Deep under the Pott: Inferno in the Ruhr Area E-Book

Lennart Kall

• Herausgeber: epubli
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Deep under the Pott: Inferno in the Ruhr Area When the monsters emerge from the depths of the earth to the surface, chaos breaks out in the Ruhr area. Cities like Bochum and Gelsenkirchen are overrun by the beasts as the miners and their allies from the newly discovered world fight against the invasion. But the real danger lies not only in the monsters, but also in the growing distrust of the population, which sees the survivors as a threat. Amid violence, betrayal and destruction, Ralle and his group must face the greatest battle of their lives - risking everything to stop the inferno that threatens to engulf their home.

Leseprobe

Title:Deep under the Pott:

Inferno in the Ruhr Area

Author: Lennart Kall

Biography:

Lennart Kall was born in the Ruhr region in 1985 and grew up in the industrial landscape that later became the backdrop for his dark, fantastic stories. Even as a child, he was fascinated by the secrets of the underground world - by mines, abandoned industrial plants and the stories that surrounded them. Instead of following the traditional educational path of a literary scholar, Lennart Kall gained experience in various professions and traveled a lot. These experiences flow into his stories and give his works authenticity and a strong down-to-earth feel.

Kall now lives in a small town in the Ruhr area and uses the impressive landscape as a source of inspiration.

Chapter 1: The Break

The air was oppressive, the kind of humidity that makes it hard to breathe, even though the sky had been shrouded in darkness for hours. Ralle was standing in front of the bar "Zum Pütt", a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, his hands deep in the pockets of his greasy jeans. "Shitty weather," he muttered as a rumble rolled through the street. "Thunderstorm? Or haven't you digested yesterday's kebab yet, Manni?" He glanced at his friend, who was standing next to him, leaning against the brick wall with a beer in his hand. Manni laughed, burped loudly and pointed to the sky. "No, that's not thunder, that's the pot. It's fighting back." Before Ralle could answer, the ground beneath them shook. It started very lightly, like a tremor that travelled through his feet. But then it got stronger. Bottles clattered to the ground inside the bar and a siren began to wail. "What the hell...?" Ralle stared at the street in front of him when suddenly a crack ran through the asphalt, wide and greedy like the mouth of amonsters.

"Shit, run!" Manni yelled, threw down his beer and ran. But Ralle couldn't move. Something rose from the gaping hole in the ground - a movement, a shadow that was too big to be a person. A sound, a scratching, grinding screech like metal on stone, echoed through the night. "Ralle! Move! Or do you want to end up in there?" Manni was back, pulling him roughly by the arm. They stumbled back together, just in time to see something writhing out of the depths. It was big, much too big, with limbs that looked like black blades and eyes that glowed in the street light. "What the hell is that?" Ralle's voice was little more than a hoarse whisper as the thing let out a rumbling sound and moved toward the two of them.

"A damn spider from outer space?" Manni gasped and pulled Ralle further away. "Get out of here, man! That's not for us!" Behind them, the road continued to collapse. Cars tipped over, a few peoplescreamed, and the animal swung out of the hole at incredible speed, its legs clattering like glass on the asphalt.

Ralle stumbled into a side street, pulling Manni behind him. "We have to get the others," he gasped as they stopped for a moment. "If that animal is here, then the other animals aren't far away either." Manni spat on the ground and shook his head. "What other creatures? It's just one!"

"Yes, exactly." Ralle stared back at the street, where smoke and dust were spreading like a cloud. "Just like back then. First one, then a thousand. And then everything's fucked." “You really think that’s coming from down there?” Manni seemed stunned, but Ralle grabbed him by the shoulder. "Where else could it come from? That's not normal, Manni! We have to go down into the shaft. The others weren't finished with the entrances. Maybe something is still open." Another tremor knocked her off her feet.This time it was even more violent, and a loud crunching sound caused a wall next to them to collapse. "Damn it!" Manni pulled himself up and pulled Ralle back onto his feet. "This is getting really ugly, isn't it?"

"Oh yes," murmured Ralle, gritting his teeth. "And that's just the beginning."

Chapter 2: Terror in the Night The city was in a panic. Sirens were blaring everywhere and people were running through the streets screaming. Cars were sideways, some were burning, others were being crushed like toys by the creatures. Ralle jumped over an overturned garbage container, behind him an old man who could barely keep up. "Come on, Grandpa, faster! Do you want to get eaten, or what?" He grabbed the man and dragged him across the next intersection, while behind them a house collapsed with a deafening crash. One of the creatures, larger than the others, climbed out of the rubble with uncanny grace. Its long, limb-like tentacles twitched in the direction of the refugees, its shiny black skin reflecting the light of the burning buildings. "Run!" Ralle pushed the old man into an open doorway where a few other survivors were already sitting crouched and trembling. “The beast is right behind us!” screamed a woman with disheveled hair, who wascrying child. "What should we do?"

Ralle pulled out his flashlight and waved it around in front of the entrance, hoping the light would irritate the creature. "Stay calm! And if I say something, you do it, okay? No whining, no yelling, otherwise we'll all be mincemeat."

“And what do you do now, hero?” Manni appeared next to him, panting, a broken broomstick in his hand. "Shut up and watch where you put that thing." Ralle stared out as the creature moved toward the door like a hunter. He grabbed a brick lying around and threw it at the monster with all his might. "Hey, you ugly pig! Here I am!"

