Spliced

Cat, Kass, Indi, and Tanya were working their way through the acid maze. There had been no recent shakes thankfully. They moved as fast as they could, conscious that the key ring light would not last forever. Eventually they made it to the other side. To their relief an open door lay ahead of them.

They walked through it into yet another corridor. This one looked different somehow. The stone was older and coated in a thick layer of something green and moving. Cat poked it first with one of Tanya’s keys and then with a hesitant finger. It didn’t seem harmful. Cat switched off the key ring and led the way down the corridor, one hand on the wall. Kass followed immediately behind her, her hand in Cat’s. The others followed similarly.

Cat tried not to think about the fact that the moss on the walls seemed to be breathing. It moved in and out as her hand ran over it. She pushed onward, almost dragging the others behind her. Kass was so reluctant to move fast. Or maybe it was the others holding Kass back. Cat cursed the darkness and their enemies. They would be out there somewhere, enjoying this, maybe even watching. When she found them she’d . . .

Her hand grasped open air. Another room. Her stomach dropped. How far had they travelled? Why was it the darkness could make time flow so differently? Kass almost bumped into her.

“Room.” Cat whispered to them.

“Light?” Tanya asked

Cat shone the light forward into the room. The moss was everywhere. It even covered the floor. It made her feel a little unsettled.

Shuffling sounds came from across the room and suddenly another light was pointing at them. They were momentarily blinded. Then someone mumbled, “sorry” and the light across the room flicked out.

Elsewhere...

Amanda threw another blast of fire at the creatures that hid in the edge of the shadows. They scampered away with dog-like yelps, and occasionally a human scream. It never lasted long though. They’d be back again soon, growling at them but keeping out of the light.

“How long can you keep that up?” Wolf asked.

“A few days.”

“I’m so glad we’re with you.” Zephyr breathed a sigh, then added worryingly, “the others don’t have lights.”

There was silence a moment, then Amanda replied, “Indi has her shield, Tanya’s a healer, I swear Cat actually has nine lives sometimes, and worst case Kass can probably do a good job of keeping the creatures away from them. I’m more worried about Sirius and Falco. Falco can levitate but there’s not far he can go and Sirius can only fight off so many. I hope they’ve just barricaded themselves in. Still, I’d like to find them first if we can. You think you could sniff them out if you had to, assuming we could even reach them from another direction. Them or the Splice?” Amanda avoided glancing directly at Wolf, given he was still naked.

“I could try.” Wolf stopped walking and began to transform. A moment later a large brown wolf padded along beside them. He walked with them for a while, sniffing the ground at various points as he went.

Amanda wasn’t sure how much it helped. She’d seen Wolf hunt down all sorts of things in stunningly short amount of time, but only ever in the forest. She wasn’t sure how he’d handle this place. She wasn’t even sure what they should be looking for, apart from the rest of the group or the Splice. Wolf seemed to know where he was going though so she didn’t question him. He’d pause at the occasional junction and just go straight through at others. She wasn’t even sure what direction they were travelling anymore. She wished for Sirius. He’d always been good at directions. You could spin him in a circle blindfolded and he’d still be able to tell you which way he was facing and what star constellation lay in that direction on that night. She’d spent hours lying next to him and listening to him talk about the stars. As they walked her anger at his earlier behaviour morphed into a determination to find him and tell him she was sorry for running off earlier. She’d probably be mad again once she found him but for now she just missed him.

Eventually the three of them came across a strange circular room, with a floor which slanted gently towards the centre. In the centre a spoked wheel stood raised slightly above the ground, the spokes pointing horizontally outwards. The three of them approached with caution. Engraved on the floor beneath the wheel were 12 symbols. 12 new symbols were also carved into the spokes of the wooden wheel. To Zephyr it looked like a ship's wheel except there was something not quote right about it. It wasn't until Amanda spoke that he realised what it was.

“That's strange. It's got too many spokes.” She reached out to touch it.

