The Tunnel Idea

Part 1 The tunnel idea

The sound of the shovel scraping the rocky dirt was piercing and slightly aggravating; behind me the soft pat pat pat slowly calmed the irritation. My job, as the oldest, was to shovel out the dirt and Maya and Basil patted the newly dug tunnel to a firm safe tube. In various places thin boards of wood were pressed onto the roof and supported by wooden poles. The ground was run smooth from walking on it.

I had Maya at the age of eighteen and she is six now. I'm proud of her, she's right tough and pretty. Her hair is mousy brown and wispy and she always cuts it to her shoulders and puts it in little half bunches on her head. The tunnels fault it is always knotted I guess, but she rocks it like that with those big eyes and cheekbones. Basil was her adopted best friend. She found him all fat and bald when she was four. He's sev'n but way less clever. I always liked Basil and he just grew to be one of us. And I am Max. I am Hempleman Max. I have a shack where I am meant to live and I live in Eragon. It's a pretty run down place but it's got everything you gon' need in life.
My Dad tried to educate me about the world from when I was Maya's age. I was clever like her and my brother was even better. But he was scouted by the capital and was sent to Hawk Eye to be hypnotised into society's grip, my father said. Actually he went to ride dragons and learn how to be a society ideal enforcer.

And that's the tunnel idea.

The tunnel idea is printed in blue print in my mind. I build the tunnel with Maya and Basil and we don't get caught. We build escape routes out of it and learn its path before we reach the capital and save my brother Esil Junior. We dig with Esil and reach the sea where someone sails us across to -somewhere- with a society different to ours. Anywhere that's safe. Anywhere better than here.
We're coming.
And that's the tunnel idea.