Integration - A New Beginning

Chapter 2 - Demi-God

Being torn between leaving or continue to push his luck. I look around at the hatch and saw that the lock was surprisingly very rusty. "Okay John, one last thing. Let me kick this lock and if it doesn't open we will leave, I promise" with a look of irritation John said "Fine Shawn, just hurry up. Okay?" John held his breathe as he watch me kick the lock. I kick the lock like it was a soccer ball twice with no luck. Finally, I decided to kick it with my heel. I jump up and landed on my heel with all my might. The lock popped open with an audible "pop" sound. John threw his hands up in the air and took a few steps away from the hatch. "After you" I said and gestured towards the hatch. "Hells no! This is just like in the horror movies,  the first person that goes in always dies first. You go in first and I will be the look out. In case anything happens out here." John said. I looked at him incredulously and laughed and said "You know, for a man that is bigger than me, your a huge scaredy cat". "Whatever man. Just hurry up and lets get this over with. You know I hate being in the dark in the middle of the night. Especially in the middle of nowhere" as John gestured both his hands to the dark hatch telling me to hurry up and to get this over with.

I looked down and saw there was a ladder inside that dark hole. As I started to climb down, I saw there was a switch on the inside lip of the hatch. It look like a light switch. I flip the switch and saw a light on the opposite side of the wall of the ladder. The light bulb flicker and saw that the light bulb was covered in a tube like glass that had metal protecting on the outside of the glass bulb down the entire passageway down. It was a deep passageway. The air smell stagnate and dust was everywhere. I can feel the dust being caked on my hand with each rung of the ladder I stepped down. "Looks like they haven't been in a long time" I said to myself as I started to descend down the ladder. Finally reaching the ground on what felt like 5 stories down. I dusted my hands on my pants and looked around. It was a small room that had another metal door behind me. I looked up and saw John looking down. And checking his surroundings. John look down again and said "is everything good down there?" I shouted "Yea, but there is another door down here. I think I can go through there". "No Shawn! Stay where I can see you! You don't know what's down there and its dark already up here". I sighed in resignation and listen to his demands. Started to go back, I grabbed the ladder until I hear the same faint voice but slightly louder. It sounds like it came through the other side of the door. It was a female's voice and it sound like it had a melody behind it. It was almost like someone was singing. I couldn't understand the language but I change my mind and shouted back to John. "Hey John, I hear the same voice down here but its closer. Let me take a quick peek. It will be real quick and i will be back before you know it!" John was very frustrated at this point and said "You better get your ass up here or I am going to come down and kick you all the way back home!" I ignored his empty threat and started to open the door. It was unlocked and I went through. John self to himself "For God's sakes I don't know why I am doing this. Hell, why  am I his friend to begin with?" and started to climbed down the dusty metal ladder as he mumbled angrily to himself all the way down the ladder.

There was a long straight corridor with metal doors on each side. The entire corridor was covered in thick dull gray concrete. It was luminated with the same light bulbs throughout the corridor. It felt eerie but not scary. As if it was abandon for over a century. There was metal doors every few hundred feet on both sides with faded numbers marked on them. Curious, I opened some of them and took a quick peek. Most doors were locked. The ones that was open had what looked like WWII bed bunkers and bathrooms. There was uniforms that was stored in the closets and footlockers on the ends of the bunks. From what I could tell, it was mainly military and scientist that stayed in this underground bunker. I continue walking down till I was in the middle of the corridor where there was a staircase leading up. The sound was gradually getting closer and it was on the opposite side of the hallway of where the ladder was. I decide to continue past the staircase and towards the singing. On the other end of the hallway there was only one double door with a sign that said "Top Secret. Only Authorized Personnel". In a harsh whisper John sneaked up next to me and said "Shawn! What the hell? Lets get out of here!". Startled, I jumped from the sudden surprise. Holding onto my chest. I shook my head side to side to say "no" silently. Then pointy nodded my head towards the door with a cupped hand on ear and a pointer finger to say to be quiet and listen. Listening carefully, you can hear a singing sound through the door and after a few second it stopped. In a gentle female's voice, "I know the two of you are right outside my door. Shawn and John. The door isn't lock, and please do come in". My heart jump at the notion she knew we were there and knew our names. Looking at John silently, he shook his head vigorously in the "NO" motion towards the ladder's direction and a clear indicator that he was ready to run. I thought to myself. "Well shit... She knows who we are and strangely enough where we are. Might as well go in and introduce ourselves. Find out why she is here all alone in this dusty facility." And slowly pushed the door open.