The Sea Below by William Meikle

Author:William Meikle [Meikle, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2021-05-18T22:00:00+00:00

-Danny-

By the time Danny, Stefan and Elsa emerged at the foot of the structure the top was already well alight. Fire showed at the windows several levels below the roof and flames rose up to roil across the rock above. Black smoke, forming like a thundercloud on a hot day, spread out to cover ever more of the ceiling, darkening the already dim cavern and sending scores of the giant bats swooping away in search of clearer air.

"Oh, lad, what have you done?" Danny whispered.

They waited in the doorway at the foot of the stack, watching for Ed, the heat increasing with every passing second until it came down the stairwell like a blast from an opened furnace door. Ed came with it, flames licking at his heels.

"Run, you idiots," he shouted, and almost knocked Danny over as he barrelled past him.

Then all three were running, Elsa leading them on, full-pelt, away from the tower as smoking black tar flowed out like a river and flame washed the whole height from ground to ceiling.

They ran for almost a quarter of a mile before having to come to a halt to catch their breath. Danny turned and looked back at what was now a conflagration. Black smoke hung across all of the cavern roof at this end of the island, laced through with guttering red flame. Burning streams of the black tar oozed and dipped from high and all of the turrets were now ablaze at the top, a grotesque parody of a birthday cake. Below that, flames lapped at all the windows and more of the tar oozed out of the doorways of the stacks, already spreading out across the plain towards where the men stood.

"Any more great ideas, lad?" Danny said.

The drips of flaming tar from on high were getting more persistent. They were also getting much closer.

"It's not going to burn out any time soon," Ed said. "I think a strategic withdrawal is required."

"But where to?" Stefan answered. He was looking up to where flames were spreading out in a blanket across a wide expanse of the roof above them. "Is anywhere safe?"

Danny didn't waste any time coming to a decision.

"The broch on the shore is closest. If worse comes to worst we can retreat to the water, the shallows at least, and hope that nothing else tries to kill us."

The light had dimmed even more, the cavern taking on a reddish, flickering hue. Smoke was now mingled with falling flakes of ash as the flames reached the vegetated area of the ceiling and fed greedily. The heat was stifling and Danny felt the skin of his cheeks stiffen as if taken by sunburn.

"Move," he shouted. "Double time, unless you want to be baked to a crisp."

The next half hour was a journey through hell; if Danny had been a religious man he might well have taken it literally. The fires above, rather than abating, were growing in intensity. Burning ash and drips of flaming tar came from above while flowing, oozing black tar swallowed the ground at their rear.

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