The Catacombs

  The underground system spanned for miles, the old tunnels still loomed large under the city streets. The workers went about reinforcing the structure. This old system of tunnels was discovered last year. The city set up a supervisory board to oversee the mapping and e probation of the old lines. That eventua.ly turned into several lines that weren't known to exist. So this project that was supposed to last two or three months, was now dragging into its second year.

The crew just started mapping a new line, one that hadn't even been on record with the city. The more they explored, the less they understood the shaft. The walls were crudely dug and the shoring was at least one hundred years old, the bigger equipment couldn't even make it down this far. The shaft had been gradually declining as well, and still with no clue why it was here.

"I don't know why we are even doing this, who knows where this thing goes?" Frank the foreman thought out loud.

"Frank, you better get down here!"

Frank hurried down the shafts and off into one of the darker fingers. He yanked his flashlight off of his belt, illuminating the way as he hurried down the corridor. Taking a sharp right, Frank emerged into a hidden chamber. Ornate stone pillars with intricately carved scenes reached to the ceiling. Stone tiles lined the walls, this room looked completely different than anything else they had seen up to now.

"What is all this?" Frank gasped as he took it all in.

"I don't know boss, but I don't think this is part of the original system."

"This Stone work looks ancient, maybe we better get someone down here to look at this." Frank stated.

From deep within the bowels of the tunnels, a gust of frigid wind blew through the antechamber. The gust chilled both men to the bone, and left an uneasy feeling in the room. Down from somewhere in the catacombs a road began to swell, and soon it grew to an overwhelming intensity until the cacophony burst forth into the ancient chamber. From the far end of the chamber a stream of dirty, disheveled humanoids rushed into the room. Black teeth gnashing, some of them were holding crude weapons, while others had sinister looking nails protruding from their fingers. Frank immediately turned and ran, fleeing the massive sea of humanity spilling into the room. His co-worker wasn't as lucky, he was quickly overrun by the humanoids, and they began to tear him apart. Frank raced out of the chamber and frantically searched for a way out. There was a cart that was used to transport superiors and vips in the tunnel, with a turn of the key Frank was flying down the tunnel, away from the horrors he had seen, and that began spilling out into the tunnel behind him.

"Get out of here!" Frank screamed at anyone he passed.

***********************************************

The mayor's office was a hotbed of activity. People were running back and forth, phones were ringing off the hook, and a general feeling of crisis hung in the air.

"I Don't care who you get up here with, but I need those tunnels cleaned out." The mayor explained to the person on the other end of the line.

"Joe, just get me a swat team down here, I don't know if anyone's left alive."

"All right Joe, sounds good. I'll have someone from my office down there to meet you and get you where you need to go." The mayor finished and hung up the phone.

"Jill, get me Frank and Stone in here." The mayor snapped into his intercom.

The intercom lit up as she answered back, "on the way in sir."

The two men entered soon after. Frank was a larger man, his skin lined and burnt from years of work out in the elements, his wispy salt and pepper hair peeking out from under his hard hat. Henry Stone followed in behind him. Stone was almost the polar opposite of Frank, Stone was a smaller man, thin and wiry, with his dark hair neatly in place, and his clothes freshly pressed and cleaned. Stone works for the city planning department and he would be sent down to map out the extent of these lines.

"Thank you for coming gentlemen." The mayor said while gesturing for the men to sit.

"I have a favor to ask you two, now Frank as you know we have a situation in the tunnels under the city. Now since you were the foreman on the site, I thought it would be best for you to lead a team on an expedition back underground and see what's really happening."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence sir, and to be honest with you I'm not convinced that there isn't anyone still trapped down there." "I feel somewhat responsible for that, so I am ready to go back down there."

"Thank you Frank, I appreciate your dedication to the city and its people. Henry, I need your talents as well. You're one of the best draftsmen in the city. I'm going to need someone to map out all this madness that's going on down there." The mayor paused.

"The police department has volunteered their swat teams, so you both will be escorted by the best officers in the city." The mayor paused again.

"Well I guess there's no way to turn down that offer, I can go down there and give you an idea of what's going on." Stone plainly stated.

"Your city thanks you gentlemen, and Godspeed on your mission. The swat team will be waiting by the entrance to the underground catacombs. Thank you again for your service gentlemen." The mayor finished as he shook their hands.

********************************************

The swat team was checking their weapons when the two men showed up, everyone seemed anxious at what was happening down below. The men waited patiently while the team finished their routine. After a few minutes one of the men stepped forward and approached the city workers.

"Gentlemen, I'm Captain Foster, and I'm in charge of this mission. Now I need you two to stay in the middle of the group as we sweep on ahead. Our job is to get you two back out, and as long as you pay attention and do as I say, we will get you back in one piece." The Captain nodded at the men and returned to his men.

The Captain motioned to the two city men, "Please join us, we are going to head in." The Captain barked at Frank and Stone.