A loud growl stopped her. It had come from Wolf. Amanda pulled her hand back. She waited while Wolf turned back into human form.

“Don't touch it,” he warned.

“Do you think it's a puzzle?” she asked.

“Undoubtedly.”

Zephyr glanced back towards the door. It was the only one in the room and for now it remained open. “We could just leave.”

Amanda shook her head. She never removed her eyes from the wheel. “I think we should go this way. Call it a gut instinct.”

They stood silent for a moment pondering the puzzle.

“You think we just have to line the symbols up?” Zephyr asked.

“Seems too simple for that,” Amanda mumbled, her brow furrowed in concentration.

“A good puzzle is simple.” Zephyr replied, “at least once you know it.”

“If we get it wrong we’re screwed though, probably. I think we should go back.” Wolf replied.

Amanda looked closer at the carvings. “These look like knots.”

Wolf walked closer to get a better look.

“That looks like a bowline.” Amanda pointed at the figures, “and that looks like a figure eight yeah?” She glanced at Wolf to see if he was following then pointed to another. “Munter’s mule?”

Wolf rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Zephyr stepped closer to the wheel and pointed to another carving, “and that’s a reef knot. I see what you’re saying.”

“How does that help us?” Wolf asked. “None of the outside symbols look like knots.”

“Do you think they placed these traps here or someone else?” Amanda asked.

“Does it matter?” Wolf rubbed the brown bristle on his chin.

Amanda just looked at him expectantly, both eyebrows raised.

He shrugged. “The Guardians most likely, if you believe such a thing. There were rumours they set traps at the entrances to the Splice to deter unwelcome travellers.”

“Are we unwelcome?” Zephyr wondered aloud.

Wolf shrugged again and gave a small smile. “Most people are. They weren’t a fan of people crossing over. It was a necessity that had to be implemented.”

“Why?” Zephyr asked, the lore of the Guardians was not something he’d ever taken much of an interest in and they weren’t typically talked about. Only a few obsessed historians, like Wolf took an interest in such things. To most people the Guardians were just a folktale, albeit one which tended to unsettle people for reasons that no one could ever quite agree on.

“In case magical beings ever arose in the other world again.”

“Rumours though right?”

Wolf shrugged.

“If the guardians placed these,” Amanda interrupted, not sounding very convinced in the option “then we might expect a different type of puzzle than the ones made by whoever is keeping us here.”

“It’s quite possible all the traps were already here. It’s just the moving walls I’m not so sure about...” Wolf trailed off.

“None of those other symbols look like knots I recognise,” Zephyr remarked “but then I don’t know that many knots.”

“I say we move it and see what happens,” Amanda suggested.

“That’s a very Cat option. You could blow it up. From the doorway.” Wolf countered.

“Shouldn’t we come up with a few plans first, in case things don’t work?” Zephyr added.

“Okay, fine, you’re both right.” Amanda nodded.

The three of them stood in silence pondering the puzzle.

“They still look like knots to me, except that one,” she pointed at one which was nothing more than a circle, “and that one.” The second symbol which she pointed at looked like a complicated drawing of the end of a rope.

Wolf shook his head. “That one could be a splice which makes sense given where were we are if you know the lore. The circle, I don’t know. Could be zero, making this a combination lock?”

Amanda took a walk around the wheel. She paused about three quarters of the way around. “I think the outer symbols are stars.” She continued to walk around, naming each as she did.

Wolf shook his head again. “I don’t know. What do knots have to do with the stars?”

“It is a ship’s wheel, sort of”

Wolf grumbled, unconvinced.

Amanda signed. “This makes no sense.”

She reached forward, grabbed the wheel and turned.

Nothing happened.

Wolf breathed out the air he’d sucked in as she’d grabbed the wheel.

Zephyr almost looked disappointed.

Amanda gave them a smile, took the wheel again, and spun it three times clockwise.

