The Ludicruos League

Unexpected Rescuer

Inang and her newfound friends continued running, their footsteps echoing in the tunnel-like corridor. Tiny, flickering lights resembling candles placed along the wall a few meters apart were the only light to guide their way. The place was cold and damp. They hacked their way through cobwebs hanging down from the ceiling to the stone floor. Lindu shrieked in disgust.

Leboni stopped running, breathing through her mouth and pounding her chest. "P-please Inang, we need to stop. My lungs are on fire. I really can't walk anymore, let alone run. The others are exhausted too."

Inang stopped a few feet ahead of her, puffing hard. "Y-you're right. We should rest a while."

The twins caught up with them, bent over as they struggled to breathe.

"How much further does this corridor lasts? It seems to go on forever," Lindu grumbled.

"There is no end to this. I can't see any exit. Perhaps this place is magically cursed to prevent prisoners from escaping."

"We can't give up now," Lindu wailed after hearing what her sister said.

Inang sussed them. "Ssshh. Listen. Did you hear that?"

"What is it, Inang?"

"I hear running footsteps."

"Yeah, I hear it too. Someone's coming!"

"Hurry. We must hide!"

It was laughable actually because there was no where to hide except to press oneself onto the wall to be one with the shadows, away from the flickering lights.

Inang's heart was about to fall to her stomach as she braced herself for what was to come. Did the guards catch up with them? What would they do to the girls when they recapture them? Was their punishment more severe next time? Lots of questions swirled in her brain.

A moment later, two boys appeared in their visage. Inang sighed with relief. The lanky one was far ahead, running light footed, hardly making any noise. The bespectacled one stopped, bent over and panting heavily, making strange wheezing sounds, clearly having difficulty breathing. He reached a shaky hand in front of him. In a weak voice, he whispered, "Ss-stop . . . "

The lanky one skidded to a stop and made a U-turn. "Bro. Anjir! Where is your ventilator?" He checked Jino's trouser pocket. He found it, took off the lid and handed to him. "Here."

With trembling hand, Jino snatched the device and inhaled sharply.

Zhansi kept looking back towards the shadowy corridor from where they came from. He fidgeted, rolling the balls of his feet on the floor. "We got to keep going, bro. The guards might catch up with us."

Jino shook his head helplessly. "Ss-sorry . . . Y-you g-go ahead. Leave me-"

"Anjir! How could you say that, bro? No matter what, I'm not leaving you. Listen. No footsteps. We're safe for now. But where to? This corridor seems to stretch forever. I can't see any exit."

While Inang was wondering the same, she heard a new noise. The tap tap tapping of a wooden stick on the stone floor. It was slowly but, as sure as the sun sets on the west, the sound was coming towards their hiding place.

"Pssst!"

"Someone's here!" Zhanshi shielded Jino behind him. "W-who's there? Show yourself."

All of a sudden, an old-fashioned oil lantern appeared. A mysterious figure came out from the shadows of the corridor, holding the lantern away from her dark cloak. It was an elderly woman, her face weathered with age but her eyes bright with determination. In her hand, she held a flickering lantern that cast an eerie glow around her.