Perils of Fear

Plisken kicked up some dirt from the ground as he paced back and forward in front of the ominous pyramid. Jay had gone back to check on the others and plan out a course of action and Plisken had stayed behind to make sure the pyramid didn’t go anywhere. He was by himself, in the presence of his mistake.
“Damn it,” he said, pulling his hands over his face, the cold harsh touch of his metal arm shocking any sleep out of him. This was his fault. This pyramid. He was the one who had placed it here in the first place. Wasn’t he?
“Hey, Plisk,” said a kind voice from beyond the darkness.
“Evening, Phi,” Plisken said in return as the doctor stepped into the moonlight.
“Jay asked me to keep an eye on you,” she explained, taking a seat on one of the many discarded columns that littered the site of the pyramid.
“Isn’t that nice of him,” said Plisken taking a seat opposite.
“He’s just looking out for you.”
“Yeah, well, maybe I should be looking out for him,” Plisken snapped.
Phi’s face contorted into confusion. Plisken shook his head in way of an apology but was to bitter to actually say anything – though he couldn’t fathom why.
The two sat in silence for a while, staring at the ground while they waited for the others to get here.
“List-“ began Phi but her words were cut by a tortured scream. Plisken jumped up, his hands skilfully grasping the pistol in his belt. The scream continued- an agonised, almost mechanical screech. It seemed to be coming from within the pyramid itself. No words were being said, or that could be understood at least, but Plisken was sure it was the sound of a skutter.
“It’s Artie’s kid,” he exclaimed as he began to run towards the pyramid, a startled Phi jumping after him.
“Are you sure?” she asked, though Plisken never gave a response.

The inside of the pyramid was much larger than Plisken expected. A door slide open on the surface to reveal a steep slope leading down into darkness. Plisken was about to say something about the dark but Phi stepped forward and snapped a glow stick, the green light illuminating the way ahead. Plisken gave a nod of approval.
The pair ventured on, Plisken leading the way with his pistol raised and Phi behind, her arm outreached with the glow stick clutched in her hand.
“So, you say our worst and true fears are in here?” Phi said, breaking the silence the five minute silence of the pair walking down the same path.
“They were,” Plisken muttered, slightly worried that he had got his facts wrong.
But, as if to confirm that that Plisken had been right, the walls of the pyramid gave way to another scream and pulled Plisken down the path. Silence fell on the two again as they continued to walk down the same slope, Phi following Plisken’s now hurried pace.
At last, the slope gave way to a large chamber. But it wasn’t a chamber it was a – a – hotel reception? Plisken lowered his pistol as he stepped from the stone walls of the pyramid and onto the cheaply carpeted floor of this strange hotel, a simple wooden door closing behind them. Plisken and Phi took a few steps inside – Plisken’s eyes swirling crazily as he tried to comprehend this. But his attempted were broken by Phi’s screams. Plisken snapped around to see Phi wide eyed and terrified, her accusing finger identifying the culprit behind her fear. Plisken followed her point and saw that behind the desk, a ventriloquist’s dummy sat dressed in a smart blue suit. Its mouth jittered madly and its head span crazily in circles, giving the inhuman appearance more definition than it already had.
Plisken grabbed Phi and pulled her close, hugging her close. She buried her head in his chest and began to cry uncontrollably. Plisken kissed her forehead.
“It’s just imaginations, Phi. That’s all it is,” he said, trying to calm her down. Unpleasant memories of his daughters flashed undesirably in his eyes. He pushed them out the way and focused back on Phi, now, if not never, was the time to think about them. “Look, look it’s gone. See Phi?”
Phi pulled her head up and dared to turn her eyes towards the desk, expecting the worst. Much to her relief, the dummy had vanished. For now.
“I want to go back, Plisk. We should go back.”
Plisken thought about it for a moment. Was there really anything the two of them could do here? An old man and a young Doctor? Just an old man?
“Sure, we’d better get Jay.”
Plisken turned and pulled the door open. But he jumped when he saw was beyond it. A wall. The door opened up to reveal nothing but a wall. This was definitely the way that they came in. Phi began to bite her lip nervously and she grabbed Plisken’s had for comfort.
“So, Plisken?” said an all too familiar voice. But its owner was no where to be found.
“Fear is the mind killer,” Plisken said to himself.
“I’m pretty sure you know what room I’m in.”
“Plisken? What is it?”
“Room 64,” Plisken muttered to himself and made for the stairs, gently pulling Phi behind him. Plisken reached the forth step before he found his foot falling in mid air. In horror he looked down and saw that the stair case had disappeared and replaced by a black void. Plisken and Phi feel helpless as everything around them disappeared. Even the light went out.

Plisken woke up, banging his head against a hard surface.
What was that? he thought to himself as he opened his eyes to take in his surroundings. But when he opened them, he couldn’t see anything. Frantically, he threw his arms out to try and find something, anything. But he just banged his knuckles against a hard surface. He terror he began to pad all around the surface that encapsulated him, his movements growing crazier and even more frenzied.
He was trapped.
He shouted.
Nothing.
He shouted again.
Nothing.
He pleaded to the nothingness for there to be something.
Nothing.
He was trapped.
Buried alive.
Alone.
Dead.
Plisken screamed, his tortured voice reaching only his ears. He wished for himself to be dead rather than spend the rest of his life trapped. He screamed again.
And woke up. Sweat soaked his shirt but the cool green grass of the night helped to compose his mind. As his fear began to wean, he pushed himself up.
“Phi?” he called. No reply.
“Are you sure she was there?” asked Emily.
“No, not really,” said Plisken, casually acknowledging his hallucination. But he slowly realised and searched to find the source of the voice.
“Behind, you…”
Plisken spun round but only found Phi standing there, wide eyed and a question begging on her lips, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Plisken sayed, his metal hand trying to take away some on the sweat of his brow, “We’d better go.”