At some point during the 3rd turn a click sounded and the wheel sunk slightly into the floor. Amanda jumped back. The ceiling began to lower very rapidly. Wolf groaned. A panel in the middle of the wheel flipped over revealing some words. Amanda leant forward and read them allowed.

“When nothing is half knotted in time,

Sail south and you’ll find,

This new three becomes nine,

Three clicks, now a dog, to prime

Finish on the unknotted rhyme.”

“Nothing? As in zero?” Wolf queried out loud.

“As in that’s the knot which represents zero,” Amanda exclaimed.

“But what’s half knotted?” Zephyr asked.

“A figure eight, it could have another rope followed through. None of the others can,” Amanda furiously studied all the symbols making a note of the star system at the zero position. “Sail south,” she mumbled, then bit the edge of one lip in thought. A moment later recognition lit in her eyes. “Sail south, the southern cross.”

“You sure?” Wolf asked.

“No.” Amanda spun the wheel further clockwise until the figure eight lined up with the Southern Cross.

A click sounded again. The wheel snuck further into the floor. The ceiling slowed but only slightly.

“This new three becomes nine?” Amanda read the next line.

“Rotated 180 degrees,” Wolf answered.

Amanda spun the wheel two and a half turns anticlockwise.

Once more a click sounded, the wheel dropped, and the ceiling slowed.

“Three clicks, now a dog, to prime?” Amanda looked up at them expectantly.

Zephyr shook his head. Wolf frowned.

“A prime number, seven?” Zephyr suggested.

“Which one’s seven?” Wolf asked.

“Zero was the figure eight” Amanda noted.

“But then three became nine? Do the numbers change?” Wolf asked.

Amanda shook her head and opened her mouth to speak but before she could get a word out Zephyr interrupted.

“Look at the comma. I think the clicks are literal clicks, which we’ve had. Now we do the dog one, then seven. Then...” he hesitated.

“Then we finish on zero,” Wolf finished for him. “What’s the dog?”

“Sirius,” Amanda mumbled softly. She shook her head as if to clear it. “I mean Canis Major, the constellation with Sirius in it.”

She spun the wheel once clockwise and continued until the figure eight was lined up with the Canis Major constellation. Another click, the wheel had almost reached the floor. The ceiling now moved at a snail’s pace.

“I’m so glad Sirius taught me these,” she gave a crooked smile. “We started on Orion so seven is here.” She spun the dial anti-clockwise until it reached seven symbols from Orion. Once the wheel clicked she turned it clockwise until the figure eight lined up once more with Orion. The wheel rose back up. The ceiling, which had made it about half-way down the room, and had halted with the last click, started moving slowly again, increasing its’ speed as it lowered.

Amanda stepped back, eyes wide. “That should have worked.”

Wolf frowned. “Unknot. Opposite of knot. Put it on the zero, the symbol zero.” He stepped forward and rotated the wheel back two spokes. Nothing changed. The ceiling crept closer.

“We have to start over.” Zephyr cried, stepping forward and grabbing the wheel. The height of ceiling now forced him to hunch over. Together they spun it clockwise 3 turns. Then Zephyr stepped back to let Wolf enter the combination. He paused, unsure, at the dog, but Amanda pointed him to the right one. Finally he reached the end, lining up the circle with Orion. The wheel dropped right down revealing a gap in the floor which they could climb through. Wolf clambered through first, dropping down into the dark hole. Amanda, and then Zephyr, followed immediately after.

They sat panting on the ground of yet another long, dark, mossy corridor. Wolf was the first to speak.

“That half knot could have been the clove hitch”

Amanda shook her head. “That’s two half hitches.”

“And the prime could have been two. We got lucky with most of those,” Wolf replied.

“Maybe,” Amanda sighed.

“Hah!” Zephyr gave a laugh “That wasn’t luck, we solved it!”

