Beyond the brush was several yards of open space in front of the cliffside, and cutting through the center were a set of rails half-buried in the dirt, the thick metal beams stretched towards a yawning hole in the stone. Dried and broken branches haphazardly littered the ground all around them as if they’d been carelessly cleared away to unearth the tracks. And spread across it all was a thick coating of dried blood.
It had been sprayed in a wide arc, as if someone’s artery had been very forcefully severed and then the body left to drain out what blood was left onto the rails.
Just like the motel. Annie thought. But the blood here was much older, completely dry and beginning to flake away despite the sheer amount of it. When had Connor said Jed had found the body? Two weeks? More? It was lucky for them it didn’t rain much here, the scene was mostly intact and it was the spitting image of the scene in Tulvir’s office. Whatever had killed Tulvir had killed this woman first, then dragged her body away from here to be found closer to town.
Annie looked to the tunnel, whatever monster was stalking the town had wanted to protect the tunnel. The dark and scary tunnel. She didn’t like the tunnel. She didn’t want to go in the tunnel. She walked into the tunnel.
It was dark inside. Wow.
Pulling a small lantern from her pouch, Annie pulled out a match and struck it against the metal frame, then opened the tiny window and lit the wick inside. Sparks danced to life inside the glass casting an orange glow around her and illuminating the walls. It only let her see a few yards in front of her, but it was preferable to total darkness. Feeling a bit better she hooked the light to her hip, gave it a pat, then ventured deeper in.
The tunnel at least seemed well made, being wide enough for Annie to fully spread her arms and have a bit of room left before her fingers could brush the carved stone to either side. Heavy cables were strung between wooden support beams that lined the walls, they even had little defunct electrical lights hanging from each post. It was actually pretty nice as far as ancient abandoned mines went, if you ignored the cobwebs.
Passing by a reinforced archway; Annie stuck her head in, hooking the little lantern from her hip to dangle on an outstretched finger and cast light into the room. The dank stone cube was packed with abandoned equipment; a mine cart rested on its side with its wheels partially disassembled and a screwdriver propped up against it, helmets and coveralls covered in grey dust hung on pegs mounted directly into the wall, and several pickaxes were stacked unceremoniously in a corner. It was as if the miners had only just left and they might wander back in at any moment.
She wondered if they had known when they put down their pickaxes that they would never pick them up again. If this place had been home to them or just a cage. A deathtrap just waiting to devour them, bury them under uncaring earth to be lost in the darkness. When they let the lights flicker out for the last time had they abandoned their ghosts to the cave’s cold embrace, forgotten? To gather dust among their tools and yearn for the stars they could never see again, forever afraid of the dark?
Annie pulled herself away from abandoned tools and forgotten ghosts and held her lantern a little closer, letting the light guide her out of the stone room. She wouldn’t join the lost tonight, there was business to attend to.
As she returned to the tunnel, Annie cocked her head. She was beginning to hear a noise, just at the edge of perception, she strained her ears to hear it. It was a metallic sound, perhaps some old machinery except it was erratic and unpredictable, like a full toolbox being hurled down a flight of stairs. But a quiet toolbox, and stairs that were on the other side of the house. Annie hadn't heard anything like it before. She started walking towards it.
The typical quarry of a monster hunter didn't usually make machinery-esq noises. Growls, roars, and squelching noises were more their purview. The sound she heard now was by no means a squelch. Annie was intrigued, she quickened her steps. Maybe she could find something of use in these tunnels after all.
