The worm lingers, snuffling at the debris, a sound like a dog rooting for a buried bone. Then, its head snaps in our direction, and it just freezes for a long moment. I think it’s found us, that my body is about to be peeled open like a grape, but then it rears up, makes a wet, angry noise, and slams what’s left of the ruined cottage with its head. The whole world lurches sideways. Ashton’s hand covers my mouth. I’m crying now, silent but messy, tears hot and sticky against my cheeks.
After a minute, the worm slithers on. The vibrations fade, replaced by a distant, echoing shriek. I hope it’s just the worm, and not something else waiting deeper down.
We stay motionless, waiting for it to come back. Time goes flat. Every second is like a drop of water on my forehead.
Finally, Ashton lets go of my mouth. His voice is a thread. “We’re not safe.”
No shit, I want to say, but it comes out as a cough.
He nudges me and points with his chin at the ceiling. Far above us, a ragged circle of sky is visible, pale and unreachable, the hole where we were dropped. It looks close, but I know it’s a trick. Nothing in the maze is ever as close as it seems.
“We could try climbing,” he whispers. “Or wait it out.”
“Is it even possible to climb?”
There’s a crunch from deeper in the tunnel. A reminder that time is running out.
“We have to move,” he says, grabbing my arm and hauling the direction of the tunnel away from the worm.
We crawl through the ruined furniture, dodging splinters and shattered glass, my sword brightening to show the way. The tunnel splits. One way is absolute darkness, the other is streaked with faint, greenish light, as if the roots themselves are leaking some kind of poison. We go for the light.
We drag ourselves down the slope, my feet slipping every step in the mud. The tunnel narrows, the ceiling dropping until I’m crawling on elbows and knees. My sword makes it harder, but I’d rather die following its light than die in the dark.
Behind us, the worm’s shriek echoes, followed by a crash and the sound of earth being torn apart. I smell dirt and rot.
We crawl, and crawl, and crawl, until I think my arms will give out.
Finally, the tunnel opens into a pocket, maybe the size of a root cellar. We huddle in the farthest corner, behind a tangle of moss and stone. I keep the sword tight against my chest, as if it can shield my heart from being eaten.
Ashton is panting, face gray. “We can’t just—wait here. It’ll find us.”
I nod, but there’s nowhere else to go.
He buries his face in his hands, elbows on knees. I stare at the sword, willing it to grow into a spear, a bomb, anything that might kill a creature that size. But it just hums, cold and useless, as if the goddess is embarrassed for me.
The next time the worm moves, I can tell it's closer, probably in the last tunnel it was big enough to fit through. I hold my breath until my head goes light, then release it, wondering if the worm could reach us, or if it’d just bring the whole tunnel down trying to get us.
It’s quiet for a minute. Just our breath, ragged and shallow.
I force myself to speak. “We need a plan.”
Ashton glances at his hands. “We have a plan. The plan is easy. Don’t die.”
I jab him with my elbow. “We can’t stay here. It’ll just dig us out eventually.”
He looks at me, eyes black and hollow. “Where do you want to go?”
I think, but no plan sounds good. “I guess… back up the tunnel. Maybe there’s another branch in that direction that goes to the surface. Or…” I don’t finish. Or what? We run in circles until the worm gets bored? We keep going until we die of thirst?
He leans against me, forehead to my shoulder. His hair smells like the earth and something pleasant that’s all him. I want to say something comforting, but my mind is empty.
Instead, I listen to the tunnel, counting the seconds between each pass of the worm. It’s a pattern, I realize. It’s a loop. It’s patrolling. It’s not smart, but it’s relentless.
I grit my teeth, my mind working, wondering how we can possibly survive this. “We should time it. When it’s farthest away, we run and look for another exit.”
Ashton nods, then pulls back. There’s dirt on his cheek, but something solid is in his gaze. “You know I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you.”
My answer comes easily. “I know.”
