The ceiling soared about ten feet above him, ancient stones slick with moisture and streaked with glowing lichen that cast an eerie, greenish hue. The air was thick with the cloying stench of decay, clinging to the back of Femi's throat. He coughed, covering his nose, but it did little to block the smell. The corridor walls were rough and uneven, the floor littered with debris, shattered bones, rusted chains, and fragments of what might have once been tools or weapons.
"Whoa, this space is big," he muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper. The sound bounced off the walls, echoing back in a way that made the chamber feel even more massive. Broken pillars lay toppled like fallen giants, their surfaces carved with strange patterns.
As he stepped further into the chamber, his clawed feet crunched on something brittle. He looked down and froze. A human skull, its hollow eye sockets staring up at him, lay half-buried in the debris. Femi's stomach churned, and he quickly stepped back, his heart pounding.
"Okay, Femi," he muttered, his voice trembling. "Just keep moving and find a way out. That's all you need to do."
But as he turned, his gaze fell upon a sight that defied all logic.
"Are those skeletons... moving?" he whispered.
Femi's eyes widened in shock. The skeletons looked to be made of a dull, greyish-white material that looked almost like stone. Their empty eye sockets glowed bright green, casting an eerie light over the chamber. They moved with a jerky, unnatural gait, their bony limbs creaking as they shifted.
The skeletons noticed him, their glowing eyes fixing on him like cold, dead weights. Femi's heart raced as he stuttered.
"W...what's going on? Since when do skeletons walk?"
One of the skeletons rushed toward him, its bony feet clattering against the stone floor. Femi panicked.
"Mister Skeleton, what are you doing? Shouldn't you be resting in the grave with your mates?" he exclaimed, his voice trembling.
The skeleton charged, jaws open in a silent scream. Femi felt a chilling cold wash over him, making his fur stand on end. Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted back through the corridor. The skeleton's rattling bones echoed behind him, a deadly drumbeat that spurred him faster.
As he ran, Femi realized he was moving faster than normal. His feets pounded the ground, the air rushing past him. The corridors blurred together, the lights flickering like fireflies in the darkness. His lungs burned, his legs ached, but he refused to slow down. The darkness seemed to close in around him, the shadows deepening into menacing pools. He didn't dare look back.
Finally, he reached a cell and grasped the cold metal handle, yanking the door open. He stumbled inside, slamming it shut behind him. The loud clang echoed through the cell, and Femi leaned against the door, panting heavily. The sound of the skeleton's pursuit had faded, but the memory of those glowing green eyes lingered.
Femi slid down the wall, his back pressed against the rough stone as he tried to catch his breath. His mind raced. "This isn't the cell I left earlier," he realized with a sinking feeling. "I must have taken a wrong turn."
The memory of the skeleton flashed in his mind, its hollow eye sockets staring at him as he'd fled, its bony fingers clawing at the air. He'd run blindly then, driven by panic, and now he was paying the price.
Femi's gaze darted across the space, his brow furrowed in confusion. The walls loomed closer, their shadows stretching unnaturally. His breath hitched as he turned, searching for the exit. But where the door had been, there was only smooth, unbroken stone.
"Father Lord in heaven…" Femi muttered, his voice trembling. "Na evil spirit do this one? Where did the door go?"
Panic clawed at the edges of his mind as he spun around, his movements frantic. His eyes swept the room, searching for any sign of the exit. But there was nothing. The walls had shifted, seamless and impenetrable.
As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he saw it, the creature in the corner. Its yellow eyes glowed faintly, their vertical pupils fixed on him with an unnerving intensity. Its chest rose and fell in a slow, deliberate rhythm, each breath a low, guttural sound that seemed to vibrate through the air.
"Wetin be that?" he called out, his voice trembling.
As he stood frozen, the creature's gaze bore into him, its eyes seeming to pierce right through his very soul. Then, without warning, it unleashed a high-pitched shriek that sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard, making his ears crawl.
As the creature stepped forward, and revealed its peculiar form. Green, floppy ears twitched atop its head. Its short, humanoid frame was covered in patchy, mottled skin.The sharp, curved claws on its fingers and toes scraped against the stone floor further annoying his ears.
He shudderd as the creature's eyes locked onto his, its gaze unblinking and unnerving.
He stumbled back, his bare feet scraping against the rough stone. "What are you? A demon? Some kind of imp sent to feast on my blood?"
The creature didn't answer. Instead, it lunged, its claws slicing through the air. He dodged to the right, his heart pounding. Every nerve screamed at him to run, to fight, to do something.
He darted around the room, his movements frantic. The creature followed, its claws scraping against the stone. Each swipe came dangerously close, the air whistling as they cut through it. He could feel the heat of its body as it closed in.
"Juju dey chase me oh!" he shouted, his voice cracking.
Still, the creature gave no answer. It only screeched menacingly as it continued its relentless pursuit. His mind raced. "First the skeleton, now this. My village people have finally caught up with me."
He darted across the room, forefeet pounding against the floor. The creature was relentless, its claws swiping through the air. He could feel the burn in his legs, the ache in his lungs, but he couldn't stop.
As he weaved between the dusty crates and broken furniture, his foot caught on a loose board. He stumbled, his arms flailing. The creature was on him in an instant, its claws slashing downward.
He leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow, and scrambled behind a nearby crate. He peered around the edge, his heart racing, as the creature clawed at the crate, sending splinters flying.
The room seemed smaller now, the walls closing in as the creature advanced. He could see the hunger in its eyes, the way its lips curled back to reveal rows of sharp, jagged teeth.
He backed away, his mind racing. There had to be a way out. But the walls were solid, the door he'd come through nowhere to be seen. He was trapped.
