15
Ryan's eyes fluttered open, and he was met with an unfamiliar ceiling. He sat up with a start, his heart racing. "Ahh!" he exclaimed, looking around frantically.
Alex stirred beside him, groggily opening his eyes. "Wha... what's going on?" he mumbled.
Ryan's eyes were wide with fear. "I don't know! Where are we? What happened?"
Alex rubbed his temples, trying to remember. "I... I think we were in that village... and then... and then something hit us or something."
Ryan's face was pale. "Something hit us? You mean like... a person?"
Alex shrugged. "I don't know, man. Maybe it was a ninja."
Ryan's eyes went even wider. "A ninja? You think a ninja attacked us?"
Alex nodded seriously. "Yeah, it's possible. I mean, we are in a weird, creepy place. Ninjas are probably the least of our worries."
Ryan shook his head, a small laugh escaping his lips. "You're ridiculous, Alex."
Alex grinned. "Hey, someone's got to keep things light in this creepy situation."
Just then, Gabriel stirred, groggily opening his eyes. "Guys... what's going on?"
Ryan and Alex exchanged a nervous glance. "We're not entirely sure," Ryan admitted.
Gabriel sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Well, that's just great."
As they took in their surroundings, they realized they were in a narrow, dimly lit tunnel. The air was thick with the acrid smell of the blackish dust that coated every surface. The floor, walls, and even the ceiling were all covered in a fine, powdery layer of the stuff.
The walls were cold and damp, with no windows to break up the monotony of the dusty surface. The only sound was the faint rustling of the dust as they moved.
But what really caught their attention was the light. It was a faint, ethereal glow that seemed to emanate from the ground itself. They couldn't see the source of the light, but it illuminated the tunnel just enough to make out their surroundings.
Ryan's voice was barely above a whisper. "What is this place?"
Alex shook his head. "I don't know, but I don't like it."
Gabriel's eyes were fixed on the glow. "That light... it's weird. It's like it's coming from underground."
Ryan's eyes met Gabriel's. "Do you think it's some kind of... I don't know, a signal or something?"
Gabriel shrugged. "I don't know, but I think we should try to find out where it's coming from."
"Dude, I get it, we're dreaming, right? But who in the world would kidnap us? I mean, I'm broke, Alex is a firefighter, and Gabriel's got an award. That's it! It's gotta be because of your award, Gabriel. I told you, man, you're working too hard. You're making the rest of us look bad.
"And what's with this place? No lights? Alex, you're a firefighter, dude. Fire is literally your thing. But no, we're stuck in this dark, dusty tunnel. It's like someone knew exactly how to neutralize our skills.
"I swear, Gabriel, this is all because of your award. Some rich guy hired a team of ninja dream-hackers to kidnap us and... and... I don't know, maybe steal your award and give it to their kid or something.
"Gabriel, you need to calm down, man. You're making us all targets. Next thing you know, we'll be waking up in a Saw movie or something."
Gabriel's eyes widened in astonishment, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. "Ryan, how... how did you even come up with that reasoning?" he asked, his voice shaking with incredulity.
Alex chimed in, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Yeah, Ryan, how did you become an engineer? Did you, like, win your degree in a scratch-and-win competition or something?"
Ryan looked taken aback, his face scrunched up in defense. "Hey, my engineering skills are totally legit! I worked hard for my degree, thank you very much."
Gabriel chuckled, shaking his head. "Dude, we're not questioning your engineering skills. We're just wondering how you managed to come up with such... creative reasoning."
Alex grinned mischievously. "Yeah, maybe you should start a detective agency or something. 'Ryan's Reasoning Services' – we'll solve any mystery, no matter how ridiculous our theories are!"
Ryan stood up, his face still flushed with indignation. "Fine, don't believe me. But I'll show you, I'll find a way out of here." He began to search the tunnel, his eyes scanning every inch of the dusty walls and floor.
As he moved, the faint light from below the ground cast eerie shadows on the walls. Ryan stumbled, his foot catching on a loose rock, but he quickly regained his balance.
Then, in a corner of the tunnel, he spotted something - a thin wire, almost invisible in the dim light. Ryan's eyes lit up with excitement as he reached out and grasped the wire.
With a triumphant cry, he pulled the wire, and the sound of creaking and scraping filled the air. The top of the tunnel began to open, splitting into two sections like a pair of giant jaws.
Ryan, Gabriel, and Alex stared up in awe as the opening revealed a group of... creatures. They had the bodies of humans, but their faces were distorted, with pig-like snouts and cat-like ears.
The creatures stared down at the three friends, their eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and contempt. Ryan, Gabriel, and Alex felt like caged monkeys, trapped and helpless.
One of the creatures, seemingly the leader, spoke in a strange, guttural language. The words were unintelligible, but the tone was unmistakable - a cold, calculating disdain.
Ryan, Gabriel, and Alex exchanged terrified glances. What were these creatures? And what did they want with them?