The last candle flickered before the void. An alien melody trickled through the stale air— haunting our hearts before we could escape its attention.

Overhead hung the inky splotches of hungry wings and carved beaks— waiting for a final fall. We tread slowly like words over numb lips. I clasped your clammy palm and prayed for a light down the tunnel. Not realizing the cavalry wasn’t coming— we were alone.

The errant drip of foul, unseen liquid unraveled our nerves. A ticking, uneven rhythm to the descent into the abyss.
Whatever we had been promised— it wasn’t worth the sight of the creature that stood before the Red Door.

A tangled, slithering mass— it blocked the woven intricacies of the final passage between living realms. The creature played guardian with a languid spite— it’s eyes rippled with anticipation as we moved into reach. Our legs a foreign concept to the creature. It struck at speed— reaching for your limbs. Only the stubborn torch you clutched like a newborn child kept you unharmed. A sharp hiss rattled through the chamber— it didn’t enjoy the pain. The fire stood between its first fresh meal in ages— and it was hungry.