The Nest

Descending - Act 2 | Chapter 28 - The Nest
Eleven Hours and Fifty-Nine Minutes Since Juna Was Found Dead

Theo felt nice. Except for his searing spine, the pulsing gash on his lower lip, and his sore nose, he felt fine. Too fine in fact. The complete opposite from how he felt moments prior.

Moments prior…how long had it really been?

Theo opened his eyes to Specks, the blue lizard-creature licking his comb-like tail before rubbing its saliva onto Theo’s face. Specifically the tear in his flesh from the Snatcher leg. Was that why he felt nice? Lifting his head, Theo touched his cheekbone. The damage wasn’t visible to him but he traced the ridged gash that ran all the way up above his right eyebrow.

Weirdly it did sting when touched. Slimy, of course from Speck’s licking, but the wound felt normal. No longer did the Snatcher poison affect him. Specks waited at Theo’s foot, rubbing his reptilian head onto the heel of Theo’s shoe.

Doru wanted Speck's tail. That’s why the Gritborn assaulted Juna until he chopped Speck up. The man said it would sell well. Now Theo knew why. The combing part of Speck’s tail—that or the lizard-creatures saliva—had some whimsical property that nullified Snatcher poison.

A second chance.

Theo snatched Specks up as quickly as he could. A light feeling in his arms compared to the two corpses he had carried today. Though his back would soon be in the same pain as before. Theo scurried to Juna’s corpse. Kneeling down, he pushed Speck’s back inside and re-tied the medieval body bag at the top. He spun on his heel and slipped his arms through the sack’s straps.

Back creaking like splintering wood, Theo stood. He stepped to Flavia’s corpse and squatted beside it. The smell was unbearable, a horrendous mixture of chlorine, defecation, and the rotten copper scent of blood. Holding his breath, Theo sunk his arm into the pool of blood at her side. Most likely Aurelia’s from when Edgar freed her from the Snatcher’s grasp.

The thick blood clattered to Theo’s hand as his fingers swam across the bottom until his knuckles bumped into something solid. Out came the light Stone from the pool. Theo almost gagged, breathing without realizing it, but held himself strong. He stuffed the bloodied light producing Stone into his pocket.

Theo stepped away and took a large breath. The stench still surrounded him but not near the level it once was. He gave one last look at Flavia. Guilt trickling down his hand along with the remaining blood. She had to be left. A Corpse Reader after all. It felt wrong to justify such a thing, though in a moment of despair and horror, Theo couldn’t bring himself the pain of trying to save her.

Juna and Aurelia were who mattered. Juna for Theo’s sake, and Aurelia for the fallen Gritborn and Corpse Reader’s. Their dying wishes now lay upon a kid from another word. Diligent. Theo had to be diligent.

He stepped forward into the darkness and walked back up the slope. His light followed him from the inside of his pocket and illuminated the twitching Snatcher leg stuck between rock. The gap was no more than three inches wide. The Shifting may have brought Theo back to Juna but he had no way of knowing how to reach Aurelia. That was if she remained hidden. The Snatchers could have found her stuffed body and pulled her out. Worse, The Shifting could have blocked her off and trapped her in stone.

Theo had to find out for himself. Questioning it would achieve nothing. Moving forward is the same as surviving in The Chasm. Stopping to question something is the same as suicide.

The painful trek lasted roughly twenty long, harsh, hungry minutes. If he wasn’t too worried about the pain or Aurelia, Theo would have thought to rummage through Flavia’s satchel for food. A mistake that left him drained. He had made multiple turns since leaving her and acquiring Juna’s corpse. No hidden Aurelia ever came into sight.

Unlike Edgar, recognizing The First Layer’s wall wasn’t a skill Theo had equipped. Every ridged rock wall looked the same. The only difference being its width and height. What did look familiar though was Edgar’s smothered camp fire. The only place in all The First Layer that had burnt coal and Stone shavings lingering on the ground.

Close. Theo had to be close.

Turning a corner that wasn’t there before, Theo found out how close he truly was. Lingering in the hallway stretch was an eerie orange light—and blood. The spill of Edgar’s battle. Theo clutched the corner, took a breath, then crept towards it. Aurelia was just on the other side so long as Theo could pass.

He stopped. Reconsidered. Re-thought. Then looked right above him. His flimsy Stone light didn’t reach the full height of The First layer, leaving a dark mist lurking above for anything to be covered in shadows. A Snatcher could be stalking him right above and he wouldn’t know until the blood poured from his body, same as the other three. Going slow would only kill himself faster.

Theo rushed through the hallway and leaped over Edgar’s blood. He landed and tossed his body onto The Chasm wall immediately after passing the entrance to the nest.

Safe for now. Though as Theo leaned forward attempted a second sprint, the bellowing of groans crawled from outside the orange entrance. Agonizing groans that dehumanized anything Theo had ever heard from horror flicks. He could hear the blood gushing in Edgar’s throat as he groaned in defiance of death.

