The minor earthquake was at first thought to result from a large coal piece falling and shaking the cavern.
However, they were mistaken.
A black mass of coal at the very end of the mine where they had all been digging cracked slowly. Black carbon dust spilled outward and spread over the cavern's floor.
Before any inmates could realize what was happening, the mass of coal exploded, and lumps of coal the size of torsos blasted outward.
It smashed into walls and knocked men off their feet with great force. A large coal struck one prisoner squarely in the chest and threw him backward like a rag doll. His screaming stopped as his body slammed into the cavern wall with a sound that made Irin's stomach turn.
Suddenly, something slithered out of the mass of the exploded coal. At first, the inmates did not understand what they were seeing.
Next, the creature gradually rose from the black dust.
Its body was impossibly long and thicker than four huge men combined. Black armored scales completely encased its body, and its head was broad and angular.
This creature gave the impression it was missing a crucial organ: an eye.
Both the guards and inmates believed it to be another blind, clueless, gigantic beast that had lost its way inside the cavern.
"All this hugeness only to end up being blind. A wasted potential, to be honest. "Defeating this blind beast is now less of a challenge for us," one guard said, laughing as he pointed at it.
But they were mistaken again when the slit on the opposite side of the creature's skull opened, revealing dark red glowing eyes that signified 'hunger.'
It was the coal viper. And it had an eye.
And as if sensing their displeasure, the viper let out a welcoming hiss.
'The large mass of coal was the viper's cocoon. We have been digging and scratching the surface mistakenly, thinking it was another coal to be extracted. The cocoon broke when it got weakened. We all set the viper free. We all brought this doom on ourselves,' Irin thought.
Someone dropped to their knees, sobbing. "It's real… It's real… the rumors about a beast that dwells in the coal mine are real."
"Run!" someone shouted.
A wave of panic spread inside the mine. They all dropped their axes to the ground, abandoned their baskets, and ran.
Like wildfire, confusion spread through the tunnel as many prisoners fled toward the entrance, only to halt in utter disappointment.
An impenetrable barrier of stone and coal, compressed tightly by the earthquake, now blocked what was once the cavern entrance.
The exit was gone, buried beneath tons of heavy coal and stones.
A prisoner laughed in a high, broken sound that ended in a sob.
"We're trapped."
"No…" someone else muttered, shaking his head. "No, no, no."
A guard amongst them quickly rushed out.
"Enough!" he shouted. "Standing there won't save you! Dig the opposite wall now! If we don't make another exit, we suffocate, or we get eaten. Pick up your axes!"
Fear is a powerful motivator. And in moments like this, fear was the gateway to survival.
They all scrambled to pick up the axes they had dropped. Turning their backs on the sealed entrance, they dug quickly at the opposite wall of the mine.
Coal dust filled their mouths and lungs as the inmates dug tirelessly for one simple reason: to live one more minute.
It was at that moment that the viper launched towards them.
Darek dropped his axe.
"IT'S COMING THIS WAY!" he yelled, already sprinting past Irin and his friends.
He was the first to run, abandoning everyone else without a second glance. The others, including Irin, ran for their precious lives.
Fear undid the minimal progress and unity they had achieved while digging the wall for an exit.
They narrowly escaped behind a massive, fallen stone slab when the viper zoomed past them with terrifying speed. The creature's side scraped the slab, creating a shockwave that smashed Irin against the wall.
A sharp pain shot through his ribs as he stifled a cry, falling behind the massive stone.
Things escalated to the point where the guards felt compelled to use their weapons.
"SHOOT THIS MOTHERFUCKER UP!" the chief guard shouted.
The iron bullet struck the viper's armored scale, creating a small spark before bouncing off and leaving a scratch.
The viper, unaffected by the event, maintained its rapid pace.
It reared up and arched its body impossibly high before it charged at those guards.
One guard barely had time to scream before the viper grabbed his head. The viper swallowed the guard whole, as if it were nothing.
