EchoStorm Liberation

Chapter 5 - Catacombs

"Alright, what about you guys? Are you going to be ok?" concerned voice from Krey

"Don't worry, the cathedral has a hidden catacombs used to evacuate civilians during the pre liberty era. Hopefully we could get around it."

"See you on other side Glen."

As the call end, the rebel soldiers founded a blocked passage way with a small chair. One of them kicked it. The legs of the furniture didn't stand a chance. The other brought the door down, it was dark, dungeon like and the narrow passage was spooky as hell.

"Ready for another horror trip, Sam?" said Glen as he tight his hands on his rifle.

"Pfft... well, at least it smells better than the sewers." Sam groans as they stepped into the horrid environment, one of them managed to laugh it out with the joke.

They had their flashlights lit, and started moving forward, step by step as they go slowly down to the stairs each footstep gives away a disorienting sound. They managed to set footing on the base of the catacombs.

"Baby steps, guys, baby steps..." Glen tried to ease his companions

It was dark and the hot air feels dead dry and suffocating. 4 of them were sweating like being baked on an oven. The door above the entry of the stair suddenly banged! The team was forced to looked up, one of the rebel panicked and horrified as he was startled by the loud noise they just heard.

"Shit!" the scared greenhorn tried to go up back on the narrow stairs. He tried opening the door, it was locked horrifyingly. He started mumbling words that didn't make much sense, praying for Juno to save him. Sam tried race back to the stairs as he confronted the private. She was surprised that the man was sweating thrice as them. Sam managed to ease him up;

"Try to get a hold yourself!" Samaire said with a confident voice

Holding both his shoulder blades, he calmed down. They headed down back to the catacombs.

The catacomb is surrounded with plenty of torches, unlit of course.

"We gotta keep moving. Ross, grabbed of those torches and try lighting it up." ordered Glen as Ross, one of the rebel guys move to hand himself the torch. His hand grabbed the handle of the torch with cob webbing. He took out his lighter and set it on fire. They could see the whole place with filled with coffins. Glen pointed forwards, as if it was the only way.

They started moving forwards, the place was dead for a long time.

The catacombs didn't felt like it, it's more like a dungeon. Rats scattered everywhere as they move forward unto the depths of shadows. The team kept their guard on, rifles at the ready.

"I don't feel so good..." Mickey, the young rookie who try to cower his way back on the up the cathedral was looking pale more like in bad shape, as his body attempts to drop him, Glen had him. He allowed him to lay back, his body on a stone column.

"We'd better catch our breath, just for a moment." said Sam

Ross drank what's left on his water satchel. As Glen taps Mickey's shoulders.

"Sir, go on without me. I'm slowing you all down." Mickey said with a closed eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous kid! We are getting outta here." He offered his shoulder and had to keep moving deeper within the catacombs.

At one point, Glen, was feeling something unusual, his body felt like it was heavy and his entire head feels like on a bad morning hangover. He couldn't help himself to hold his head with the ache his experiencing.

"You alright, Glen?" concerned of Samaire

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine... My head just feels on vice."

Onwards as they go, the heaviness of his body continues to increase. Then whisper came across his ears, they sound like screaming in sheer agony, the voices were women and children. He stopped for a moment.

"Anything wrong?" asked Sam

"Does anybody else hear that?"

They maintained a dead cold silence for a second.

"Sounds like people, people screaming and crying." Sam gave Glen a horrified gaze.

Then, Glen remembers the stories that were told him by the history books and old man Izzy; Ditch, pre liberty era, the village burned down to the ground when the Dominion took over. What wasn't told about grade school history books that the Dominion inflicted unforgettable horrors during the war. The catacombs, here they rallied the entire surviving villagers; men, women and children then burned alive underground.

Glen stopped for a moment, tried to catch his breath.

They knew the history by then, all four of them.

"By the goddess, we are standing on a grave of mass murder..." said Sam as her voice drops down as she said those words.

Glen, he didn't say any word. He knew that they had to keep moving. He efforts to saddles Mickey's arm to his shoulders and had to keep moving. They picked up the paced.

Initially they were merely walking faster than usual, as the screaming gets louder it also became harder to bear.

"It's in my head!" Ross cried

"Ross!" shouted Sam as the man drops down to his knees, so did the torch he held

"Get him up!" yelled Glen as he began running forward

Sam did the best she could getting his comrade on his feet, Ross did however tried to get up by himself. They started running, forgot about the torch, the area forward was pitch black. Non of them talked, they ran as the chasing voices creep in to their heads.

Glen was doing his best carrying a near fainted ally, he couldn't tell where he was going, so he stop his feet. Then the ear tearing voices crawl right through his ear, he looked everywhere there was no sign of Sam or Ross. Deafening shrieks envelops his mind with fear and agony as he drops holding his ears trying to shut the noise...

END OF CHAPTER 5