Severance

34. Puzzled thoughts

"How did...how did you know?" Renard gasped, wide eyed as I threw his crowbar back at him.

"A little birdy that likes to light my shit on fire gave me an upper hand," I rasped while I winked at Summer, "and my favorite red-headed stepchild. Let's go, I want out of here before nightfall."

Everyone nodded, trotting to catch up to me while I took the lead. The tunnels beyond this point were unexplored, abandoned to the throws of time. The skeletons were messier and broken, buried in a rush without a thought about who they were and the lives they led. No wonder they were screaming, their whispers now booming in my ears as I walked, my footsteps light and swift.

Renard moved to the front with me, his light on the map as he directed my movements; we were on the final spiral when we came across our next obstacle, everyone coming to a halt at the edge of a precipice. About ten feet down was the rest of the tunnel, the earth having shifted possibly centuries ago and causing the collapse. Xavier was getting the climbing equipment out while we waited, helping him to secure the ropes down before we took turns dropping over the edge. Matt went first this time, everyone else following suit until August finally made his way down and joined us. I could just feel the instability of the ground beneath me as we walked further.

"This is not good," Renard whispered, "we need to hurry. I don't know what's beneath us but it can't be good."

"We'll bail once we get what we came for," I told him, taking another look at the map, "take a left up ahead."

He nodded, following me around a corner to another tunnel. Somewhere ahead I realized there was another wall because our footsteps echoed back to us, all the way up until we found the blockage: part of the ceiling had collapsed and left only a gap at the top of the entrance, just big enough for someone to worm through. My shoulders drooped and I turned around, raising an eyebrow at the party.

"Who's first?" I asked.

"You're actually nuts," Xavier coughed, the terror gripping his throat with clawed hands, "there's no way anyone will fit."

"I will," Suzhe volunteered, handing me her pack as she walked past me. Renard and August helped her step up and into the entrance, her butt wiggling as she wormed through the passageway like a champ. In the process she knocked loose a lot more dirt and widened it like an animal burrowing a new tunnel, her soft thump on the other side a relief. She called through and I sent the next person, Rowan clamoring up until he could squeeze himself through. I was doing my best to send them in order of size, that way the tunnel would open up and no one would get stuck. Xavier went after Matt, although those puppy dog eyes he gave me tugged on my heartstrings. The moment I heard him land I let out a loud sigh.

"Your turn, love," August told me, helping to boost me up into the passage. I let out all the breath in my lungs before scooting forward, cursing my chest under my breath for being so well-endowed. After a few wiggles and about six feet of cramped digging later I finally came through on the other side and let the boys help me down.

"All clear!" I called back, "you guys can come through."

A few minutes later I saw Renard's auburn tufts poking through the debris and he came toppling down just as I had, with August and Summer in close pursuit. Those of us who brought bags opted to leave them on the other side as trying to get them through would've been more time than it was worth, especially if we had to made a quick exit.

"How much longer?" Rowan asked, peering over my shoulder as I looked at the map. We marked the obstacles as we went along, but from here there was maybe a few hundred feet left.

"Not much," I nodded, looking ahead, "we're almost done guys."

"Thank God," Suzhe clapped her hands together in a prayer motion, everyone nodding tiredly. I realized pretty quickly I felt drained as well, as if the darkness had tricked my mind into thinking it was night.