“Amanda solved it.” Wolf replied sounding considerably less enthusiastic than Zephyr, “and most of that was guessing.”

“I got some bits,” Zephyr objected.

“It doesn’t matter who solved what. We need to keep moving,” Amanda instructed.

They got to their feet. Wolf transformed once more and led them down the corridor.

“How’d you know all those things?” Zephyr asked Amanda as they walked.

Amanda shrugged. “Sirius taught me the stars.”

“All of them?”

She shook her head. “Enough. Wolf’s right we got lucky...”

Wolf glanced back at them, and gave a slight nod of his muzzle.

“...but the important thing is, we made a decision. Time is important, and we need to move through this place as fast as we can.”

Wolf glanced back again and gave a soft growl.

“We’ll die of dehydration or starvation if we don’t,” she added.

“There’s always cannibalism,” Zephyr joked.

Amanda gave him an amused sideways glance, “I wouldn’t suggest that if I were you.” She nodded towards the burning flame in her hand. “I can always cook my food, and Wolf doesn’t need too.”

She said it in a light-hearted tone so it was probably a joke but Zephyr couldn’t be one hundred percent sure that there wasn’t any truth to it so he changed the topic back to the symbols. “What about the knots?”

“Wolf and I used to do some rock-climbing back in high school. You tend to use a few knots when you have a farm too.” She gave a smile. “That and when you’re married to a sailor.” Her smile turned slightly sad as she said the last word.

“We’ll find him,” Zephyr reassured her.

Amanda gave a nod like it was a promise, but there was a slight twinge of doubt hidden in her face as well.

Elsewhere...

“Who’s there?” Cat called into the darkness. The light form the key ring didn’t travel far enough to illuminate the other side of the room.

A few hurried whispers carried through the air but no one replied loud enough to be understood.

“I said who’s there?” Cat repeated impatiently.

Someone coughed and a light on the other side of the room flicked on. A man walked forward, shining his torch up onto his own face in an unsettling manner. “Who are you?” he asked.

“We’re guests,” Indi replied “Who are you?”

“We used to work upstairs,” he replied stepping further forward and into Cat’s light, revealing a soldier’s uniform. He glanced back at his companions.

“How many of you are there?” Cat asked, wary.

“Three,” another answered stepping forward into the light. They were muscular and tall, not as big as Sirius, but they still all towered over Cat.

“Can you help us get out of here?” Indi asked optimistically.

“Why are you down here?” Tanya added, in an almost a cautious a tone, similar to the one Cat had used.

“They’re as stuck as we are,” Cat remarked with a hint of irony tugging at the edge of her tone.

One of the men gave a short laugh and with a sideways glance at his companions said, “we know the way out. We can show you.”

Cat ignored him. “What is this place?”

“Did you hear me? We’ll show you the way out,” the man repeated. He took a step closer. There was blood on his clothes, he was covered in it.

“We’re fine on our own,” Cat replied. She didn’t like his tone, or his posture, or the general feel of the room. Most of all she didn’t like the look on his face or the blood on his clothes.

“But Cat,” Indi protested in a wisper, not realising the danger they were in.

Cat ignored her as well. “How long have you been down here?” She swapped the key ring to her left hand, made a show of spinning it around her finger so their eyes would be drawn to it. While their attention was occupied she pulled the gun out of her holster with her right hand. She did so quickly, and shifted it to her behind her back, held ready, but out of sight. It was useless at this point but they wouldn’t know and the surpise had value in itself.

“Long enough.” He lunged forward. Cat pulled the gun out. He stopped, barrel at his face. A flicker of fear flashed into his eyes.

“It’s empty,” the man on the right growled confidently. “Let’s eat!”

Cat sidestepped to the left as the centre man rushed her. She grabbed his shoulders as he passed, stuck her foot out, and helped him on his way, headfirst into the wall. There was a sickening crack as his head broke open and a shriek from Tanya as she leapt out of the way.