It lunged again, and this time, he wasn't fast enough. The claws caught him across the shoulder, slicing through flesh with a searing pain that made him cry out. He stumbled back, clutching the wound as blood seeped through his paws. The creature loomed over him, its yellow eyes gleaming with triumph.
But just as it raised its claws for the final blow, a sharp, metallic clang shattered the tension. The sound reverberated through the room, startling both Femi and the creature. The beast froze, its head snapping toward the source of the noise. Femi didn't hesitate. He scrambled to his feet, his injured shoulder screaming in protest, and bolted.
As he ran, his eyes darted around the cell, searching for anything he could use as a weapon. That's when he spotted it a large, sturdy branch leaning against the wall. Or so he thought. The faint light caught its rough texture, and hope surged within him. He lunged for it, his fingers wrapping around the wood. It felt solid beneath his grasp, but as he pulled it closer, he realized it wasn't a branch. It was a staff, broken and worn, but still sturdy enough to serve as a weapon.
The creature was on him in an instant, its claws slashing through the air. Femi swung the staff with all his might, slamming it into the creature's side. The impact sent shockwaves through his arm, but the creature recoiled, momentarily stunned. Femi seized the opportunity to create some distance, his grip tightening around the staff as he backed away.
But the creature wasn't done. It circled him, its yellow eyes fixed on him with an unnerving intensity. The air seemed to vibrate with tension as the two faced off. Femi's heart pounded in his chest, the sound echoing in his ears like a drumbeat.
He had never been in a physical altercation before; his life had been one of quiet routine. Now, faced with this monstrous creature, he wondered if he had what it took to survive.
"I won't be a victim today," he whispered to himself, his voice steady despite the fear coursing through him. He locked eyes with the creature, his grip on the staff unwavering.
The staring match continued until the creature let out a wild screech, launching itself at him with claws outstretched. Femi swung the staff with all his strength, slamming it into the creature's head. The beast crumpled to the ground with a heavy thud, dazed but far from defeated.
The staff, however, snapped under the force of the blow. Femi stared at the broken pieces in disbelief.
"What was your worth, then?" he cussed, throwing the remnants aside.
The creature stumbled to its feet, shaking off the blow. It screamed in anger, its voice a guttural roar that made the air tremble. Before Femi could react, it charged at him, dragging him to the ground. Pain exploded in his arm as the creature's claws tore into his flesh, followed by the sharp sting of its teeth sinking into his shoulder. Femi screamed, the sound raw and primal, as pain and anger surged through him.
Fueled by desperation, he clawed at the creature's eyes, his claws digging into its mottled skin. The creature recoiled, howling in pain, and Femi seized the moment. He pounced, beating at the creature with his fists, rolling and tearing at it with his claws. As they struggled, Femi realized something; he had a tail.
Throughout the entire ordeal, he hadn't even noticed,but the creature did, and it bit down on the appendage, and Femi let out a blood-curdling scream. The pain shot through his body like a bolt of lightning.
Enraged, Femi grabbed the broken staff, from the floor and plunged it into the creature's mouth. The beast thrashed, its claws flailing wildly, but Femi held on, stabbing and slashing with the jagged edge of the staff. The creature's screams grew weaker, its movements slowing until, finally, it fell still.
Femi breathed heavily, staring down at the lifeless body. His arm throbbed with pain, his claws slick with blood.
The room fell silent, the only sound the ragged gasps of Femi's breathing. The smell of blood hung heavy in the air.
His mind reeled with disgust. What had he done? He looked down at his hands, now stained with blood, and felt a wave of horror and self-doubt wash over him.
"I am a monster," he whispered, his voice trembling.
His gaze drifted back to the body, and his stomach twisted slightly at the sight of the blood already pooling beneath it, a dark, stain spreading across the stone floor.
He nearly puked, right there.
Femi walked away from the body, his footsteps echoing through the room as he slumped against a corner, putting as much distance between himself and the corpse as possible. The room seemed to close in around him, the walls pressing in like a living, breathing entity that threatened to suffocate him. The shadows deepened, twisting into dark tendrils that wrapped around him like a shroud, making his breath catch in his throat. The oppressive silence was almost suffocating, broken only by the sound of his own ragged breathing and the faint, rhythmic drip of blood from his wounds.
As he leaned against the side wall, Femi's eyes wandered aimlessly across the room,To distract himself, he took in his surroundings.
The room was a dark, oppressive space, the stench of blood permeating the air. The walls were made of stone, their surfaces rough and uneven, with shadows stretching unnaturally across. Dust and debris littered the ground, along with broken furniture and splintered crates.
In the other corner of the room, where the creature had emerged, was shrouded in darkness, the shadows there deeper and more menacing. The rest of the room was cluttered with remnants of what might have once been storage, rotting wooden crates, broken barrels, and scattered fragments of furniture.
The walls were seamless, with no visible exit or doorway. The room felt like a forgotten, cursed place, designed to ensnare and torment anyone who found themselves within its confines.
searching for something, anything that might offer a glimmer of hope. His gaze drifted past the scattered debris, landing on a crate near where he had found the broken staff.
Unlike the others, this one was still intact, its wooden form still whole. A faint spark of curiosity flickered in his chest.
Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself to his feet, wincing as a sharp pain shot through his injured arm. He clutched the wound instinctively, his claws brushing against the blood-stained fur. The throbbing ache was almost overwhelming, but he forced himself to move, each step slow and deliberate as he avoided the dead body and made his way towards the crate, his heart pounding in anticipation of what he might find.
When he reached it, he paused for a moment. The crate was old, its wooden form warped and splintered with age. Without hesitation, he brought his uninjured arm down on it with a loud slam, the wood splintering under the force. The sound echoed through the room, before fading back into the heavy silence.
Femi's eyes swept over the contents, and he found...