The creature reacted immediately, turning its head - or whatever the thing had - towards him. "Yeah, exactly, come here. Come and get something." He pulled Manni by the shoulder. "As soon as the thing is in, we'll run out the back. OK?"

But before the creature reached the door,something happened that made Ralle catch his breath. Out of nowhere, a silvery light shot through the street and hit the creature directly in the side. It screamed, twitched and fell to the ground. And then he saw it.

Sura stood in the middle of the chaos, a powerful blade in her hand, her eyes sparkling with anger. She was just like she had been back then, wild and beautiful. "Ralle," she said quietly, her voice clearly audible despite the noise. "We don't have time."

Ralle blinked, unable to say anything. But as she came closer, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him towards her. "You idiot. Why didn't you wait?" “Sura…” was all he said before she kissed him on the lips.

The kiss was short, but it burned like fire. Ralle could feel the pain and longing in her, and as they separated, he whispered, "I thought you were never coming back."

"I couldn't stay away," she murmured, pulling him into a side alley, away from the others. "But now I'm not talking anymore." Before Ralle could reply, she had pushed him against the wall, her hands on his shirt, which she practically ripped off his body. "Here? Now?" he asked, half surprised, half excited. "Yes," she hissed, her eyes flashing dangerously. "We could be dead tomorrow." That was reason enough for him. Their bodies met, hot and demanding, their hands found every little spot on each other. Sura was merciless, passionate, and Ralle gave her everything he had. The sounds of the city disappeared for a moment, and all that mattered was the burning heat between them. But before they could finish, Ralle heard another tremor and the shrill screech of another creature nearby. "Shit, we have to go back!"

Sura nodded, her breathing heavy but her eyes clear. "Then let's go. We still have a lot to do."

Chapter 3: Back to the Depths The shaft was exactly as they had left it - a claustrophobic, gloomy world full of memories of blood and darkness. The musty smell of damp and oil mixed with the stench of decay. Ralle led the group, an old miner's lamp in his hand, while the others followed close behind.

"Listen, Ralle," Manni began, his voice shaking slightly. "I don't feel like climbing down there, where our balls almost got ripped off last time."

Ralle turned around and glared at him. "Do you have a better idea, Manni? Do you want to take out the monsters up there by yourself? Maybe with your broomstick, yes?"

"It's okay, it's okay! It was just a question, you stupid know-it-all." Manni mumbled something else that Ralle deliberately ignored.

Behind them they could hear the scraping of boots on the metal and the irregular breathing of the others. "Are you okay, or should I get you a stroller?" asked Ralle without turning around. "Oh, just shut up," replied Holger, who was in the back row. "I almost died once because of your stupid hero plan."

"And yet you're here," Ralle replied dryly. "So make a point and move your ass." The men finally reached the last platform before the shaft. The rusty elevator that had almost killed them was still hanging there, as if it had been waiting for them. "Shit," whispered Benny, putting a cigarette between his lips. "That damn thing is supposed to take us back down? Do you want us to die, or what?"

"We'll die anyway if we don't do something," Ralle replied, stepping forward to check the old levers. "Now put out the cigarette before everything explodes. Do you have any idea how much methane gas is lurking down here?"

"You're the only one with the guts to operate this stuff," Holger muttered as he turned to look at the darkness behind them. "Yes, and you're the only one with a head that's only good for drinking." Ralle pulled the lever and the elevator began to jolt with a protesting squeak. "Everyone in, and quickly." The elevator seemed ready to dissolve at any moment as it slowly moved downwards. Darkness surrounded them, broken only by the faint beams of light from the lamps. "Do you remember what awaited us down there last time?" whispered Benny, clinging to the rusty bars.

“Yes,” Ralle replied briefly. “And this time we are better prepared.”

"Better prepared? With a pickaxe and a pocket knife?" Manni snorted. "You really are an optimist."

"Oh, shut up, man," grumbled Holger. "Better than nothing."

Suddenly the elevator stopped with a loud bang. Everyone jumped and Ralle cursed quietly. "Shit, it's stuck. Typical." “And now? Do you want us to jump down here?” Benny asked nervously, whilehe stared into the depths.

Ralle climbed over the railing and pointed to an old iron ladder that ran along the wall. "We'll take the rest on foot. But woe betide one of you if you fall down. I won't pull you back up."

The descent seemed to take an eternity. The men cursed and panted as they worked their way down, bit by bit. Finally, they reached the bottom of the shaft. A familiar but no less frightening sight awaited them: the entrance to the underworld. “Great,” muttered Manni. “Back to hell again.”

"Shut up," growled Ralle. "If we don't find Sura and her people, we're screwed." The group entered the strange world through the narrow passage, where the shimmering, bluish light of the underground plants greeted them. The air was heavy and warm, like a sweaty summer evening. “Ralle.” A voice broke the silence,and suddenly Sura stood before them. Her appearance was as stunning as ever, her skin shimmering in the light, her eyes sparkling like two stars. "Sura," said Ralle, his voice rough. "We need you."

She stepped closer, her blade in her hand, her posture tense. "You opened the gates again. You humans are always trouble."

"This time we're not the only ones causing trouble," Ralle replied seriously. "The monsters have found their way to the surface."