Eye From the Alley Chapter One Draft

Here is the first chapter of Eye from the Alley as of 9/27/2022

“We have been searching this damn tomb for three days now.” A disgruntled stuffy man bellowed from one of the various caverns. “These things don’t exist.”

A younger woman stood by a makeshift table with a map sprawled across it. On the map were red Xs over various paths. She stood staring at it as she took a swig from her water canteen. “It has to. We didn’t come all this way for nothing.”

Another yell came from another one of the caverns. An older man’s voice. “Maybe you got the wrong tomb? This part of the world is filled with tombs.”

She scanned the map again. Looking at all the possible routes. “This is the right tomb. I’ve done the math over and over again.” She drew another X on the map. “I triple checked. This is where it is supposed to be.”

The disgruntled man came out of his cavern covered in dust. He had stubble growing on his chin that had been caked in a thick cloud of sand. With a cough he exclaimed “You triple checked shit. I coulda’ told you these things didn’t exist.” He pulled out his canteen. Instead of water there was thick whiskey. He took a swig. “Oh wait. I told you that thousands of times you just didn’t listen.”

He walked over and sat down in a ripped green picnic chair. Catching his breath. The woman sighed. “So, it wasn’t in that cavern either?” She drew an X on the spot the man came from.

He laughed. “Wasn’t in that cavern. Or that one. Or that one. It isn’t in any of these damn caverns missy. Let’s just pack up and go home.”

The woman ignored him. She was used to his anger and pessimism, only been traveling with him for a month. “Not when we are this close.” She turned towards another cavern “Annabeth! You found anything?”

A deeper voice came from that direction. “Just rocks. Rocks. And more rocks. Ooooh what’s this? Oh, just a smaller rock.” Annabeth yelled.

The older man came out from his cavern. He was carrying a shovel over his shoulder. As he approached the disgruntled man adjusted in his seat. The older man approached him, set down the shovel against the table, and grabbed the whisky canteen out of his hand and took a swig. “Why do you never bring bourbon?”

The disgruntled man took his canteen back with anger. “Bring your own booze next time.” He replies as he wipes the top of the canteen. “Let me guess? Nothing in your cave either.”

The older man groaned as he lowered himself onto the floor. He had brought the chair for himself but of course the selfish one always gets it. “Derick…. you got some attitude don’t ya’? Why’d you even come on this trip?”

Derick rolled his eyes. “For the pay of course. If some uppity chick wants to chase a fairytale and offers me some good money, then I’d be foolish not to pass it up.”

The woman at the table ignored him. Derick had been spewing that crap ever since they left New York. She studied the map deeply. Looking at all the caverns they hadn’t explored. Another cry from Annabeth “Hey Alison! I found something….oh wait. It’s just a rock.” A pause. “This rock is kinda’ odd lookin’…Has some weird ass symbols on it.”

Alison looked up from the map and down the cavern Annabeth was. “What kind of symbols?”

Quiet. Alison waited. No response. She looked at both Derick and the older man sitting on the ground. “Arthur, stay here. Rest. Derick with me.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Arthur laughed.

Derick groaned as he rose. With one of the swiftest motions Arthur has done in years he slumped into the chair. Alison grabbed the shovel and headed towards Annabeth’s cavern. Derick close behind.

The cavern was dark, cold, and damp. They walked down the narrow passageway. Past some dilapidated pillars, empty torch holders, and a couple of rotten skeletons. They kept walking until they approached a rock wall. Annabeth was nowhere to be found. “Annabeth! Where are you?!” Alison yelled.

Derick scanned the rock wall. “She probably ran off. Got too scared.”

Alison looked down at the floor. Laying against the rock wall was a strange stone. It had a blue shine to it and strange markings up and down the side. She knelt down and picked it up. Turning it over in her hand. Derick looked over her shoulder. “What is it? Worth any money?”

Alison shrugged him off as she analyzed the stone. Turning it over once more it shined in the darkness. Some pebbles fell from the rock wall. Then more. Derick took a step back. The rock wall itself began to shudder. Rocks began moving to the side slowly revealing a passageway. Alison looked back at Derick with glee and then towards the slowly opening passageway. “Onwards I guess.” Alison shrugged.

Derick took a couple more steps back. “I’m not going in there. It could cave at any moment.”

“What are you scared?” Alison chuckled.

Derick stammered. “Scared? Ha funny. No, I’m just all for self-preservation. Besides someone has to guard the entrance.”

“Guard the entrance? From what? The dead skeletons? I sure hope they don’t make any moves towards me.” Alison laughed.

The rock passageway seemed to solidify as the rocks stopped moving. “We are in a strange tomb. You never know. And what if Arthur makes a move against you? I don’t trust that old man.”

“I trust him a lot more than you.” Alison turned towards the rock passageway and took a step forward. “If you want to cower here than go ahead. I’m going to find Annabeth.”

Derick gulped. “Can you at least leave the shovel? You know…in case of danger.”

“Sure. You beat back the imaginary danger with a shovel. Here you go.” Alison handed him the shovel.

Derick took it and brandished it like a weapon. Alison started to approach the rock passageway. The rocks themselves shook and shivered as she walked closer, the strange stone still in her hand. With a huge breath she walked in.

The passageway was dark but the stone in her hand lit up. As she walked the passageway shook and shifted. The rocks behind her closed up. “Well…looks like I’m getting out a different way.”

