Teeth and Bone

Prologue

Sunlight seeped through the crumbling ceiling, illuminating the dank cave. There was no need for the torches, lamps and matches the pair had packed, all rendered useless in the bright corridor.

"You ready?"

He checked his gear one last time, carefully patting his pockets and ensuring all potential problems were prepared for. Once completely sure, he nodded his assent. "All good," he smiled at her, the expression warming his eyes when he saw her unbound excitement. "Let's do it."

Glad they were finally ready to begin, she pressed the little red button, letting the beep begin her transition into show-person. Already, the numbers on the screen were climbing, the live stream popular enough for them to continue their facade.

"This is the moment you've all been waiting for. We're here in the Lake District, currently scouting the hidden passages, close to the underside of a lake." It was a necessary precaution to be this vague. If they actually found something, it wouldn't do well to have the location swarmed by wannabe treasure hunters. The coordinates of their newest adventure would remain under wraps. "There have been rumours from towns around here," she continued, narrating the story that was more fiction than not with the voice of a well-worn story-teller. "Animals stay away from this place, a place with darkness imbued into every rock and stone. People hear screams through the mountains, dark and deathly." Her expression flipped, winking at the camera with cheek, "But who knows, it could just be the wind."

As soon as the camera faced forwards, she looked at her partner, a silent conversation ensuing. Once sure that everything else was good to go, she took the lead once again.

"We were lucky to find this place, stumbling across it when looking for ruins. The entrance had been worn down over hundreds of years, enough to reveal faded markings and the entrance. After that, all it took was a few hits with a pickaxe and we were in." She thought a little about whether or not to elaborate further. "There's something about this place. I think that maybe, the locals might be right about this one." She could imagine their viewers excited exclamations lighting up the screen.

She turned around and sent a sly smile towards the camera.

"Who knows, it could have been fate."

They didn't talk for a while, the phone just directed towards the many stalactites and boulders that decorated the cave system. It was enough for the people watching; they knew the best was still yet to come.

It wasn't long before the pair reached a wall, one so obviously unnatural; the marbled quartz didn't match the gloomy grey of the rock that formed the walls of the rest of the tunnel. This one too was covered in strange markings; angry, violent slashes of red that spoke of violence and death. No matter the language you spoke, this was a clear warning, one not heeded by the treasure hunters, their thirst for victory too great to be satisfied by finding the outer gate. After all, they still had millions of followers to entertain.

"Si, you ready?" The person in question nodded his affirmation, skilfully handing the phone over without too much disturbance to the video feed. He reached for the pickaxe that swung lazily on his belt, lifted it up and started hacking away.

It was a slow process, as expected, small pieces of rock flaking away with each movement. Simon glanced her way, subtly asking her to help rather than just stand around holding the phone while the viewers tired of the monotony.

She didn't get the hint, too engrossed with the comments popping up on the screen.

It was validating to see their follower's words, expressions of intrigue and all-round liking of the online series. Of course there was the odd malicious ones thrown in but Shae had long since learned to ignore them.