Lifeboat

12. The Forest

"Ouch! What did you have to do that for?"

I rubbed the sore spot on my left hip, while my head still span from the bang it had received on my way down the hole.

Marco helped me up, his tight grip bruised my arm. We were at the start of a long, dark tunnel, barely big enough for one of us to pass through at a time. Marco grabbed my chin and forced my face up so he could look at me. I supposed he'd be checking for concussion or injuries. He let me go soon enough with a grunt of satisfaction.

From behind him, Dante spoke from the darkness, the trapdoor must have been closed behind us. His voice, barely above a whisper.

"For goodness sake! Keep your voice down, Tyke. Now get moving, the pair of you."

As I shuffled off down the tunnel, tiny LED lights flicked on. I guessed that they'd been triggered by our motion and they illuminated the ground beside my feet as I went on. The trainers I'd been given were slightly too big and so I scuffed the toe regularly as I walked along. I could feel Marco at my back, breathing down my neck with irritation at the slow pace I set. Eventually, I gave up trying to combat the dim lighting and dizziness I had to deal with, and I crouched as low as possible so that Marco would be able to get around me to take the lead. I grumbled as I curled into a ball, wishing this whole scenario could be over.

"Just get us out of this."

My muttered prayers were answered, as not only Marco, but also Dante, took turns to leap over me and continue to set off the ground level lights, as they walked ahead.

"Tyke!" Dante called back to me, as he followed after Marco's disappearing figure. "Get a shift on or we'll never make it before dawn."

I stood upright and stretched my aching back.

"What's so important about dawn?" I stumbled after my companions, calling out in a half whisper, half scowl. "Is there something you two aren't telling me? Because if that's the case then I'd like you to know that I don't take kindly to being led stupidly into the worst situation I could imagine. And believe me, I can imagine situations bad enough to make even your little bit of hair curl, Marco."

A flush of bravery followed my explosion, making me stronger than I thought. It threw me off balance when I received the hissed reprimand that Dante dained to throw back at me.

"Shut up, Poll. I've never met a girl so irritating. Do you honestly have a response for every single situation this world has to offer you? Don't you ever wish there was something in this universe that would stun you into silence? Because God knows, I do."

His tirade made me stop in my tracks, and I fought back the sting of tears as the full hit of his words sank in. Is this really what he thought of me? I swallowed and gathered myself together before rushing after their retreating LED lit footwear. I could have sworn I heard Marco's low snigger as we moved along. No doubt he loved the whiplashing I'd been given.

We carried on down through the tunnel for what seemed to be a couple of hours to me, but in all likelihood was no more than half an hour or so. I found out a long time ago that the actual passing of time had very little to do with my impression of it, and much more to do with the quality of the actions involved in that period.

Eventually a different shade of dark emerged in front of the two men ahead. Their shapes became more visible and a fresh waft of clean air flowed back to me. I took in a deep breath, loving the scent of pine and greenery.

Coming out through the tunnel exit, Dante snatched at my hand and pulled me down to the ground. For some reason, all three of us were now crouching behind a thick gorse bush. Marco warned me to be quiet with a finger pressed to his mouth.