Oh my apocalypse [YiZhanFF]

Part 16. melody in the tunnels

As the light from his flashlight dimmed, Yibo almost panicked when he didn't immediately find the spare batteries in the mess of the huge backpack. Wordlessly, Zhan took the backpack from his hands, opened the front pocket, and handed Yibo the batteries. While he was changing the batteries, Zhan shined his light.

They had been down in the tunnel for about three hours now, and more than once Yibo had wanted to just climb up the ladder and go back out into the daylight. He probably would have, too, if the creature wasn't still up there pawing at the iron flap and trying to get in.

As Yibo looked to Zhan, he wondered about Zhan again. Where was he listening? Above them, the thing was scratching at the flap with its sharp claws, but Zhan was listening into the three tunnels ahead of them. "What now?" Yibo finally asked him when Zhan was already almost on all fours and crawling closer to the tunnels.

"Can't you hear that?" Asked Zhan, completely focused on the tunnels.

"No. What should I hear?"

"It sounds like someone is playing some melody on a flute."

"What? You're imagining it Zhan, there's nothing there."

"Yes there is, listen to it. That melody, it sounds sad."

Yibo listened, but heard nothing but the creature's pawing. "Zhan, you're just imagining it. There's nothing there."

As Zhan stood up and shined his light into one of the tunnels and walked towards it, Yibo jumped up and grabbed Zhan by the collar of his shirt. "Are you out of your fucking mind? Where do you think you're going? You think I'm going to let you go in there just because you imagine you hear something?"

"But there really is something." Replied Zhan, trying to free himself.

"You're doing it again Zhan!"

Zhan spun around in confusion and asked, "What am I doing again?"

"Putting us in danger! First in the apartment where you touched that gray creature and now you supposedly hear some melody and want to go into that tunnel! Into one of the tunnels where people disappeared, as you know firsthand because you were there!"

"I just wanted to get closer to the tunnel and not go in."

"Yeah right. And then just a little bit in and then a little bit more. Go ahead if you want to get killed or lost. Go ahead. I won't come looking for you."

"I don't plan to go in there!" Shouted Zhan.

"Oh yeah, what then?"

"What's the matter with you Yibo? Are you still mad about that old man?"

"This has nothing to do with the old man at all. I get it that you couldn't help him, all right? I'm still disappointed in you, though. I don't want to be, but I am."

"Why are you disappointed?"

"Maybe because I thought you were someone else? Someone you're not?"

"I am who I am."

"Oh yeah, and who are you? I hardly know you. We've known each other for how long now? About two weeks? How do I know who or what you're really like after such a short time?"

"What's that supposed to mean now?"

"Nothing at all! I just need to find out who and how you are first. I imagined I knew. And then found out that maybe you're completely different. And now I need time to get to know you first."

"All right, then. Then we'll go back to the beginning. Be strangers who have come together in an emergency to have a better chance of surviving together."