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The hideous shriek echoed up through tunnels and around corners, from the deepest depths the caverns could offer. The surreal scream scratched at Billy Spark's brain like fresh chalk on a blackboard. It was awake again, he thought somberly and left the cavern entrance to let his wife, Clarice, know. `Just married', the sign on the rear of the Ford pick-up truck proclaimed. Joel and Linda Burdane smiled at each other as they passed a small chapel on Highway 281 near, New Braunfels, Texas. It looked so pristine, all white and bright with it's spire reaching high into the wide Texas sky. Life was worth living when you had someone to share it with Joel thought smiling at his new wife. Yup, life was worth living. The hill country of Texas was beautiful in autumn, the trees exploded with the colors of the rainbow and birds sang songs of love. The sign they had been waiting for appeared over the next hill--`See the Natural Bridge Caverns in New Braunfels'. The image of an orange polka dotted dinosaur smiling meekly completed the advertisement and pointed the way. "Not much further, Linda love," Joel said beaming with new found happiness. "I can hardly wait. How `bout you?" Linda Giggled. "Hardly." Clarice was busy stocking the glass display case with overpriced bobbles advertising the caverns. Both she and Billy had worked there most of their adult lives; Billy tended the grounds and gave the tours, while Clarice took care of the novelties and the concession stand in the lobby. Billy and Clarice worked for the state of Texas as caretakers and tour guides for nearly thirty years. The busy season was just ending and business was nearly nonexistent. Clarice stocked the shelves all the same. Billy walked into the cool lobby with a resigned look on his weather worn face and Clarice knew what was on his mind before he spoke a word. "It's awake," he said softly bowing his head in shame. Clarice looked at Billy sharply and said, "Shit! It's the slow season and now it wakes up. All summer not a peep, now all of a sudden it wakes up. Shit!" she said picking her aging body up with a grunt from the display case, wiping the dust off of her hands on her brightly colored apron. Clarice stepped around the counter and walked to the back room, Billy followed her, head lowered. The creaky Ford pick-up truck crunching rocks in the gravel lot startled Billy and Clarice as they stepped out of the back room. Clarice smiled devilishly. Billy cringed at the sight of her evil grin. She never used to be like that, he thought solemnly, her smile used to send him into a world of fantasy and pleasant dreams. Dreams only lovers had. Now, it put him into the darkest corner of a mans soul, dreaming things only the damned dreamed. Joel and Linda hopped out of the old Ford and met each other in front of the truck. Smiling, their hands intertwined like old friends greeting each other. They bounced lightly into the lobby, faces shinning with a glow reserved strictly for newlyweds. Clarice stuck her elbow into Billy's ribs and said, "Smile, damn it," with a glare that promised death. "Don't blow it like the last time, Billy. Just stay calm," she added through clenched teeth that smiled at the young naive couple sauntering up to the double glass doors. Clarice took her place behind the counter and put on her best grin. Billy stood near the entrance to greet the young people. He smiled weakly as they pushed open the glass doors in perfect rhythm. They reminded Billy so much of when he and Clarice had first met some thirty years before; young, happy and thoroughly in love. It brought a genuine smile to his eyes to think of the past and the way things had once been. That was when he had known love. Now, all he knew was that sometimes it was better to be dead. "Howdy," Joel said extending a dry calloused hand. Billy met Joel's hand with his own. "Howdy. Welcome to the Natural Bridge Caverns. My name is Billy, I'm the tour guide here at the Natural Bridge Caverns," he said smiling his `welcome' smile. "This is my wife, Clarice," he said gesturing towards her. She smiled. "Well howdy, Billy... Clarice," Joel said nodding to Clarice, I'm Joel and this is Linda, my wife," he said with a sparkle in his eyes. "Well, what brings ya'll here t' the Natural Bridge Caverns this late in the season?" Billy asked. Joel and Linda looked at one another and smiled. "Well, Billy, we're on our honeymoon," Joel said, "and we've been dyin' t' see the caverns for years now. And, well... here we are," Joel said eagerly, leaning back on his boot heels. Nausea swept through Billy when Joel mentioned they were newlyweds and the disgust landed hard into his groin and laid there like a rock. They looked so much in love, maybe he could convince Clarice to wait for someone else, they couldn't just condemn these young people to a horrible death. "Okay, Joel... Linda," Billy said dully, "next tour starts in five minutes. Why