Slugtectives 2 - Day 40 : 551 words

The sudden sounds of skittering startled both of them and Gary froze in place as he waited for the impact he expected. Nothing happened and the sounds quickly vanished leaving them sitting in silent blackness. After a long pause Gary gave a small snort then continued moving forwards, Larry following along at the sound of his movement.
The skittering sound exploded suddenly again only behind them and they both instinctively pulled themselves into tights balls and held tight waiting for the impending attack. The skittering sound continued all around them and at times was farther and sometimes right next to them. They never felt anything touch them but the sound was so intense they kept their ball forms tight.
Larry gradually became annoyed at their reaction and his thoughts went to the camera and the laser. He cautiously raised a tentacle to look around him for what was making the cacophony and was stunned to faintly see legs, a lot of legs, a lot of times. He raised his other tentacle to get a better look but the blackness obscured his view.
“How bout a shot with that thing Gary? It’ll light the tunnel up and likely scare whatever this is off,” he asked.
Gary slowly raised a tentacle to look towards Larry’s voice and as he did he had to shift his body a bit and when he did the laser fired a bright green flash of light. The laser fired towards the entrance to the tunnel where the entered and as it did the tunnel glowed for a moment, long enough for them to see around them and the masses of centipedes that skittered all around. Their masses of legs all moved in a seemingly random motion and then as soon as the view was there it was back to blackness again.
“I don’t want to do this anymore,” Gary said as he turned back towards the way they entered, ”let’s get the hell out of here.” He pushed past Larry and headed at his top speed back towards the slowly increasing in brightness entrance hole.
Larry listened to him and then felt the brush of him as he passed and he called after him, “what are you afraid of? It’s just a bunch of centipedes. They can’t hurt you.”
Gary wasn’t having any of it and despite him having the laser his flight took over the fight and he just wanted to be back in his hole. He had begun to question exactly what it was that he was doing. Was he trying to prove something to someone, himself maybe? Or was he trying to keep himself from thinking of various parts of his life? Everything seemed like a viable answer at the moment and he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what was bothering him.
Larry heard Gary continue on without stopping and he had to follow if he wanted to catchup to him before exiting the tunnel. As the dim light began to glow brighter and illuminate the tunnel more as the got closer Larry could hear more of the skittering behind them and he tried to pick up his pace. The image of the glowing opening was locked in his mind and he was feeling the desire build to be out in the open again.