A Trip Home

This story was inspired by another short story I recently wrote, Home. Check out the original piece here. 

A Trip Home

My name is William Stone. Also known as Willy B, roughest, toughest dope dealer in town. No one fucked with Willy B, unless they had a death wish.

Now, I'm stuck in this cell and I don't know how to get out. Let me tell you what happened.

It all started maybe a week ago, time is hard to tell in this place. I was minding my own business, roughing up one of my clients when this freak shows up out of nowhere. Real twerpy looking dude. He told me to leave the girl alone and I couldn't help but laugh at the scrawny little shit. Who the fuck did this guy think he was?

He was wearing a mask, so don't ask me what he looked like, I can only tell you he was tall and skinny, with dark brown hair. You know the type. So I walked up to the guy and gave him a piece of my mind. I scared that little fucker shitless. He wouldn't back down, what's a guy like me supposed to do? I balled up my fist and punched the little twerp as hard as I could. I must've screwed it up or this guy’s jaw was made of rocks because the next thing I know, my finger snaps. I think I handled it like any man would, I grabbed that fucker by his shirt and lifted him off the ground.

He looked pretty scared and I coulda sworn I seen tears in his eyes. I think he had learned his lesson, so I let him go. I turned around and walked back toward my client when all of a sudden this dude came at me from behind.

What a coward. Then, before I know what's happening, something grabbed me by the ankle. I kept it cool, thinking it was probably just the nerd in a mask, but then the ground I'm standing on started to crumble.

It was like an earthquake; right underneath my feet.

I looked down, realized the ground was going to swallow me up. Further and further, I sunk into the ground. I tried to claw my way out of the hole, but it was no use. The earth was pulling me down.

And you know what that punk did? He just stood there and watched.

I think he even smiled.

As quick as it began, it was over. I was squeezed into a dark tunnel, slowly sliding down. My back and hands scraped against the uneven walls. I don't know how long it took for me to get here, I can only remember the pain and darkness.

Eventually, it got lighter or my eyes were adjusting to the dark. The tunnel started to widen, the pressure on my chest started to release. I looked down, hoping I would see something other than the tunnel walls. That's when, I don’t mind telling you, I shit my pants.

Ten feet below me, the passage opened into a large cave. I could see the red yellow flames shooting up from the ground, like molten geysers. It was still pretty dark, and what little light there was, came from the angry flames.

My feet finally reached the end of the tunnel and I desperately clawed at the rock, trying to find some kind of foothold. I could see the ground now and I knew that if I fell from this height I would be dead. My body continued sliding down the tunnel, my scraped hands weren't helping me anymore.

I tumbled out of the tunnel and began falling to the ground. Next thing I know, some giant animal snatches me up in its claws and starts flying over the flaming geyser. I looked up at the animal and I might have passed out momentarily. It looked like a mix between a flying dinosaur and an eagle, a prehistoric feathered predator.

When I came to, I was sitting in this cell. I haven't seen any other people, but I know they're here. I can hear their screams.

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