Split Tongues and Grey Walls | Short Story Monday #1

I had wandered off the path for a while now. Unsure exactly where I had made my mistake. Was it when I headed west after the second signpost, or was it when I turned east at the end of the short stream. At this point it didn’t really matter any more, what mattered was that the footpath was no longer beneath my feet and I no longer saw those white arrows on the trees that the park rangers sometimes painted to keep hikers moving in the right direction. Now, I was left with no signposts, no footpath, and no white arrows. “Well shit” I thought to myself. The canvas above me had already began to turn a beautiful blend of purples and oranges, if I didn’t start heading back now, I would be in very big trouble. I had merely planned and prepared for a three hour hike, max. I had zero intentions to stay out overnight. I hadn’t even brought my camping gear with me. I usually kept a spare tent and sleeping bag in the boot, but it hadn’t even crossed my mind that I might be needing it. The sign pointing towards Green Pikes Mount back at the car park had read:

“approx. 2.5 miles to Green Pikes, keep to path B, white arrows lead the way.”

I looked at my watch and scratched my head, it was already 5:48pm, when I had began my trek it had only just turned midday. “What the fuck? Is my watch broken?” I stared down at it a moment longer as I watched it turn 5:49pm. “Shit! How did I lose 5 hours? What is going on?” I peered around me, my eyes passing through the trees attempting to search for some cue in the distance of which way to head. To my left, up above the trees I saw smoke rising… “A campfire! People!” I started walking. As I walked I noticed the foliage that surrounded me slowly shift from the lush, bright green of summer, to wilting browns and oranges of autumn. Up ahead the trees looked dry and crisp, and I wondered whether if I ran into them, would they just snap in half? The flowers, once colourful and vibrant now hung limply, looking somewhat greyscale. “What on Godly earth is happening?!” Nonetheless I continued on, the smoke clouds seemed to rise from just up ahead.

I had finally made it out of the trees and found myself standing in a small clearing. The grass beneath my feet crunching and breaking. I had never seen grass so dull and dry. And right in front of me two tall, grey cliffs stood sturdy right in front of me. There was a gap between them, a tight gap, but wide enough for me to walk through without my sides scraping or touching the walls of this giant trench. It didn’t seem too long, and on the other end of the trench… smoke. I gulped down my claustrophobia, took a deep inhale of fresh forest air and stepped forwards.

Stepping through the opening the air seemed to change, it seemed thicker. There was also a strong scent of rock and dirt within the rift. Nothing but grey surrounded me. If I turned my head sideways and breathed the stone walls were so close that I would feel the heat of my breath bounce back and stroke my face. It was hot here, no breeze passed through and I began to sweat. Profusely. I had been walking for what seemed to be about 10 minutes and even so the smoke ahead seemed no less closer than before I entered the gap in the cliffs. I checked my watch again and the hands on the watches face seemed to have jumped forwards an entire hour. Looking up the sky above was much darker now also, night was falling. And it was falling fast. If I got stuck in between these cliffs over night, I don’t know if I would be able to cope. My body already shook with anxiety, fearing the stones of the cliffs would dislodge and bury me beneath them. My brain conjured up all sorts of horrible scenarios as I moved through the narrow clearing. I didn’t know how much more of this I could take. Just in that instant I heard a hiss behind me and froze. Then another hiss. “Holy fuck!” I had entirely forgotten the position I had put myself in. Snakes love rocks, living in them, hiding beneath them. And here I was, moving between two massive, over bearing rocks. I slowly turned my head to peer behind me, making sure to not make any sudden motions. My eyes widened and I immediately clenched every muscle in my body. Behind me, the floor of the walkway was carpeted in a sea of snakes. The brown and orange serpents, slithered and crossed each other in tides of chaos. Split tongues quickly vibrated out through their jaws and then back in. The sound loudly bouncing of the grey walls and echoing in my ears. I must have disturbed them as I passed through, and now there was no turning back. It was forwards or death. A snake began zigzagging its way towards my right leg. I turned my head back around and notice others were now peering and climbing out of gaps within the walls of the trench. I gave them no time to fully reveal themselves. I ran. Slamming my feet firmly on the ground and propelling myself forwards as fast as I could. The sound of shoes and hisses rupturing and reverberating all around me. I ran and ran and ran. The floating cloud of cinder mist continued upwards but seemed no less nearer. I went to look at the almost blackened canvas up above me but lost my footing on the gravel below, stumbled, and slammed my head on the wall. Everything turned instantly black.

I don’t know how much time had passed but when I finally opened my eyes I could see absolutely nothing around me, I was drenched in warm sweat from the heat. Despite this I felt something cold moving across arms, my legs, my chest. No, not moving, slithering. Something rushed past my ear leaving behind the sound of rattling as it hurried along. I slowly and steadily reached for my hip, a pouch sat glued to my belt. I peeled back the lid of the pouch and gripped the cylinder inside. I pulled it out, as carefully as I could, and with my thumb searched for a button along its side. Finding the metallic circle, I pressed, engulfing the trench in a yellowish light. I let out a sharp shriek, as I lay covered in a blanket of pythons, garters, adders, and rattlesnakes. A sheet of greens, browns, and greys. Their heads cocked abruptly in my direction, revealing thousands of fangs. Hundreds and hundreds of bright yellow eyes faced me, dark slits pierced and peered at me. They lunged.