The Lost Level by Brian Keene Read Free Book Online

found a hilt.
I couldn’t believe my luck! It was a sword. I wondered about its owner. Who had
they been? Were they even human? I considered carrying the bones back into the
light and examining them, but decided I was too exhausted.
    Regaining my bearings, I carried the sword back to the entrance
of the cave, where the light was better. I examined it with appreciation.
Sunlight glinted off the blade. It was a beautifully crafted weapon, of a style
and design I was unfamiliar with. Despite the fact that I’d found it lying in a
damp cave, there wasn’t a spot of rust on it. The blade was still razor sharp,
and free of dings or notches. I tested it out, checking its weight and balance,
and was amazed. Never had I held such a weapon. It was absolutely perfect.
Whoever had made it, they’d been a true craftsman. My spirits soared once more.
I forgot all about being trapped in another dimension. Possessing such a weapon
as this would make my stay here much easier, no matter how long the duration.
    Satisfied with my find, I set about making camp. The cavern
entrance was narrow enough that I could easily defend it should the snake men
return. Obviously, the rear of the cave was dangerous only if I sleepwalked,
which, to the best of my knowledge, I had never done before and had no plans of
doing now. I laid out my gear, keeping the handgun and the sword within easy
reach, and wished for food and water. Tomorrow, I’d have to start the day with
a concerted effort to find both, and that meant returning to the lowlands. My
head ached, and my jaw felt tight. Both were signs of dehydration and hunger.
They would only get worse if I didn’t do something soon. I sorted through my
loose change and stuck a nickel in my mouth. I had read somewhere that if you sucked
on a coin, it worked up saliva in your mouth and eased a thirst. In reality,
all it did was make my mouth taste metallic and greasy. I spat the coin into my
palm, grimacing. My stomach grumbled again.
    To take my mind off my hunger, I crouched down at the cave mouth
for a while and watched the sun. I don’t know how long I stayed there. An hour,
perhaps. Maybe more. I do know that it was long enough for my feet to cramp and
my legs to go numb, but I stayed as I was, just watching. In all that time, the
sun never moved. It remained as motionless as I was. I was certain that it
occupied the exact same position in the sky that it had when I’d first arrived
here. Something else I noticed was that unlike the sun on Earth, I could stare
directly into this sun, and it didn’t hurt my eyes. Oh, the glare was still
intense, and if I stared too long, I saw funny shapes and blobs in my vision,
but it wasn’t blinding like the sun back home.
    Eventually, the pain in my legs became too much to ignore,
overpowering even the cramps in my empty stomach. Groaning, I stood up and
stretched. My muscles were so numb that I almost fell over, but the tingling
subsided after a bit. I debated trying to meditate, something I’d learned to do
in my occult studies, but decided against it. Yawning, I pulled the sword and
handgun close and lay down. Using a rock for my pillow, I waited for night to
come. It never did, but I slept anyway.

4

BREAKFAST WITH THE REPTILIANS

    I HAVE NO IDEA
HOW long I slept that first sun–filled “night.” All I know is that I
woke feeling unrested, sore, and afraid. My exposed skin was covered with bug
bites, my back and neck muscles ached, and my head throbbed—both from having a
stone for a pillow and from hunger and thirst. I vaguely remembered thrashing and
turning in my sleep, unable to get comfortable. No matter what position I’d
lain in, rocks and debris had dug into my skin. Worse, I kept waking up with no
idea of where I was. The irony of that fact was not lost on me.
    I stretched for a while, trying to work out the kinks in my
muscles. When that didn’t help, I meditated. Sadly, that was just as futile. I
found it impossible to clear my mind and calm