She kept walking and walking. The passageway seemed to go on forever. It kept shifting and changing as she walked. After what seemed like an eternity, she saw light at the end of the passageway. She sped up; her walk became more of a trot. The rocks sped up to, closing around her now. She began running, rocks hitting her in the sides. The passageway in front of her began to close and the stone began to dim. With all her effort she pushed through and came out of the passageway in one piece.

She fell to the ground and caught her breath. The strange stone in her hand vanished as if it never existed. Did it exist? Did any of this exist? She slowly rose to her feet and scanned the new cavern she was in. There were torches along the walls lit with a blue flame. Large statues stood around the cavern. Yet they did not seem like statues of humans but rather statues of creatures. One had horns, one had cat like eyes, another seemed to be shapeshifting before her eyes. There seemed to be about six main statues with smaller statues around them.

She pulled a small notebook out of her pocket and a very short pencil. Scanning the statues, she jotted down details and tried to draw pictures of them. In the back of her mind was the thought of saving Annabeth but these statues called to her for some reason.

First, she drew the one with the horns. They weren’t very large horns, maybe the size of a fully outstretched hand. They were hidden by flowing hair. It was missing a nose, but she couldn’t tell if that was due to the figure missing a nose or the fact it just broke off after years of decay. It wore long flowing robes that seemed to be torn in many places.

She navigated around that one passed some of the smaller ones, they all seemed to be sculpted out of the same model of a man. The second statue seemed to have eyes like a cat. A scar ran through its left eye and the eyes felt like they were peering into her very soul. It wore a trench coat looking thing and dog tags around its neck, which seemed interesting. These statues seemed old, but the dog tags seemed like a new addition.

The third statue seemed to be a conglomeration of a bunch of different people. This was the only one with color, but it seemed that it was more graffiti than a stylistic choice. The eyes were different colors, and the hair was spray painted a deep purple. The hands seemed old but young at the same time.

The fourth statue looked the most sinister. Its eyes like shadows. The robe it wore seemed to move in the darkness as if the statue itself was alive. It seemed to be cracked in places as if someone tried to destroy it. She didn’t want to linger on this one for too long.

The fifth one seemed the most normal. It looked very tall and elegant, almost like it shone. Plants grew all over it and they seemed to be thriving without any sunlight. Vines up and down the side forming the outline of the statue. The eyes had roses growing in them.

The sixth statue was the shortest. It was short, stubby, and stocky. The muscles seemed to be sculpted in such detail that Alison thought she could see the veins in them twitch. A long beard lived on the face and it seemed to touch the ground.

She finished drawing them and looked around at the rest of the cavern. The other statues seemed boring compared to these six. Behind the six stood what looked to be an altar. Sacrifices maybe. Mummifications possibly. It didn’t seem filled with old offerings lost in time. She approached it and studied it. Inscribed was writing from years and years ago. But also, more modern language which was puzzling. Hieroglyphs next to modern English. She jotted down what it said and tried to draw the hieroglyphs for future study.

In the distance she heard a scream. Right. She came in there for Annabeth, at least she thought that was her name. Everything before the cave was a little fuzzy. Was there a man with her earlier? Another scream drew her attention. She should probably chase it down. Interesting. Her very thoughts seemed to be going into third person. What was this cave?

She followed the sound of the scream down a passage. Another scream. They seemed to be getting louder. Were they screams? Is that what a scream sounds like? Are screams the quiet or loud ones? She stopped to pull out her notebook to see if she wrote any notes about that. Wait…where’d she get a notebook?

Another scream? Yes, it had to be a scream. What else could it be? Now which way did it come from? Left? Wait. Which one is left? What is left? Another yell? Was yell the right word? Whisper? She looked down at the notebook in her hand. Did it change color? What is she supposed to do with this thing?

Her head began to ache. Another sound. Or was that the first one she had heard? Where is she?

She fell down to her knees clutching her head. It hurt like hell. So many thoughts running through it she couldn’t comprehend anything. Which way is up? Which way is down? Are those even directions? What’s a direction? Is a direction an action?

Some disturbance came from somewhere. Some type of a noise. She clutched her head harder and laid down on the ground. Curling up into a ball. Wait. What’s a ball?

Her eyes began to grow dark as if she was forgetting how to see. No. She wouldn’t die like this. Not here in this place. Wherever and whatever it was. With all her energy left she pushed herself up off the ground. Her head banged harder than a drum. Every step she took towards the unknown disturbance felt exhausting.

Another one of those pesky disturbances. What were they called again? Actions? She pushed towards the loud action until her cloudy eyes spotted a figure slumped over. Did she know this person? The person seemed lost. Holding their head and letting out the occasional scream. Alison. Yeah, that was her name. Alison put her hand on this person’s shoulder.

The person jumped and turned their head to face Alison. Their face expressionless as they let out another noise. Alison felt like she was supposed to know this person but couldn’t pinpoint why. Instead, she slumped down next to them as her eyes gave up.

The rock wall shifted a little as Derick grabbed hold of the stone that had just appeared on the ground. He turned it over and over again looking at the etchings. They seemed different this time. The rocks shifted and shook as they began to form a passageway. He shuddered but something beyond the passageway called to him. He did not know what it was, but it seemed to be overwhelming his fear. He took one step forward, clutching the shovel.

Arthur sat sleeping on the picnic chair. The rest of the crew had been gone for too long, so he dozed off. Laying there, asleep, in the picnic chair, alone. Yet something in the back of his head called to him. Calling him as if it wanted him to follow it. Deep into the dark caverns.