The Sounds Underground

Never ending darkness. Alan had been walking through the same twisting compact tunnel for what seamed like hours. His clothes were tattered and crusty, his mouth littered with sand. His throat so dry he could not even force himself to procure moistness to relieve him of this suffering. That was but only the lesser problem Alan faced, for he was lost deep in the earth, in a tunnel he was sure was not man made.

Earlier today he had been slaving away at the Antiford mines, digging deeply in the desert sand, shaping their way into the cold hard dirt of the earth. Alan was assigned to the newest tunnel which unfortunately was built under a soft spot of sand. Halfway through his shift the roof collapsed and sand poured into the tunnel like water flooding a ship. Miners were buried under the collapse and suffocated within seconds. Alan was not as lucky.

The tunnel he found himself in was short, as though it were dug by dwarfs. What unnerved him the most was the sounds of movement. Sounds of ruffling and scattered movement were heard, but the sounds did not come from the front but neither from behind him. They came from inside the walls of the tunnels. Only a few inches of dirt separated his tunnels from whatever was causing the noise. The sounds were accruing more frequently as Alan progressed farther into the black abyss. The sounds were starting to could Alan’s head he was going mad from the frequency of them. He choked back a sob. He was frightened for his life and his sanity. The thought that any moment a sand worm could burst out of the walls and devour him was ever present in his mind.

My body is too dry, and I must cry, Alan thought. In his darkest hour the dry depth of the sandy tunnel could not even grant him the comfort to cry wet tears of sorrow.

Alan found in front of him, a fork in the tunnel. Left and right. He tried his best to see down each pathway, a small hope that there could be a sign of guidance. There was not. With a cold shiver he made his way into the right tunnel. He walked until he heard a new noise. It sounded like the shoveling of dirt. Perhaps it was one of Alan’s fellow miners! Alan rushed towards the echo’s origin. When he found his way to the source he found no friend, but something amidst the darkness. It’s arched deformed back was to Alan. It’s sickly grey skin would wrinkle every time it raised its long arms to shovel its way deeper in the tunnel. Its hands were wide and cupped like a spoon, with sharp claws tearing their way through the dirt.  

A small gasp escaped Alan’s mouth. To which the ghoul turned its head. In the darkest of tunnels, with no light, far beneath the earth, had a monster that had eyes darker than the pitch black of the tunnel they found themselves in. Two small black eyes shined in the haunted darkness. The creature could not see, but the eyes fixed themselves on Alan as the goblin turned its body around. The sight of the creatures face could be barely seen. But what could be seen was to horrifying to describe. It was the most twisted, repulsive thing Alan had ever seen! It was even far worse than any nightmare.

Alan ran, he ran as fast as he could through the tunnels! The goblin behind him made a sharp piercing screech. More screeches were called from all directions from inside the tunnel walls! More goblins burst from the walls as Alan ran for an escape! There were too many! All pursuing Alan with deadly intention. Alan had not found himself in a tunnel created by a sandworm, but a hive of goblins! It was then when one of the terrifying creatures lurched its claw from the ground and took hold of Alan’s ankle! He kicked and screamed for help! Prayed to any god who would listen, but there are no gods this deep beneath the earth, only the darkest of primitive nature.

Within seconds a murder of goblins pounced on Alan, tearing his flesh from his bones with their claws! Sinking their sharp teeth into his body! Ripping him limb from limb and devouring him within the hour. For a good while he was still alive to scream in pain. Until one took a bite out of his neck. His throat and mouth overflowed with his blood. The last thing Alan had felt, was his unbearable dry mouth and thirst being quenched.