R/Nosleep (Get Spooked)

We Can Finally Leave Blessed (Suburbia Final Part)

By u/firesidechats451

"What do we do?" Having been blindfolded when I was brought down here, I had no idea how to get to the surface. Even if I did, we were at the deepest part of the tunnels—there was no way we could get out in time.

Francesca, however, had that look I was starting to recognize: she had a plan, and I wasn't going to like it. "I'm going to ask Simon how to get out."

I balked. "You're going to astral project now? There isn't time—"

"And you," Francesca continued as yet another crash shook the cavern. "Are going to lead me."

I stared at her. "What?"

"I can technically move while I'm astral projecting. I've done it before. But I can't see or hear anything that's happening on this plane. So I'm going to relay Simon's directions, and you're going to guide us through them."

I was so scared, I thought I was going to pass out. Instead, I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath. When I opened my eyes, I nodded at Francesca. "OK. Let's do it."

"Come here." Francesca locked her arm with mine. "This will be the easiest way. Now, give me a second to project."

I honestly don't know how Francesca managed to disconnect from the chaos around her—my own mind was going a mile a minute, and I jumped at every crash in the distance. But after a few seconds, Francesca spoke.

"There's a secret pathway that leads to the cavern where the HOA performed their spells. It's behind the nest."

I lead Francesca as quickly as I could, desperately trying to stay calm. The path was at the very back of the cavern, so narrow that at first, I thought there was no way we could fit. I had to go first, pulling Francesca by the hand, the glowing crystal nearly useless with the sharp twists and turns. All the while, the crashing never stopped the distinct sounds of falling rubble getting closer and closer.

Just when I couldn't take the darkness any longer, the way opened up into a familiar, sigil-covered cavern.

"We're close to the surface," said Francesca. "Head for the far end."

I did, my heart leaping at the thought of finally getting free of this place. But just as we neared the other wall, Francesca, pulled me back.

"Wait!"

The cavern shuddered, and the thunder of rolling rocks was nearly deafening. Dust spilled out of the nearest pathway, leaving us both coughing.

"That was the path to your house," Francesca said, sounding tired.

"What do we do now?" I asked, forgetting she couldn't hear me.

After a moment of silence, she had an answer anyway. "Simon says there's another way close by. We have to hurry—any of these could go at any moment."

With that ominous thought weighing on my mind, I followed Francesca's directions and offered up a little prayer to whoever may be listening.

The passage shook as we forced our way through, every second pulling my nerves tauter. When at last we emerged into a dark basement, I nearly cried with relief. "I think we're here," I said to Francesca, peering around the unfamiliar space. "Wherever 'here' is."

Francesca's eyes lost the far-away look and focused on me. "Simon says we're safe from here onward. Let's see whose house we've ended up in."

To my despair, the basement door was locked, but Francesca made quick work of that with a bobby pin.

"Is that how you got into my house?" I asked as the door creaked open.

"No. I figured out where you kept the spare key," Francesca said, gesturing for me to enter. "You know under the front mat is the first place burglars look, don't you?"