Indi screamed as the man on the left grabbed her and lifted her off the ground. Cat was about attack the other man when an invisible force sent them all flying across the room. Only Kass remained upright, standing hands raised, in the doorway. Cat didn’t hesitate. She scrambled to her feet as fast as she could and reached for the man she’d been about to attack as he tried to get up. She jabbed him very quickly in the side of the neck. He blocked and finally managed to find his feet. Cat hit him again, this time she collected him in the side, hard.

She kept at it, not giving him a chance to think. Based on his knowledge of the state of her gun it wasn’t a bad guess that he had a mind-reading power. Mindwalkers were dangerous when they had time to think. They’d get in your head. The really good ones could control your thoughts and even your actions. Cat wasn’t sure what type he was and she didn’t want to find out so she didn’t waste time on thinking. She just went at him with a flurry of hands and feet, moving on instinct, searching for an opening. He dodged and threw back a few attacks of his own. Her speed seemed to work for now and his mind remained preoccupied. Cat didn’t dare to glance across the room to check the others were okay. Hopefully between Kass’s telekinesis and Indi’s shield they could handle the other guy.

The mindwalker managed to pull out a knife from his belt and Cat felt a sharp sting as he got her in the side with a swipe. No time to check how deep it was Cat danced around his swinging hands. She took half a fist to the side of her face just as she managed to hook a kick at his the back of his knee. It caused him to stumble. It was enough. It put him off balance. She ducked under his arm and jabbed an elbow up into his ribs. At the same time she reached for his groin with her other hand and squeezed. He doubled over forwards and she took the jab at his throat again. This time he went down, permanently. She took his knife once she was sure he was out.

Stepping back in one fluid motion she turned to observe the rest of the room’s occupants. Tanya sat on the floor at one end of the room, staring in horror. Kass stood a little in front of Tanya, hands raised out in front of her, facing the other wall. Cat grabbed the fallen torch from the first man, who lay near Tanya, and shone it across the rest of the room. In line with where Kass’s hands faced, Indi and a giant black bear were pressed, half a metre apart and off the floor, up against the other wall. They were both awake. They were also stuck.

“Kass?”

“I can’t let one down” Kass replied.

“Sure you can.”

Kass shook her head.

Cat frowned. She walked to where Kass stood, being careful to stay behind her, just in case. She eyed the bear. So he was a shapeshifter. She gripped the knife in her right hand and considered the distance to him.

“How good are your knife-throwing skills?” Cat asked.

“Not while I’m using my powers.”

Cat turned to Tanya. “You?” Tanya shook her head.

Cat gave a resigned nod. “Come here and hold the torch,” she instructed Tanya.

Tanya got to her feet and did as she was told.

Cat focused on the target. “You think you could drop them down half a metre or two?” Cat asked casually.

Kass gave her a panicked look. “Not unless you want them squashed into the floor.”

Cat smiled and momentarily marvelled at the fact that Kass didn’t even look tired from having held them against the wall so long. She did, however, look pretty distraught. If she’d had Amanda’s control she probably would have been quite powerful. Unfortunately without good control, efficiency and power meant very little.

Cat placed her feet shoulder width apart and raised the knife throwing arm up over her head. She made a couple of practice swings then with a swift flick she released the knife. It flew across the room, hit the wall inches from the bear’s nose before falling to the floor with a clang.

Cat straightened and pursed her lips, thinking.

Kass gave her a worried look.

Cat’s brow furrowed and she stepped one foot forward and leaned as if ready to run. “On my count, drop them.”

Kass shook her head, blue eyes wide. “You can’t fight a bear.”

“Just do it.”

Kass sucked in a breath and gave a nod.

“Ready, set..” Cat focused her eyes on the knife. “Now!”

Kass dropped her hands.

Cat dashed forward.

Indi and the bear fell to the floor.

The bear righted itself right as Cat flew past.

It took a swipe at her.

