Olean Academy

Prologue: The Only Choice

Thump, thump, thump.

Thump, thump, thump.

All I can hear is the repetitive beating of my heart echoing in my chest and the plip-plop of drops of water falling into already mucky puddles as I shuffle through the dark abyss. Drops of sweat pour down my face, staining my linen suit as I flash my flashlight into every dark corner. Stuffy, humid air blows in my face as I shuffle on. Feeling like the walls are closing in on me, fear starts to overrun my thoughts. If this is it. If I am going to never see daylight again and get eaten up—or worse. What could possibly be worse than that, though? I push the thought away before my mind can come up with an answer.

A violent trembling takes over my body, making my legs rattle with every step. But even though every part of me wanted to run away, I decide to push forward.

I stand up a little bit taller and loosen my striped bow tie from my tightened throat, reminding myself that I am making the right choice.

No, I am not making the right choice; I am making the only choice.

As I become lost in thought, I notice I am approaching light, a soft, dim silver glow showing a vast open area of the cavern. As I come closer, I notice I am here, the place where I’m supposed to meet.

In the distance, there are seven tall stones in all different sizes with strange symbols engraved on them, each with a draft of mist hovering at the base, with the moonlight reflecting off the glistening stones. Up above was a huge ceiling, almost feeling like it was miles up, full of thick roots hanging down with a huge natural opening in the cavern ceiling.

My heart starts pressing even harder against my ribs, making my chest ache. But I close my eyes, put my flashlight in my back pocket, take a deep breath, and step into the light.

I can feel the loose pebbles give way to hard stone beneath my feet. I walk out into the open area, hearing the tapping of my black shoes on the stone echo with each step as I walk out to the center.

The moonlight pours in through the opening, making all the stone around me reflect a silver color. Long strings of water trickle down the sides of the opening, making the calming sound of drops hitting the stone, almost like soft rain. Calming my racing heart. As I get closer, I walk up to one of the stone ruins and stop, staring at the strange symbol with all of its twists and turns, shapes and sizes, getting lost in the details.

Well, this is it.

Now I have to wait, but the suspense tightens my chest, almost making it harder to breathe in the drafty air. But my eyes stay locked on the symbol, almost like I can’t pull my eyes away from it…

“Hello.”

A voice slithers through the darkness, echoing against the cavern walls. A voice that drips with amusement. Low and deliberate, carrying a quiet threat.

It’s here.

I instantly snap out of my trance, startled. I back up without thinking into the center of the stones, then the next thing I know, I fall hard against the ground.

Clenching my teeth, I feel my aching back prick with pain.

How did I even fall? I must have tripped.

I slowly sit up as I wince in pain, rubbing my back, as I cautiously scan the area, noticing I am sitting on wood? A huge wooden, rough ground in the center of the circle of ruins, outside of the dense cobblestone.

Then an evil laugh rolls through the darkness, jolting me right up onto my feet.

The laugh becomes louder and louder from every direction as I keep spinning in a circle, looking for where the voice is coming from, until I stop in place, staring at the dark shadows of the cavern, the only part where the moonlight does not reach.

It is pitch black, but I can tell the darkness is turning.

Instantly, a rush of adrenaline overwhelms me. The drops of sweat pour down my face, my chest is tense, my stomach is queasy, and my heart is pounding.

Thump, thump, thump.

Thump, thump, thump.

Though it is even more intense, almost making me believe I am having a heart attack.

Yet, I have to stay calm.

I dust off my pants, then straighten out my bow tie. The darkness is still turning, so I reach for my flashlight in my back pocket, but notice it isn’t there.

I check, patting every part of my pants until a broken fragment of a flashlight catches my eye, lying on the wooden floor.

Anxiety starts to rise up, but I manage to stay calm, so instead I just look straight into the darkness.

“You called me down here, didn’t you?” I ask, trying to sound bold, but I know my voice comes out shaky from fear.

I continue to stare out into the darkness.

No answer, but I can still see something moving through the shadows.

I take a big gulp, gathering up my courage to say the words.

“What do you want?”

Then, out of the darkness, a huge grin full of fangs and horrors shows through the thick mist.

All around, tons of huge glowing red eyes pop out, staring right at me.