UCSD Gothic: Head into the tunnels. They seem safe enough.
You’ve read online about the tunnels. Lots of conflicting stories about why they’re there, but honestly, You’re not expecting much. Maybe you’ll see some graffiti. Maybe you’ll get caught and expelled. That would certainly be exciting. Regardless, you tramp to where you’ve heard there’s a tunnel entrance, a gate held closed by a length of chain. Working at it for a few minutes, you manage to wedge it open enough to squeeze through and let yourself into the underground maze.
At first, there’s not much to it. Cramped hallways, dead leaves on the floor, and not even any art on the walls to speak of. At least you think so. You feel your way around the walls. Trying to keep track of your path through the dark is impossible. Bend left, turn right, go forward. You must have looped around at some point because you trip on the same block on the ground twice.
After what feels like your fourth loop, you suddenly hear the sound of wet ground under your feet. Did it just move underneath you? You quicken your pace, heart racing along with you. These tunnels don’t make any sense. You try turning on your phone light to see, but there’s nothing to see. Just more black tunnels.
Ahead you hear more noise… Running water? A rattle that starts to reverberate in your chest as you get closer and closer. The ground bucks under you and you slip, falling back onto wet, warm tiles. Scales. There’s something under you, its muscles tensing and ready to strike.
With another jerk, you rocket to your feet again, and, chancing a glance backward, you see it. Two bright eyes looking directly at you, glinting in the light of your phone.
Run.
Forward and around a corner and down another hallway. Faster. Through an archway and towards what seems like a light, until you come to a fork in the road.