She dove towards the knife. The bear’s claws slashed at the air catching nothing more than the ends of a few dark strands of Cat’s hair.

Cat grabbed the knife and thrust upwards into the belly of the bear. He roared and reared up. She didn’t let go. She found her feet and pushed into him. She sliced through his skin as much as she could. The bear began to throw its’ weight down again, attempting to squash her rather than get away.

“Do something,” Tanya hissed, now standing beside Kass.

Kass had her hands slightly raised and curled into apprehensive fists. She shook her head. “I might hurt Cat.”

Indi had managed to crawl off to the side and was now watching the fight with wide eyes.

As the bear began to fall Cat lost her footing and found herself in the unfortunate position of lying on the ground and looking up at half a tonne of quickly descending bear.

Miraculously, the bear suddenly stopped in mid-air. It took Cat half a second to realise Indi had created a shield. It took the bear slightly longer. Once again Cat’s quick reaction was what saved her. She managed to move out of the way just as the shield disappeared and the bear came crashing down.

She lunged forward and pushed the knife deep into the bear’s throat. She twisted it and pulled sharply downward. A moment later the bear was gone and a man lay in his place very obviously dead.

Cat glanced down at herself and was weirdly surprised to see she was coated in blood. Mostly the bear’s, she hoped. The world tilted. Her head felt lighter than usual, like she wasn’t really there.

“Are you okay?” Indi scrambled to her feet.

“I’m fine,” Cat replied. But just as she said it the whole room twisted sideways. She put out a hand for balance, stumbled a few steps, and vaguely felt Indi’s hands grab her to stop her from falling. A moment later the world righted itself. Cat rebalanced herself, blinked a few times to clear her vision, and took a deep breath.

“Maybe you should sit down” Indi suggested.

As stubborn as Cat was, she knew Indi was right. She walked over to the nearest wall with Indi refusing to leave her side. She turned her back to it and slid down the wall into a sitting position. Tanya walked over to them and was now crouched in front of her.

Kass remained a bit further way. She watched them for a second, then while the others checked on Cat, she made sure the men were dead and rifled through their pockets for anything useful.

“Can I?” Tanya asked, hands raised, indicating she wanted to use her powers to check if Cat was okay.

Cat gave a tired nod.

Tanya reached forward and placed her hand’s on Cat’s side where there was a knife-like rip in her shirt.

“This one’s not so bad” Tanya commented.

Cat felt warmth spreading through her side as Tanya sped up the healing process of the knife wound. Tanya then moved her hands slowly across Cat’s toned belly towards her other side. She paused mid-way and glanced at Cat, a question poised on her lips. She seemed to think better of it and after a second she continued running her hands over other areas where Cat might be injured. After a while, however, she returned her hands to Cat’s belly. Her look of puzzlement shifted to a frown. She raised her eyes to look at Cat’s face again. Cat was staring absentmindedly at the rest of the room but she met Tanya’s eyes when the woman next spoke.

“Did you know you’re pregnant?”

Cat waited a few seconds then gave a slight nod. Kass stopped and glanced up from her pocket searching.

Tanya closed her eyes and turned her focus back to Cat’s belly. “Well she seems fine.”

“She?” Cat repeated.

“It’s a girl?” Indi asked.

Tanya gave a nod to Indi then a brief apologetic look at Cat. “Sorry I didn’t mean to reveal the sex.”

Cat just shook her head, indicating she didn’t mind. “We should probably conserve the light.” Cat nodded at the key ring in Tanya’s hand and torch in Kass’s.

Tanya nodded and released her hand. “Let’s just rest here for a while.” She sat down against the wall next to Cat. Indi sat cross-legged on the other side. Kass continued her search for a little while before switching off their newly acquired torce and sitting down next to Tanya.

“You find anything on the men?” Cat asked Kass.

“A couple of knives, not much else.”

They sat in silence for a while until Indi eventually spoke. “It’s kind of cold.”

