Page 31 of Tenebrous

My human needs food.

And I intend to bring him enough to survive.

Chapter

Thirteen

Benji

The steady drip of something wet on my face pulls me from a fever dream, almost like rain.

My eyes stay closed as I lie there, caught somewhere between unconsciousness and reality. For a few blissful seconds, I convince myself I'm back home in Kansas, curled up in bed while a storm rattles against the windows.

Then my ribs start to ache. A sharp jolt radiates through my thigh, shattering the illusion.

Rough stone greets me when I open my eyes, illuminated by low firelight. Panic jolts through me so violently that I attempt to sit upright, but the flash of pain immediately reminds me why that's a terrible idea.

Collapsing back onto something soft, I breathe through clenched teeth, trying to shake the black spots in my vision. "Fuck."

Another drop of water lands squarely on my forehead. I blink upward to see the cavern ceiling glowing with stalactites. They disappear into shadows high above, moisture gathering on the stone before dripping down at irregular intervals.

Carefully, I force myself to breathe through the pain while taking stock of my surroundings. Orange embers glow from the firepit, casting long shadows across the walls. Bundles of dried plants hang from hooks driven into the rock and somehow, the pool in the corner glows with a kind of bioluminescent light. Several animal furs have been spread beneath where I've been sleeping.

Sleeping.

The realization sends an electric shock through me.

How long have I been unconscious? Hours? Days? Last thing I remember, that creature was resetting my… legs.

I immediately look them over, and overwhelming relief floods my system. They're still attached, thank fuck, but a crude sort of poultice sits on the gunshot wound. It’s wrapped tightly enough with vines that I can't see much beyond blood-stained fabric, and though it still aches, the deep soul-crushing burn is gone.

What the fuck? Did the monster treat my injuries? That thought is somehow more unsettling than being eaten.

Who the hell patches up someone before killing them? And where did the thing go?

I open my mouth to catch a few drops of water to soothe my aching throat before attempting to sit up again, sickness be damned. Dirty water is the least of my problems right now. Running isn't an option with my useless leg, but I'll fucking crawl away if I have to.

A sharp hiss escapes me as I force myself upright. The cave tilts violently, and for a terrifying second, I think I'm going to pass out again, but I ride out the dizziness until the world finally stills.

"Okay," I whisper, flinching at how rough my voice sounds. “I can do this.”

Planting both hands against the ground, I begin dragging myself backward. Agony shoots through my ribs, but I don't stop, even as my palms slip on the stone. Behind the firepit sits an opening, the one the monster dragged me through. I grit my teeth and inch my way closer.

Closer, closer…

I almost get within ten feet before a scraping sound reaches my ears from beyond the exit. Stiffening instantly, I freeze as my heart jumps into my throat.

The noise comes again, stone against stone. Heavy, almost deliberate. Slowly, I glance toward the tunnel disappearing into darkness and nearly shout when a shadow appears in the doorway.

A shape begins to emerge with broad shoulders and dark fur. Reflective eyes catch in the firelight as the monster ducks beneath the entrance, and that's when I notice what it's dragging behind it.

A scream barrels out of my lungs.

The thing whips its horned head my way, dropping the human corpse in its grasp as I claw at the ground in an attempt to scramble away. My eyes lock onto the plaid vest covering the body, followed by the shovel still clutched in the corpse's hand.

Uncle Gale.

“No,” I whisper, covering my mouth.