don' ya'll browse aroun' while I get ready. Awright?" "Great," Joel said and led Linda to the display case Clarice had recently stocked. Billy motioned for Clarice to join him in the back room with his eyes. She scowled harshly at him and stomped to the back room in disgust. "What! " she demanded before he could close the door completely. "What's the matter now, Billy?" she snapped. Billy picked his head up and gazed into her eyes with a salty tear forming at the corner of one. "Clarice," he said softly, "let's wait for someone else. They're too young. Newlyweds," he pleaded. "They're so in love. Remember when we were young? In love? Before we came to this... place," he said with loathing. Clarice stared at him mercilessly. Billy could see all the compassion in her was gone. "Don' you understand, Billy?" she asked not waiting for an answer. "What's the difference," she continued, "two young newlyweds or two middle aged second time honeymooners?" she asked defiantly. "A deal's a deal, right?" He realized he didn't know her anymore, she was no longer the woman he had married years ago. She had become an animal, a monster no less frightening than the thing which lived in the pit. Her eyes no longer sparkled with the love of life; a dull glaze covered them now, eyes that had sent many people to their deaths. Eyes dull from indifference. Billy knew what he had to do. If she could kill without batting an eye so could he. "Fine," he said and walked out to meet his tour group of two. Joel and Linda were standing by the display case laughing at the silly novelty items. Linda purchased a stuffed polka dotted dinosaur and Joel bought a pen knife with `Natural Bridge Caverns' printed in bold letters on the imitation pearl handle. He stuffed it into his back pocket. Billy led them outside and down a path made of motley shaped stones to the entrance of the caverns. Joel grabbed Linda's hand helping her balance on the uneven stones. Billy stopped just short of the entrance and cleared his throat. He explained to them the way Natural Bridge had gotten its name and the legends associated with it. The Indians, the explorers, the local traditions and the cave drawings of a people long since extinct. After the introduction, Billy led Joel and Linda through the dark and dank cave entrance. Ageless odors hung oppressively in the cool moist air and the rocks glistened with hints of secrets and tales no mortal mind could hear and remain sane. The dampness covered everything like a wet blanket, including Joel and Linda who were both thoroughly drenched in their own sweat within minutes of entering the lower levels. "I ain't sweated this much since I was a kid playin' in the hot summer sun," Linda said to no one in particular. "Yeah, sure is muggy down here, but cool at the same time," Joel added nervously, thinking of the darkness instead. Glancing at Billy through the corner of his eye he noticed the old man wasn't even sweating. That's strange, he thought, since he was soaked in sweat and surely in better shape than that old coot. "Hey, Billy, how come you don' sweat? I feel like I just took a shower and forgot t' dry myself," Joel asked the old tour guide. "You are human... aren't ya? " Joel asked laughing weakly. Linda nudged his ribs with her elbow, "Behave, Joel," she said irritated at the disrespect he showed to such a nice old man. "Ouch," Joel exclaimed, smiling mischievously. "Well, I guess ya get used to it after a while," Billy answered somberly. Thinking, all the time thinking of how he was going to bring his plans to fruition. They kept descending down... lower... deeper... into the bowels of the earth, where she imprisoned her darkest secrets. The humidity was even thicker one mile below sea level as Billy pointed out and explained some of the milder secrets; formations like the fried egg, cave bacon, stalactites and stalagmites. They came to a wide canyon that seemed to reach down into subterranean depths. Billy stood at the foot of a natural bridge, "This is the Valley of the Fallen Lords," his voice echoed off the walls, down the pit and back to their ears. Just then Billy began to sweat, Joel noticed it, but said nothing. Carefully they crossed the natural bridge, it seemed a bit unstable to Joel, but he wasn't going to let Linda, or the old man know of his fear. He walked over the narrow rock formation like a professional tight rope walker. No one would ever know that the sweat pouring out of him was from fear and not humidity. The gorge below looked bottomless and empty and void of life. Its entire existence spent in a world of darkness, never knowing the touch of humans, never feeling the warmth of light. Linda dared a peek over the edge of the safety rail installed for the tours. Eyes that glowed red with blood fire stared up at her from a ledge some hundred yards below. Her feet froze in fright as urine trickled into her panties without even asking her. She was ready to scream when a shriek tore at their