Press. Release. Wait.

Left

I patted the dog on the head gently. It felt good to feel the touch of another living thing. Even if it had even less understanding of what was happening than I did.

I wasn't alone.

I turned back over to the light, still wanting to hear the familiar sound of a call from Adam. No such luck.

This is all you get Cheyenne. Live with it.

I got up, hoping the dog would follow suit. It did. I breathed a quick sigh of relief as I stepped over to the rock holding the door open. The dog was still just a silhouette in the near darkness but I could tell it was staring at me.

I held the door open.

"Come on." I called to it

The dog dutifully obeyed. It stepped through the gap and waited for me on the other side. My heart was beating through my chest with strange excitement.

I stepped into the conductor room and through the second door, to the outside.

What if it leaves?

The thought nearly stopped my heart. I held the door open and the dog walked through and down the stairs.

It was pure darkness now. The red light was not enough to provide illumination outside.

I knew I was in train two. I had gone too far. Water. All I needed was water. I took a few steps then looked back. I couldnt' see anything but I could tell the dog was right behind me.

I took a few more steps. Then a few more.

I reached for the train. A window. Still not close enough. More steps then I reached again. I nearly fell over when finding nothing there to greet me.

Okay... That was the gap in the train cars.

I stepped forward more then tried. My hand grabbed straight at a handle. I was getting pretty good at this. It opened easily.

"Come on."

No shape met my gaze as I looked up to the top of the stairs.

"Come on, dog." I called again.

No answer.

I was getting worried.

"Dog?"

I stepped back, grabbing at the wall at the opposite side.

"Please?"

No answer.

Goddamn this dog. It can't do anything.

"Dog!" I did the best I could to yell but it came out in a creaky rasp.

"Dog!" I was panicking now. My only friend here. The only thing that kept me grounded. The dog was gone. It was gone. It was gone.

A whining came from the wall in front of me.

My eyes widened. I stepped forward instantly.

"Dog?"

I bent down, feeling for its fur in my hand. There was nothing.

Another quiet whine. Right at the wall.

I felt against it.

The dog merged into the wall. It's all over. The dog is gone.

I shook my head. My thoughts were getting disorganized and conspiratorial. I had to keep my mind.

I felt against the wall. Dusty brick outlines met my searching fingers.

Please.

My hands searched downard until they hit the ground. Then they searched right. The dog had to be somewhere here.

I moved my hands left. Back to where they had been and then further. I crawled forwards then...

Then there was nothing.

My hands grabbed at thin air where the wall had been. I felt downwards. The dog's matted fur met me.

I crawled closer to the dog. It was whining louder now.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell.

The dog jumped into my lap and curled up. I never did like dogs all that much but this felt different. This was warm and comforting in the cold isolation.

I stroked it with one hand and with the other I attempted to find my bearing. There was something there. Or rather, something not there.

The emptiness went up about three feet and four or five feet wide. For a second I didn't want to disturb the dog so I just sat there, feeling into the darkness. I couldn't reach the end of it.

I got up slowly, brushing the dog gently off my lap and taking a few hesitant steps inside. I ducked down. It was a bit cramped but I could manage it.

The dog continued to follow me every step. I could feel its breath on the back of my leg the entire way through.

I nearly bumped my head on the next part. It was getting shorter. Even more cramped than before. I took a deep breath and got on my hands and knees, crawling now.

I felt the sides closing in as I continued. They were made of the same brich material the walls were made out of. The whole way through was just brick after brick after brick.

Smaller still.

I could feel the walls touch my elbows. I angled them inwards and continued on.

Smaller.

What was happening? How could I have missed this. What was this?

My breath was getting faster now. I was getting scared. I could feel how small it was. It might have been just my imagination but it felt like it was getting smaller by the second. I continued on.

Then a spot of emptiness on my left side. I looked left, thinking that it would be useless.

But it wasn't. I wasn't sure if it was my imagination but it looked different. I could sense dark silhouettes before me and if I squinted i felt like I could even make out textures. Ahead was darkness.

To my left the brick pattern gave way to something different. I couldn't quite make it out in the darkness but it seemed metal. It was something. Not just dirt or brick or rock that I had seen. I looked forwards. Ahead was the same brick as before. I put out my hand confirming that thought.

I took a few seconds trying to figure out what to do.

"Adam?" I called out into the darkness.

There was no answer.

"Adam?"

...

Yip!

The dog barked.

Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip!

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

The dog crawled onto me. Then past me. It took a left.

I looked forwards. Then left

I went left.