Down into the tunnels they proceeded, the natural light from above soon faded into blackness, the small group turned the corner and was greeted by a wash of light. The lighting equipment was still up and working from the earlier excavations. The group traveled down the tunnels, led by Frank's directions, toward the place where he had seen the humanoids last. The pace was slow, but they encountered no resistance either, until they rounded a bend and the Captain raised his fist, and the group stopped. From the shadows they could hear loud chewing sounds and the tearing of clothes and flesh. A small light skinned creature was eating the corpse of one of the city workers. As if sensing their presence, the small creature turned and growled at the group of men. With a flick of the wrist the Captain gave the men the command to fire, and the darkness was lit up by gunfire and the sound echoed loudly through the chambers.

The creature fell, being struck by several bullets, black fluids ran out of the bullet holes and pooled on the floor. The officers confirmed the beast was dead, its cold eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. Shaggy hair covered most of the body, dirt caked the face and limbs. This thing definitely spent its life underground. Without another word, the group moved on, deeper into the system below the city. Stone continued to take notes and some rough sketches as the group trudged on.

Soon the group got to the point where the light stopped and the shaft that led to the antechamber lay before them. Frank got the Captain's attention to relay the directions. "So we travel down the right tunnel and after fifty yards or so there will be an opening on the right. That is the antechamber where I first saw the creatures. Also there's no light from here on in." Frank explained to the Captain.

The team moved forward with purpose, their guns raised and ready to fire at any moment. The group of men moved in silence, except for the sound of their boots against the rocky ground. As they moved forward, the darkness became more and more oppressive, until they could barely see their hands in front of their faces.

Suddenly, they heard a loud growling sound coming from the darkness ahead of them. They raised their weapons, ready to fire at whatever was coming their way. Frank and Stone huddled together, their hearts pounding with fear.

And then, they saw them. Dozens of creatures emerged from the darkness, their eyes glowing with fury. They were unlike anything the swat team had ever seen before - half-human, half-animal, with razor-sharp claws and teeth like knives.

They opened fire, but it was no use. The creatures were too fast, too agile. They moved in a blur of fur and claws, attacking the team with fierce determination. The swat team fought back with all their might, but it was a losing battle. Frank and Stone huddled together, trying to stay out of the fray as the creatures tore through the team, ripping them to shreds.

One of the creatures lunged at Frank, its claws slicing through the air. Frank reacted quickly, swinging his pickaxe with all his might. The blade connected with the creature's head, and it fell to the ground, lifeless. Frank felt a surge of adrenaline as he realized he could take them down. He swung his pickaxe again and again, taking out creature after creature.

Stone, meanwhile, had found a hiding spot behind a large rock formation. He was shaking with fear, but his mind was still sharp. He pulled out his notebook and began to sketch the creatures, noting their movements and behavior. He knew this information would be invaluable to the city in the event of a future attack.

After what felt like hours the fighting finally came to an end. The only sounds were the heavy breathing of the survivors and the occasional whimper of someone wounded. The swat team was decimated, only a handful of men left standing. Frank and Stone were covered in blood, their clothes torn and their bodies battered, but they were alive.

They looked around at the carnage, feeling a mix of relief and horror. They had never seen anything like this - the creatures lay scattered around them, their bodies torn apart by bullets and pickaxes. Blood and gore covered the walls and floor, making it difficult to tell where one creature ended and another began.

Frank turned to Stone, his eyes wild with adrenaline. "We did it!"

Stone nodded, his hands still shaking. "Yeah...but at what cost?"

They checked on the remaining members of the swat team, tending to their wounds as best they could. The mood was somber, and no one spoke much. As they took in the scene, from the distance they heard the sound of claws on stone, unbelievably there were more. Frank and Stone turned to each other, they both knew that they couldn't survive another onslaught. Frank scanned the room, he noticed that pillars supported the ceiling, that ceiling had apart of the city on top of it.

Frank glanced at Stone, "Get the rest of them out of here, I'm going to seal off this entrance."

Stone grabbed him as he began to walk off, "No way man, that is not an option, if your thinking what I think you are, that's suicide."

Frank put his hand on Stone's and slowly pushed it aside as he said, "Maybe, but these things won't hurt anyone else either. Now move it!"

Stone stared after him as Frank grabbed a sledge and headed for the pillars. Shaking his head, Stone yelled, "Let's move out!". The last few remaining hobbled for the exit.

Stone led the wounded team members out of the tunnel as fast as they could go. They were battered and bruised, but at least they were still alive. As they emerged into the daylight, they were greeted by a sea of reporters and onlookers. They were bombarded with questions, but Stone ignored them all. His mind was focused on Frank, hoping he would make it out alive.

He waited anxiously for what felt like an eternity, until finally, he heard a deafening rumble. Stone knew what it meant - the tunnel was collapsing. He turned away, not wanting to witness the destruction that was about to unfold.

When he turned back, the tunnel was gone, and with it, Frank. Stone felt a pang of guilt, knowing that Frank had sacrificed himself to save the city. He knew that no one would ever know the truth about what had happened underground, but he was determined to make sure that Frank's sacrifice was not in vain.