Confessions of a Corpse

Chapter 13 - A cult, a cave-in, and gymnastics

"Couldn't have said it better myself," I murmured, crouching lower and following behind Mark.

"Something bad happened here. Yeah, I can tell..." As I passed a small alcove, I noticed a human shape in it. Curious, I beckoned Mark over, since he was the one with the light.

"Woah." He murmured, shining it into the alcove. There was a security guard with what looked like a burlap sack over their head. Before they could turn to face us, Mark lowered the light and tugged me along.

"Oh, man."

We walked past a few posters that seemed to be advertising something. They were decorated with images of a skull and crossbones, as well as various messages involving murder.

"Well, that's--that's lovely. This is lovely. I love this. Oh, God," he pulled a poster down and examined it. "The Sewer Cult. We are evil. We will kill you." He read, looking over at me. We both stared at each other for a moment, mirroring each other's panic, then he dropped the poster.

"Um, not the most reassuring recruitment slogan ever, but I think it's fine. Where there's a cult, there's a secret exit." He led me down the hallway and into a smaller, closet-sized hallway that I didn't even have to sidle through. Thank God for my newfound skinniness.

"All we gotta do is find it and we are scot-free outta here, like a bird, like a dream." There was a sudden rumbling from above us, and I immediately stepped back out of pure fear.

"LOOK OUT!" Mark shouted as the roof caved in between us. I jumped back to avoid getting buried, falling backward, and landing on my ass. I coughed as the dust settled and I rose to my feet, getting a good look at our predicament. There was a rather large group of boulders blocking me from continuing on the way I was going. Strangely, there was definitely enough room for me to just jump over them if need be...

"You okay?" He asked, shining the flashlight over the boulders and onto my side. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay. A little startled, but nothing I can't manage," I said. He nodded a bit and smiled for a moment before looking around.

"Man. That was close. But it looks like we both made it. So, now I guess we gotta split up."

"Was this a ploy to force me into splitting up?"

"No! Absolutely not. How would I have planned that if it was? It's okay, though. I'll keep going this way. I'll let you know if I find anything. You backtrack. Take one of the other paths that we didn't take."

"No can do, buckaroo. I'm coming with you, no matter what."

With that, I took a few steps back, got myself a running start, and vaulted over the boulders with the agility of an Olympic gymnast. He gaped at me like a fish out of water, his eyes wide.

"How did--when did--what--okay! Okay, so you have hidden acrobatic skills. Thank you. Let's keep moving. We still got an exit to find and our life to live."

I nodded and let him lead the way into the darkness.