Light Up My Heart *Super 8/Cary Love Story*

17:Fighting Aliens With Sparklers

As my feet hit the bottom of the dark hole, Cary lights up a sparkler to dimly illuminate the area around us. There are two tunnels stretching into opposite directions.

"What is this place?" I ask. Joe doesn't answer, just starts walking. I look back at the other tunnel before running to catch up.

Now that my heart isn't racing with adrenaline from running for my life, I am slowly becoming more and more aware of the pain in my leg. Running around on it probably wasn't my best idea, but what was I supposed to do? Get killed?

As we quietly move down the tunnel, we find that it branches out into even more tunnels to form a whole network. I have no clue how we're going to get back, since I'm already lost. Up ahead, a giant cavern filled with TV's, dishwashers, and other appliances opens up. And there's something hanging from the ceiling, but I just can't....

.....I turn to my left and come face to face with one of the things hanging from the ceiling. It's the sheriff, his face white and eyes wide. I'm about to scream when Cary puts his hand over my mouth and pulls me away. He follows Joe behind a rock and removes his hand.

"I-it-it's the Sh-Sheriff!" I whisper. I keep staring at his body, hanging from the ceiling. Is that what's going to happen to us if we get captured? We get knocked unconscious and then hung from the ceiling until all the blood pools in our heads and kills us?

Once again, a feeling of regret and hesitation takes over my mind. What did I get myself into?

"Guys, there's bodies everywhere," Joe whispers. Thanks Joe, but that's not really helping.

"Where is this?" Cary asked.

"Under the water tower." I look around, trying to see if I can see Sara or Alice. Suddenly, the monster drops down from the ceiling and I flinch. The monster walks around a stack of ovens, grabs a person from the ceiling, and....Oh my God.

"It's eating a person," Cary mutters. The monster eats a whole leg, and then turns around to walk to a engine.

"Wait, I see her!" Joe says and points. Over on the other side of the cavern, Alice is hanging upside down.

"Cary, we need to use your firecrackers," Joe whispers.

"I don't think that's gonna hurt him Joe."

"No, there's other tunnels. I need you to make noise right here in 2 minutes. Make it loud, and make it last. You can't be here when it blows, you gotta run and get out." With that, Joe gets up and starts to run back down the tunnel.

"Joe! Where you going!" I whisper and try to stand up, but Cary pulls me back down.

"Chloe, help me with these," Cary says as he begins to pull firecrackers from his bag.

And all at once, my old self returned. The one who doesn't like to talk to others, the one who is afraid of adventure, the one who is scared to try. I back away from Cary, shaking in fear.

"Chloe, what's wrong?"

"C-Cary, I can't do this," I whisper. "I mean, we're just kids. What chance do we have against a monster?"

"We already escaped it before."

"Barely. I bet Sara is already dead, and Alice is next. There's no point anymore. I might as well yell for this thing to take me now." Cary stares at me in disbelief. Honestly, I can't believe myself either. I stand up on my knees, and open my mouth to yell. But right before I manage to make a sound, Cary clamps his hand over my mouth and pulls me down to the ground again. We both stare each other with wide eyes, forgetting for a moment what's right down the tunnel.