The existence of the path itself troubled me. While the intermittent line of candles matched the drag marks I was seeing, it also made me wonder if I was just wandering into a trap. Still, what alternative did I have? I had a mission, and I had to complete it in the fashion most likely to ensure success. So I continued on, hunched and moving at a quick pace, always checking behind me and trying not to gag when the first waves of stench hit my nostrils.

Yeah, I was headed to the right place all right.

****

It all ended very quickly. One moment Oscar was over me, split open and raining down worms that immediately began tunneling into the meat of me, clouding and twisting my thoughts with every thrusting bite they took. Then there was a loud bang, followed by several more, as the Oscar-thing staggered back and began to let out a terrible squeal of rage. I couldn’t move beyond shifting my head slightly, but it was enough for me to see Jeff Spires come into view, gun held high as he unloaded more rounds into the monster. He was hurting it, but not enough. It was still standing, and as he emptied the clip, it began lurching toward him.

That’s when the ceiling came down above it, a small swarm of brown figures falling with the chunks of earth and rotten flesh and landing on Oscar. They immediately began tearing into him, and this had a more profound effect than any bullets had. His scream became one of fear and pain as he flailed around, clawing and pounding at the creatures as they ripped him apart. One by one, they began to fall, but Oscar fell as well.

That was when Jeff stepped forward again and began striking him with the axe. Two blows, and his head was gone. But he didn’t stop there. He continued to chop at the body even as the three remaining rat-things came over to me, one of them showing a horrific face not hidden by a strange rat mask like the others wore. I was scared of these things too, but less so after all I had seen. And then the unmasked one spoke to me in an almost musical voice.

“Jack, you are at a precipice. We are not going to hurt you. We are going to try to save you, if you can be saved. If not, you’ll have to be destroyed so you don’t become like Oscar. If that happens, it will be done humanely and quickly. Do you understand?”