Save Aurelia. Theo had to save Aurelia that was all. Edgar needed him to do just that and that alone. Aurelia needed to be saved. Flavia died for that. Edgar gave up his life for that. Both Gritborns allowed themselves to suffer for all eternity so Aurelia could die peacefully and be Departed. They suffered in death so she could live outside it.

Juna’s weight sunk Theo’s to his knees. What now? He didn’t even know The Chasm’s exit. The Snatcher’s nest was right beside him filled to the brim with gigantic white egg sacks with a groaning Edgar somewhere in between. Theo knew nothing of The Chasm, and with the Shifting, now he knew of not a single way out. Even if a Snatcher or any other deadly abomination didn’t end his life, he could be walking in circles for days until an exit is found.

The only person who knew how to get out was the last Gritborn who drew breath. Edgar in the Snatcher’s nest.

Theo collected himself. Brought himself to stand with wobbling knees. Then walked straight into the orange light. He peered around the opening into the vast red pulsing nest. The sight from before remained. Crimson red vines ran alongside the walls and large white egg sacs pulsed on the sides. The only difference, Edgar lay strapped to the wall in a red mush substance.

Chained by a living flesh the Gritborn hung with muffled groans barely able to twitch a finger. Theo scurried inside and looked away from the horror mass so that his feet didn't give up on him.

“Edgar,” Theo called out while inching closer.

The prestigious Gritborn groaned as prestigious as he could manage. He opened his eyes, saw Theo, and seemed to restructure his composure for the moment.

“Go…” Edgar managed to mumble as blood clotted his teeth.

“Aurelia’s just outside,” Theo said. He squatted down and removed the sack from his back. Resting Juna against a wall, Theo continued to move. “I can take you both.”

“...leave”

“The Shifting blocked my path. I need you.”

Edgar slightly opened his mouth to speak in defiance once more. Didn’t. His jaw only hung.

Edgar widened his eyes. “The Snatchers are gone for now. Lost their way home from the Shifting. Won’t be long. Be back.”

The Gritborn spoke clearly, pausing each time blood filled his mouth or fatigue made way into his mind. Whatever strength Edgar had left, he commanded to help him speak.

“Fire. Burn the place. They’ll die.”

Theo crept closer. “Fire? How?”

“My arm,” Edgar groaned. “My right arm is trapped. I can’t move it. Free it and I can dig into the satchel behind me. Cut my arm loose.”

Theo looked down. There was no arm. Edgar’s arm had been ripped from the shoulder and loose flesh dangled in its place. A horrendously gross sight. Though Theo maintained his composure and approached Edgar. Face to face, Theo noticed something protruding from Edgar’s severed shoulder. In place of what should have been a bone was instead a stick of wood splintering outward.

“I can’t move it, Lift. Cut my arm free.”

Theo bit his lip and frowned. He stepped towards Edgar and removed the carving knife in his belt he had used for the Stone’s, then shuffled to Edgar’s left side. Theo began to cut. Edgar watched, never questioning why Theo cut free the opposite side he had been told, almost as if Edgar found the answer himself.

With a tug of the slimy living substance, Theo pried Edgar’s left arm free and then began cutting out his torso. Edgar did as promised, the man slid his left arm behind his back in an awkward manner until he brought it out with a Stone in hand. Rubbing his finger across the charcoal marks a spark emerged and Edgar tossed the stone away. The Tuned Stone galloping directly under a Snatcher egg.

Sizzling rang in Theo’s ear until the pulsing sac lit with flames from the Stone. Just in time as Edgar fell from the cut substance and hit the ground. The Gritborn looked in better shape then he was. In addition to the severed arm, his lower right side had been pierced clean through the same as Aurelia. As history would tell, Edgar wouldn’t make it much longer. Black ooze already began cleaning out his veins.

Theo widened his eyes, then touched his own wound on his face. Immediately he ran away from Edgar and scurried to the sack with Speck’s inside. Untying the top string, Theo pulled the opening apart, though before he could even think of grabbing Specks the breath in his throat dared to come out.

That wasn’t Juna inside. It couldn't be. The pale—blood dried—bruised purple girl was not Juna. Theo shook it off and swallowed the emerging puke that ran through his throat. Regrettably, he dug inside the sack around Juna and pulled out Specks. Theo rushed over to Edgar who had gone limp against the far wall of the nest where he had been freed. The fire continued to grow in rage.

Theo held Speck’s underneath the armpits like Juna once did and pushed the reptile to Edgar’s wounds. Though the lizard-creature only dangled in Theo’s arms, attempting nothing but flicking his tongue. Why…why now?

Please. Please. Please, Theo thought.

Shlllip—Specks licked the tail. Then combed Edgar’s wounds.

The Gritborn would live.