Retrospect

Forty-one

   The whole tunnel system was an optical illusion. The walls were lined with red, green, and blue strips of light, hurting my head and making it difficult for my eyes to focus. Reeves had told us that each tunnel had a different light pattern, in order to indicate where somebody was so they wouldn't get lost in the system. However, the lights weren't bright, allowing shadows to overtake the path.

   I shivered in the icy passage, my feet still sloshing in my sneakers from the water. Reeves took the lead, Ana walked alongside Malachi, and Murl limped behind them. I observed each and every one of them, especially Miles who strayed a few feet back from everyone else, though I tried not to make it too obvious.

   Our footsteps echoed on the metallic ground, making it a little hard to sneak around. "We should be nearing an intersection," Reeves said, picking up his pace.

   The rest of us followed closely behind, eager to leave the sour stench of the tunnels. Unfortunately, we weren't heading to a place any better than where we were now. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and sighed, my breath billowing out in front of me.

   Reeves paused, right in the center of a tiny room that broke apart into three other tunnels, all of them different colors and patterns from each other. He studied each one for a long time, trying to decide which was the right path to take. Except, before he could even examine the first tunnel, Murl's voice rang off of the walls.

   "Uh... where's Miles?"

   Everybody spun around and sure enough. Miles was nowhere to be seen. I guess I should've kept my eye on him more since he'd been acting kind of strange. He hadn't said anything since he'd brought up the possibility of his dad being at Hale, and now, he was gone.

   "How did he get lost? He was right here with us," Malachi said, peering down the tunnel we'd just come from.

   I knew he hadn't gotten lost. He had been hanging back from the group for a reason and clearly he'd been planning on doing this. Now who was the one bailing on the rest of us? I was a little mad at him for flat out ditching us and not saying anything, but at the same time, I knew he didn't want the others to see him so worked up.

   I had to go after him. Miles had been there for me when I'd been afraid. Even though pushing me off a ledge into a waterfall didn't seem right, it wasn't right to just leave him behind.

   "I'll go find him," I said after a while. "It won't take long, I promise."

   Reeves dipped his head and began talking amongst the others, discussing which tunnel would lead us to Hale. I took that as my cue to turn around and stride off in search of Miles, back down the winding passage alone.

   Several bugs scuttled across the ground and I tensed up, feeling a breeze howl through the tunnel, leaving goosebumps on my skin in its wake. I couldn't see any more than ten feet in front of me and I could hear the machinery grinding and clicking through the walls, making my heart thump harder. I should've brought a light of some kind with me. That would've been helpful right about now.

   Opening up my bag, I found my pocket knife (which was surprisingly still there), a drenched, red dress with a pair of heels, and the device that was now a part of the other completely useless things (a broken tracker remover, ruined glow-in-the-dark makeup, and a destroyed phone that had been used for my disguise as a forty-year-old woman). I slipped out my pocket knife, not necessarily planning on doing anything with it, but keeping it in my grasp for the sole purpose of feeling safer.

   I trudged on, each step a struggle when I was wincing at every sound and shadow. "Miles?" I whispered, not wanting to stir anything that could be lurking.