《Cave Crawl》A Reluctant Companion 2
Advertisement
“Huh, so it looks like my computer still works, no internet though.” He stood over his desk, leaning down to use the keyboard.
“What good is that?” She was sitting on the floor with the contents of his closet spread out on the floor before her. She couldn’t help but look at a black and white checkered shirt. Most of his clothes were too weird looking for her to even consider wearing.
“I’m pretty sure I had some survivalist files at one point. I don’t have a printer here, but if we can find a room where someone does have one, we’ll have a lot of handy reading material.”
“Nobody keeps a printer in their room. And why can’t you just read them here?” She pushed a shirt aside with her foot.
“We really don’t have enough food to doddle around here for that long. It’s worth a shot to try and find a printer. My hard drive probably only weighs a couple pounds, so we can just stick it in a bag and hook it up when we find something.” He unplugged the desktop from the wall and started unscrewing its case.
“When will you untie me?” She examined a tee shirt featuring a drawing of a helicopter over the ocean. It didn’t seem too bad compared to her other choices.
“I donno, when will you kiss me?” He reached into the tangle of cables and retrieved a silver box. He turned it over a few times in his hands then grabbed an old newspaper out of the trash. He wrapped the hard drive in it, then taped the paper together.
“How long are you going to make me keep trading my dignity for basic comfort?” None of his jeans were the right size for her. The only thing she could conceivably get into were an ugly pair of gray drawstring sweatpants.
Advertisement
“It seems to be working out pretty well so far.” He had recovered the knife from the burglar, but it wasn’t much to rely on. He glanced around the room for a more suitable weapon, then settled his gaze on the wooden curtain rod. He pulled it down and looked out the window. There was a small space outside of it, surrounded on all sides by crimson rock. He brushed off the curtains and examined it. The rod was maybe five feet long with no distinguishing features. A few practice swings proved it weildly. She uncovered a shirt with a shooting range’s logo.
“Why are you playing with that stick if you own a gun?”
“Well, funny thing about that. I was cleaning my .45 in the kitchen and I didn’t get to take that room with me.”
“Useless.” She scoffed.
“When’s the last time you ate?”
“A few hours before you killed them.” She said this in an almost accusatory manner. Andrew raised an eyebrow, but held his tongue.
“Between what snacks I had in my desk and what those dead guys had, we have half a sandwich, five Cliff Bars, and a block of cheese. How about we have a little lunch date here, get to know each other a little better?”
“You can’t just force me to act like your girlfriend.”
“That’s where you’re wrong babe.” He said with a grin.
“Will you untie me?”
“Sure babe.” Andrew motioned for her to turn around and undid the rope. He put down two cliff bars between them. She stared at it for long moment, then slipped the helicopter shirt on. He took the wrapper off hers, then his own. She immediately swept hers up and stuffed it in her mouth.
Advertisement
“My name’s Andrew, yours?” He bit off a small segment of his bar and chewed on it slowly.
“Yui.” She didn’t look at him as she spoke.
“What did you do back in the regular world?”
“Biology student.” She grunted out between swallowing chunks of food. Andrew quietly continued to work on his bar, waiting for her to finish hers completely before speaking.
“I was a chemistry student, looks like that’s something we sorta have in common.” She half nodded at him, then looked up at him.
“Did you enjoy killing them?”
“Not at all. It was pretty disgusting.”
“Do you like hurting other people?”
“I don’t know, though I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.”
“D-do you mean that you’re going to...” She started to inch away from him.
“I won’t hurt you Yui, but everyone else is fair game.”
