“Underground”

Clean it all… it must be cleaned.

The creature stirred and opened its eyes.

Clean it all… clean it all…

It felt confusion. It wanted, needed to move. To clean.

It must be cleaned it must be cleaned it must be cleaned…

The creature pushed against the hard, silent objects surrounding it in the darkness. One of the objects shifted.

Clean it all, the second being’s mind offered sleepily.

It must be cleaned, the first agreed, strangely relieved. It must be cleaned.

All obstacles will be removed.

It must be cleaned. It will be cleaned.

The first creature’s panic faded. It was not time yet. The time would come — soon. But not yet.

It relaxed and fell silent again. All was dark and still.

For now.