Page 38 of Hell's Fear

“Which means we have to fit the correct length to work together, or we risk coming up short,” I said.

“Yeah, looks that way,” Calamity concurred.

They experimented and finally agreed on four to slot together and shoved them in the holes that Calamity had discovered. They then fitted into groves on the first stepping stone.

We made a line, and I pulled out slats and handed them to Bunny, who passed them to Rosie, who gave them to Calamity. He slotted one in and shifted forward. And on we went until Calamity reached the stone. They worked out the poles again and continued with our production line, growing until we were all engaged and passing slats along.

The final slat locked, but a jump remained between it and the door platform. Calamity leapt across easily.

The river of blood we’d built the bridge over began to bubble, liquid landing on the slats.

“That’s going to make it slippery. I’d crawl if I were you,” Calamity called. Chance, who’d been behind him, rolled his eyes and made it across easily—and without crawling. Jase did the same, but Darkness, ignoring all warnings, tried walking and slipped straight in.

I screamed as a pigman appeared from the blood and grabbed Darkness before disappearing with him.

“They took Darkness!” I screeched.

“It’s fine. They won’t hurt him,” Chance soothed.

Ramirez and Pyro, learning from Darkness, crawled deliberately and made it across. Bunny flew over, followed by me, but Rosie was terrified.

“Baby, come on!” Calamity called, beckoning her.

“I can’t!”

“Sure you can, babe. Concentrate on me.”

“Calamity, I don’t want to be kidnapped by Pigmen and forced to have their babies!” Rosie cried.

My jaw dropped open as I looked down. I could see several pig heads moving around.

“That won’t happen, will it?” I whispered to Chance, who snickered and shook his head.

“No, honey,” he reassured me.

In the end, Calamity had to go back and fetch Rosie, who stayed so close to him. I was amazed she didn’t shove her head up his ass.

I hadn’t realised I’d spoken aloud until everyone began laughing, and I blushed. But Calamity certainly did appear uncomfortable.

“Bitch!” Rosie snapped once she was safe, but her eyes were twinkling.

“You’ve no idea,” I muttered.

“Come on,” Ramirez commented, and we entered the next room and froze.

Five men stood there with guns pointed at us.

Immediately, the guys moved in front, but not before I saw the Venomous Fang cuts.

What the fuck?

“Time to die, assholes,” one called out.

“Take cover,” Calamity hissed at Rosie, Bunny, and me. We did as ordered and ducked behind some packing crates.

“They’re unarmed,” Rosie whispered.

“I know,” I said, terrified.

---