“This isn’t what I had in mind,” I groaned, as my arms remained wrapped around Isaac’s thick wolf mane while he pounced from hold to hold in rapid descent to the bottom of the pit.

  “Safety,” Isaac growled, “Is what I had in mind.”

  “I’m sure I could’ve just jumped the distance down here and landed just fine,” I snarked back.

  “Test your feeble legs then. See how they stand in halves,” he cut back.

  “Boy, that testosterone boost always kicks in this form, huh?”

  “Wench!” He sounded off. “Sorry,” he growled back a moment later.

  “That’s what I thought!” I joked. “Wait,” I commanded, and he stopped.

  “What is it?” He hissed. “I grow weary of this escapade.”

  I grabbed a matted scoop of dirt from the wall and sifted through to find a large enough rock. “I want to see how far from the bottom we are.”

  I dropped the rock past Isaac. Instantaneously. CRACK!

  “Wait...” I said, my face contorting with the embarrassing realization. “how long have you been touching the ground?”

  “Ever since you began this dreadful stoppage.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Oh,” I smirked, hidden in the darkness. “Well then, let’s get on with it.” I hopped down from him. “Thanks for the ride,” I added, patting him on the back. Though not the one I really wanted.

  “Do not patronize me,” he snapped back.

  “Welcome to my world.” I said, reaching into my small saddle bag, and unveiling a flashlight. CLICK.

  It illuminated the dirty hollow around us, worms and beetles writhing around in ecstasy. Ahead of us lay a carved tunnel.

  “Stay behind me,” Isaac commanded.

  “But I have the flashlight?”

  “And mine eyes give me sight in the darkness.”

  I nodded. Allowing Isaac to take the reins and slowly clomp down the circular tunnel of soil.

  As we progressed further, dim flames lined the tunnel on iron holders, as things changed shape. Dirt became stone, carved into the halls of some forgotten temple. “What is this?

  Suddenly, shadows cleaved through sides of the many iron wrought bars that came down into cells dug into the walls.

  Isaac passed by first, with a scrutinizing glare.

  I came upon him and peered inside the cells.

  “Monsters,” Isaac said, as I looked inside to spy brainless zombies bobbing about in each cell, stuffed to the brim, idling about, bumping into each other like cattle. “Their keepers, that is.” Isaac continued.

  I nodded, in agreement, as we continued on down the hall. At some point, the path split into a fork, with other similar lit halls to each side and cells lining said halls that continued endlessly.

  “Straight,” we both said at the same time.

  “Easy decision,” I added.

  Isaac snorted, taking in the humor of it and continued on.

  After some time, we entered a larger room, what appeared to be a mausoleum, with ancient caskets lining from floor to ceiling in little alcoves, before rounding out to a center area with a pedestal to some renaissance type figure standing proudly and holding a skull. His long old monarchy styled locks descending down to his shoulder as he laughed proudly, his buttoned coat and ruffled shirt looking majestic in the musky air.

  “Who is that?” I asked Isaac.

  “No man that I have ever seen.” He retorted.

  Suddenly, an unrecognizable voice sounded off in the darkness. “No...my friends, you are mistaken.”

  We twirled around to face a shadowed being walking towards us, and readied our stances to fight.

  “Not a man.” The masculine voice continued, the outline of his face becoming slightly visible, a smirk painted across it. “Welcome...to the shrine...of Mephistopheles”