Billy walked own keeping one hand on the side of the vent wall. It was so dark he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. There were sounds all around him of the inner workings of the house. The gizmos and machines humming. Billy slowed his steps trying to be careful. Last he wanted was to run head first into a fan or something.
Somewhere beyond Billy heard irregular sounds. They felt like they were close but at the same time distant like…maybe outside of the walls. Which would mean like in the normal part of the house since he was the one inside the wall. Billy didn’t give it much thought. He kept walked until the wall disappeared. Suddenly his hand was touching nothing. Billy stumbled and reached out in all directions. Nothing. “SHIT!” Billy’s voice echoed all around him and then disappeared into the void.
Billy calmed down and tried to reach back for the part of the wall he had before he lost it. SHIT it wasn’t there. Or maybe it was just out of reach. Damn. Billy’s bare feet felt the mettle floor but there was no sense of space. The wall could be right in front of him just out of reach or he was facing the full length of the vent, or the other side and the wall was just few feet away. Now Billy was all turned around and didn’t know which way he had come from. “CRAP!”
“B-R-I-T-N-E-Y….” Billy though he heard someone’s voice distantly say his sisters name. “C-OU-LD- YOU….” Billy tried to use the sound to orient himself. If the voice was just beyond the wall then if he could find the direction he would at least know the tunnel was running parallel to it.
Billy didn’t get the chance. To took several steps with his hands out front the vent was suddenly full of a rapid pounding like sound. Thudt-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud! It wasn’t loud but it was…coming closer?
Billy turned just in time as something low to the ground ran into him taking his legs out from under him! Billy hit the mettle floor with a “ooph!” Sensing he was in immediate danger he didn’t wait. Kicking back Billy’s heel hit something solid but distinctly organic. Scrabbling to his feet he heard the TIT-TAT-TIT-TAT of many little hard surfaces clacking on the mettle floor. A bug. A real one! Billy couldn’t see the thing which was probably both a mercy and curse. Had he been able to see he’d have realized he was facing a small (being the operative word) brown wolf spider which to him was about the size of a medium dog. The many legged predator head heard the noise and had come hunting new prey! Had Billy been able to see the thing he would have wet himself. Instead he faced up bringing his fists up to punch and gouge blindly at whatever it was. "Come On. I'm not dying here. I'm tougher than you think," he yelled out trying sound tough.
The thing came at him again and Billy punched down. His fist made contact with something hard but there was a squishy something too. A hiss from his attacker followed and Billy’s left leg burned in pain. He wailed down on the thing feeling a crunch and squish as he did so. The burning in his leg got worse…whatever it was didn’t let go.
While Billy was in a fight for his life Brittany, his younger sister was just getting. Kaitlyn had made it to the bathroom first and said it was too warm and turn up the AC. To annoy her sister, Brittany hit the thermostat and lowered the settings by three degrees causing the AC fans to kick-in. Billy had just lost his balance as his leg had gone numb and was now riding the creature he had fallen on. It bucked and tried to throw him off when BERRRRRR the breeze turned into a storm and the vent acted like a wind-tunnel funneling the air faster and harder than it would be otherwise. Billy and the creature were separated and Billy felt himself being picked up and then sucked away.
Billy went spinning and tumbling as he hit the side the vent over and over. He was sucked over himself, banging up against the floor and ceiling and then flying through the air. Suddenly there was light and Billy Grabbed out his hands snacking the vent while the air pushed the rest of him through into the open air. Billy’s feet dangled. He couldn’t hold on…
Somewhere beyond Billy heard irregular sounds. They felt like they were close but at the same time distant like…maybe outside of the walls. Which would mean like in the normal part of the house since he was the one inside the wall. Billy didn’t give it much thought. He kept walked until the wall disappeared. Suddenly his hand was touching nothing. Billy stumbled and reached out in all directions. Nothing. “SHIT!” Billy’s voice echoed all around him and then disappeared into the void.
Billy calmed down and tried to reach back for the part of the wall he had before he lost it. SHIT it wasn’t there. Or maybe it was just out of reach. Damn. Billy’s bare feet felt the mettle floor but there was no sense of space. The wall could be right in front of him just out of reach or he was facing the full length of the vent, or the other side and the wall was just few feet away. Now Billy was all turned around and didn’t know which way he had come from. “CRAP!”
“B-R-I-T-N-E-Y….” Billy though he heard someone’s voice distantly say his sisters name. “C-OU-LD- YOU….” Billy tried to use the sound to orient himself. If the voice was just beyond the wall then if he could find the direction he would at least know the tunnel was running parallel to it.
Billy didn’t get the chance. To took several steps with his hands out front the vent was suddenly full of a rapid pounding like sound. Thudt-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud! It wasn’t loud but it was…coming closer?
Billy turned just in time as something low to the ground ran into him taking his legs out from under him! Billy hit the mettle floor with a “ooph!” Sensing he was in immediate danger he didn’t wait. Kicking back Billy’s heel hit something solid but distinctly organic. Scrabbling to his feet he heard the TIT-TAT-TIT-TAT of many little hard surfaces clacking on the mettle floor. A bug. A real one! Billy couldn’t see the thing which was probably both a mercy and curse. Had he been able to see he’d have realized he was facing a small (being the operative word) brown wolf spider which to him was about the size of a medium dog. The many legged predator head heard the noise and had come hunting new prey! Had Billy been able to see the thing he would have wet himself. Instead he faced up bringing his fists up to punch and gouge blindly at whatever it was. "Come On. I'm not dying here. I'm tougher than you think," he yelled out trying sound tough.
The thing came at him again and Billy punched down. His fist made contact with something hard but there was a squishy something too. A hiss from his attacker followed and Billy’s left leg burned in pain. He wailed down on the thing feeling a crunch and squish as he did so. The burning in his leg got worse…whatever it was didn’t let go.
While Billy was in a fight for his life Brittany, his younger sister was just getting. Kaitlyn had made it to the bathroom first and said it was too warm and turn up the AC. To annoy her sister, Brittany hit the thermostat and lowered the settings by three degrees causing the AC fans to kick-in. Billy had just lost his balance as his leg had gone numb and was now riding the creature he had fallen on. It bucked and tried to throw him off when BERRRRRR the breeze turned into a storm and the vent acted like a wind-tunnel funneling the air faster and harder than it would be otherwise. Billy and the creature were separated and Billy felt himself being picked up and then sucked away.
Billy went spinning and tumbling as he hit the side the vent over and over. He was sucked over himself, banging up against the floor and ceiling and then flying through the air. Suddenly there was light and Billy Grabbed out his hands snacking the vent while the air pushed the rest of him through into the open air. Billy’s feet dangled. He couldn’t hold on…
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June 10, 2023
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