Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition

In the heart of a forsaken jungle, where the canopy was so thick that sunlight rarely kissed the forest floor, lay an ancient temple lost to time. Overgrown with creeping vines and shrouded in perpetual mist, the temple was the stuff of legends—whispered among tribesmen and adventurers alike. They spoke of riches beyond imagination and a curse that befell any who dared enter.

Tonight, under the dim light of a waning crescent moon, four treasure hunters stood at the temple's entrance. Their leader, a grizzled veteran named Marcus, raised his torch, illuminating the carvings of serpents that twisted and coiled along the walls.

"This is it," Marcus said, his voice tinged with excitement and fear. "The Temple of the Eternal Serpent."

They had journeyed for weeks, braving quicksand, poisonous plants, and beasts that should not exist. But nothing they faced so far compared to the dread that now clung to their bones. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional hiss of some unseen creature. Explore stories on empire

"Let's get what we came for and get out," whispered Eliza, the sharp-eyed scout of the group. Her voice wavered as she tightened her grip on her machete.

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With cautious steps, they ventured deeper into the temple. The air grew colder, the walls narrower, until they reached a vast chamber. In the center, on a pedestal, lay a golden idol of a coiled serpent, its eyes twin rubies that seemed to pulse with a life of their own.

"We found it," gasped Simon, the scholar of the group, his eyes wide with greed. He reached out, but Marcus grabbed his wrist.

"Not so fast," Marcus warned. "Look around."

It was then they noticed the skeletal remains scattered across the floor. Some were ancient, others fresh enough to still carry the stench of death. But what truly paralyzed them with terror was the enormous snake skin that stretched from one end of the chamber to the other. It was a relic of a serpent so large that it defied reason.

Before they could react, the ground beneath them began to tremble. The air was filled with a low, guttural hiss that reverberated through their bones. The torchlight flickered, and the shadows danced as the sound grew louder, closer.

Then they saw it. Emerging from the darkness, its scales glistening like polished obsidian, was the largest serpent they had ever seen. Its head alone was the size of a boulder, its fangs as long as swords. The eyes, those same ruby-red eyes, locked onto the intruders with a malevolent intelligence.

"Run!" Marcus shouted, but it was too late.

The serpent struck with blinding speed. It coiled around Simon, crushing him with such force that his screams were cut short by the sickening crunch of bones. Eliza and Marcus tried to flee, but the serpent was relentless. It lashed out, felling Eliza with a single swipe of its tail, sending her crashing into the wall with bone-shattering force.

Marcus, the last standing, stumbled backward toward the entrance, but the serpent blocked his path. He raised his torch in a futile attempt to ward it off, but the beast was unimpressed. With a swift motion, it knocked the torch from his hand, plunging the chamber into darkness.

Marcus felt the serpent's breath on him, hot and foul, as its massive jaws opened wide, revealing rows of dagger-like teeth. He knew this was the end. But before the serpent could strike, something in the temple's walls began to glow. A soft, golden light emanated from the carvings, illuminating the chamber once more.

The serpent paused, its attention drawn to the light. Marcus, seizing his only chance, sprinted toward the exit. He didn't look back as he heard the temple rumble and the serpent's roar echoing behind him.

He burst into the night air, his heart pounding in his chest. The temple entrance collapsed behind him, sealing the serpent within its ancient lair once more. Marcus fell to his knees, gasping for breath, grateful to be alive.

But as he staggered to his feet, the jungle around him grew eerily silent. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Slowly, he turned to see the ruby-red eyes glowing in the darkness, emerging from the ruins.

The serpent was free.