While the Tall Ones attended to their injured ally’s arm, the miner examined their unconscious brethren. He was bleeding in several places and starting to bruise but he was alive. Unfortunately her examination was interrupted when another Tall One started to approach.

SMACK!

Before she could react the Tall One knocked her away from the fallen miner. Then he picked her up and threw her into the center of the cavern. Knowing what was coming, the miner scrambled to get back to her feet. But she wasn’t fast enough.

KICK!

Pain shot through the miner’s side when the Tall One kicked into her side. The force of the impact caused her to roll over and exposed her stomach to the Tall One.

STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!

The Tall One started to stomp on the miner’s chest with no intention of stopping. She had attacked one of the Tall Ones. This never went unpunished. They were going to make an example out of her for the rest of the miners.

Like the others, the miner understood the Tall Ones were stronger and faster than any of them. She knew what the Tall Ones would do to her if she stood up as she had. Yet she still intervened.

STOMP!

We must submit to the Tall Ones because they can hurt us. This fact was one the miners never forgot. But the miner who’d just attacked refused to yield to it.

STOMP!

The Tall Ones could hurt her, but she could also hurt them.

STOMP!

She’d probably die for doing so, but if she could show this to the others she would be at piece.

STOMP!

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A blue square appeared before the miner and fog began to flood the cavern. Everything in sight was consumed by the thickening mist and disappeared. Then the Tall One’s strikes stopped. When she tried to look up, her squinting eyes only found the fog swirling around her.