A Trickle of Water: Part One

Hey everyone! I'm adding a brand new Patron exclusive perk. This is a story I've been working on for a bit, which I'll be adding 3-5 page serial installments to each week. Eventually, it may become a novel or novella, but you'll get to read it here first!

A trickle of water stirred Sean’s consciousness. It did not fall on to him, nor did it pool near him. Rather, it produced a gentle gurgle as it slipped down the cold, stony surface of the cave’s wall. Upon reaching a particularly distinct change in the slope of the aforementioned wall, the water did pool and then drop, perhaps a milliliter at a time, onto the floor upon which Sean lay. Though there was not much light by which to see, Sean began to construct an image of his surroundings. 

A stream of water rushed and then dripped, its mixture with the rock faces releasing a damp, cool aroma. That same dampness soaked, only the slightest bit, into the canvas exterior of Sean’s jacket and blue jeans. The sturdy cotton flannel he wore beneath his coat remained dry, and thus he maintained his warmth. His back was dry and warm, his chest and knees wet and cold. He reached the conclusion that he must be face down against the floor. He clenched and released his fists, gathering a fine gravel into his hands.

Sean put his hands at his sides and pushed himself up and then over, leaning his back against the same wall from which the water flowed. He cupped his palms beneath the source of the gurgling and dripping, and allowed water to accumulate for nearly a minute before bringing it to his lips and sipping. It tasted like iron and charcoal, but it was brisk and clear and refreshing. He indulged in another swig, and then put his wet hands to his face. His fingertips found an accumulation of gravel and dirt on his cheeks. Reaching his forehead, he found a sticky substance above his left eye which washed away easily enough with water. Following his cleaning of the area, he discovered a gash in the skin. It was wide, though not very deep. Sean rubbed some water over it, rubbed some dirt into the wound, and stood.

He came to, once again on the floor, some time later. He felt around his face and body once more, finding no previously undiscovered abnormalities. Now, with care, he worked his way to his feet. First to one knee, then with a hand bracing against the wall, and finally to a standing position, shoulder leaning heavily on the rocky face of the cave. Sean could see nothing. No normal person would have been able to, as the cave was completely black. He oriented himself, choosing to walk in the opposite direction of that which he had faced when he first awoke. He shuffled in an awkward gait, shoulder still against the wall, for some fifty paces. His left shoulder went from cold stone to open air, and he steadied himself on two feet with his bracing now gone. His hand grasped at the air around him, finding nothing but for the edge of the wall to his rear and left.

With no means by which to see, Sean focused on what he could smell. The rich aroma of iron and wet stone was all encompassing. He turned his attention to the sounds which echoed off of the walls. A drop of water here, a scuffle of small rocks slipping down the side of the chamber, and, all too subtle, the whisper of air rushing out into and out of the cave. He stepped to his left, the sound of rushing air growing louder. The air flowed towards him, but what did that mean? Did air flow in or out of a cave? Was he even in a cave? He retreated until he found the wall, and, touching his left hand to the slick stone, began to walk into the mysterious airflow.

He tried to remember how it was that he found himself here, alone in the dark. He was not dressed for caving, though he wasn’t sure what dressing for a cave trip would look like. He simply knew that this was not it. His head pulsed with a dull pain, and he stumbled. Sean sturdied himself against the wall, and continued forward. He could sense a gentle slope beneath his feet, which did not bode well if he meant to get out. He changed direction, now working back with his right hand as guide. The slope gradually increased, air rushing from behind him. The wall curved inwards ever so slightly. He kept following, turning degree by degree, until, once again, he found himself trod slowly downward. 

A dead end. Sean tried with all his might to remember how he had found himself here. He could not have come from within the cave. It made no sense. He wore jeans belted tight at the waist, hiking boots, and a flannel under a canvas jacket. He was dressed for the outdoors. He was, however, thankful for his layers, as the cave felt cold against his damp skin. The air coming from below, however, was warm. He reasoned, through his scrambled thoughts, that he must have somehow fallen into this chamber from above, though he could not see any entrance overhead. So, with no other options, he chose to move onward, down the slope and towards whatever lay ahead.