Despite being the least dressed, in a black, now also blood-soaked singlet, Cat hadn’t even noticed the temperature. Now that Indi pointed it out though it did seem a bit chilly. Even so, Cat reached out and took a piece of Indi’s purple, thick, fluffy cotton jersey between two fingers.

“How the fuck are you cold wearing this?” she asked in a teasing tone.

“I have bad circulation.” Indi replied.

“We should get moving again maybe” Tanya suggested. She wore a white shirt, now also coated in blood, and some silly part of her pondered at the best methods to remove blood from clothing, as if this were just a normal day. It wasn’t until they had stopped moving that she’d noticed the temperature. While it wasn’t cold enough to be much more than uncomfortable she still worried about them sitting here too long, if for no other reason than the longer they waited the creepier the place seemed to become.

Kass nodded in agreement, forgetting once again they were in the darkness. Realising her mistake she murmured a quiet ‘yes’ instead.

“Are you alright to keep moving?” Tanya asked Cat.

“Yup.” Cat stretched parts of her body, testing how everything felt. The short rest seemed to have done its job. That and Tanya’s magic skills.

“You sure? Because you seem like the type of person who would say . . .”

“I’m fine,” Cat confirmed as she got to her feet. The others scrambled up after her.

“Brrr,” Indi shivered rubbing her arms.

“Are you really cold?” Cat asked, reaching out to feel Indi’s skin.

Indi shrugged her off. “No . . . yes, maybe a little. I’ll be alright.”

“Okay.” Cat fumbled in the dark. “Where’s the key ring or the torch? That thing seemed resonably bright”

“It’s alright.” Tanya replied, moving past her. “I can lead for a bit.”

“Do you want a knife?” Kass asked from the back.

“No, it’s alright” Tanya replied.

“I’ve got four, each guy had one, one had two. There’s exactly enough for each of us.” Kass replied.

“Where?” Cat asked holding out a hand. A moment later she felt Kass grab her hand and gently place cold metal into her open palm.

“Alright, I’ll take one” Tanya conceded. “And maybe that torch, if you don’t mind. It’s a bit better than the keyrign.”

“Me too?” Indi asked hopeful, even though she had no idea how to fight with a knife.

Kass handed the knives out and torch.

“Let’s keep moving.” Cat instructed.

They continued through the room and back into the long corridors of the maze.

It wasn’t long before they reached another room.

“Is that natural light?” Cat asked.

Tanya turned off the torch. There was indeed a strange glow about this room. They walked forward spreading out, fascinated by the weirdness of it. The walls themselves seemed to glow. They gave off enough light to see without the torch.

“They’re some type of bug,” Indi exclaimed peering closely at the wall.

“Eugh,” Kass made a disgusted face.

“They’re all in the corridor too” Cat said indicating the exit in the opposite wall. A second exit lay, much darker along the left-hand wall.

“At least this room seems safe,” Tanya mused.

Cat gave her a sharp glance before looking around the room as if searching for hidden cameras. “Not that I’m superstitious but it might be best not to say things like that.”

“Good point.”

“They’re kind of cute” Indi remarked, her face inches from one of fluorescent, caterpillar like creatures.

Kass screwed up her nose and gave a soft laugh.

“Don’t get so close,” Cat warned. “You don't know what those things are.”

Indi backed off, if only a little. “You ever seen anything like this? I’ve heard of caterpillars that can glow. I’ve never seen one before though.”

“They are pretty cool,” Tanya mused. She stopped to look at the one Indi was studying.

Kass walked a few feet into the well-lit exit and peered around the corner to see where it went. She returned seconds later and stood waiting just beyond the threshold for the others. “I think there are lights this way, proper torches on the walls further down.”

Cat joined her and peered around the corner. She gave a nod then turned back to the others with an impatient look. “Guys we need to keep moving.”

“Yeah alright.” Indi replied as she started to move slowly towards the exit, still fascinated by the fluorescent caterpillars.

