The light flashed up for a last time and then there was only darkness. "Didn't I tell you to get working torches?"
"Those were working, Rain. Those were perfectly all right."
"Erik, they don't work now." Suddently a small flame appeared. Fire, the tactical officer, grinned. "Gas lighter. Works under nearly every condition."
"Nearly?" Erik asked.
"Well, it mustn't get too wet." Then it was dark again. The sound of rain could be heared as well as Norns and Ettins cursing.
"Erik, why the hell did you ask that?"
"I was just curious..."
"We don't have the time to go back. Stick to the wall and walk on."
"Which wall, Rain?"
"Let's say the left one." Steps splashed through the water.
"Where are you going?"
"To the left wall."
"But you are moving away from it."
"Stop this nonsense and come over. We have a misson." said Fire. The splashing came nearer.
"Let's go, I'm here." Rain bumped into Erik.
"You are going into the wrong direction."
"Oh, sorry."
Time passed. Rain, Fire and Erik were totally wet but they just had to get through the passage. "Why did we have to go?"
"You are the best engineer we have and Fire is the best one of our military. And since nobody wanted to go here I personally had to make sure you do your job."
"I don't believe in ghosts, Rain."
"Sure you do."
Time passed. "Rain?" There was no answer. "Fire?"
"I'm here."
"Where's Rain?"
"Should be directly behind you." Erik stopped. And someone bumped into him.
"Is that you, Rain?"
"No. It's me." Fire answered. "We lost her. What shall we do now, Erik?" There was no answer. "Erik?" Fire moved his hand into the direction Erik should have been - but there was nothing but the wall. "ERIK?!" No answer.
Suddenly he saw a light at the end of the tunnel. Carefully and with the gun in his hand he moved forward. Slowly. Very slowly. Fire heard his heart beat. It was the only sound besides his breath. The water - gone. It not only stopped to rain but there was also no water on the ground. Twenty cm of water gone. And even his fur wes dry. Fire nearly failed to notice the Shadow moving towards him at high speed. He fired. But nothing happend. As the torches the gun wasn't working. The shadow didn't slow down. It came closer and closer and closer and went through him. Fire didn't feel anything - except fear. "Go away," he wispered "please go away." But it didn't stop. More and more shadows appeared and went through him, flew above and around him. Fire wanted to run away. To do anything. But he couldn't move a muscle. Well, he could move his eyes but that doesn't really count, does it? The air was full of voices. Not loud enough to understand anything but loud enough to recognize that those sounds were voices. Meanwhile had come closer, had surrounded him He could see see every little detail of the shadows. Some he couldn't recognize but others were Norns, Ettins and Grendels as well as some figures reminding him of pictures showing Shee he had seen. To make things worse they glowed, floated and you could see through them. Under this circumstances only few people are able not to believe in ghosts. Fire's body wanted to shake but couldn't move. He couldn't even close his eyes. The shadows vanished as suddently as they appeared. Fire could move again. But he didn't relax. Out of the light, directly in front of him came a figure. A Shee twice as large as him and with a pale blue skin. A skin Fire could look through. Fire started to run. He stopped in front of the figure, turned around and run into the other direction. Again the figure blocked his way. But this time Fire didn't stop. He continued to run and prepared to hit the figure. We he touched it vanished and scary laughter could be heard.
"You'll never get out of here. Now you are mine." The voice said. A voice you would have supposed to belong to Death himself.