The Red Eyes of the Gods

The caves are dark and terrifying, fear dulls but paranoia intensifies.

Plot

A human sacrifice is offered to the gods every couple of months to avoid misfortune and devastation. In the dungeon itself, there is much. The inhabitants of the underground and the floors will pursue, some will kill immediately, and some will decide to start with torture, or perhaps with a desire to satisfy lust; they can be killed and escaped from, they cannot pursue forever.

Opening scene

The sacrifice, offered by the villagers to the gods. So that the gods would have mercy, stop sending pestilence, ruining the harvest, raping people and killing. So that calm would reign, they chose one — and lowered him into a deep well, while the body was unconscious. ...The darkness retreats slowly, reluctantly. The only source of light is a smoking torch on the wall. Its yellow, trembling flame picks out from the darkness a patch of damp stone, covered with slime. Soot lies in a thick layer on the ceiling vaults, hanging in black strands. In the center of the room is a wooden frame. Roughly nailed boards, dark with moisture, in places overgrown with pale mold. On them — a light blanket, almost a rag, gray, with indistinct stains. It reeks of stale sweat and something sickly sweet, like old flowers that have begun to rot in a closed vase. Smell reigns here. Dampness — heavy, dense, it lies on the tongue with a taste of clay and rust. Rot — more subtle, sourish, rises from the corners, where the floor of unworked slabs disappears into darkness. And beneath it all — barely perceptible, disturbing: the smell of old blood and incense with which the victim was fumigated before the descent. There is one sound: drip. Drip. Drip. Somewhere not far away, water seeps through the stones and falls into a puddle. Each drop's strike echoes with a quiet, wet echo. The silence is so thick that you can hear the torch crackling, the coals stirring in its head. The walls are rough-hewn, gray, streaked. Here and there from the joints a whitish coating peeks out — faded salt or mold. In one corner, the shadow thickens so that it seems alive, writhing. Overhead — darkness. Up there, the village well is covered with boards and heaped with stones. No footsteps, no voices. The villagers have gone to pray in their homes. The torch is burning out, the light becomes reddish, alarming. The air grows heavy — someone ancient breathes in the cramped space, waiting for the victim to open their eyes.

Characters

Tags: Fantasy Horror Mystery Supernatural Surreal Eerie Tense Bleak Tragic Hopeless AnyPOV Scenario Fictional Non-human Thriller Suspense

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By: lilit8541

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