The Grue

         There were five of them left, survivors. They could only run so long. The beast never grows tired in the darkness, never shows signs of weakness or letting down. Minutes ago there were ten left. Before that, twenty-two. The beast works fast, faster than they could run.
         The hallway came to an abrupt end. The panic partnered with the darkness to halt the survivors. The only way back was from where they came. Obviously that was not a promising option. At less than a yard away, the beast was practically invisible, just sounds of terror echoed through the halls. The beast obtained one of the survivors tossing him effortlessly aside, crushing bones and causing severe internal damage. In one swift movement the beast tore through another survivor, splashing warm blood on the walls and the remaining survivors.
         One of the survivors crouched down feeling against the walls to find the nearest corner, she began weeping uncontrollably . The beast gawked in her direction, as if angered by the sorrowful tears. It stood around eight feet tall, hunched over with bits of decaying flesh hanging from random pieces of its body. Its mouth widened, vertically and horizontally, expanding large enough to engulf the defenseless woman.

Part One

Chapter One

Begin

         Edgar started his daily routine, exiting his house to greet the mailman. It was more convenient for the both of them. They exchanged friendly glances and Edgar was handed the mail. Two envelopes and a magazine. The kind of magazine a person doesn't subscribe for. As Edgar headed back to his house he glanced back at the mailman driving in his truck down the street. He almost neglected to take a second glance at the strange event occurring at the pale, white house next to his. They got mail.
         The house had been abandoned for years, long before Edgar moved into his own house. The mailman drove away. Edgar couldn't resist the temptation to see what kind of mail the abandoned house received. He waited for the mailman to drive around the corner before making his move. He placed his own mail on the ground, magazine on top to keep it from moving.
         Edgar reached the abandoned mailbox, hardly hesitating, and opened it. One piece of paper, folded three times with the necessary mailing information on the front. Edgar was a hasty worker, always getting his objective done as fast as he can, this was no exception.
         Edgar almost dropped the paper. He gawked and reread it.

I see you couldn't resist, Edgar. I bet you have always wondered what was inside the white house. Here is your chance to repel resistance. I left the back window open for you.

         Edgar couldn't believe the situation. Whoever the writer of the letter was, got Edgar to submit. Edgar refolded the letter and slipped it in his pocket , heading south towards the house. Upon arriving he noticed a window slightly ajar on the east side of the house, just as the mysterious sender suggested. Edgar approached the window with caution. For once, he felt a bit of fear, yet something compelled him to continue feeding his curiosity. The window, even though ajar, was rusty; probably due to the lack of use. Eventually, with great effort, Edgar opened the window far enough to allow entry.
         The window granted Edgar access to the Kitchen. He was surprised to find that it looked like a normal kitchen, as if someone frequently used the house. A main table took up most of the space, but scattered in the usual places were the essential kitchen-themed furniture. The only thing that could be classified as 'out of place' would be the staircase leading up, into the darkness. The sight brought a chill down Edgar's spine. He turned away from the stairs, facing what seemed to be the living room.
         The house from the outside was completely misleading. Barred doors and windows gave off a vile vibe, as if it was keeping some viscous and voracious beast concealed. Inside, the house was normal, even sharing qualities of his own living room. Only one object seemed out of place. Outdated more the out of place. A lantern.
         Edgar moved toward the lantern. As he examined the lantern closer he realized the lantern was not as outdated as he thought. It was electric and wore a guise of an older oil lantern. Edgar lifted the lantern easily, instantly noticed a sprawl of letters on a posted note beneath it. The handwriting was the same as the letter from the mailbox. Edgar pulled the previous letter out of his pocket to compare handwriting. They were identical. This note was different than the other one, it had one sentence. It is dark down there, you will most likely be eaten by a Grue. Use the lantern to light the way.
         Simple. Advice more or less. But down? What does he mean by down? Edgar searched anxiously for an answer. Centered neatly in the room there was a rug. Elegant, exotic, eager to be moved.
         Edgar's assumptions were right. As he moved the rug, a trap door came into view. With great effort, Edgar pried the door open; revealing a dark abyss. What exactly is a Grue?
         What was that? A noise, distant at first but grew catastrophically. Edgar stopped his breathing. Barking, a dog. Right outside the house. Probably a stray. Edgar dismissed the noise and activated the lantern. He underestimated the illumination of the lantern. A powerful beam of light cut through the darkness below, leaving Edgar with a squint in his eyes. Edgar smiled, felt a rush and entered. The darkness was unnaturally thick, as if some evil source spewed out darkness, instead of light. A Grue? Or is it, the Grue. The darkness was so thick he could not see the stairs he was walking down.
         Almost instantly, as soon as Edgar disappeared into the floor; the trap door behind him closed. Edgar could hear footsteps above. Edgar remembered seeing no handle on the inside. Shit. In his panic he messed up his footing, falling down the remaining stairs. Six steps, not a deadly fall, but enough to leave Edgar momentarily incapacitated. Drifting into unconsciousness, Edgar began wondering what lurked ahead, fearing what would become of him, and doubting his very own life.

Lost

         "Did you hear that?" he said.
         "No shit I heard that, it was pretty loud," she said. "it sounded like it came from the trap door room." It was dark, they leaned against the cold wall, close together. Close enough so the beast could not hear them. They conserved the electricity of their lanterns, only using it to find their way around corners.
         "Do you think some one else is here?" he asked.
         "I hope not, we don't need anymore people dragging us down."
         They both waited a moment, in silence. Then came to an unspoken decision. Being stationary isn't going to get them anywhere. Maybe the trap door was still open, maybe someone is here to rescue us. She was wrong. Edgar just stumbled into the trap just as easily as they did. They had the entrance part of the maze memorized. The other parts were an unknown void waiting to be explored. We will get to the rest of the maze. After we see who, or what is here.

         Luck was not on the survivors side. It also heard the crash. The trap door closing. Unlike the survivors, it knew the maze. The darkness below was part of it. The Grue. It moved slowly, leaving chunks of flesh and blood behind. It picked up speed gradually, making its way straight for Edgar and the other two survivors.

Found

Edgar opened his eyes, squinting. The lantern was still on, slightly dimmer than before, yet still extremely bright. He nearly forgot where he was, almost who he was. He had no clue how much time had passed. He rose to his knees, scanning the parts of the room the light revealed.