I saw the guard who had dragged me lying there lifeless, as if something had thrown his body into the door hard enough to send it crashing through. The door had finally swung open. I immediately panicked. The screams echoing from somewhere nearby made me desperate to get out of the restraints holding me to this chair, especially since the guard's body lying in front of me was covered in blood, with several slashes across him—as if some beast had tried to eat him.
“Come on, I have to get these restraints off!” I thought in a panic as I strained with all my strength to break free.
“Almost there, almost there... Aaaargh... argggghhh!”
I tried to free my bound hands. Even though it hurt, I forced them loose until—
“Finally! My hands are free. Now only my legs are still tied.”
I let out a sigh of relief when the restraints around my hands came loose. The screams in that place could still be heard, and I grew even more panicked about what was happening in the cell. I had to free myself and get out of there immediately.
With all my strength, I finally managed to break free from the chair. I ran at once, sprinting through the damaged door. I also grabbed the baton from the guard's corpse, just in case, because I was sure something was seriously wrong with this place now.
But I was utterly shocked when I stepped out of the room. The prison cells that should have been lining the corridor where I now stood had transformed. What I had seen as cells before had become a long corridor with torches on both sides. The torches burned brightly along the corridor to my right, lined up all the way to the end. The cells on either side had turned into stone walls, like a long cave with bloodstains scattered all around it.
When I looked to the left, I saw a pitch-black corridor with no lighting at all. There was nothing but an empty, dark passage where I couldn't see a thing.
I froze. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Everything had changed so suddenly. The fear gripping me made me reluctant to take another step, but then a sound suddenly rang out—a sound coming from the right, from the corridor lit by torches.
“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA.”
THUD THUD THUD
“AHAHAHAHA.”
The voice burst into loud laughter. The pounding footsteps made the sound ring sharply through the place where I stood. On instinct, I snatched up the torch near me and ran to the left, toward the pitch-black corridor where there wasn't a single ray of light.
Tap tap tap
I ran with all my strength, using the torch in my hand to light the way. But the corridor seemed endless. I kept running without knowing when I could stop. The screams were still audible, and this time they sounded as if they were chasing me from behind. I glanced back while running, but there was no one there. Then, when I suddenly turned around—
WHAM
I crashed into something. It was huge and blocking my path, sending me sprawling. Still holding the torch, I tried to illuminate whatever had stopped me. I recoiled in shock when I realized it wasn't human.
Standing in front of me was a towering figure grinning at me. It was enormous, with sharp teeth jutting from its mouth. It chuckled, then opened its mouth wide.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.”
The voice was deafening. The sound that had been behind me was now right in front of me. With its horrifying face looming over me, it spoke.
“ABDI, IT'S YOUR TURN NOW. I'VE ALREADY EATEN THE OTHER TWO, AND YOU'RE THE THIRD PERSON I'M GOING TO EAT.”
I was terrified. My body wouldn't stop trembling, and before I knew it, cold sweat was pouring down my face. My legs felt frozen, unable to move. All I could do was watch the creature open its massive jaws. Its sharp teeth, dripping with fresh blood, drew closer, as if it were about to devour me.
All I could do was close my eyes and cover my head with my hands. I had already given up hope. Maybe this was the end of my life. My vision began to darken. It seemed the creature's mouth was already very close.
And finally....