I cried out Jonas’ name but due to the tightness of my throat all that escaped was a croaking scream. Tiny patches of the blue and green fungi that carpeted the whole cavern began to vibrate, generating a horrid shushing noise. My scream was choked off by an acidic torrent of bile that pulsed forth from my mouth.

With mounting horror, I watched as Jonas disappeared under the surface of those vile depths. The most disturbing part was the last burst of frenzied activity that rose from the place where he had vanished, perhaps one last convulsion of regret that was slowly ingested into the slow rise and fall of that strange ocean.

I turned and ran. After the first turn of the tunnel I lost all the light and was blind but I didn’t slow down, if anything I ran faster. Time and time again I slammed against a wall and rebounded. When I fell, I picked myself up and ran on.

By the time I reached the stairs to the house I was bloody, sore and wracked with guilt for leaving my brother behind, but at least I was free.