The Nine Shivers: Chapter 3

This is a writing in progress. If you do so feel inclined to leave helpful writing tips and suggestions, I openly accept criticism in an effort to improve my writing skills.

The group peered as best as they could into the depths of the tunnel. Due to the dim lights, their visibility was minimal at best, but enough to shed some light on where they were. The tunnel walls were flecked with moss and riddled with pot marks. The entrance where they were standing in extended about 20 feet further and then abruptly split into two directions, left and right. The teens looked at one another nervously. Does this mean we need to split up? Rachel thought.

"Which way do we go?" Alicia asked.

"Well I know which way I'm going," Hannah stated as she began walking down the left tunnel, "If any of you want to come with me, then whatever."

"You don't even know where that tunnel goes,"Sarah snapped at Hannah.

Hannah froze mid-step. Sarah was right. She didn't know where this tunnel led. And if nobody followed her, then she would be alone . . . in a creepy tunnel. Hannah turned around and stood with her hands on her hips and head cocked to the side.

"Well, no one knows where the other tunnel leads either," Hannah quipped.

The others looked back at Sarah, waiting for a reply, but she only stood there with a furrowed brow. Hannah waited for a reply too and was miffed when she didn't get one to sarcastically respond again. Hannah sighed and dropped her hands to her sides with an audible slap on the side of her thighs.

"What the fuck are we supposed to do then?" Hannah griped.

"We stay together," Sarah said, inching closer to Kyle.

"Ugh . . . FINE."

Hannah fell back into the ranks of the group. Kyle and Tanner led the way forward through the tunnel. The lights flickered overhead as the tunnel snaked in an almost infinite nature. Soon, the group could feel a breeze hit their faces. The tunnel had led them to a massive underground lake. Manmade, obviously, thought Eric.

“Perfect. More water. Just what we need,” scoffed Brittany, who then made her way to the edge of the water.

Sarah took off Kyle’s jacket and handed it back to him with a smile. Kyle grinned back with a soft look in his eyes. Even though Kyle was soaked, he’s glad he gave his jacket to her to keep dry and warm. He’s always been nervous around her, but tonight seems different for him.

Meanwhile, everyone else had begun to ring out their clothes as best as they could to remove any excess water. Clearly showing off her physique to anyone who looked, Hannah removed her shirt and jeans entirely and squeezed the water out into the lake. Eric blushed at the sight of her partially naked. He never thought he’d see a girl that nude except at a beach, which he did not even have a thought of going to. Hannah spotted him glancing her way, to which she smirked, and unnecessarily bent over to pull her jeans up. Hannah loves kicking a rise out of boys. It was her way of staying in control. Eric’s face was beat red at the sight as he turned his attention away from her and towards the corner of the shore they were standing on. That’s when he spied something.

”H-hey guys?” Eric stuttered.

Eric pointed at a large, yet oddly shaped boat. The boat was shaped like a banana with the ends pointing upward. In the center of the boat was a canvas top with an ornate seat. Sophia walked over to it and ran her hand along the side.

”It looks like Khufu’s ship,” Sophia stated.

”A what now?” asked Hannah, finally putting her shirt back on.

”It’s a solar barge of Ancient Egypt. It symbolized the god Ra carrying the sun across the sky everyday,” replied Sophia.

”Maybe it could take us across the lake?” asked Brittany.

”We have literally nowhere else to go” said Alicia, "the way we came is blocked off remember?"

Sophia climbed into the boat. Looking around, there was plenty of room for everyone to fit. Walking to the bow, Sophia discovered a turn crank which would operate the vessel. She leaned over the side and looked at the others.

"Are you getting in or what?"

One by one, they climbed in. Kyle held Sarah's hand as she stepped in and then climbed in himself. Hannah immediately sat upon the throne like seat with her legs crossed. With everyone on board safely, Sophia began to turn the crank. The boat lurched forward faster than anticipated, which made several of the teens fall forward. Sophia apologized to everyone, but continued to crank the lever, propelling them forward at a steady pace now.

The underground lake was bigger than they first realized. Two minutes in, Sophia needed to take a break from cranking. The boat slowed to a halt. Tanner made his way to the front to take over from an out of breath Sophia. Just then, Alicia spoke up.

"Guys . . . Do you here something?"

Everyone fell silent and leaned forward intently to listen. A faint gurgling sound with a hiss was coming up from out of the water. Everyone looked out of the boat. Hannah slide down from her throne and went to the edge to get a closer look. Small ripples appeared and starting splashing the sides of the boat. The faint gurgling had now grown into a guttural discharge, like a constant stream of vomit being emitted from one's mouth with no end. Some of the group slid down inside the boat walls and covered their ears. Maybe it is a draining system flushing out bad water, Eric thought to himself. After what seemed like an eternity, the noise and ripples abruptly ended. Hannah stood up.

"All that noise for some waves? What kind o-"

A dark mass of water rose out from the lake and commenced with its guttural snarl once. Standing frozen in shock, Hannah looked on wide-eyed at the monster looming before her. In the mere moment she gazed, the creature's eyes were in the shaped of triangles and were a striking blue with green edges. The mass lunged forward at Hannah, still frozen in awe, a draped her in its watery mass. In one swift motion, it pulled Hannah over the edge. Eric reached out and caught her ankle. Hannah's upper body loomed dangerously out over the side of the boat while Eric was managing to hold her in. Two girls screamed in terror at the sight of the creature, and were pushing themselves further away on the other side of the boat. Kyle attempted to get up to help, but was held back by a stronger than usual Sarah who was gripping his waist. Tanner watched from the opposite side of the boat, unable to reach the pair. The creature snarled at its foiled initial attempt, but reared up and pulled back harder, pulling Hannah and Eric into the dark lake.