Chapter 5 - Thwomp's Fortress

''I got a really bad feeling about this...'' Shelly said as they slowly and carefully made their way into the next room.

A trickle of water ran in a small stream across the uneven floor and disappeared into a small grate in the far wall. Kev disgarded his torn robe while Shelly tucked her own and Bau's away in her seemingly bottomless bag. They walked a few more steps before Kev stumbled forward into a foot deep crater in the groun. Cracks branched out from the center of the rectangular depression and Shelly noticed that Bau was looking up into a large recess in the roof.

''Uhm.. I know where we are.'' He whimpered lightly.
''Where?'' Kev grunted as Shelly helped him up.
''Thwomp's Fortress.'' The Boo replied weakly.
''Do I really want to know what a Thwomp is...?'' Shelly asked cautiously.
''See this crater we're stood in?'' Kev said, paling.

Shelly nodded.
''This was made by a Thwomp.''
Shelly swallowed hard and quickly clambered out of the depression, the Spikey Koopa following close behind.
''The one that used to be here's long gone.'' Bau said with an air of reliefe. '' But, if I were you, I'd look up on a regular basis, otherwise you'll be crushed.''
Silence washed over the room as Shelly let those words sink in. After a moment's hesitation, they wandered around the dark room, looking for a way out.

''There's a set of steps leading up to the ground floor over here!'' She called out.
''How d'you know that's the ground floor?'' Bau asked.
''I can smell fresh air.'' The Panther replied, flaring her nostrils and inhaling deeply.
Bau and Kev approached the stairs and did the same.
''That's where the exit is.'' The Koopa said, excitement seeping into his voice.
''And the Thwomps.''
''And the pits.''

They all exchanged looks and Kev headed up the steps first, followed by Shelly and Bau. They came out at the far end of a long, wide landing; large shadows hung over cracked depressions in the floor, much like the one they'd seen in the dungeon below.

They looked up at the recesses in the roof, each one with a large, near-oblong cluster of spiked stones filling the gaps, some of which, seemed to be moving gently, as if they were floating. The sound of stone gently grinding against stone filled the silence once again and dust fell to the ground along with clumps of rock.

''Some of them are fake.'' Kev whispered hoarsly.
''How d'you know?'' Bau critisized.
''There's a slight difference in colours. The darker onse are the fakes.''
''Great.'' Shelly mumbled. ''We're gonna be crushed by a fake Thwomp.''
''Try to go around their shadows, but try and avoid the dodgy floor stones.''

They carefully edged around the large shadows that loomed overhead whilst ebing carefull not to stand on any loose stones in the floor that were precariously scattered about the large landing.
Kev gave a cry of dismay when the floor gave way beneath his feet as he sidled along the wall, the tough, grey spikes on his black shell grinding and scratching against the cold stone as he fell.
He grunted when he caught hold of the crumbling ledge. Below him, the remnants of the stone floor he'd been standing on, lay at the bases of old, rusted spikes.

The Spikey Koopa whimpered as he felt his grip loosened when the ground shook violently, a deafening bang echoeing throughout the landing.
Shelly screamed as she dove toward the struggling Koopa, avoiding a falling Thwomp by a scant few inches as she ran beneath it towards Kev. She tried desperately to ignore how close she was to being crushed, but couldn't resist a look behind her. A cold chill ran up and down her spine when she saw the face in the massive stone block. It was like looking at a giant mask of pure hatred.

She pulled her attention back to Kev and gripped his wrist with both paws as the Thwomp retreated back into it's recess in the roof, shuddering once more as the air shifted strongly behind her as it moved.
Further down, another Thwomp came crashing down to the floor, shaking more dust and lumps of stone loose across the landing as Bau raced across to help Shelly and Kev.

''What 'appened?'' The Boo panted, then jumped as the Thwomp behind them landed with a crash again.
''What d'you think happened?!'' Kev snapped angrily.
Bau grunted a sigh and grabbed the Koopa's other wrist and helped Shelly pull him up.
A sudden thought occoured to the grey Panther, so spontaneouse, that she couldn't help but blurt out ''Don't they ever get bored?''
''Incredibly!'' Boomed a voice from above and a growling chorus of agreement swiftly followed.
The three looked at one another.

''I think we better get out of here before they decide to chase us!'' Kev panted.
Shelly looked at him in horror before scrambling to her feet.
''The main door's locked, but we can climb out of the front window up on the next floor.'' Bau said and took off, weaving between the Thwomp's shadows.

They took their chances and ran after the Boo, narrowly avoiding the pitfalls and being crushed by the Thwomps.
''Why would someone build a place like this?'' Shelly wheezed when they reached the stair case at the end of the hall.

''It used to be a prison.'' Kev panted as they started to ascend the steps.
''That explains the spikey pits and Thwomps.'' Bau said as he floated ahead of them.
''Why did they stop using it?'' Shelly hazarded.
''The visitors and guards kept getting crushed.''
''Thwomps are compulsive crushers. They can't help it.'' Bau added and floated a little farther ahead.

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