Underfell: Falling down

Chapter 1

The underground was very dark. Only the faintest bit of light reached the depths where Frisk fell. The teenager shifted, face down. She had fallen on something softer than earth. It was voluminous and leafy. Her knees were badly scraped because they stun like crazy the moment she tried to kneel.

Frisk raised her head. Her palms pressed against a lush bed of yellow flowers. She rolled onto her side, sat up and looked around. The stone ruins were dimly lit and the dust in the air made it even harder to see.

Way up high, was a crack in the ceiling, about the size of the moon in the sky. That was when Frisk realized it wasn't a dream. She really did fall all that way.

She struggled to her feet. Perhaps there was a place down here with better lighting and air. She held her back as she made off through a brick archway. The hallway was long and straight.

After some time, Frisk came to a fork. She stopped to think. Either route seemed promising. Since she was left-handed, she decided to go left.

An orange light flickered against the walls. It was only for a few moments. Frisk kept walking.

Screams rattled the air. There was a whoosh and a bright flickering. It was much closer this time. Frisk recognized it as the sound of flames.

A woman's melodic voice echoed in all directions. "Where are you, my little flower?"

Frisk decided that the right route was better after all. Doubling back, Frisk added more energy to her step. The new passage was like the first, only it bore several inscriptions on the walls. Or were they just horizontal patterns carved into brick? Even if Frisk wanted to read them, it was far too dark. There was another fork and Frisk went right.

Coming upon a sharp corner, Frisk stopped to catch her breath. As she did, her eyes rested on some peculiar shapes in the dark. What were those jagged things lying straight ahead? Frisk wondered if it was rubble, afterall the place seemed ancient.

Just to be safe, she took a cautious step forward. Frisk reached out with one hand and touched it.

Frisk sucked her breath in, yanking her hand back. She couldn't believe it. Spikes. Someone had installed spikes all over the path. And she had almost walked right into it.

Frisk turned around and went back to find another route.

After about a half hour of twists and turns, and several dead ends, Frisk found herself standing before the spikes once again.

"Why are these here?" Frisk wished she had someone to consult. She sat down to think. Perhaps, there was a way to remove the spikes. Otherwise, it would've been easier to just blow up the hallway to prevent trespassers. Frisk felt along the walls. She searched high and low until she detected a cold metal switch. It was well above her head which made her wonder if the installer was some sort of ten-foot tall beast.

Frisk pressed the switch. The spikes slid underground with a click. Frisk waited a bit to make sure it wasn't on a timer. Then, she crossed the hallway.

A few minutes later, Frisk suddenly reached the end of the ruins. A gaping hole in the bricks, allowed light and snow to spill across the floor tiles. Finally!

Frisk stepped out into a snowy wonderland. It was still the underground. But the snow reflected the light in all directions. It was just like a cloudy day above-ground.

Frisk stood shivering. She looked around the sparse pine forest. Warm lights glimmered in the distance. A village! Her head was instantly filled with thoughts of food, bandages and a warm coat.

Ten minutes into the hike, it started snowing. Frisk shivered in her striped T-shirt. She only had to endure for a bit longer, until she reached the village. The air got even icier, the wind blew harder. The snow turned into a blizzard. She could hardly see what was in front of her. Frisk looked up. Down here, there was no sun to give direction and Frisk began to suspect that she was going in circles.

Frisk abandoned her old plan and began to seek immediate shelter. Pines grew everywhere. But the snow blew practically horizontally.

Frisk grabbed her icy temples. It was getting hard to think. Maybe she should sleep for a little while.

Frisk shook her head vigorously. She needed to keep moving. Her ankle boots trudged through the snow. She stared at her breath. It slowed with every step. Her eyes defocused.

Frisk collapsed into the snow. She remained unmoving for quite some time.

The wind howled. Snow began to accumulate over her fallen form.

A rhythmic sound got closer and closer until it could be heard over the wind. Footsteps. They weren't loud or fast. But something about the sound was unnerving. It scared Frisk more than the blizzard and brought her out of her stupor.

Frisk yanked her head up, looking straight into the red eyes of a skeleton.

She shrieked and shot backwards, arms and legs kicking up snow. The human started shaking from more than just cold.

The skeleton grinned. "Oh. You're alive? Coulda sworn you were dead."

Frisk was now on the verge of death but also scared out of her wits. "G-get away!"

The monster laughed. "Have it your way." He stopped advancing and just stood there watching. What was going on?

It occurred to Frisk that she was having death hallucinations. Or maybe she was already dead. In any case, the initial adrenaline wore off and she lost consciousness.