Status: Contains violence and strong language
Darkness Depths
Pool of Blood
Anthony, Clairette, and the remaining two troopers caught their breath. Clairette shook off the events, struggling to push the thoughts out of her mind. But the four weren’t out of the woods yet. Down the hall, quick thudding was felt, and an even bigger spider appeared, hissing viciously.
“There’s an even bigger one?!” Clairette nagged, blasted her electricity bolts, charring the incoming arachnids skin.
Anthony fired his chain gun, peppering the armored spider with high impact rounds. The spider swiped at Anthony, pinning him to the wall. The spider then lowered its head, shoving a surviving soldier into its mouth. Clamping its jaw, the soldier was severed in two, the lower half dropping to the ground as the spider consumed the upper half. Using it’s appendages, the spider impaled the remaining soldier, killing him immediately.
Clairette used the opportunity to slide under the beast as it was distracted, and get attack its vulnerable points. She rolled and slid, but the spider finished in time to assault the driver, fangs scraping her right arm. Clairette cringed as it seared in pain, but she fired her electro bolts to the underside, bringing great agony to the spider.
Anthony was unpinned, and he moved to the monster’s head. He pointed the chain gun and prepared to fire, but the spider managed to bite and consume the weapon. Anthony took out his grenade launcher and loaded the ammunition as he jumped away from the spider. Once Clairette was a safe distance away and the spider allowed an opening, Anthony fired a grenade, the projectile entering the target’s mouth. The grenade exploded, blasting the head of the spider and bespattering it all over the walls.
“Disgusting.” Clairette slurred, pain from her wound growing stronger.
“Had to kill it. Doesn’t matter if it was pretty. We need to get that patched up.” Anthony told as he climbed over the carcass.
“I’m fine. That bell is still going off.”
“Right now we need to focus on that wound. Take your hand off of it.”
Clairette removed her hand, and Anthony’s eyes opened wide.
“It’s envenomed.” Anthony reluctantly described.
“There’s a pill in the first aid kits that counteracts venoms and poisons. Give me a few of those and I’ll be fine.” Clairette ensured.
“It’s sizzling. Even in the low light you can see that.”
“Then hurry with the pills!”
Anthony retrieved the pills and gave them to Clairette, who swallowed them down immediately. The two journeyed through the flesh halls, searching for any door to enter. The two eventually came up to a wall with odd markings on the edges and a carved devil’s face in the center.
“Think this is a door?” Clairette touched the stone gently, the markings started to glow.
“Seems like it’s something.” Observed Anthony, raising his compact rifle.
The stone then disappeared into the walls, revealing a dark room. Anthony pulled out a lantern from his backpack and ignited it, bringing light to the room.
The room was circular, like many in the castle. The centerpiece, however, struck mortal terror to Clairette, and even Anthony. A great pool of blood filled almost the entire room, aside from the circular walkway around it. In the middle of the pool was a jagged, black fountain that poured more blood into the pool. The fountain piece had numerous nooks and crannies, as well as spikes that lined the bowl.
“More reason why I want fucking out of here.” Clairette coughed.
“Why’d you cough? Are you okay?” Anthony probed, wary of the ailment
“I’m fine. Just a slight cough. But what the hell…Why is this here? Why is it still pouring blood?!”
“I don’t know, Clairette. I don’t know. Don’t let it get to your head.”
“How the hell am I supposed to keep it out?! Do you realize what this is?! There is still something down here! Maybe Atlantis was sunk for a fucking reason! There is a goddamn BLOOD POOL right next to us!”
“Clairette, step a little closer to me.”
“What?”
“Closer. Now.”
Clairette stepped a foot closer to Anthony, as he raised his lantern to her formerly dark face. What Anthony saw mortified him. Clairette’s face was pale, whiter than paper. Her eyes yellowed, and her lips faded to grey.
“Clairette the venom!” Anthony exclaimed.
“What?” She looked at her hands, witnessing the sinking of her skin and palling of her body. She promptly started hyperventilating as Anthony tried to find a way to help her. He moved his face to the wound, intending to suck out the venom, but it was too late. The wound was sealed in a substance similar to the spider’s plating and continued to sizzle.
Clairette’s legs gave out, unable to support her weight. She buckled into the blood pool, incapable of swimming. She screamed for help, as she struggled to stay afloat. The pool was deep, far deeper than either of them imagined. Anthony leaped into the blood, dropping the lantern on the edge. The lantern broke, releasing the fire from within. The flames came in contact with the blood, igniting the entire pool. Anthony seized the dying Clairette and tried to escape the pool. He hoisted the woman onto the walkway as blood covered his eyes. Clairette’s body was pushed back into the blood, catching Anthony by surprise. As he looked up, he felt something pound his face, sending him back to the burning blood.
