteps became slower, as it grunted with each step. It's breathing was loud, it became laboured.
The monster still gave chase, even after taking two gunshots.
They could see the same dull, red light in the distance.
"A light!" Screamed Gabriel.
They crashed through the door, entering a massive square chamber.
It was filled from floor to ceiling with what looked like incubators.
"Is that incubators? With seeds in them?" Gabriel whispered.
Gabriel was entranced by the sight. He was quickly broken out of that trance by a loud growl coming from the door.
Crack Crack Crack
Michael fired 3 quick shots into the doorway, the creature grunting each time.
"Get back from the door!" Cautioned Michael.
They both backed away from the door, their guns still pointing, waiting for whatever that creature is to burst through into the light.
The thing slowed, it lumbered through the door.
"Wh- What the fuck is that?" Stammered Gabriel.
The creature was... almost human?
It looked human, but stood on four legs like a hores. Its torso extended out of where it neck should have been, with four arms, and four hands extending down the length of its arm. It had three heads, each head salivating at the smell of human blood. It had large fingers protruding out of its back like a kentrosaurus.
The creature had a hole through both of its front legs, and three holes in its chest.
Gabriel and Michael looked at each other confused.
"Shoot it."
Crack Crack Crack
Michael shot 3 bullets before needing to reload, each bullet penetrating the monsters chest.
Crack Crack
Gabriel aimed for the things back legs, hitting them in rapid succession.
The creature dropped to the floor, its mangled legs not being able to support its weight.
Michael rushed at the creature when it was down, pulling a cleaver from behind his belt. Gabriel repeated these actions, instead pulling out a zombie knife. The knives the found on the bodies of raiders.
Michael reached the thing, rushing around the back of it, out of reach of its arms. He mounted the back of it, and promptly slit the throat of one of the heads.
Gabriel jumped at the creature head on. It tried to grab him, missing by mere inches. Gabriel drew an arc in the air, as he crashed into the monster, shoving his knife deep into the creatures head.
The last head wailed in pain. The creature writhed and struggled, trying to break Michaels grip on its back.
Michael remained steadfast in his grip. He reached is arm around the last heads neck, and slit its throat.
The creature grew silent. Its writhing stopped.
Both boys drew a sigh of relief.
"How disgusting." Michael looked at the odd creature with revolt in his eyes.
"What was that thing?" Inquired Gabriel.
"I don't know, looks like an amalgamation of humans." Michael studied the creature closely, examining the spiked fingers on its back.
"Do you hear that?" Gabriel looked up at the ceiling, hearing a quiet cracking noise.
A gaping crack appeared in the ceiling. Red vine-like tendrils of flesh flooded through, as if it were chasing something.
BANG!
Something exploded in front of the tendrils.
A black figure plummeted to the ground at breakneck spead, being rebounded by the explosion.
The shockwave wobbled Gabriel and Michael, as they tried to remain standing.
The figure exploded into the air with a burst of speed, brandishing a sword, it slashed at the tentacles.
Shing
A large crack appeared in the ceiling again.
The tentacles began to fall, cut off at the base.
The figure landed on the ground.
It walked toward Gabriel and Michael.