"FALL BACK!" the chief guard shouted.
But it was too late.
The viper spat out a lethal poison, dissolving the chief guard in seconds, similar to how acid would affect tissue paper.
One by one, they all fell like dominoes.
Two guards raised their guns and opened fire at the viper indiscriminately.
"Come on!" one yelled. "You think you're tough?"
The viper whipped its tail with such swift speed, striking both men mid-sentence and smashing them against the cavern wall. Upon impact, their bodies burst open, with some of their flesh and blood splattering the coal wall before sliding down in a pulpy mess.
Screams from other inmates filled the cavern.
One of Darek's friends took cover beside a rock protrusion. He covered his mouth, shut his eyes tightly, and was seriously praying with tears streaming down his face as the viper slithered by his hiding spot.
After the noise stopped, he inhaled and murmured, "I'm free... I'm free..."
Upon opening his eyes, he realized the viper was staring straight at him.
For a lovely moment, a predator and its prey observed one another.
The boy barely had time to run before the viper grabbed him by the chest and lifted him into the air.
With a bite, the viper split him in half, just as one would break a loaf of bread.
The viper munched on his stomach's contents, and his body then slumped lifelessly to the floor.
Another one of Darek's friends screamed and ran, bursting from cover in blind panic. The movement captured the viper's instant attention.
That one error led to the downfall of many.
The hidden prisoners nearby became panicked and ran away, scattering like frightened animals. The tunnel descended into chaos.
Prisoners and guards were running and tripping over each other. Some even threw their axes aimlessly at the viper.
One axe struck the viper's head, and it bounced off harmlessly.
The man who threw that axe did not get a second chance. The viper bit him into a hundred pieces.
Another tried to run past the viper, but the viper snatched him by the legs. He screamed as the viper dragged him into the darkness until his voice was no longer heard.
Some attempted to fight back by using axes, throwing rocks, or shooting guns. They all met the same fate.
The viper crushed them, bit them apart, or slammed them into walls until nothing recognizable remained.
Irin hid himself behind the stone slab, while Darek crouched nearby, oddly calm.
"Idiots," Darek muttered, watching the slaughter. "Absolute idiots."
He laughed. "Did they really think they could fight that thing?"
Irin glared at him, clutching his injured side. "You're insane."
"Maybe," Darek said lightly. "But think about it. If that thing eats enough of them…" He gestured vaguely toward the carnage. "Gets its belly full... Maybe it will crawl back into its hole."
He grinned. "That might be our chance to escape."
Irin laughed. "You think like a parasite."
Darek tilted his head. "That's how a parasite lives. By surviving at any cost."
They both looked as a loud crash echoed from the far side of the mine.
Only the viper and one of Darek's friends were remaining. The boy ran for his life as the creature pursued him relentlessly.
"Run! Darek shouted out with a laugh. "That's it! Faster!"
He clapped mockingly. "Impressive! Almost proud of you, boy!"
"Care to place a bet?" Darek turned to Irin.
"On what?" Irin asked.
"Whether the viper eats my friend, or he runs fast enough to survive."
'This guy must be insane. Imagine placing a bet on your friend who is in a life-or-death situation. Nah.'
Irin looked at him with disgust.
When Darek didn't get any response from Irin, he sighed.
"Fine. My money's on the viper."
Darek stood up from his hiding spot and extended a supportive fist, "Go get him, viper!"
When the viper thrashed, hitting both sides of the mine wall while chasing the boy, a long, pointed, needle-like coal broke loose from the high ceiling.
The pointed end struck the boy's head with a devastating force, slicing his head in an instant. Blood spurted out of his divided brain as he crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
The viper slowed down and inspected the body.
"Viper for the win! Darek said as he stood up, openly exposing himself.
The viper, certain of the body's death, began to turn its head, and its furious red eyes found Darek. It began to crawl towards him.
Irin, who was safely hiding close to Darek, realized what had happened and mumbled:
"I'm screwed."