Tanya followed close behind.

Satisfied the others were following, Kass and Cat continued onwards. Half way down the corridor they passed a T junction. Unable to see anything down the side corridor they walked past it and kept moving straight towards the light.

Indi and Tanya had almost reached the junction when Indi felt a sharp pain in her head.

“Ow,” she placed her hands on her temples.

“What’s wrong?” Tanya asked.

“Headache,” Indi replied

At that moment Cat happened to glance back.

“What are you guys doing?” She asked, noticing they’d stopped.

Before they could answer, a shape stepped out from the side corridor blocking the way for Indi and Tanya. It was white like the moon and its’ skin was like rubber or hairless flesh. It walked on all fours but its’ legs weren’t like any normal animal. They bent in the wrong places. It gave a low growl. It was looking at Indi and Tanya.

“Here kitty kitty!” Cat called, drawing its attention her way.

“Get ready to run.” she whispered to Kass, then yelled to Indi and Tanya. “Back into the room, slowly.”

Cat took a few steps backward, waving her arms as she did.

The Mimic swung its head from group to group, trying to decide who to go for, sniffing the air and tilting it’s hairless head. It took a few steps towards Kass and Cat. Then it’s nose brought it back to Indi and Tanya. Cat stamped her foot on the ground and yelled at it some more. It started in her direction. Noisy targets were always more appealing.

“Run!” Cat commanded to Kass, then took off in a sprint away from the Mimic.

Kass started to follow then stopped and turned back to face it. She held her hands up.

“Back into the room!” Kass repeated Cat’s command at Indi and Tanya “Now.”

Indi still had her hands to her head. Tanya grabbed her by the shoulders and they moved at a consistent brisk pace back they way they had come.

The creature turned to look at them. Its’ whole body swayed from foot to foot like the tail of a cat. Then it turned its face back on Kass. She was close enough now that even in the dim light she could make out the whiteness of its eyes. It was blind. When it turned its head it was listening.

It raised its nose to the air and sniffed, turning its head back the way Indi and Tanya had gone.

“Kass?” Cat yelled. She’d stopped when she realised Kass wasn’t following.

“Just stay back,” Kass ordered. “I’ve got this one.” Kass stomped her foot loudly on the floor a few times. That got its attention. It turned back towards her.

She took a few loud steps toward it.

“Kass!” Cat warned.

Kass ignored her and took another loud step.

The Mimic gave a low growl and leapt toward her.

Kass raised her hand and swiped sideways as if to slap it out of the air. The Mimic was still metres from her when it went flying sideways into the wall. It screamed like a human. The sound surprised Kass who dropped her arm. The Mimic recovered quickly and leapt towards her again. Kass raised her arm but her magic was inconsistent. She had little practice using it and no control. It took her a second try before she managed to throw the creature back again. That time had almost been too close. Then a second Mimic emerged from around the corner and another a moment later.

Kass took a step backwards. More started to appear. Hopefully Indi and Tanya had managed to retreat far enough. Time to go. Find a safe place, then find the others. Maybe she could lead these ones away. She gave the horde that was pouring around the corner one last burst of energy to send them all flying out into the walls, before turning and running after Cat.

“Run,” she yelled at Cat but Cat didn’t need to be told twice.

They sprinted towards the light which seemed to be coming from a room. As Cat ran across the threshold a large stone block started to descend in the doorway.

Cat stopped and turned around at the sound of grinding stone.

Kass’s eyes widened as she realised how fast it was coming down. It was going to be a close one. She sped up as much as she could, suddenly extremely glad for all those mornings she’d spent swimming, and at how rapidly Tanya’s magic had healed her ankle.

The block was almost to the ground, barely enough space for one person. Kass slid feet first beneath it. Looking up she saw it coming down and for a moment it seemed to freeze in place just enough for her to make it under. She felt the air it pushed out on her face as it slammed down.