Round 243 Transcript

As Abby drags Jeane into the makeshift shelter, a gust of air sweeps through the tunnel, extinguishing the faint bioluminescent glow. The darkness is absolute, and Abby's heart pounds as she fumbles for her phone to use as a flashlight. Her fingers brush against the familiar shape of her phone, but it remains dead, its battery drained from previous use. Jeane's body shudders violently, her head lolling to one side as she gasps for air. The sound of dripping water echoes through the tunnel, and Abby's gaze is drawn to the faint rustling of something moving in the darkness beyond the shelter. Immediate pressure: Can Abby find a way to revive Jeane or navigate the tunnel safely before whatever is making the noise reaches them?

I wake up to find myself in an unfamiliar dark room, my body aching all over as I try to piece together what happened. "Abby? Are you here?"

My voice echoes through the darkness but there's no response. I can hear the sound of water dripping somewhere nearby and feel a cold draft on my skin. Slowly, I sit up, wincing at the pain in my head. My mind is foggy but as the memories start to come back, panic sets in. "Abby! Where are you?"

I call out again, louder this time, trying to push through the fear rising in my chest. My fingers brush against something smooth and cold beside me - it's a wall made of stone or some kind of rough rock. I run my hands along it, searching for any kind of opening or door but find nothing. The darkness here is complete, pressing in on all sides like a physical presence. The sound of water dripping gets closer until suddenly there's another noise - footsteps? I freeze, listening intently as the sound grows louder and stops just inches away from where I'm sitting. "Who's there?"

My voice cracks with fear as I try to see through the darkness but all I can make out is a silhouette hovering over me. "I said who—"

Before I can finish speaking, strong hands grab my arms and pin them behind my back. A cloth is shoved into my mouth, cutting off any chance of screaming for help or calling out for Abby. I struggle against my captor but they're too strong - whoever this person is has complete control over me now.

I can hear Jeane's muffled screams of terror from behind the makeshift barricade I've constructed with the debris. My heart clenches in my chest at the sound of her pain, but I force myself to stay quiet. If whoever has captured her comes looking for me too, we're both dead.
I crouch lower, pressing my back against the cold stone wall of the tunnel. The darkness is absolute, a thick blanket that seems to swallow all sound. All I can hear now is my own ragged breathing and the frantic pounding of my heart. I try to think, to plan, but panic is making it hard to focus. We were so close to getting out, and now... this.
A sudden noise behind me—scraping stone—freezes me in place. It sounds like the debris is being pushed aside from outside the barricade. They've found us. Or maybe they just want to make sure there are no other survivors hiding in the dark. I hold my breath, every muscle tensed, waiting for the inevitable moment of discovery.
But it doesn't come. Instead, there's a heavy thud and then... silence. Whatever was out there is gone now. The tunnel feels even more claustrophobic without their presence, as if the very air has thickened with dread.
I wait what feels like an eternity before finally daring to peek over the top of the crates. The passage behind us is empty, a long stretch of darkness leading back towards the chamber we fled from. There’s no sign of Jeane or her captor.
"I have to find her," I whisper to myself, though I know speaking aloud could be dangerous if anyone else is around. I can’t leave her out there alone with whatever... or whoever... took her. She needs me. I have to get past the fear and go back for her.