Cryptotrappers!

Cryptotrappers- The Scale Crawler

Wednesday 30. I slept poorly that night, namely due to the horrors I had experienced that day. Oh, sorry, you thought I was referring to whatever was in the well? No, what I mean was Randy's mother's cooking! Steak that was both burnt to a crisp and underdone, boiled mush that used to be vegetables, gravy the consistency of tap water and the approximate flavour too. Needless to say it was silently agreed between us as a group that we'd had a big breakfast before we arrived that day.

Apparently, my issues with sleep were mine alone, as whilst Sid woke up at six on the hour, as he had done before, Randy... did not. Through water or violence, he'd continue to snore, barely stirring enough to mutter a few words before drifting back off. We eventually managed to rouse him when Sid threw a couple of chunks of ice on his face, which woke him long enough to remain awake for the day. First priorities would be going into the well ourselves to find out what happened to the ACD, recover it if we could, and learn more about what the threat would be. Figuring out a plan for capturing it could come after we'd found out what it was. So, with the sun already up, courtesy of Randy, we approached the well cautiously, and prepared to climb down. That was, of course, before we heard a little voice behind us that we hadn't noticed before.
"Can I come too?"

"Zeke!" Randy shouted, his fists balled as he marched towards his cousin. "What the f...lip are you doing here!"
"I want to see the monster! I want to come with you! Please!" Zeke pleaded, as Randy unclenched his fists and tried to act more reasonable.
"Zeke, please, this is serious. You can't come with us. Go home."
Randy's tone sounded tired, though that would be near impossible given the amount of sleep he had.
"No!" Zeke exploded, stamping his foot and turning beetroot. "I don't wanna, and you can't make me!"
Firmly, Sid pushed Randy aside, nodding professionally and reassuring him.
"Let me deal with this."
Sid approached the child, still stamping, and stood at full height, towering over him. Zeke, undeterred, let out his mightiest kick into Sid's shin. With no change in expression, Sid lifted him by the shirt and held him to eye level, as Zeke's expression shifted and he became far paler.
"Kid, listen to your cousin." Sid ordered in a firm, low growl. "This isn't a joke. This is seriously dangerous. You could die. Go home. Now. Or else."

For just a moment, I thought he'd call Sid's bluff- at least I really hoped it was a bluff. But Zeke darted off as soon as his feet touched the ground again.
"Little harsh, don't you think?" Randy asked, to which Sid snorted passively.
"Didn't see your way working." Sid replied with a smirk.
"It was a little harsh." I agreed, as we encroached on the well. Of course, the well as just as mossy, dark, terrifying and abandoned as it was yesterday, so the obvious question, after we'd lowered the rope, would be who'd be descending first.
"Last to say Kappa goes in first!" Randy shouted, waiting for the two of to fight between us. "Well?"
"Well," Sid explained, "neither of us are saying it. So that means you were the last to say it. You're up."
Gulping, Randy slowly started climbing. And it was all going so well, until the rope snapped.

"Randy!" I shouted, eyes darting in panic. "Are you alright?"
There was no response. I turned to Sid.
"Do we have another rope?"
"No, but we still have some length of this own left." Sid noted, unsurely. "If you're happy to continue to use rope that's just snapped on us."
"Do we have a choice?"
Shaking his head in begrudging agreement, Sid handed me the frayed rope's end. Carefully, I tied it around my waist and lowered myself down the well and into the cold water, landing next to the winded Randy who was just beginning to rouse. Sid followed me into the ankle deep water, and we stood together in formation as to not get surprised as we planned our steps going forwards. After a short, hissed discussion, it was decided that we'd try and follow the path the ACD took. So with me in lead, and torches to hand, we began our trek through the damp well cave.

Little conversation was had as we walked, but some unresolved tension seemed to remain between us. Randy tried to lighten the mood by humming as we progressed but Sid quickly silenced him, much to his chagrin, in case it alerted whatever was down here with us. We walked so long that the torches became dull, and of course, none of us thought to bring spare batteries, leaving us in the dark. All of us were on the lookout, sure that the ACD was lost somewhere around here but not knowing the exact area.
"Hold up, hold on, stop moving." Randy whispered suddenly, pointing ahead of where we stood. I strained my eyes in the darkness to try and see what it was, but to no avail. Pressing forwards much slower now, we moved as a unit close enough to recognise that what we were seeing was a body. A large, hairy, mangled body.