As Clairette drifted to the bottom, Anthony wailed in suffering. The fires covered him, killing slowly. Over his screams, he heard a low toned laughter. He caught a single glimpse of his assailant, and succumbed to his fate.
“There’s an even bigger one?!” Clairette nagged, blasted her electricity bolts, charring the incoming arachnids skin.
Anthony fired his chain gun, peppering the armored spider with high impact rounds. The spider swiped at Anthony, pinning him to the wall. The spider then lowered its head, shoving a surviving soldier into its mouth. Clamping its jaw, the soldier was severed in two, the lower half dropping to the ground as the spider consumed the upper half. Using it’s appendages, the spider impaled the remaining soldier, killing him immediately.
Clairette used the opportunity to slide under the beast as it was distracted, and get attack its vulnerable points. She rolled and slid, but the spider finished in time to assault the driver, fangs scraping her right arm. Clairette cringed as it seared in pain, but she fired her electro bolts to the underside, bringing great agony to the spider.
Anthony was unpinned, and he moved to the monster’s head. He pointed the chain gun and prepared to fire, but the spider managed to bite and consume the weapon. Anthony took out his grenade launcher and loaded the ammunition as he jumped away from the spider. Once Clairette was a safe distance away and the spider allowed an opening, Anthony fired a grenade, the projectile entering the target’s mouth. The grenade exploded, blasting the head of the spider and bespattering it all over the walls.
“Disgusting.” Clairette slurred, pain from her wound growing stronger.
“Had to kill it. Doesn’t matter if it was pretty. We need to get that patched up.” Anthony told as he climbed over the carcass.
“I’m fine. That bell is still going off.”
“Right now we need to focus on that wound. Take your hand off of it.”
Clairette removed her hand, and Anthony’s eyes opened wide.
“It’s envenomed.” Anthony reluctantly described.
“There’s a pill in the first aid kits that counteracts venoms and poisons. Give me a few of those and I’ll be fine.” Clairette ensured.
“It’s sizzling. Even in the low light you can see that.”
“Then hurry with the pills!”
Anthony retrieved the pills and gave them to Clairette, who swallowed them down immediately. The two journeyed through the flesh halls, searching for any door to enter. The two eventually came up to a wall with odd markings on the edges and a carved devil’s face in the center.
“Think this is a door?” Clairette touched the stone gently, the markings started to glow.
“Seems like it’s something.” Observed Anthony, raising his compact rifle.
The stone then disappeared into the walls, revealing a dark room. Anthony pulled out a lantern from his backpack and ignited it, bringing light to the room.
The room was circular, like many in the castle. The centerpiece, however, struck mortal terror to Clairette, and even Anthony. A great pool of blood filled almost the entire room, aside from the circular walkway around it. In the middle of the pool was a jagged, black fountain that poured more blood into the pool. The fountain piece had numerous nooks and crannies, as well as spikes that lined the bowl.
“More reason why I want fucking out of here.” Clairette coughed.
“Why’d you cough? Are you okay?” Anthony probed, wary of the ailment
“I’m fine. Just a slight cough. But what the hell…Why is this here? Why is it still pouring blood?!”
“I don’t know, Clairette. I don’t know. Don’t let it get to your head.”
“How the hell am I supposed to keep it out?! Do you realize what this is?! There is still something down here! Maybe Atlantis was sunk for a fucking reason! There is a goddamn BLOOD POOL right next to us!”
“Clairette, step a little closer to me.”
“What?”
“Closer. Now.”
Clairette stepped a foot closer to Anthony, as he raised his lantern to her formerly dark face. What Anthony saw mortified him. Clairette’s face was pale, whiter than paper. Her eyes yellowed, and her lips faded to grey.
“Clairette the venom!” Anthony exclaimed.
“What?” She looked at her hands, witnessing the sinking of her skin and palling of her body. She promptly started hyperventilating as Anthony tried to find a way to help her. He moved his face to the wound, intending to suck out the venom, but it was too late. The wound was sealed in a substance similar to the spider’s plating and continued to sizzle.
Clairette’s legs gave out, unable to support her weight. She buckled into the blood pool, incapable of swimming. She screamed for help, as she struggled to stay afloat. The pool was deep, far deeper than either of them imagined. Anthony leaped into the blood, dropping the lantern on the edge. The lantern broke, releasing the fire from within. The flames came in contact with the blood, igniting the entire pool. Anthony seized the dying Clairette and tried to escape the pool. He hoisted the woman onto the walkway as blood covered his eyes. Clairette’s body was pushed back into the blood, catching Anthony by surprise. As he looked up, he felt something pound his face, sending him back to the burning blood.
As Clairette drifted to the bottom, Anthony wailed in suffering. The fires covered him, killing slowly. Over his screams, he heard a low toned laughter. He caught a single glimpse of his assailant, and succumbed to his fate.