"savor this with everything i have inside of me." - clario

the sound of our footsteps echoes through the tunnels, the hollow clinks of metal weapons and the scrape of boots on stone filling the oppressive silence. magna walks ahead, gripping our last match tightly between her fingers. the dim flicker of its flame dances on the cave walls, casting long, eerie shadows that stretch and warp with each step. her eyes dart from side to side, scanning the rocky walls for any sign of escape.

suddenly, her voice cuts through the darkness. "skins!" she screams, the word bouncing off the stone walls like a shot. panic surges through me as we all pull out our weapons, racing toward her. adrenaline pounds in my veins, and my heart beats like a drum in my chest.

we spill into a small opening in the tunnel, just as one of the whisperers leaps off a higher ledge, landing with a sickening thud nearby. the moment stretches out, surreal, as i see magna struggling in the grasp of a masked man, his fingers tightening around her throat, pinning her against the jagged rocks. i don't hesitate. i push past the others, slamming into him with all my strength. the impact knocks the wind out of him, and he stumbles back just enough for me to drive my knife deep into his stomach. the blade sinks into flesh with a wet, gruesome squelch, and blood pours from his mouth, staining his mask a dark red.

his eyes go wide, the light in them dimming as he gurgles, stumbling backward until he collapses to the ground, lifeless. i look up, panting, to see the others fighting off the remaining whisperers, slashing and stabbing until only silence remains. the few that survive retreat into the shadows, leaving behind their fallen.

"thanks." magna mutters, rubbing her neck where the whisperer had grabbed her. i nod in acknowledgment, still catching my breath.

"let's go!" daryl barks, pointing toward an opening in the rocks. without hesitation, we all fall in line, following him as he squeezes through the narrow passageway. the walls press in on us as we move, the tight space making it impossible to see anything more than the person directly in front of you. my heart pounds in my chest, the fear of being trapped or lost gnawing at the edges of my mind.

"if we don't follow each other in the dark, we're gonna get lost." kelly says from somewhere behind me, her voice trembling with barely contained fear.

"she's right," carol adds, her voice shaky but resolute. "we stick together." "at least we know there's a way out now." aaron says, though his voice carries the weight of doubt. none of us really know for sure, but the thought keeps us moving forward.

"i think they went this way." jerry says, peering into a dark, twisting path that snakes further into the cave. we all follow daryl through the tunnel, his torch the only source of light. the narrow walls seem to close in even tighter, making it hard to breathe, as though the cave itself is pressing down on us.

the air grows colder and damper, and the sound of dripping water echoes in the tight space. the tunnel shrinks until we're forced to crawl on our hands and knees, scraping against the rough stone as we inch forward. carol's breathing becomes more erratic, her panic rising with every foot we gain. i reach back and grab her hand, feeling her fingers clench around mine like a lifeline.

"just keep going," i whisper to her, trying to sound calm even though i'm just as scared. "you're almost there." she nods, though her eyes are tightly shut as she forces herself to crawl forward. the tunnel seems to stretch on forever, but eventually, we hear daryl's voice from up ahead. "all right, i'm out." he says, his voice carrying a hint of relief.

i let go of carol's hand, allowing her to push herself through first. she tumbles out of the hole, nearly landing on top of daryl, but he steadies her before helping the rest of us through. as i pull myself out, dust and dirt cling to every inch of me, but the relief of being in a more open space is overwhelming.

"hey, guys..." jerry mumbles, still climbing out of the tunnel. "what is it?" aaron asks, but jerry doesn't respond right away. instead, he freezes, listening intently. "just be quiet for a sec." jerry says, his face pale as he glances back down the tunnel. a faint growling fills the silence, low and menacing, and my heart drops. "shit!" jerry yells. "go, go, go!"

the rest of us scramble to our feet, pushing the last of the group out of the tunnel. jerry tries to climb out, but his bulk makes it harder to squeeze through the narrow passage. panic sets in as the growling gets louder, and he shouts, "they've got my feet! they're biting my feet!" "jerry, come on!" aaron yells, reaching down to try and pull him out. "grab my hand!"

jerry's voice is filled with terror. "they're biting through my boots!" his eyes are wide, wild with fear, and i can see the desperation in every strained movement. "fuck!" i curse, my mind racing. "give me your gear!" i yell, and without hesitation, jerry starts shucking off his bag and shoulder pads, freeing himself just enough to wiggle through the hole. i climb down, grabbing his gear and tossing it aside, the dust choking the air as i help him climb.

jerry kicks at the walkers snapping at his legs, the snarls growing louder as they claw at the edge of the tunnel. with one final push, he rolls out of the hole, and daryl is quick to stab the nearest walker in the head, silencing its growl with a sickening crunch.

panting heavily, jerry slumps against the wall, his chest heaving with exhaustion. "are you bit?" aaron asks, his voice tight with worry. jerry shakes his head, looking down at his boots, which are scuffed but miraculously intact. "no," i say, inspecting them closer. "you're okay. they didn't bite through." relief washes over us, but it's short-lived.

"guys, hey." i say, my voice barely above a whisper as i stand up from jerry's side. i step forward, my eyes locking on something off in the distance. a beam of light—faint but unmistakable—shines down from what can only be a hole above us. "look!" i point up, excitement bubbling up inside me for the first time in hours.

i take a few steps forward, but the ground beneath me shifts. the rocks crumble, and a cold rush of terror grips me as i feel myself teeter on the edge of a black abyss. daryl's hand shoots out, grabbing my arm just in time. "wait!" he says, pulling me back to safety. i stare down at the darkness below us, my pulse racing. the abyss stretches out beneath us, separating us from what seems to be our way out.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

hey! so many things to say omg...

first, they've been in this cave for ages i'm so sorry LOL.

second, i released a new criminal minds fic! go read right now if that's your thing!

third, i've come up with a publishing schedule currently: every other day torn apart and requiem for the accused and hopefully every day my new cm fic 'violent delights' every night. :)

fourth: HELLO THE NEW DARYL DIXION SPIN-OFF EPISODE??? i have no one to talk to about this...if you know, you know and if you don't, go watch and report back.