Advertisement
- In Serial120 Chapters
The Last Science
[This story is on a temporary hiatus due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I work in healthcare and unfortunately no longer have the freetime to continue posting on a regular basis. As soon as our workload decreases, I will return. Thanks for reading! 💙] No one ever knows the whole story. Nestled deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, something is emerging. Kept in absolute secrecy, it seeps into a fading town, quietly shared from person to person. For Alden Bensen, a directionless high school graduate, this discovery could mean an escape from his empty existence. To Rachel DuValle, perpetually underestimated and dismissed by the world, magic represents a chance to become something much greater than herself. In the face of an unsuspecting world, their decisions shape the growth of a budding society discovering untold power. This potent force offers anyone the power to change humanity forever—or send it cascading into swift and total annihilation. Want this story in smaller bites? Click here! The Last Science is an ongoing science-fiction / low-fantasy web novel series, focused on the modern world with a twist. New societies bud and grow, but the people who make them up are imperfect and flawed. The story includes elements of mystery, action, crime, interpersonal drama, relationships, philosophy, sociology, politics, and much more, all centered on the perspective characters driving the tale. Each chapter is pretty long (average ~8000 words), so find somewhere comfy to read. Content Warning (by request): This series delves into some topics and situations which may be upsetting for some readers. In American rating parlance, the narrative would be rated PG-13 (except for language), but some have noted the story can get pretty dark on occasion. Please use your best judgment, and don't be afraid to take breaks and come back later. I'll still be here! This story will also be published weekly at my website (https://etzo.li). There will be no differences in content, but slight differences in formatting. Feel free to read at whichever site or app you prefer. If you're enjoying the story, consider dropping me a vote over on Top Web Fiction, or come say hi on Discord. Thanks! Need more to read? Check out my other story, Epilogue — a post-fantasy psychodrama. Now complete! This story is a participant in the Write til the End pledge. It will be completed, no matter the cost.
8 216 - In Serial55 Chapters
Petrichor
Cody is adrift. Emily is alone. Sara is spiraling into darkness. Andrew is out of control. Chris is losing his mind. Grace makes the mistake of being friends with all of them. The friendship this six share will forever shape who they are. In the town of Darkwood, Washington they are forced into the harsh reality of the world as the consequences of their actions catch up to them. Their lives are entangled in the hands of fate as a collision course to their demons fast approaches.
8 107 - In Serial20 Chapters
#Call Cthulhu
An eldritch comedy. After Cthulhu is summoned into the world, the whole place goes to shit. Things really got out of hand after Cthulhu got nuked. Alex and Julius, a pair of brothers, try their best to make it in a North America reshaped by an eldritch apocalypse. “Stop right there Philip!” Julius interrupted, the vein on his temple starting to throb. “I do not want to hear another simile about what magic is. I have had magic explained to me by three cult leaders, a wizard, and a cannibal. I've heard that magic is like a rainbow, all its parts blending together. The human unconsciousness, powerful and unknowable. A body, you don't want to eat the heart straight away. I am sick and tired of people telling me what magic is. I know damn well what it is.” He drew a breath, interrupting his rant. “Magic is a bad joke. A whole lot of setup, for some nonsense punchline. This whole god-damned apocalypse is an eldritch comedy.”
8 107 - In Serial12 Chapters
Nexitus: Neoteric Origins
Humanity is on the brink of extinction despite recent advances in artificial intelligence. Birthrates are on the decline and the population is on the brink of anarchy when a miracle seems to appear. An extraterrestrial company has been working with the governments for entry into a galaxy-spanning entertainment system. To upload our consciousness into a new body and begin anew in this wondrous seeming world. But is all on the up and up as it appears to be? This is a story about a married couple who aim to upload themselves to enjoy a new lease on life, have adventures, and maybe find something they shouldn't have. Join Susan and Phil on their journey into a brand new world where their relationship and adventuring are more then what they thought it would be. Authors Note: Found out I shouldn't be using content warning tags until the story has them so I did remove them but it will likely contain sexual content, profanity, gore, and traumatizing content in the future.
8 190 - In Serial14 Chapters
The Tetris Effect
This is a contemporary fantasy thriller novel, written in a literary style. A hacked-off online gamer, an ageing spiritual scientist, a psychotropic-addled anaesthetist, and a reclusive RPG developer, are thrown together on an unusual quest. When a regression experiment tears open a rift to the afterlife, two immortal guardians find themselves reincarnated as mortals, with no recollection of their ancient past. They become connected through an RPG called Atari Shock. The clock is ticking to find the lost immortals and take back the afterlife, but a mysterious future tech company has a powerful ally and intentions for the land of the dead. What do the challenges of this otherworld have to do with a reclusive gamer and a fragile developer, and can they come to terms with the true origins of their identities before the land of the dead is lost to a powerful primordial force?
8 188 - In Serial24 Chapters
RE: DIVINE
(Mature story with language, with possible sexual situations and gore later on) Partially a parody for people who complain of the influx of op reincarnated mc's. The main character died and won a prize for doing so. The prize? Divinity! Follow our main character in a realm where he is absolute!
8 82

