Andy watched as Rusty slipped through the door, which slammed shut behind him. He’d hoped that entry would require only one blood offering—that they could all follow Rusty through—but that didn’t seem to be the case. Of course not, he thought bitterly. That would be too easy.
One by one, Andy’s friends opened the door and entered the maze. Soon, only he, Bartlemore, and the cameraman were left. Andy tried his best to keep his hand from shaking. He was about to set his palm on the indentation when Bartlemore grabbed his shoulder and whispered, “Remember, no matter what happens, don’t let Rusty Bucketts out of your sight. If we get separated, leave some kind of sign or mark, and I’ll try to catch up with you.”
Andy nodded. Bartlemore, noticing his uneasy expression, gave him a slap on the back and assured him that there was nothing to fear.
But Andy wasn’t so sure. He watched as his own blood dripped down the stone and the door slid open. Staring into the opening where the others had walked into the darkness beyond, he murmured, “Here goes nothing.” And then, his heart hammering in his chest, he crossed over the threshold and heard the heavy stone door slam shut behind him.
It took a few moments for Andy’s eyes to adjust to the darkness. For a panicky second or two, it felt like he was wearing a blindfold, and he worried that he wouldn’t be able to see a thing! But after a minute or so, he found that he could make out some very dim shadows in front of him. He reached out a hand to steady himself as he walked forward, but immediately recoiled as his hand brushed the wall. It was covered with some kind of slime!
“Careful there, son,” came Rusty’s familiar voice. “Those walls are covered with something foul.”
“I noticed,” Andy replied, wiping his hand on his trousers. He automatically sniffed his fingers to see if they were clean and nearly gagged at the stench.
Rusty chuckled from somewhere nearby. “I’m not sure, but it might be bat guano,” the big man said. Andy felt Rusty grip his shoulder and push him gently forward. “This way. Cedric is trying to get some torches lit, and I’m sure we can spare a little water so that you can wash up.”
Andy was eager to wash. The very idea that there were bats somewhere above gave him the willies, not to mention the idea that they’d been there so long they’d coated the walls with their droppings.
Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light. Andy, who had grown accustomed to the darkness, shielded his eyes against the blinding glare. When he was able to focus again, he was relieved to see Cedric standing nearby with a flaming torch in his hand.
His relief was temporary. There was a sudden rush of flapping wings and high-pitched shrieks as hundreds of bats, all startled by the sudden light, came flying past the top of his head.
“AIEEEEE!” Andy screamed. He would have been mortified about how high-pitched his voice sounded, but he couldn’t help it. The beating wings were all around him, and he swung wildly at the air, trying to swat the beasts away.
As quickly as they’d come, the bats were gone. As Andy stood there, wide-eyed and quivering, he was relieved to see that the others, especially Abigail, had been startled as well.
“They must have another way out,” Cedric speculated. “There’s no way around that door.”
“That’s good news,” Rusty said. “It means that if we get trapped in here, we’re sure to have fresh air.”
True to his word, Rusty offered Andy a canteen and a bar of soap. Andy quickly washed his hands and dried them on a small towel that Abigail had brought in her pack.
Now that there was light, everyone took the opportunity to look around and examine the tunnel. The walls that surrounded them were rough-hewn, but incredibly high. So high, in fact, the torchlight couldn’t reach the ceiling the bats had flown down from.
The walls were well illuminated, though. Andy noticed the horrible slime dripping down from unseen heights and felt a wave of nausea.
“Here, have a peppermint,” Abigail said. Andy accepted the candy gratefully and popped it in his mouth. He immediately felt relieved as the familiar cool mint flavor coated his mouth and brought comfort in the ominous surroundings.
“Let’s move forward with extreme caution,” Rusty said. “Be on the lookout for traps, and if you see anything suspicious at all, give a shout.”
Andy shouldered his pack and followed the others, keeping his eyes trained on Cedric, who was in the front next to Rusty, his torch raised against the gloomy darkness. The air had a damp, tomblike quality, and their footsteps echoed as they walked. There was also another smell, something dark and sinister that Andy couldn’t place. Something like a mountain of moldy socks that lingered in the background.
Andy made a mental note to breathe as little as possible as he continued doggedly forward, trying his best not to get spooked. The candy helped his throat not feel too dry, but he was sucking it like crazy in an effort to calm himself down.
They hadn’t proceeded more than twenty feet when Cedric let out a cry.
“AAAAAAAAAGH!”
At the sound of the scream, the entire tunnel was plunged back into darkness and there was a moment of terrible confusion and panic. Andy nearly crashed into Betty and Dotty.
“Blast it, where are the matches?” Rusty shouted.
“I’ve got some!” Abigail said.
There was the sound of some fumbling and then, a second later, a new torch was lit. But being able to see didn’t make Andy feel any better. Just in front of them was a gaping hole. It had been covered with some kind of sticks