hearts and filled the empty spaces in the cavern, drowning her own feeble attempt at a substantial scream. Billy stopped in his tracks and did nothing for a moment except pray to a God he had never believed in. Joel quickly embraced a shivering Linda and held her tightly. "What the hell was that?" Joel asked in a quivering voice he didn't recognize. Billy turned around slowly so as not to draw the creatures attention to himself and looked at Joel and Linda huddled together, both scared beyond their worst nightmares. No, he couldn't let these young people die in the clutches of that... that thing, he decided dismally. "Don' ask questions, just follow me," he ordered in a hushed voice. Joel and Linda said nothing, but followed obediently in fear for their lives. Billy led them through, up, and over ageless caves and slimy tunnels that dripped with moisture thick as blood. Joel and Linda froze still in a puddle of water at the sight of the dark tunnel ahead. Billy stopped a few yards beyond their vision and hissed at them to hurry. "Guide yourselves by puttin' your hands on the walls. Just stay to the left if you lose sight of me," Billy said softly. Joel put his hand on the moist wall of rock and held Linda tightly with his other hand. Linda apprehensively placed her shivering hand on the wall, its surface felt slimy and cool to the touch. Her hand recoiled as if it had touched a huge grimy worm, an audible gasp escaped her and echoed through the tunnels reaching up, around, and over to the next and the next. Billy turned around sharply, his heart pounded loudly in his ears. Had that thing heard? Would it know where to go? Did it know it's way to the surface? Could it survive in the sunlight? His mind rambled endlessly and senselessly. "Hurry," Billy said running until he thought his lungs would burst. A hideous screech touched their ears and paralyzed Linda in her tracks. Joel squeezed her hand and pulled her forward, which was the direction he was going--out. She followed him reluctantly at first until the hideous shriek scratched at her spine again. It sounded to her like a demon from hell itself, which was where she thought she had been unknowingly led. The darkness, dank smell and echoing drip, drip, drip of water falling ceaselessly to the rocky floor of the caverns made her think she would scream. If she did, then that thing would know where they were and kill them all, so she clamped her mouth shut. Billy rushed forward to the light just ahead, Joel and Linda followed closely. He could smell the fresh dry Texas air in his thankful lungs. He breathed it in deeply and it smelled good. It smelled like freedom. He didn't stop to see how far back the young couple were, he didn't care anymore, he just wanted to be away from that thing. It thirsted after only one thing; flesh and blood, and he wasn't about to let it feast on his. Joel could see the light at the end of the dark cave they were in and pulled Linda hard. She fell and grabbed a twisted knee with a painful grimace. Eyes as red and bright as hell fire stared at Joel from the other end of the tunnel. That's all he could see. Those eyes. The Devil's own, he thought with a shudder. It sprinted towards Linda and Joel on limbs of spring steel. Closer and closer it neared with lightning speed. Joel didn't know what to do. The instinct to survive took over from there. He picked Linda up with strength he didn't know he possessed. With muscles dormant for years Joel ran with Linda in his arms like a new born baby. She was as light as a feather he mused and laughed uneasily. The light. The light was all he could see or think of. He had to get to the light. The demon of the pit raced towards them with absurd speed. It could smell their flesh and fresh young blood. Drool hung in long strands from his gaping maw, teeth of steel glinted keenly as the light hit them. The scent of humans was strong near the light... and it loved humans. Especially young tender ones, it thought licking its leather lips with a sandpaper tongue. It was on them like a hungry jungle cat on a rat. Joel screamed and Linda could do nothing except cry. Billy appeared at the end of the tunnel with a twelve gauge shotgun filled with .00 buck shot. He leveled the Browning rifle at the freaks head and squeezed the trigger without a second thought. The rumble of the shotgun echoed down the tunnels and through the secret rooms of the caverns like the roar of a lion. The thing stopped still from the impact. Joel picked up a fallen Linda and ran to the light past Billy, who rushed them on towards safety. The thing from the valley of the fallen lords shook its deformed head and shrieked painfully. Billy loaded the chamber of the Browning shotgun and aimed it at the creatures head. With surprising speed the thing moved to the side and towards an astonished Billy. It ripped away his throat like a knife through paper with claws sharp as an eagle's. The creature licked the fresh blood from its