The floor they were standing on was collapsing.
Lila yanked Caleb forward. "We have to jump—there's no other way!" Her voice shook, but her grip was firm. Ethan hesitated, then nodded, his face set with fear. The charm flared brighter as they leaped, the light cutting through the dark. For a second, they hung in the air, the pit's cold breath brushing their skin, then they crashed onto a slimy ledge below where Jenny was fell onto, the impact jarring every bone.
The eyeless faces turned toward them, their mouths opening with wet, sucking sounds. Above, the entity's shadow stretched, its glowing eyes narrowing as it started to descend. Caleb felt a pull in his chest, like the charm was calling him deeper. Lila squeezed his hand, she's scared too. "there has to be a way out" she whispered, as the ledge trembled and the pit's walls pulsed with a heartbeat-like thump.
The slimy ledge shook under their feet, the pit's walls closing in like a living trap. Caleb gripped the charm, its heat biting into his skin as the eyeless faces below let out wet, sucking noises, their hands clawing at the air. Lila stood nearby, her red hair a messy glow in the dim light, focused on the drop ahead. Ethan panted, brushing dirt off his jacket, his eyes darting to the shadow bugs still skittering down the walls of pit they fell into.
Jenny groaned, her bleeding hand limping in the cold air, her free hand scraping the ledge for balance. Old Tom's body was gone, swallowed by the pit, leaving only a smear of blood. The walls pulsed, a heartbeat thumping louder, and a cold wind blew up, carrying whispers that made Caleb's head spin."We can't stay here!" Ethan yelled, kicking at a root that snaked toward him. Lila nodded, scanning the ledge. "There's a tunnel down there—looks like it goes somewhere." She pointed to a narrow opening below, barely visible through the mist.