L.O.V.E.

Chapter 26 - Nerissa

The underground is nothing more than a complicated maze of tunnels and quarries. Down there the oxygen is scarce and the air so damp, soon their skin gets covered with sweat. They keep running, their boots splashing in puddles, and growing the distance between them and the guards with every single breath. Still, the deeper they get into the unknown, the more unbearable the smell. It started as a mixture of dust and grease and something vaguely metallic, only to morph into a defensive odor of sulphur and mold. The walls have long lost their human touch, concrete turning to hard clay and wood pillars barely holding up the roof. Whoever continued the digging must have been in a rush, determined to never coming back. It is a miracle their sloppy work did not make it collapse.

They continue following the winding tracks and looking over their shoulders, every time they hear the distinctive sounds of splitting and cracking of timber. The white beams of their flashlights capture the earth crumbling down at the slightest movement above the ground. Soon, their throats fill with dust. forcing them to stop for a short break. and wash it out with a few gulps of water. Nerissa squats down, tired and frustrated for the damp ground. She would give anything to lay for just a second and stretch her legs a bit. Next to her, Nathan is doing inventory of their supplies, when a deafening sound, not far from them, pierces the darkness. The tunnel starts to collapse behind them, caving in fast and threatening to bury them alive in a matter of seconds. He quickly grabs her elbow and hoists her up.

'We have to go. Now!' He shouts as they speed up the pace.

They run for their lives until the noise is just a whisper in the air. Certain they are out of any danger, they slow down giving their hearts a chance to relax. They walk in silence, making a few more turns before halting. The tunnel suddenly diverges showing two ways, each one unfriendlier than the other.

'Now what?' Nathan's words echo in the darkness, while the flashlight under his chin reveals his spine-chilling face.

'Stop it!' Nerissa utters startled, then pushes him away. Roaming in the darkness for hours, without having a clear purpose, has made her jumpy. 'Let's go right. I don't want to spend a second more in these tunnels.' She adds, hoping she made the right decision.

No more than half an hour down the newfound path and the mud walls change again into hard, cold concrete. Somewhere far in the distance, an old neon lamp flickers, almost at the same time, the tiny droplets of water come down from the dewed roof. They quickly put their flashlights away and start running towards the light, hope and excitement filling their hearts.

'Hey, did you hear that?' He stops her, both their heads now bathed in a silvery gleam.

He crosses his index finger over his lips telling her to keep quiet. Nerissa couldn't say a word even if she wanted to. Instead, she catches her breath, her hands over her knees and ears wide open. A few minutes of silence and there is nothing.

'I can't hear anything.' She whispers, glad she had a chance to rest.

'I swear I heard footsteps behind us just a moment...'

Before he could finish, they both shoot their glances at once into the darkness, waiting for a monster to materialize out of thin air and eat them alive. As if on cue, and with their hairs standing on end, they slowly start backing away, only to break into a run after a few steps.

The underground gave them chills enough for a lifetime. To their luck, the lights continue popping up all the way to the end of the rails, exposing the ladder on the wall and the trap door above it. This time the metallic wheel is attached on the inside, reminding them that the real dangers are lurking outside the city. Nathan grabs the lever and rotates it a full turn, until a muffled 'tss' signals the hatch is decompressing. Soon, fresh air streams are infiltrating underneath the door, pervading the stale air, and cooling them off. He opens it wide letting it fall heavily to the ground and throwing dust everywhere.