Faded Scars Trilogy

Chapter nine: Two Lights

Nightmare, Part Three

Luta

“Want to explore?” I suggested, and, not waiting for his answer, grabbed the candle, spilling some hot wax on my hand in the process, and started down the echoing tunnel.  Toma ran to stay in the candle’s small pool of light as we strolled down the passage, stepping over puddles of strange milky water.  Here and there, chunks of stone and rusted metal lay strewn in the dirt, remnants of the fortress’s construction many years ago.  Scattered randomly were abandoned weapons, coated with brown black blood.  At one point, I stumbled across a gore-encrusted shield.  I wiped myself off, a bit disgusted, and continued.  I kept walking briskly down the monotonous earthen corridor until it abruptly ended at a rusted metal door, undoubtedly leading into Reve.  I smiled, everything, for once, was rather simple.  I looked around the small space, inspecting the area around the door in a futile effort to determine where in Reve it led. 

“There’s tunnels between the walls guards use to get around quickly or to places they don’t want prisoners to see.  This is one of them,” Toma explained.  I wanted to slap him for ruining the surprise for me, but didn’t as he was just trying to help. 

“Should we go back?” Toma asked, his face slightly pale.  I hadn’t recognized it before, but Toma was scared.  I nodded and led away from the door, noting Toma’s relief as we moved away from the exit.

The stubby candle in my hand wavered in warning.  We didn’t have much light left.  I began to run, slowly working from a jog into an almost full out sprint, not enthusiastic about getting caught in the pitch-black darkness.  I raced through the convoluted tunnel, my feet soaked by the intermittent puddles on the ground.  Alas, it was too little too late and the candle finally flickered out.  Behind me, Toma swore and began rifling through his pack.  “I don’t have another one I’m afraid,” he announced after a minute of searching. I didn’t reply; realizing what I had taken for absolute darkness was slightly lit.  I ventured over to the wall on my right where small specks of light pierced the black like needles.  I squinted at these little pinpricks of light, my eyes adjusting.  After a while I began to wonder if these little bits of light, which had started to move, were insects.  I dug my hand into the wall, scraping off one of the little bugs.  I cupped it gently in my palm and studied it as it scurried frantically in my hands.  It was pale, almost translucent, in color and gave off a sort of waxy glow.  I watched it scuttle around curiously.  It seemed almost funny to me.  Even where no sunlight reached, there was still light somewhere, in some form.  I gingerly placed the faintly glowing beetle on the ground, turning to face the way out.

A hand brushed my arm. 

“Is that you Luta?” Toma asked from the blackness. 

“Who else could it be?” I replied, smiling a little at the simple stupidity of such a question.  I could almost see Toma shrug. 

“Are you afraid of the dark?” I asked, remembering how scared he had been earlier. 

“Are you?” Toma countered.  I shook my head and then, realizing Toma couldn’t see it, replied, “No.” 

“Neither am I then,” Toma said, drawing close, so close I could hear his slow, steady breathing.  Toma took my hand in his, making me blush with happiness and more than a little embarrassment.  I was glad Toma couldn’t see me.  I started to say something, but Toma cut me off. 

“Just making sure I don’t lose you,” he explained, laughing a little.  I laughed too, but Toma knew I wasn’t fooled.  Was this what it was like when my parents had met?  Had Mandisa’s heart leapt into her throat?  Had she felt sick to her stomach but at the same time as if she were walking on clouds?  My mind sped in confusion with a million questions to which I knew none of the answers until I thought I might implode.  The mental chaos only came to a stop when I felt Toma gently pull on my hand.