The passage continued a fair distance before any noticeable changes occurred. After perhaps five minutes of walking, the corridor narrowed, and though he still could not see, Sean sensed that the roof above was now lower. If he stretched out both arms, he could touch both sides of the hall with his fingertips. As well, behind the rock, he could hear water gurgling along in some unseen chamber of the system. It occurred to him, rather suddenly, how thirsty he was. The small handful from the trickle down the wall had felt good, but he was now parched. He kept on. Thankfully, it was not long before the water burst through into his own path through a small opening at chest height. He bent down and drank deeply. It was freezing cold, yet every drop was refreshing. After he drank, he decided to sit down, placing his back against the wall. With the warm air drifting up, and his clothes slowly drying, he was able to drift off to sleep.

Sean woke to a strange sound. Behind him, further up the cave whence he came, there was a sound like something dropping from a great height. The sound was a single dull thud, not like that of a rockslide. It was followed, then by a great scattering, like many limbs scuttling over stone. He quickly found his feet. Behind him, the clamor rose with the sound of voices. Voices, which did not speak in any language Sean could recall. They were harsh, curt, unrefined. Whoops and hoots and howls that were distinctly human, but somehow wrong. The pitch was high, at times nearly inaudible, as if the speakers were communicating with frequencies beyond the range of normal senses. 

He hadn’t the time to think on it further, as he could hear the clamor growing nearer. Gently, with great care not to make a sound, Sean rose to his feet and turned down the path away from whence he came. Moments later, he came to a place where the tunnel diverged. One path led upwards, the other down. From the upper chamber he felt a warm draft. The lower was cooler. Something within him screamed to take the lower chamber. Against his instincts, he chose the upper.

The passage went on upwards for some time, narrowing as Sean pressed further, yet its steady upward climb gave him peace of mind. He was beginning to feel as though his luck had turned when a feeling of vertigo rose within him. Sean halted and listened. He no longer heard the shuffling and scurrying behind him, and he reached into his pocket. He produced a lighter, flicking it on and holding it high. For the first time since he awoke in the depths, his vision was filled with light. The yellow-orange glow of the flame was a welcome sight. As his eyes adjusted, he found the source of his unease. 

Before him, the passage tightened considerably, angling downward at a severe degree. Sean considered turning back. Had he chosen the wrong path? His hesitation was in vain, for as he debated, the sound of bare feet trod on worn stone echoed from behind him. He swiftly extinguished the flame of his lighter, and dunked himself, feet first, into the opening in the rock beneath him.

He slipped and slid his way over a surface considerably less eroded than that of the previous passage. As he descended, his nostrils flared with the introduction of a new scent; the rot of animal remains assaulted him. He skidded to a stop, barely holding himself in place by his knuckles. Once again, he felt the strong sensation that he had made an error in coming this way. Above, there were more whoops and screeches, and then something sailed past him. He felt warm liquid splatter on his clothes, and then something heavy and wet tumbled into his torso. Sean’s grip failed, and he began to slide uncontrollably downward. The rough stone scratched at his exposed hands and ripped a tear in his pants at the knee. Finally, after what felt like ages, he abruptly came to a stop, landing amongst smaller, broken up stones, many of them smooth.

Sean sat up, nursing a bruised elbow, the stink of death all but overwhelming him. He sat perfectly still, listening for the sound of whatever else occupied the cave to descend behind him. Nothing came, and after a few minutes he surmised that they had wandered off. He once again took out his lighter, holding it aloft as the flame illuminated the room around him. He was in a rather large chamber, the ceiling high above him invisible in the dim light. 

His eyes wandered down, and that was when it struck him. The rot, the rounded stones, the sharp descent: he was in a garbage pit. Around him was a sea of bones in various states of decay. Flesh still clung to some, while others were dusty and ancient. Littered amongst the many femurs and tibias were a few skulls, most of them deer, but a few appeared to be larger predators, such as bears. He shuddered. Whoever was down here with him, they were a dangerous brood.

He searched the darkness, stumbling over bones and rotted flesh. Each and every piece of organic matter had been picked clean as much as possible, leading him to believe this truly was a garbage pit. He listened for a time, hearing no such sounds of that which dwelt within the caves, groping along until he found a small alcove, once more with a rivulet of cool, clean water running down along its surface. He decided, for the time being, that this should suffice.