Beneath

The dark cave walls press in. A sense of urgency mounted. Deep into the pit of the cave a large dark shadow slowly moved forward. Large claws extended at the end of lanky limbs. The smell of rotting flesh pungent in the air. A pulsing blue light illuminated the creature for just a moment. Where skin should have been, small dark balls lumped together. A silhouette of a hollow skull stared into the cave. A small figure dashed in front of the vestige as the claw swung downward. Elva Bolted upright. Her skin damp with precipitation. A scream danced on her tongue. In the darkness the nightmare faded, and sleep came slowly.

A child yelled, pulling Elva out of her thoughts. She looked down at the bag of soil in her hands and realized she had spilled half on the ground. She glanced up and Clint was laughing at her, his blue eyes glinting in the light. She blushed and sat the bag down, wiping the dirt off onto her worn blue jeans.

The sun started to dip below the skyline, bathing the discarded buildings in orange light. These dreams had been taking a toll on her waking moments. The day had blown by in a blur as she thought about these reoccurring nightmares. She desperately wanted to see what always jumped in front of her at the last minute. What saved her from the black figure.

It had been five years since the outbreak, Elva remembering the mass panic that had come. Millions dying faster than graves could be dug. Mass pits began at the edge of the city. Bogota, Colombia is where she had been staying when the virus took hold, placing the world in a stand still. That's where she met Clint and Elly.

"You're trying to grow a whole new world in here, aren't you," Clint teased Elly.

Elly rolled her eyes, "You need someone to eat all that bread we've been making."

Clint made a face, "That is your beginners’ bread, I don't think we should feed it to strangers unless we want to scare them off."

Elva smiled at them both, grateful to have found them and now the others.

They headed back into the building they converted into their new home. The garden tower famous for the foliage that climbed up its ample walls. Elva’s room had once been a small office on the first floor, complete with patio access. She liked the cozy feeling and the large window that faced the street. She could see the community and the foliage drooped over the window framing the view.

Clint sat down beside her; she felt his hand brush her leg, blushing again.

“So, miss fancy pants, you have been very quiet today what’s going on?” Elly asked her, as she sat on the other side and staired out the window.

“I’ve just been tired lately. The past few nights I’ve had some pretty weird dreams.” Her answer, although right, just didn’t seem to explain the way she had been feeling. The words lingered in the silence.

Elly giggled, “Your dreams aren’t always weird? Miss artist, doesn’t all your work come from the very weird?”

Clint frowned and playfully slapped Elly on the back of her head. “Knock it off Elly, this is bothering her.”

Elly frowned and rubbed her head. “Alright my sweet I apologize. If you want to tell me about them, maybe we can figure out what they mean?”

Elva thought about the strange images that had been haunting her dreams. The figures with sharp claws. Beings that flew through the sky faster than air. She shrugged, playing with her feet on the edge of the bed. “I don’t really remember them anyway, maybe I just need some tea.” She smiled and leaned her head back onto Elly's shoulder. Clint jumped up and bowed his smile changing into a sly grin.

“Yes, my queen.” He said, bowed and flew off before she could answer.

“Would you like to tell me more about these dreams now?” Elly whispered as she played with Elva’s hair. Elva glanced up and thought for a second.

“They are just so vivid you know. Always the same, I’m in cave its small and dark. I can even hear the wind blowing through the tunnel and smell a metallic scent. I can see the cave walls without light. It’s odd but as soon as I start walking, I see a figure. It’s tall and slender; I am immediately paralyzed by fear. The figure walks towards me raising a hand with the largest and sharpest claws you have ever seen.” Elva takes a breath.

She had started ringing her hands together, feeling the tears sting her eyes. “I know it sounds stupid, but it felt so real. The last thing I remember is a smaller figure jumping in front of me faster than I can let out a breath and then I wake up with a sense of dread.” Elva trailed off feeling absurd. Surely, Elly would laugh and pick at her for being afraid of something so trivial. Elly said nothing. She pulled her closer and laid a cheek on her head.

Clint came back through the door as Elva was wiping away the few tears that had spilled down her cheeks. They got up, clint sat the tea on the edge of the bed and kissed Elva on the forehead. They said their goodnights and headed off to their own rooms for the night. As Elva fell into her dreams, the cave walls enveloping her in darkness.

Elva stood in her room the next morning with a packed bag. The dream from the night before washed off with the morning shower. Clint and Elly gathered up one of the new members Jay. The four of them made up a scouting party. She clasped a belt around her waist, a small knife tucked into a pouch. They made their way East to the edge of town.

