A pack of hounds, each the size of a panther, make their way into the shine of our torches. The smell of old, rotting flesh fills the air as I struggle not to hurl, an arm now covered on my nose. Snarls were heard, but there is no sign of movement from the monstrosities that lie in front of the party. With slow and steady movements, we add to the distance between us and the hounds, each of us holding our breaths as they move further away bit by bit.
"Not a single sound." Gretel speaks faintly, so faint that I almost missed hearing it. I could do nothing but nod. My eyes study the movement of the shitshow in front of me. They seemed to be blind, and unlike many of the dogs I know, did not have much of a talent for picking up scent either.
We suddenly find ourselves in the middle of two pathways that we could take and considering that the only one who knows the layout is Gretel, I have no idea which one we should take.
"We have to somehow get through them." Gretel speaks, pointing towards the one corner behind the pack. Well, that's just great.
My eyes fall on Hansel, his skin now containing ugly patches of dark fur. "Can't you just bark at them politely? You know, dog friends?" I joke, which gets me a low growl out of him.
"Why don't I just feed you to them? A peace treaty." He retorts, which causes a low sigh to come out of Gretel. Good one.
It seems that our little company has heard us as well, seeing as they were now barking in rather annoying volumes. All at once, they sprint towards us, trampling over each other as they cramp into the tiny hallway we were in. I fire a shot, hitting one of the hounds in the head. It doesn't relent in its pursuit however, gore now spilling out of its holed skull.
Gretel puts an extended hand out and blood rises from her skin. A humungous web of red emerges as it entangles most of the pack. Three slip through as Hansel charges at them, swiping his ugly claws at their faces and tearing them apart. Gretel makes a gap for us to slip through and signals for us to follow. "Hurry! I can't hold them for long!"
I sprint, the two of them taking the lead in front of me I hear the net behind me break. The scampering behind my back grows louder as my lungs feel like they're about to give out. "How much further?!"
"We're almost there!" Gretel screams back as she turns another corner. I suddenly feel a sharp pain around my leg and I fall onto the ground, my revolver falling a few inches ahead of me. Fuck!
One of them managed to bite onto my leg and was now trying to gobble me up. They were even more horrifying up close. Skin peeling off of their muscles as blood continues to slowly ooze out of their wounds. Their eyes were nothing but a sheet of white, and most of their facial features were missing. The one on top of me had a missing lower jaw, its tongue dangling as it desperately tries to take a bit out of me. I could hear the scampering of the others just down a few feet away from us as I struggle to keep its nasty teeth off of me.
I watch the hound fly into the air with a yelp as Hansel kicks it off of me, sending it towards the pack. "Guess whose ass was saved by a dog."
Hastily, I pick myself up along with my revolver and continue sprinting, half-limping as the adrenaline barely keeps the pain in my leg hidden. "Better than getting eaten by one."
Gretel finally finds a ladder leading up to an exit. She swiftly pulls herself up as I go next, Hansel at the rear. I could hear another whimper as I pull myself up. Gretel extends her hand out to me and I take it. Hansel follows shortly after me, closing the sewer grate behind us as we finally collapse from the exhaustion.
"That was way too close for comfort." I sputter out in between heaved breaths.
"Do you even know what comfort is Graves?" Gretel retorts, also desperately trying to catch her breath. The sky above us was dark, the mist still too thick to see anything beyond it. However, being out in the night was not ideal and we needed a place to stay.
We follow Gretel's lead after we have recuperated, moving carefully but swiftly through the mist around us. I could see nothing but for some reason, Gretel knew exactly where to go. I find comfort in the fact that she was in the one navigating us when we're blind, but also distrust at the possibility that this may still be a trap.
"We are here." Gretel finally breaks the silence, pausing on the edge of an empty cliff.
I stand beside her on the edge, unable to see where the path was. "There's nothing here." Could it be an illusion?
Her hand extends in front of her, a finger pointed on the other side of the mist. "We just need a way to get across."