It took me a double-take to see that time had drastically shifted. How you got to the end of this piece was crafty.
I like this paragraph
In the hole, Anton saw the gleam of two pairs of eyes. They challenged him, weakening his hold, promising they’d get him too. Digging later with a whining Drogol by his side, he would find four coins that reflected back his headlamp, but he would always know the creatures had been real.
Thanks so much. That's someplace where the word limit really helped keep things simple but mysterious enough.