A Plagued Winter

Chapter 18

I will make it out alive, no matter what happens. When I do, she'll be by my side.

Andre

I didn't let her stop, not even when Carlee's breathing started to grow heavy. I made sure to keep close behind her and I nudged her back whenever she looked ready to take a break. I wasn't sure how long we had been running away but we were undoubtedly deep into the tunnel now.

Whenever I turned to look behind me, I was only met with pitch black darkness and up ahead of Carlee, her phone's flashlight didn't illuminate far enough for it to be considered any different from the other side. On both ends of the tunnel I could see nothing other than darkness and I became uncertain at the thought of what could be lurking where we could not see.

I wanted to run all the way towards the exit and never stop until we made it out, but I knew we needed to gain our bearings and figure out where we were at this point. So, I slowed to a jog and Carlee did the same. Then gradually, Carlee and I met a standstill.

Carlee placed her phone on the tunnel floor and rested her hands on her knees as she inhaled shakily. The light cast upwards and lit up the ceiling above us; causing the shadows in Carlee's face to appear ominous and haunting. The loss of color in her face didn't help settle me much either; she was a ghost.

I rubbed at my chest and tried to soothe the burning stab in my stomach and sides. My body ached and the smell of the sewer tunnel helped release sudden nausea within me. I hadn't run like that in a long time.

"You okay?" My voice echoed back and forth and bounced between the cement walls. The shaky fear in my tone could've been heard for a long stretch of miles. Anything close could hear us right now...

Carlee nodded with uneven breaths that made an effort to smooth themselves out.

"Fine." She managed to cough a reply.

As I assessed her though, I knew she wasn't fine. She was far from it, and it was stupid to ask such a question in our situation. Shit, if Carlee asked me if I was okay, I would've looked at her like she was crazy despite how hypocritical that may sound. There was no way anyone could be okay after what we just saw.

Carlee's face had blood smears and some droplets of brown liquid on her face. The brown liquid had to have been from when we were splashing around in the tunnels causing the sewage water to careen upwards towards our faces. The blood.... That was from someone else. Streaks of tears spilled down her face in perfect continuing lines which stood out amongst what the dirt did to her complexion in all the chaos.

Out of instinct, I stepped closer to Carlee and gently brought my hand up to her face. I wiped my sleeve upon her skin, erasing her burden of the blood and dirt water. Then, with the caress of my fingers, I wiped away her tears from underneath her eyes. The whole time Carlee looked up at me with some expression I couldn't fathom. It looked like a mix between wonder and astonishment to uncertainty and fear.

"I'm sorry." Her voice quivered as more tears began to fall down her face. Disregarding my work in the process.

I pulled her into my arms and pressed her face against my chest to shield her from the unsettling setting we were in now. To be honest, I couldn't look at her face when she appeared so vulnerable. It scared me... Like she had given up. I wouldn't let her give up on me, not here and certainly not now.

"I tried to save you." She murmured into my arms.

I froze at the off-putting sound in her voice. Her desperation ceased movement in my limbs, and I held still for a fraction of a second. Before running my hands along the back of her head and her lower back. I couldn't let her see that I was doubtful too. It would only shrivel her hope significantly more so and it would slow down our means for escape.