Miner

2:22 PM

Super sorry for not updating yesterday! I was about 600 words in when my friends called and asked if I wanted to hang out, and I couldn't deny some time with them.

I know it's pretty early, but this story will probably end at 10 chapters. Who knows, though, because I don't even plan my chapters; I just write a brief summary of what I want the book to be like and then my mind does the rest chapter-by-chapter. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

--

Kellin. 2:22 PM.

The house was quiet as ever. There was never a time in our ten years living here that the house had been so deadly silent; not even when Vic was at work and I was here by myself. The house always had a homey glow to it; its warmth enveloping me when Vic wasn't there. I was always so sure that he would come home at the end of the day, and I think that's what has held me together for so long. Now, though...now I'm busting at the seams.

The occasion kick of our baby was the only thing keeping me from having a total meltdown. Before, I would have probably already been halfway in the grave, but now that I was responsible for another life, I had to take a step back and be more selfless than ever. There was no time to collapse on the floor and cry for hours. I had two people who needed me to be strong, so with that in mind, I sucked up all the pity I had for myself and walked out the door.

--

I arrived at the police station within thirty minutes, seeing as the walk is long enough when you don't have a child weighing you down.

The doors were plastered with papers; probably people with questioned that couldn't be answered. Our town tended to do this a lot. If we were being ignored, we would just cover the officer's doors in letters that expressed our annoyance. I wasn't really one to do that, and neither was Vic, but the majority of the town took part in it.

"Mr. Fuentes, how can I help you?" Officer Barham asked. He seemed stressed, as did the other officers, but I couldn't blame them. There was a lot going on, and impatient family members begging for answers probably added the cherry on top.

"I just wanted to know if there was any news about the mine, and if there was anything I could do to be of assistance. I can't just sit at home and do nothing; I feel like I might burst if I just sit and wait," I ranted, trying to sound as desperate as possible in order to win him over.

"We can't release any information now, sorry. I think there may be something you can help with. Even if it is just taking papers off the front door," Officer Barham replied, winking a little. I could tell he was trying to help me get my mind off things, which was greatly appreciated. Taking papers off the door is better than sitting in the house that Vic usually comes home to every day.

--

Vic.

The cave I was in wasn't really getting any more comfortable, and I was starting to think that maybe I was going to be stuck in here forever. I couldn't hear any sounds that would indicate someone else being anywhere near me, and I couldn't see anything. For all I know, I'm dead and this is just some sort of void.

I had been here for a good three hours just waiting for something to happen, getting my hopes up when I heard slight shuffling only to realize it was a rock shifting.

The bleeding on my head had stopped and was replaced by a massive migraine. I thought my head hurt before, but I was so wrong. I could feel my temples pulsing, and my ears rang loudly through the silent cavern. It was lonely and cold, and I was losing hope quickly.

I had managed to convince myself that Kellin was okay, and that he wasn't worrying about me. I sort of talked myself into believing that this was a dream, but soon talked myself out of it when I started imagining freaky things appearing in my dream.

I sat for a little longer before I started hearing noises. It sounded like something shuffling, and my heart fluttered. On the one hand, I wanted to be excited that this could mean I would be able to escape, but on the other hand I didn't want to think of the disappointment I would feel when I realized it was just my imagination.

Slowly, I let my eyes close and I focused on the things around me. The temperature had changed slightly, but that was probably because I was feeling sort of sick. The disappointment of no-one being here made me feel like I was going to throw up, which caused a wave of heat to wash over my body.

"Hello?" I heard from the other side of the fallen rocks. Things were being knocked around and I could hear metal clashing against the earth, telling me that I was, in fact, going to be okay.

"Help!" I screamed, well, more like rasped. My voice was weak from not being used in a little while, but that didn't stop me from screaming the word over and over again, praying to anything that the people on the other side of the rock wall would hear me.

"No-one's in there!" a muffled voice yelled to whoever else was with him.

"Are you sure?" another voice chimed. The other person must have nodded, because no other voices were heard.

"I still think we should continue to dig. Someone could be hurt in there," the same voice spoke.

"Sure. There's nowhere else to go anyway." For what felt like years, I sat and listened to the clinking of pickaxes against the rock, chewing my nails and tapping my feet on the solid ground.

Finally, light poured into the cave, and I could see a group of men looking around the space.

"Fuck," one of the men whispered. I was confused, wondering why the person would be so upset. I was here and I was alive, for Christ sake! How could these people be upset?

"Why would you be upset that I'm alive?" I asked, but no-one seemed to acknowledge me. No-one even looked in my general direction.

Everyone's eyes were averted to the corner of the cave where I had been sitting, praying for this moment.

With a confused expression, I turned myself around and looked where the other men wore looking, surprised to see myself laying there, a rock crushing my left arm. My face is bloody and bruised, and my chest barely rises and falls like it's supposed to.

--

Woops

Love you all

Until tomorrow x