They made their way to the forests edge. Using rods, they pushed the underbrush aside and started into the thick green world. The forest was alive with sounds. Small creatures running around here and there. Elva laid a small trap to catch a few rabbits they could mate and raise for food. Clint brought out a small parchment scrawled in black ink marking the terrain. Elly got out a bow, preferring it over a gun for its silence and reusability.

“Stay with us.” Clint griped, as Jay bounded ahead for the third time. Elly shook her head and roller her eyes. They made their way a few miles into the woods before Jay sprinted off without warning.

“Shit.” Elly grunted and raised her bow. Clint readied a small hatchet he had placed on his hip.

“I’m on it.” Elva called, she started running in the direction Jay had darted off. She had gotten a hundred yards from the others and fell face first into the dirt. She looked up and the woods had gotten quiet, she immediately jumped up and took out a small knife she carried on her belt. She called out to her friends but got no reply.

She scanned the trees for Jay, but all the vegetation had changed. The normal flora that guarded the forest floor changed into larger heart shaped leaves. Long vines winding between them. Everything had a strange blue tinge to it. She looked down at her feet and saw a necklace. It had a stone in the center in the shape of a heart with silver wires encasing it. She picked it up and inspected the stone. It looked like blue liquid was inside the stone and the metal was warm to the touch. When she straightened back up the flora was normal once again. She heard the animals and birds rustling in the underbrush. She glanced behind her and saw Clint and Elly running towards her with a sheepish looking Jay in tow.

“Where did you go? We have been looking for you everywhere.” Clint chastised.

“I’ve been standing here for like five minutes.” She retorted. Clint and Elly exchanged a glance.

“We have been looking for you for over an hour.” Elly pipped up.

Elva stared at her in shock. They must have been mistaken. She hadn’t let that much time escape her, had she? She shook her head and remembered the necklace in her hand.

“I found this on the ground.” She held out her hand to show them the necklace. Clint furrowed as if to retort, but Elly cut him off.

“It’s beautiful, we are just glad your safe.” She took the necklace and slipped it over Elva’s head.

As the stone touched her chest, the ground began to rumble. The trees shook and hundreds of birds took off to the sky, blacking out the sun for a moment. Clint shrieked as the ground split apart. “ELVA.” They screamed as a crack in the earth appeared under her feet. Clint lunged for her as the gaping hole plunged them all into the darkness.

Elva awoke underground. She glanced to her left and saw Clint and Elly face down in the dirt. She bolted up and grimaced as pain shot up her shoulder. She crawled over to them and shook them by the shoulder. They both groaned and rolled over. She gave a sigh of relief and looked around for Jay. She found him a few feet away. A large gash on his head.

“Guys come here.” She crawled towards Jay and felt for a pulse. She tensed as she felt around for it. A shallow but steady pulse made her breath come back. Clint and Elly got to them as Jay was starting to stir.

A long metallic screech rang out from the cave walls. They froze. A shiver creeped up Elva’s spine. She glanced down the tunnel and was gripped in fear. She was transported back to her nightmare. She heard her breath quicken. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Tugging and whispers at her back but she could not move. Slowly the figure that paralyzed her dreams crept forward. She could hear her friends start to scream but they faded into the background. She desperately pleaded to wake up. With the long black claw only a few feet from her face, she saw the same being from her dreams dart in front of her, shielding her and her friends. A creature no more than three feet tall with thin black wings now fluttered before them.

“Elva!” The screams from her friends broke into her dream and she stepped back into their embrace as the beings faced off.

The figure rose and started to break apart. Small spores breaking apart from one another. More winged creatures flew past them taking up arms around the first. The spores formed a black cloud. A moment passed that dragged on in the silence. The cloud of spores seemed to be analyzing. Suddenly they darted up the crevice and out into the world. The winged creatures that had flanked the first took off after the cloud.

Elva felt her friends grip tighten as the black winged creature turned to look at them. She had long delicate limbs and angular features. She raised a hand and lightly touched the necklace upon Elva’s chest. She muttered in a strange language. As she did Elva heard in her mind the translation

“Thank you, sister, for setting us free. Please join us in the fight against the dark one. Our world and yours depends on it.” Elva’s head began to fill with pictures of the plague that had ravished the world five years ago. She saw the spores filling the lungs of millions. Suffocating them. She could feel the life drain away as the spores spread from one to another. “Now with magic back in the world we have a fighting chance.” The woman spoke while offering her hand. An alliance was struck.