1. In_Darkness_Dwells


    Date: 3/11/2024, Categories: Fiction Horror, Non-Erotic, Author: Sage_of_the_Forlorn_Path

    ... he drew his pistol and took aim at the dynamite. He had only one bullet left, and he imbued it with every hope and silent prayer he could think of, then pulled the trigger.
    
    As the bullet pierced the crate and struck one of the sticks inside, the flames burning on the tree reached the dynamite below, and both charges went off simultaneously. The tree's roots were shredded by a chain of explosions that sent cracks running up the trunk, while the chamber ceiling shattered from the detonating crate. Boulders rained down upon the burning tree, snapping its branches and fully uprooting it.
    
    However, it was more than just the ceiling being destroyed. Titanic fractures spread through the walls, floor, and entire mountain. The ground under Sam’s feet gave away, and he slid down one collapsing slope after another, before landing on a pile of bodies that cushioned his fall. The entire chamber was caving in, leaving him no time to recover. He scrambled to his feet and ran over to Sorine, dodging falling boulders in the process. He hoisted her over his shoulder like a rolled-up carpet, picked up her dropped torch, and ran off, powered by hysterical strength.
    
    He ducked into the first passageway he saw, guided only by the light of a fading torch, while around him, the whole cave system was collapsing in on itself. Then, he saw something he thought he’d never see again: daylight. A crack had opened up in the cave wall, but it was narrow. He hoisted Sorine, and, rather ungracefully, ...
    ... tried to push her through the gap, all while the tunnel continued to collapse.
    
    “Come on, I know you’re tired, but move your ass!”
    
    She pulled herself outside into the fresh air with all her remaining strength, and Sam followed her. They were out of the cave, looking towards the rising sun, but not out of danger. The entire mountain was crumbling, with great fissures splitting bedrock and shredding the forest. Sam and Sorine grabbed onto the nearest tree and held on for dear life until the quaking stopped.
    
    “Stay here, I’m going to look around.”
    
    Sam left Sorine where she was, climbed up a nearby ledge, and then whistled in amazement. Half of the mountain had collapsed like a soufflé, leaving behind a massive crater filled with rubble. Not knowing what to say, Sam threw up his arms and hollered, cheering at the top of his lungs. Down below, Sorine listened to him and chuckled to herself as blood ran down her chin. But then, there was a second voice, one that erased her smile.
    
    “No,” she gasped.
    
    Sam shared her sentiment at the top of the ledge, but with much more profanity. The rubble was shifting, and a monstrous roar echoed from below. Then, with a great snarl, Rathodor raised itself up from what should have been its tomb. Its hard exterior was riddled with cracks, but beneath the shredded bark, exposed muscle quivered and twisted. The stiff petals of the flower served as jaws once more, and though it had no eyes, it looked directly at Sam and howled in fury and ...