Richard swung the bone club. The rat squealed and flew across the room. It skull popped when it struck the wall. The scent of blood was too much for some rodents to resist, and they pounced on the bleeding carcass.
Corpseteeth entered, (Richard thought it a fitting name and was certain Theo would agree) its feet crushing bone wherever they landed. Ignoring the rats momentarily, Corpseteeth picked up the giant’s head, which seemed not so big in its huge hands, and used its teeth to peel off every scrap of flesh remaining on the rat feasted skull. When the blood staining the skull had been licked clean, the giant gripped it with thick fingers and twisted. The splintered crack of bone echoed around the cavern when the skull parted. The slurp of wet brain sliding from the skull into Corpseteeth’s mouth like a large oyster, was as nauseating as it was gruesome. The following smack of contented lips identified the giant’s enjoyment of the tasty delicacy.
While Corpseteeth’s tongue probed and lapped up every morsel of brain clinging to the skull cavity, Richard grasped his chance to slip away. Noisy slurps accompanied his cautious skulk around the corner. Fearful of making too much noise wading through the water, he utilized the rough rocks littering the edges of the passage as stepping stones, and nearly slipped more than once.
Bone crunched in the bone chamber.
Richard glanced back. Corpseteeth was on the move. Bones were thrown aside in its search for the rats hiding amongst them. Shrieks and squeals of those discovered, soon fell silent when introduced to the giant’s mouth and teeth. A couple of vermin, either luckier or of higher intelligence than their brethren, managed to slip past the ravenous monolith and fled along the tunnel. Richard achieved a stance with the club to fight them if needed. It wasn’t. The frightened rats barely registered his presence when they fled back to the safety of whatever dark void they had crawled out from. Richard quickly followed.
The room he entered at the end of the tunnel was larger than he’d expected. Though he picked out many dark openings in the gloom ridden walls, both low and high, their appearances were of such a foreboding nature that all failed to entice him to venture inside.
A glimpse back at the bone chamber revealed Corpseteeth’s hunt continued. Richard ran the length of the room. He hoped his noisy splashing through the knee-high water didn’t attract the attention of the giant. With his disturbance of the stagnant sewer water and whatever squishy substance his feet sank into with every step, a fresh plume of vile stench rose into the air to compete with the already foul odour choking the room and his lungs. When he neared the end of the chamber, he tripped on something hidden beneath the filthy water and just managed to close his mouth before he slipped beneath. He exploded from the surface and climbed to his feet covered in foul sludge that dripped and oozed over his body. After shaking the disgusting lumps from his hands, he used far from clean fingers to scrape the foulness from his face and eyes, and shook his head vigorously to dislodge more. He glanced down at his expensive cold weather gear, now stained in brown sludge. It was ruined. He thought he would need to bathe for a week to be rid of the reek adhered to his skin.
Exhausted, Richard placed hands on his knees and gulped air into his lungs. Something he immediately regretted. He gagged from the stench so foul and thick he could taste it. He spat a few times in an attempt to remove the stink cloying his mouth, but soon realized it was a lost cause. He needed to get out of this subterranean hellhole. He looked over at the arched opening, which had been the reason for his dash across the room. The ground sloped out of the water and levelled off a few yards before the opening. When he switched on his light and shone it into the dark recess, he was dismayed to see a rusty portcullis barring his escape. He peered through the gaps too small for him to squeeze through. A door and the control to open it was tantalizingly out of his reach a short distance from the barrier—more bad news to add to his already large collection. He walked up to it. His frustrated shaking of the portcullis rattled the metal obstruction in its frame and dislodged flakes of rust.
Dismayed, he turned and desperately scanned the room for an exit. He saw nothing except more bad luck. Corpseteeth stepped out of the passage. Its eyeless sockets stared straight at him.
Though Corpseteeth was unable to see what had caused the noise, his acute hearing had heard the rattle of metal that indicated something else was in his domain. Certain whatever form it took it would be edible, he stepped out of the tunnel and approached the new source of food.
When the mass of scarred muscle and bone crushing teeth rushed at him, fear once again gripped Richard. With no escape, he sidled along the portcullis and pressed his shaking body into the corner.
As if sensing the end of the room, Corpseteeth slowed and left trails of slimy stagnant water upon the sloped stone when it stepped from the water and crossed to the portcullis. It placed a hand on the rusty barrier and moved its massive head from side to side in an attempt to sniff out its prey.
Richard stared at the creature’s sightless gaze, wondering how he’d pinpointed his position so easily without any vision. He assumed Corpseteeth hunted by smell and sound. He trembled with fright when the large head moved down until it was only inches away from him. Corpseteeth sniffed. Praying the monster couldn’t smell fear, because he was certain he reeked of it, Richard held his breath. The beating of his heart sounded so loud he was sure Corpseteeth would hear it and after plucking him up in one of its huge hands he would be stuffed into its mouth and chewed. He was surprised when the head moved away. He glanced down at his stained clothes. The stench that covered him must have acted as camouflage; he smelt like everything else in the room, foul and rank.
When Corpseteeth turned around and focused its remaining senses into the room, the chain hanging from its neck collar swung out and rattled along the portcullis. Richard’s sense of self preservation took over. Even before he realized what he was doing, he’d grabbed the end of the chain and secured it around one of the portcullis’s lowest bars with a simple knot. His hand dived into his pocket, pulled out the small breath-fresh aerosol, and in a girlish underarm movement, he threw it across the room. Though he regretted its loss, smelling like he did, he doubted any kissing moments were likely to occur in the foreseeable future.
Corpseteeth jerked its head at the sound of the badly thrown distraction splashing into the murky water. Two large strides away from the portcullis yanked the chain taut. He turned to the side, grabbed the chain with a massive hand and tugged. The portcullis shook. The giant pulled again and strained with the effort. The ancient metal groaned and bulged from creature’s immense strength.
Richard gazed at the section of bending barrier. The bottom was almost free of the ground. A little more and he’d be able to squeeze underneath.
Corpseteeth gripped the chain with both hands and pulled harder. Metal shrieked when the strong bars succumbed to the increased pressure.
Richard focused on the gap being formed at the bottom. Just a little more. The chain began to unravel. His knot tying skills, of which he had none, had failed him.
Corpseteeth had heard and felt the chain freeing its hold on the portcullis and continued straining against the metal leash.
Richard dropped to the floor and head first wiggled through the gap. His jacket snagged on a spike and ripped. Richard froze when Corpseteeth stared straight at him and ceased his tugging on the chain. Though the giant had no idea what had caused the unusual sound, he pounced.