talons with sweet fondness. The thing laughed odiously as Billy strangled on his own blood. The laugh of a demon from hell. The laugh of something evil. It picked Billy up in its iron like arms and hid his drying flesh behind a wall of stone for later consumption and left the caverns for the first time in millions of years. The sunlight blinded it for more than a moment, forcing it to grope along the ground like a snake, until its cave eyes adjusted to the light of day. It slithered on its belly, pulling itself forward with its long arms, following the scent of the other two humans that had escaped. They were near. Very near. Joel and Linda fell into the lobby area panting and gasping for precious air. Clarice spun around shocked by the abrupt noise that spilled into the normally quiet lobby. She was even more shocked when she saw Joel and Linda alive and trying to talk frantically between gasps. She remained calm and planned out what she needed to do. She came around the corner of the concession stand and gave an academy award performance Joan Crawford would have been proud of. "Why, what's the matter, honey? Ya'll look like ya've just seen a ghost," Clarice said in a high pitched whine. Joel spoke between breaths and said, "There's this... thing out... there... and it killed... your husband... Ya gotta leave now... that thing is comin'... after... us!" he shouted through delirious tears. So, Clarice thought, he's after you, huh. "Wait here. I'll get a gun," she said deceptively and disappeared into the back room. Joel wasn't about to wait a second longer. As soon as Clarice disappeared into the room he grabbed Linda and placed her arm over his shoulder. They hobbled quickly towards the front door, reaching it just as the creature from the pit came crashing through the glass door on the other side of the lobby. Breathing stopped for a moment as Joel and Linda turned slowly around at the tinkling of glass spraying on the tiled floor. Clarice stood at the entrance to the back room--and the rear exit--with a Marlin 30.30 rifle. The demon from the pit looked at her through squinted slits and hissed horribly, sending waves of nausea through her aging body. "Wait, " she shouted and pointed the rifle at Joel and Linda. They stood at the door to freedom in disbelief. Their mouths hung open in wonder and awe at the sight of the creature and the rifle aimed at their young bodies. The demon from the valley of the fallen lords laughed abominably. Clarice shivered with dread. "Let me go and I'll kill them for you," she shouted turning the rifle at the pale skinned creature. "Or I'll kill you, it don' make me no never mind." It hissed at her and looked at the young couple huddled in a clump near the entrance. It picked its head up and extended its arm toward Joel and Linda. Clarice thought she understood and swung the rifle around and pointed it at them once again. Before she knew it the demon was at her side. It stared at her weakened eyes and grabbed her throat with a grip of iron. Without flinching a muscle it pulverized the bones in her neck like so many dried leaves. Her body jerked and spasms shook her arms and legs with sickening jolts of reflexive action. Her eyes stared wide at the ceiling. Death was on it's way, but not just yet. The demon would have its way with her first. Joel and Linda slipped out of the door undetected and jumped into the old Ford truck with survival upper most on their minds. Joel fumbled for the keys in his tight sweat soaked jeans. "Hurry, Joel! Hurry!," Linda said in a jittery squeal. "Got them," Joel said and jammed the keys into the ignition switch. The engine whined and sputtered. Joel repeatedly pressed the gas pedal down with nervous anxiety. "You're floodin' it," Linda screamed. "Shut up, Linda. Just shut up!" Joel said cranking the key violently in the ignition. Vroooom! the old engine roared as Joel crammed the gear shift into drive. A cloud of dry Texas dust and gravel filled the air behind them as they fled the caverns. Joel kept his eyes on the road and didn't dare look in the rear view mirror. If that thing wanted them that bad then it would have to travel faster then his old Ford. Linda fell into a soggy clump on the wide bench seat and wept. Joel never closed his eyes on the way to San Antonio. His eyes burned from the lack of tears, but he didn't care. As long as they were away from that... thing. Billy and Clarice made a good meal for the fallen lord from the pit. He dragged them both to his lair, his kingdom of darkness, and ate of their flesh and drank their precious blood. But they proved inadequate for the demon's insatiable hunger. It had seen the light and saw that there was much flesh and blood there, so it crawled back up through the cavern's tunnels and into the light. The scent of Joel and Linda was still strong in the air and he followed it through the trees and over the mountains... to San Antonio. |
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