The only sounds that broke the suffocating quiet were the ragged sounds of their breathing and the sporadic drop of water from someplace in the pitch-black darkness. All shadows assumed a sinister shape, every moan and creak amplified by their enhanced perception.
Carl murmured, "Stay close," as he reached for the gun concealed under his jacket. They continued walking as the stifling stillness weighed heavily on them. Every step seemed to take a lifetime as time seemed to stretch and warp.
Carl's attention was suddenly drawn to a glimmer of movement in the distance. His palm clenched around the flashlight as he froze. Sensing a change in Carl, Damon drew nearer, his breath warm on his ear.
He questioned, his voice scarcely audible, "What is it?"
Carl gestured at the sputtering light. I
