The Dark Spirits Beneath by Kason Laufenberg (lightweight ebook reader txt) 📕

rattlesnake that had been coiled up under Layla's pack arched its scaly, reticulated form, poised in striking position, just a few feet away from where she was standing, sounding his telltale warning for all to hear. It tilted its head in agitation, following the unwelcome intruder and her movements intensely. Layla, already rigid and not daring to even let out a breath, held out her hands in front of her and began backing away slowly.

"Dammit, Layla... I can't be responsible for your shit, too!" James chastised, clearly failing to notice neither the sound, nor Layla's sudden hesitation, and certainly refusing to even check his own pack, on the off chance that he could oblige his colleague's request.

But it was enough. It was enough to make Layla flinch, and jerk her whole body. Which was enough to spook the snake, which made a motion to strike. Layla couldn't help it; she let out a startled, reflexive scream and expletive, and before she had time to think, was already jumping backward in anticipation of the bite to follow. She landed prone with a thud, a few feet back, and smacked her head on a cream-colored rock, half-buried in the hard clay soil. Thankfully, unbitten. She sat up, and quickly looked, just in time to see the perturbed rattlesnake slithering away, its well-defined diamond patterning slipping into a nearby burrow at the base of a large juniper bush.

"Layla! What's the deal?!"

Layla rolled her eyes, before finding her words again, "There was... there was a snake... rattler." Layla leaned back and allowed herself to exhale, for probably the first time in the last few minutes.

"It's just a stupid snake. There's a million of 'em out here!" Finally... something we agree on, Layla thought. Still, James clearly was in no mood to offer any sympathy. "Just forget it, and get your ass back over here already!"

Layla paid exactly zero attention to this terse response, as she scrambled back on her feet. None of it mattered. She winced, and felt the back of her head, to make sure she wasn't bleeding. No blood. But still, there was something... warm. A strange, familiar kind of warmth.

And in an instant, she just... knew.

Chapter 2

Familiar Feeling

It had been a while. Since Layla had gotten the feeling. The warmth. That familiar energy, rising up to greet her from the soil beneath her now static feet.

Layla was used to this feeling by now. Though she certainly didn't expect to feel it out here. Frankly, it had actually become a somewhat regular occurrence, and despite the circumstance, it didn't really seem to scare her anymore. Not in the same way it used to, at least. Over the course of her young life, Layla had been provided plenty of opportunities to refine this abnormal skill. Some opportunities were welcome. Others, decidedly not. Regardless, the result was that same, and she now found herself to be considerably more precise and accurate in her use of it. And, standing on this spot right now, unbelievably as it might seem, Layla could actually see what it is that's buried there. Clear as day.

Okay, friend... what's your story?

She smiled knowingly, finally able to shake the odd feeling off a bit. Enough to function, at least. Once again able to find her words, though not wanting to give herself or these secret abilities of hers away, for fear of being unceasingly ridiculed by James and everyone else, she stammered anxiously, "Hey, uhh... James? I was thinking... Why don't we try digging here instead for a while?"

James had just barely jumped back into their neatly marked-off excavation pit, by the time he heard his classmate's clumsy and seemingly random suggestion, causing him to pop his head back up in annoyance, "Umm... one more time?" Beginning the process of climbing back out again, he didn't miss a moment to berate Layla further, "Ya know, you and I are just supposed to be a lowly grad students on this dig. Ruiz is gonna be pissed if you try to move outside of the project boundary, wasting his time."

"Just.... dude... shut up... It'll be fine," Layla's attempts to reassure her colleague was turning out to be just as clumsy as her initial suggestion. She was beginning to wonder how she would even be able to go about explaining herself this time. "Trust me. I don't think it'll be a waste of time." As Layla stood, mulling over several ideas of how to convince James, she could once again tune in to the sound of the Bluetooth speaker, continuing to play Layla's playlist from the edge of the pit. Layla smiles, as "Hey Jealousy" by The Gin Blossoms faded out, and she could make out the familiar, driving opening guitar riff of "Long Way Down", by The Goo Goo Dolls.

"Hey, dude, by the way... turn that music up, will ya?"

"What, this?" James furrowed his brow, clearly derailed from their increasingly heated conversation, and, smirking, added, "You do know this song is older than you?"

By only about two months, you smug, son-of-a-bitch! "So? What's your point?" Layla fired back, in her most culturally assertive tone, "This song is awesome! I defy anyone to say otherwise!"

Layla paused her pop music lesson long enough to listen, and take a much-needed swig of water from her Hydro Flask. "Besides," she gulped, before continuing, "just because something is ancient, doesn't mean that it doesn't still deserve a little respect."

"Ancient?!" The sudden, gruff voice caused both students to jump, and instantly straighten up, "The Goo Goo Dolls are not ancient than you very much!" Dr. Ruiz, their academic advisor at the university and lead on this hellish excavation, must have been within earshot and came over to ensure his grad students were being kept well in line. The stern professor, who had to be at least a good few decades older than Layla and the rest of her fellow students, clearly prided himself in inspiring a certain level of respect and intimidation among them, aided in no