The howl came back through the cave, this time closer, and Greg felt every hair on his body stand on end. It wasn't the sound of bats, wind, or any of the other harmless animals that Bork had talked about. This was something else entirely that made his instincts scream danger.
"Ready your weapons!" Bork yelled and dropped his beer as he rushed to get his pack. "Get something, everyone!"
"We don't have any weapons!" Greg yelled back. "We only brought tools for mining!"
"Then take the mining tools and use them to protect ourselves from what's coming!"
Things started to show up in the dark parts of the cave. They looked a lot like people, but they were mistaken in every way that mattered.
Their skin was a sickly gray color that seemed to soak up light instead of reflecting it, and their eyes glowed with a dim red light that made Greg's stomach turn. They walked in a way that was jerky and not natural, and when they opened their mouths, the howling sound came out again.
