Resurrection(Part 4)

The Red Carpet

It was summers and Nefertiti and Paul had come to an art gallery for a special french artist's exhibition.

At least, that’s what they believed.

The building itself stood unusually quiet, almost withdrawn from the noise of the city—as if it existed in a different layer of time. Even the air inside felt heavier, scented faintly with camphor… something that didn’t belong to polished walls and curated art.“This place feels… strange,” Paul whispered.

Nefertiti didn’t reply. Her eyes were fixed on a lone elevator at the end of the corridor—its doors slightly open, as if waiting or inviting.Without quite deciding to, they stepped inside.

The moment they did, the doors slid shut behind them.Paul turned to the panel.There were no buttons going up.

Only down.Ground. -10. -20. -30… stretching far beyond what any normal building should hold.

Before either of them could question it, the lift jolted.Then dropped witj a violent, breath-stealing plunge.Nefertiti grabbed the side rail, her balance slipping as the floor seemed to vanish beneath her feet. Paul staggered, barely steadying himself.

“Madam!” he cried out, panic breaking through his usual composure. “I hope we are not walking into another adventure. This is already suspicious!”It fell faster.7 floors down but it felt like eternity.

Inside, the space seemed untouched by the chaos of the descent. Gold carvings curled across the walls in intricate patterns, like ancient symbols whispering forgotten meanings. A single abstract painting hung before them,and beneath their feet—a soft, plush carpet.Too comforting for something falling into the unknown.The speed increased again.They slipped, nearly crashing onto the floor.

Half-leaning, Nefertiti let out a strained breath. “Paul… if we are alive after this…”

“We are taking the stairs,” he finished quickly.

“This is not an ordinary lift,” she murmured. “It feels like… it’s taking us somewhere.”And then—The fall stopped.

The doors creaked open slowly, as though unveiling something not meant to be seen all at once.Darkness waited outside.

Not empty darkness—but dense, breathing, ancient.They stepped out carefully.

The air was different here—cool, damp, carrying the scent of raw earth. It felt like stepping into the inside of the world itself.Ahead lay a narrow passage.A tunnel… or perhaps a cave.

They moved forward, instinctively lowering themselves as the ceiling curved down. The walls, when touched, were smooth yet alive with texture.

Then, as their eyes adjusted—They saw it deep red corals embedded into the walls, glowing faintly under a dim, unseen light. They shimmered like hidden gemstones, pulsing with a quiet, unsettling energy.

The deeper they went, the stronger the pull.

And then—At a distance, something emerged from the darkness.A long, beautiful red carpet unrolling towards them waiting for them as if welcoming them.

Nefertiti’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, finally… I think that should be the way out.”Ahead of them, the red carpet stretched invitingly through the dim glow.

They moved forward carefully. The ground beneath their feet was almost invisible—uneven, shifting. It felt like pebbles… or loose stones… constantly adjusting beneath their weight.Then—A strange sensation.Soft.Greasy.Alive.Before they could react, they had already stepped onto the red carpet.And everything changed.Their feet froze and they got stuck.

As if the ground itself had decided to hold them back.Paul tried to pull away—but couldn’t.

“Something’s wrong… I can’t move!”

A force began pulling them inward.As if the carpet was not a surface—but a mouth.And then they saw them.Tiny, red, slimy creatures everywhere.Writhing ,twisting crawling over each other in endless motion.

Paul’s voice cracked with terror.

“What… what are these nasty creatures? I’m losing my grip! Someone—please save me!”They climbed onto his legs ,upwards spiraling and engulfing him slowly.

Nefertiti tried to resist, pushing against the pull—but the more she fought, the stronger it became. The creatures wrapped around her ankles, tightening like living ropes.Paul’s body trembled violently. His breath became erratic.

“I’m sinking! Madam, I’m sinking! They’re… they’re swallowing me!”His eyes shut tightly.More than pain—It was fear that consumed him.His lower body went numb.

The red carpet beneath them began to swirl, pulling them deeper into itself, like a living vortex.But Nefertiti—paused.

Her body, though strained, remained controlled.Her breath slowed.Her mind—alert.Something felt… off.These creatures…They weren’t biting.They weren’t tearing.They were only… holding.Wrapping.Pulling.

“Paul… listen to me!” she said, her voice firm despite the chaos. “They are not hurting us.”

“But they’re pulling me inside!” he screamed.

“Yes. Because you’re fighting them.”

For a moment—even in that madness—her words hung in the air.Nefertiti closed her eyes.And chose stillness.The moment she did—the pressure changed.The pull softened.It no longer felt like drowning…It felt like being carried.Like a wave beneath her.

Her body adjusted instinctively. Slowly, carefully, she began to move—not against the creatures, but with them.Her hands freed first.She grabbed onto one of the red forms.Slimy,strong,alive.Not monsters.

“Earthworms…” she whispered to herself. “Just… different.”Larger ,stronger,magnified.A faint realization dawned upon her.

Fear had distorted them.She shifted her weight, allowing her body to flow upward with their movement instead of resisting it. With controlled effort, she pushed slightly—just enough to guide herself.

“Paul!” she called out. “Stop fighting! Don’t resist them!”

“I can’t!” he gasped. “I’m going under—”

“You’re not! Listen to me. The more you panic, the deeper they pull you. Just… let go.”

His breath shook.His body trembled.But somewhere between fear and surrender he tried.Just a little and the pull eased.

Nefertiti reached out, stretching through the writhing mass, her muscles straining.

“Give me your hand!”Paul’s fingers twitched, barely visible under the crawling red forms.She caught them.

“Look at me,” she said, her voice steady now. “You are not in danger.”

Her calm cut through his chaos.

Slowly… painfully… he opened his eyes.And for the first time—He saw the creatures weren’t attacking they were reacting to him and to his fear.

“Breathe,” she whispered.He did.Once.Twice.The grip loosened.

Together, they began to move—not forcefully, but gradually, aligning with the subtle rhythm beneath them.It was slow and exhausting.Their bodies slipped, leaned, adjusted but they moved forward.

Nefertiti’s heart pounded. Sweat lined her forehead. Every muscle ached—but her focus remained unbroken.With one final effort, she pulled—And they broke free.

They collapsed onto solid ground.For a few moments, neither of them moved.Only their breathing filled the darkness.They lay there for a while, saying nothing.Only the sound of their breathing remained—slowly settling, like dust after a storm.

Paul was the first to move.

He pressed his palm against the ground… then again, a little firmer this time. As if confirming if the ground is still and real.

“It’s… steady,” he murmured.

Nefertiti gave a faint nod. She didn’t look back immediately. When she finally did, the red carpet lay still—perfectly spread, almost innocentN with no movement.

No trace of what had just happened.

For a moment, it was hard to believe it had been real at all.Paul followed her gaze, then quickly looked away.

“Let’s not take that path again,” he said quietly.Nefertiti almost smiled—but didn’t.

Instead, she rose slowly, brushing the dust from her hands. There was a certain stillness in her now, a quiet awareness that hadn’t been there before.

“Maybe it wasn’t the path,” she said softly. “Maybe it was how we walked it.”

Paul didn’t respond.But he didn’t argue either.They stood there a moment longer—feeling the ground beneath their feet, the faint coolness in the air, the silence that no longer felt threatening.Then, without another word, they moved forward.

The darkness ahead remained unchanged.But their steps didn’t falter this time.And somewhere behind them, unnoticed—the edge of the red carpet shifted, just slightly,as if exhaling.