Reid has nowhere to go. The lit lip of the tunnel is so narrow he is mostly in the dark, his back facing the approaching creatures. He tries to turn, slips, his sneakers losing traction on the skinny bit of ledge, sending a cascade of pebbles and dust down the quiet shaft. He has no time to think up a plan, no recourse. Either he falls or the creatures eat him alive.
On his knees, Reid's desperate hands grip the outside edge of the shaft wall as he searches for something, anything that could save him. As he does, something grabs his foot and squeezes. Reid's yell is hoarse with fear as he kicks hard. Whatever held him flies off with a muffled yelping cry. Reid spins around so he is sitting on the edge of the ledge, his legs in the dark and holds on to the shaft with both hands as he thras
