Chapter 3 - The Depths Below
A massive cloud of suffocating dust erupted into the cold air as the tunnel floor gave way completely.
The mercenary screamed in terror as he vanished into a dark, jagged sinkhole right in front of us.
His heavy flashlight tumbled down into the abyss with him, landing on a rocky ledge far below and illuminating the terrifying drop.
I didn't wait to see if he had survived the brutal fall.
I pulled Sophie up by her arms and dragged her deeper into the black throat of the abandoned mine.
We ran blindly through the narrow, twisting corridors that felt like they were closing in on us.
The dead air grew painfully colder and smelled sharply of sulfur and ancient, decayed wood.
My broken ribs burned like fire with every single breath, but I absolutely refused to slow down.
"Mom, I can't run anymore," Sophie gasped loudly, stumbling heavily over a loose stone.
I caught her before her knees hit the jagged ground and hoisted her securely onto my aching back.
We turned a sharp corner and found ourselves in a massive cavern filled with rusted, antique mining equipment.
I set her down gently behind a massive iron ore cart to desperately catch our breath.
That was when I noticed a faint, incredibly rhythmic tapping sound echoing from the stone walls.
Tap, tap, tap.
It sounded exactly like someone was intentionally sending a desperate signal.
I cautiously stepped out from behind the rusted cart, gripping the iron spike tightly.
"Hello?" I called out, my voice shaking with exhaustion and fear.
A ragged shadow detached itself from the far wall and limped slowly toward the faint ambient light.
It was an older man covered entirely in black dirt, with his left arm suspended in a crude, bloody sling.
He looked at me with wide, completely disbelieving eyes.
"You're Richard's daughter," he whispered hoarsely, stepping closer.
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"How do you know who I am?" I demanded, pushing Sophie securely behind me.
"Because your father threw me down this exact same shaft ten years ago," the man replied.
