Amazing Stories: Shiner's Gold

Dad looked at me, puzzled.

"This shouldn't be here," he said. It's a hemideina."

"I don't care what it is!" I said, backing away, "I want to get out of here!"

Dad carefully scooped the weta up and put it into a plastic bag. Then we started to walk out of the tunnel, with me one step behind my father all the way, and our torches reflecting light off the damp walls.

Up ahead, the flashlight caught something.

"What's that Dad?" I whispered, pointing past his face.

"What?"

"I thought I saw something!"

Dad shone his flashlight ahead and the light reflected off something so scary I nearly fainted with fright.

Someone was walking ahead of us, out of the tunnel... someone as tall and thin as a stick-insect, with clothes like rags, and hair long and clumped down to its waist. Someone was feeling the walls of the tunnel, and stumbling in the darkness, swaying from side to side, with bare feet and hands like spiders...

"Hey!" called Dad. "Who are you?"

He sounded a lot braver than he was.

The strange human thing in front of us began to walk faster.

Dad speeded up, too.

The mouth of the tunnel was coming nearer. I could see the soft light of day seeping towards us. For a moment, the gaunt, skeletal shape was outlined in the tunnel entrance. Then it was gone.

Dad burst out of the tunnel and looked about him. There was nothing to see. Whatever had been in the tunnel with us had run for cover.

Or up the tree.

I saw the tips of the tree's branches trembling as something shook them, and several tiny bits of wood dropped down. The floor boards creaked.

"It's up there, Dad!" I whispered.