S1W24: “Tunnel Vision”

© 2012 Phylicia Joannis

I shivered as we slowly made our way down the dark tunnel ahead. We were huddled close together, with only the two flashlights guiding us.

“Where are we going?” I asked the Congressman.

He shook his head gravely. “I don’t know.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked at the others in the group. The Old Woman and the Nurse were helping Dreadlock. Even in this dark tunnel, he looked pale.

“Why is it so cold?” I asked as I rubbed my arms. I was still wearing my jacket, but it didn’t seem to be helping.

“It was so hot in the subway car,” the Old Woman added. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“Maybe it’s the moisture in the air,” the Nurse offered.

“The subway train was somewhat insulated,” the Climber explained. “With our collective body heat and no air circulation, it felt like a sauna.”

“I’ll take the sauna for 200 please,” Dreadlock tried to joke, but his voice was raw.

“Where are we going?” the Nurse asked. “He can’t walk too much longer.”

“We’re going forward,” the Complainer shrugged. “This was the direction the other car went. We’ll keep walking until we find it, or our way out.”

“How long will that be?” I asked.

“How should I know?” the Complainer made a face. “The less talking you do, the more energy you’ll have to walk.”

“I’m hungry,” I complained.

The Nurse rolled her eyes. “We’re all hungry.”

Dreadlock grunted and the Nurse stopped.

“He needs a break,” she said.

The Complainer groaned and the Climber shook his head.

“We have to keep moving!” the Climber frowned.

“He needs to rest!” the Nurse barked. “We all want to get out of here as quickly as possible, but I’d like ALL of us to make it. Give us five minutes.”

The Climber grunted. “Fine. Five minutes.”

I stuffed my hands in my pockets and jumped around.

“You alright?” the Congressman asked.

“It’s freezing!” I replied.

“Try walking around a bit,” he offered. “Keep your blood pumping.”

I nodded and walked a few steps ahead of the group.

“Careful of the rails,” the Congressman warned. “They’re still live.”

I stared at the blackness in front of us.

We’d been walking on the far left side of the tunnel, but it was wide enough for us all to stand in a horizontal line.

“I think it’d be faster if we walked side by side instead of one behind the other,” I thought aloud.

“The ground in the middle isn’t level, and we don’t want to get caught in the rail,” the Climber countered.

I stepped away from the side, careful not to touch the rail as I maneuvered to the middle of the tunnel.

“What are you doing?” the Nurse looked up, cautious.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” I stepped on the wooden tracks and pressed down with my weight.” They seem stable to me.”

“These tunnels are over a hundred years old,” the Congressman frowned. “We can’t trust that they’re stable everywhere.”

“It’s fine,” I waved him away as I took another step forward.

“Don’t go far,” the Congressman warned.

“I won’t,” I smiled. “Just testing the waters.” I took another step on the tracks, careful to put my foot on the highest available surface. Once one foot was firmly placed, I put the other one down next to it.

“You see?” I smiled at the group. “It’s fine!”

I took another step and felt my feet sink into the ground. Before I could cry out the group disappeared.

***

“So Charles, do you work at the hospital?” Penny asked in between sips of her Starbucks coffee.

Chuck nearly choked on his espresso.

“No, why would you think that?”

Penny shrugged. “You mentioned drinking the coffee at the hospital. Is someone you know sick?”

“No,” Chuck replied quickly. Too quickly.

“So, do you randomly visit hospitals to try their coffee?” Penny teased.

Chuck cleared his throat. “Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”

Penny raised her eyebrows. “I’m not, I just thought-“

“You just thought what?” Chuck interrupted. “A girl who doesn’t have the sense to run when the ground is breaking underneath her is clearly incapable of rational thought.”

Penny’s mouth parted in shock. “Are you saying I’m stupid?”

“You figured it out, so maybe there’s hope for you yet.”

Penny stood up abruptly. “I was beginning to think you were this really great guy, but now I see you’re nothing but a jerk. Why did you even bother to save me? Was it pity?”

Chuck shrugged. “That or temporary insanity. Take your pick.”

“Ugh!” Penny brought up her coffee as if to pour it on him, then hesitated.

“You’re not worth wasting this great cup of coffee.”

Penny walked away, coffee in hand. Chuck watched her leave, remorseful.

“Goodbye Penny. We’ll always have Starbucks.”

***

I couldn’t breathe.

I opened my mouth to scream, but couldn’t. There was dirt everywhere, including my mouth. The gritty stuff was forcing its way down my throat, choking off what little air supply I might have. My chest tightened. Every time I tried to breathe I was rewarded with more dirt down my throat. I could feel bile rising, but there was no place for it to go. It rose, then pooled in my throat, mixing with the dirt suffocating me.

My legs felt like lead. A poker hot pain seared my right ankle.

My mind was screaming. My lungs were shrieking. My heart was pounding faster and faster as I struggled to move a limb, a finger, anything.

My arms hung awkwardly above my head, suspended by the mountain of dirt on top of me.

I felt dizzy. I knew I would pass out soon if I didn’t get oxygen to my brain. And, eventually, die.

I wish I knew my real parents. None of this would have happened if they had kept me. Even if it did happen, my father wouldn’t rest until he found me and rescued me. My mother would wrap her arms around me and never let me go.

At least, that’s how it happened in the movies.

My chest was on fire, and I knew I was going to die; buried alive, alone, and unloved. The thought was too much to bear and hot tears streamed down whatever path the dirt would allow.

As I began to lose consciousness, I felt myself floating. A bright light shone above me.

Then everything faded to black.