The Abyss Below (Episode 2: Into the Abyss)

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The fall seemed endless, as though the cave had swallowed them whole, dragging them deeper into its black heart. When they finally hit the ground, it was with a sickening thud, the impact jarring their bones and knocking the breath from their lungs.

For a moment, everything was silent, save for the echo of their crash reverberating through the cavern. Pain coursed through Mia’s body as she slowly lifted her head, blinking against the sudden darkness. Her flashlight had gone out during the fall, and the world around her was plunged into an inky blackness that was suffocating.

"Ethan?" she called out weakly, her voice trembling. "Claire? Jake?"

There was no response.

Panic surged through her chest as she fumbled for her flashlight, her fingers shaking as she clicked it back on. The beam of light cut through the darkness, and she saw them—Ethan, Claire, Jake, and Lydia—scattered across the rocky floor, unconscious or worse.

A groan broke the silence, and Mia rushed to Claire’s side. "Claire, are you okay?"

Claire stirred, her eyes fluttering open. "Mia? What…what happened?"

"We fell," Mia said, her voice strained with worry. "I don’t know how far."

One by one, the others began to wake, each of them groaning in pain. Ethan winced as he sat up, clutching his side. "Where are we?"

Jake, who had been silent, shone his flashlight around the cavern. "This isn’t the same cave."

They had fallen into a vast, open chamber—far larger than any of the tunnels above. The walls were jagged, black stone, and the air was thick with the stench of decay. But it wasn’t just the size of the chamber that was unsettling—it was what lay within it.

Bones.

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of bones littered the floor. Some were small, animal-like, while others were disturbingly large, twisted into unnatural shapes. And scattered among them were things that didn’t belong—objects from the modern world. A backpack, a flashlight, a shoe.

"Jesus," Lydia whispered, her eyes wide with horror. "What is this place?"

Mia’s heart pounded in her chest as the reality of their situation set in. They weren’t the first to fall into this abyss. Others had been here before them. And judging by the bones, they hadn’t made it out.

The low, guttural sound echoed through the chamber again, louder this time, closer. It was a deep, resonating growl that seemed to come from all around them, vibrating through the walls and floor.

"We need to get out of here," Jake said, his voice tight with fear. "Now."

But as they scrambled to their feet, a movement in the shadows caught Mia’s eye. Something was shifting in the darkness—something large, something alive.

And it was coming for them.