The cave

>be anon sent to South America to explore a newly found temple cant hide my excitement
>the Jeep we’re taking finally pulls up to the hotel getting out I’m greeted by some locals

> I head in meeting the team and locals who found it they mostly how they found the entrance but do to stubborn guide and a setting sun they had to head back but marked the way back
>but the part that catches my attention is when they deductive markings covering the entrance I can barely hold my excitement

>after the conversation we decide to head out me and a small group to go set up and explore it a bit we head to our rooms

>I find it almost impossible to sleep from anticipation and the feeling I’m being watched I slowly pull myself from my bed and head towards the window to close the blinds I freeze the minute i grab the tattered curtains what stairs back at me are two grey eyes with blood red pupils

>I manage to close the blinds slowly backing away looking for something to use as a weapon I stop my searching hearing a light tapping and scratching sound on the window

>the noise continues for what seems like a few minutes before abruptly stoping I wait a few minutes slowly making my way to the window hugging the wall I peek out the window for a bit clutching my makeshift vase weapon tightly making me worry I might shatter it in my hands after a few minutes of looking I make sure it’s locked before returning to my bed my weapon close to my side

> the knocking on the door wakes me grog from barely sleeping from worrying about my late night visitor I stumbled way to the door greater by a wall of muscle I look up seeing a black panther anthro looking down at me
“Sleep well?” He ask having a thick accent i yawn nodding yes  he simply chuckles “come get breakfast”

> I slip in some clothes for our trip to the site before heading down I head over to the window opening the window I look out seeing a tree and the spot were I saw those eyes i lean out looking out my window noticing something carved under the window “anon you alright” I jump hitting my head on the window I look seeing another researcher “yea just needed some fresh air “ he gives me a concerning look before walking away I close the window heading down stairs

>after breakfast we get ready to head out me and two other researchers and two guides being anthros bats there names being Mateo a fruit bat and Sebastian being a much shorter brown bat

>after packing we head out to the site I mostly spent the ride catching up on sleep we pull to a stop jerking me awake we grab are stuff and hike the rest of the way

>it’s late afternoon as we approach the camp sight me decide to drop our stuff off and have a look the entrance is like any other cave except some hidden carvings

> I notice that the two bat anthros are a bit skittish there ears tucked backed after examining the carvings the team decided to go and take a quick look around inside the cave our guides decide to leave saying they’ll come back in the morning we wave them off and head in

>the first part of the cave seems pretty standard except for a few carving here and there until we get to split they decide to go down one I head down the other keeping in radio contact

> I start getting an odd feeling the deeper I go I start having second thoughts until I see a dim light towards the end of the cavern the light getting brighter as I get closer until I come into what looks like a room

>The walls covered in carvings the floors having tarred mats spaced out the place feels more like a temple  I notice an adjacent room hidden by what looks like curtains and a statue in the middle of the wall pulling them aside i find what looks like a “bed” more just pillows on top of a sewn together pelts and some jars lining a wall I go back to looking around

> i head over to the statue looking and observing it painted in blues and grays covered in ceremonial garbs the head looking like a vampire bat the teeth showing gold coating the neck of the statue “kinda ugly looking.” I mutter I pull out my radio to talk to them “hey guys I found something.” I wait for a response getting nothing “guys you there?” After getting nothing I decide to go see what might’ve happened

>as I turn around I feel a stinging sensation in the back of my neck like being stung by a bee I reach and pull a small dart out of my neck