Subterranea[]
The loud whir of the drill echoed throughout the cave, trembling like a slumbering beast. The rocks slowly began to break away, until, with a cacophonous boom, the wall gave way, revealing a hidden path deeper in. The other miners and I stepped in, and what we found surprised us. Within the cave lay rows upon rows of pale white crystals, their ivory color glimmering in the newfound light. Embedded within the crystals were strange black orbs, giving the illusion of hundreds of eyes staring right back at us. It unnerved me a little, but nonetheless, the others and I shall continue our mining trip. Perhaps these shall prove to be of value.
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The crew and I decided to set up camp for a while in order to excavate and study the mysterious crystals. We spent most of the day gathering the crystals, picking them off the walls one by one, before taking them back to the camp. Strangely, the whole time I felt a strange sensation, as though I was being watched. Arriving back at the camp, we began to study the gems in an attempt to discern what they were, and what they could be used for. However, what we found was quite strange. We tried to break it open, but when it cracked apart, it began to ooze a putrid black liquid that corroded our equipment. I had never seen anything like it. To me, something felt off about these crystals, and I began to think perhaps this cave should be left untouched. Nonetheless, when I attempted to voice my concern, the others didn’t believe me. They claimed I was being irrational, and that the crystals could be quite valuable. I told them they were too blinded by the thought of wealth, and we began to argue amongst ourselves. In the end I left, knowing they wouldn’t listen to me.
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It’s been some time since I last spoke to the rest of the crew, and perhaps I was wrong. Despite the cave’s oddities, perhaps these crystals aren’t as dangerous as I had first thought. Perhaps they could somehow prove to be useful, or at least valuable. I should go speak to the rest of the crew.
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The camp was silent. I couldn’t find the others anywhere. That is, until I heard a strange groan coming from the living quarters. I crept towards it and peeked in. And that’s when I saw it. He was lying on the ground, deathly pale. His eyes were open unnaturally wide, and his pupils consumed his entire eyes, like a pair of hungry black holes. He laid on the ground, barely grasping for breath. His body was skeletally thin, and his expression was uncannily blank.
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This disease, it’s taken over the entire camp. The others, they’ve all succumbed. For every moment that passes, they grow more and more monstrous. They all stare at me, their soulless gaze piercing mine, their hunched over bodies twitching sporadically. Lumps cover their deformed bodies like warts of a toad, but the worst part is that sickly groan. It is the horrid groan of someone on the brink of death, their bodies screaming for the sweet release yet somehow still holding on. I don’t know why it’s happened, but I fear it may have to do with the crystals.
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I’ve made a horrific revelation. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. The others, I watched as their bodies split open like a bug’s cocoon, revealing more of those horrid crystals. And now I know the truth. Those crystals, they’re parasites. They wait for you to approach, then they latch on and eat you from the inside out, leeching off of you before bursting out in one last performance. They’ve been lying dormant for who knows how long, but we freed them. I can’t let them escape. I’m on borrowed time before it takes control of me. I know what I must do.
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With a stick of dynamite and a lit match, I approached the cave entrance. I threw it down the tunnel and with a cacophonous boom, the cave, and so too my fate, was sealed. I write this now with my final moments, a warning to any unfortunate souls who happen to stumble upon this cave. Please, get out while you still can. Stay away from the crystals. I feel it taking hold of me, so please, just remember this one thing.
The crystals are alive.
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The putrid smell of decay filled the air as the rock wall gave way to reveal a cave. The other miners and I stepped forward to take in our surroundings. Dozens upon dozens of ivory crystals filled the cave and, strangely, the remnants of another expedition.
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