Round 223 Transcript

As Merrin steps out of the chamber, she feels the tentacle's grip tighten around her leg, pulling her down into the water. The creatures close in, their eyes fixed on her with an unnerving intensity. The water pressure increases exponentially, threatening to crush her beneath its surface. Suddenly, a massive tentacle bursts out of the depths of the lake, wrapping around Merrin's leg and pulling her down into the water.

I let out a scream as the tentacle tightens around my leg, yanking me off balance. I stagger sideways, arms windmilling, fighting for stability on the slick stone. The creatures surge closer through the churning water, their unnatural eyes fixed on me like lanterns in the gloom. I have to get free! I hack at the tentacle with my crowbar, metal clanging against rubbery flesh. Sparks fly as I scrape the blade across the stone. My foot slips and I tumble into the shallows with a splash, water filling my mouth. I spit it out, choking, and redouble my efforts to sever the appendage. The ground shakes beneath me, a deep rumble that seems to travel straight through my bones. Chunks of masonry rain down from the ceiling, splashing into the water. I duck my head as a stone the size of my fist whizzes past, nearly clipping my ear. I'm running out of time. The water's rising fast and so is the pressure. My lungs burn for air but I can't afford to stop. I lash at the tentacle again and again until my shoulders ache and my arms tremble with fatigue. Finally, with a sickening rip, it snaps free. I stagger back, gasping, as the severed limb flops into the water and disappears beneath the surface. The creatures screech in what sounds almost like rage, their unearthly voices echoing off the chamber walls. I don't wait to see what they do next. I turn and run for my life, splashing through the shallows as chunks of ceiling continue to fall around me. I'm halfway across the chamber when I hear a thunderous crack. I glance back just in time to see the far wall collapse in on itself, sending a deluge of rubble and water cascading into the space. I skid to a halt, heart in my throat, as a massive stone block comes hurtling straight towards me. I throw myself sideways with a scream, feeling the air rush past as the boulder slams into the ground where I was standing a split second before. The impact sends a shockwave through the water, nearly knocking me off my feet. I stagger upright, shaking, and look around wildly. The entire chamber is coming down around me. Chunks of stone and masonry are falling from every surface, smashing into the water and sending up geysers of spray. The creatures are nowhere to be seen, either dragged under by the flood or fled back into their lairs. I have to get out of here. Now. I wade through the waist-deep water, ducking and weaving to avoid the falling debris, until I reach the far side of the chamber. There, half-buried in the rubble, is a narrow tunnel leading upwards. It's my only chance. I take a deep breath, steel myself, and dive into the opening, clawing my way through the tight confines as the chamber collapses behind me in a roar of destruction.