She seized Ohdee's shoulders and threw him behind a stalagmite. He landed on his shoulder yet again. This time, a sickening snapping sound shook through him.
Ohdee's mouth flapped like a fish. A deep howl of pain swelled up through his throat.
But she slapped her over his mouth. Her fingers were filthy. They tasted of grease and stale sweat.
Ohdee tried to get a better look at her. She'd also gotten behind the stalagmite, and was kneeling over him on the floor. In the gloom, the most he could make out was a silhouette. He could tell she was slim and even from his position on the groind she didn't look that big. But she seemed to be carrying a lot. Bags and pouches. Too many that Ohdee could make out in the dark. Ohdee noticed she was looking intently towards a deep tunnel in the cave. He tried to turn his head best he could underneath her grip.
There was nothing to see at first. Just more darkness. The occasion glint of light bouncing of wet rock. Then he noticed a small yellow glow. Far off, but it was growing. As he watched he saw shadows flickering around it. It was moving!
They'd sent someone to get him already! The relief Ohdee felt was incredible. He almost forgot his pain, and nearly laughed. He scrambled his feet to get up. But the woman forced him back down.
Something sharp scratched his neck, and stayed there.
Her words were a hoarse whisper, but they were grave. Ohdee looked at her face. As the light grew nearer it revealed her features. She was painfully pale, but her hair has thick and dark. Her face was covered in grime and had wide almond shaped eyes.
She squinted against the increasing glare. Ohdee looked back in it's direction. It was close now. Long shadows from nearby stalagmites were steadily sweeping over the floor. They swung in an odd loping rhythm. Obviously, they must have sent the rescue party by foot. They probably had to rapell down to reach him.
He so desperately wanted to shout out to them. I'm here. I'm here! But she was still pressing that sharp something into his throat.
Then he saw the the light come into view. And his chest seized, and he couldn't breathe, and he couldn't call out.
The creature's thin, lipless maw was tipped with huge hooked teeth. They emerge first from behind the rock. Like the tip of a monstrous spear. It's terrible serpentine body followed. Two long arms pulled it along the ground. The rest of it's body tapered to a tail that slithered behind.
Directly behind the creature's head, and between its shoulder blades, was a huge glowing sack. The light shone from a thick yellow fluid inside. It sloshed from side to side with each step the creature took.
Ohdee felt the woman pinning him down increasing the pressure on his face. It was almost as if she could hear his heart pounding in her ears, just like he could.
The creature had almost passed their hiding spot when it stopped. There was a moment of silence, before it started to make a deep rattling noise. It came from under the creature's ribs and sounded harsh, like splintering wood.
And with the sound, the light grew. It bloomed inside the sack, growing brighter and brighter. Then the rattling stopped. A beat passed.
And light burst into the air.
Erupting from within the monster, golden globules of yellow light were thrown into the cave. They streamed out from it's nostrils, it's mouth and hundreds of pores all along it's skin. Once in the air, they drifted like dandelion seeds.
Ohdee couldn't help but watch as one drifted towards him. The shifting luminescent fluid kept his attention with an an almost hypnotic allure. Just as it was almost close enough to touch his face, the woman wrenched Ohdee out of the way and up onto his feet.
The sudden movement fired white hot pain down from his shoulder into the pit of his stomach. He couldn't help but moan.
The sound of Ohdee's voice was met with another terrible rattle from the monster. Three scaly fingers wrapped around the stalagmite that had hidden them. Once again, the glow started to grow brighter.
Now, in the light, Ohdee could see the woman clearly. From the web of belts and packs across her body she drew a long metal rod. One end was filed into a shining point.
In a moment, the light had grown to be almost blinding again. Through the glare, she lunged. There was a slick thump, a piercing howl, and something like the sound of a deflating balloon.
Before his dazzled eyes could see again, Ohdee felt himself grabbed again and pulled away.
"Move!" she shouted. Ohdee stumbled along with her, hardly able to make out anything under his feet.
He heard the rattle coming again from behind them. But this time there were other sounds. A thick, slopping, bubbling noise.
She didn't answer. She just kept pulling him between the stone forest of stalagmites.
As Ohdee's eyes adjusted to the dark again, he noticed a faint orange light. It was coming from the spear she was still carrying in her free hand. The sharp filed point had been melted away, and was still glowing.
