Double Down Demons (A Ghost Adventures/Zak Bagans Story)

Chapter 58: Tunnel of terror

I stumble down the tunnel kicking debris and splashing through mud and puddles, I have no idea how far I have gone only stopping when I can no longer hear their voices behind me. I lean against the wall for a moment while I try and calm myself. Deep down I know I'm being irrational and unreasonable but I just can't kick these horrible feelings I'm having towards Zak. Everything he does I feel like he's trying to hurt me on purpose, that he doesn't want me any more and is too much of a coward to admit it. I figure I can't dwell on it right then and hunker down to do what I'm being employed to do. I call out for a while and other than hearing what sounds like a pebble being thrown I don't catch anything. I'm contemplating heading back with my tail between my legs when I am completely floored by an overwhelming feeling of despair. I try not to panic but can't stop myself from dropping to my knees, my head in my hands I start to cry. Great heaving sobs wrack my body, I'm completely inconsolable. Lucky for me Jay has been true to his word and has been watching me the whole time.

"Zak!"He calls into the walkie, "You better go find Tracy, something is happening down there."

Its all Zak needs to hear and he takes off down the tunnel towards me leaping over obstacles he can barely see in the torchlight. He reaches me in less than a minute, Aaron and Billy still a long ways behind him, their lights bobbing in the distance.

"Tracy! Sweetie? What's going on?" He asks as he crouches down in front of me. I jump up startled at his sudden appearance, unaware he was even there until he spoke.

"No! Leave me alone!" I shout at him, out of my mind with grief I try to run. Zak reaches to stop me but I trip over a broken sleeper and fall hard on my hands and knees twisting my ankle as I go down. Zak steps towards me and I try to scramble away from him.

"Get off of me! Leave me here! You'll get hurt! Please leave me alone! I don't want to break you too. Please go!" I plead hysterically, but undeterred Zak crawls up next to me and pulls me into him trying to calm me down. I fight against his embrace, pushing feebly against his chest with my grazed hands as his strong arms hold me in place.

"Hush Tracy, its ok. You're going to be ok. Please come back to me." He soothes, his voice hitching with emotion as he rocks me slightly holding me tightly to him. As he makes me focus on him my panic begins to subside and my sobs quieten. "That's it sweetheart, come on you're ok, you're fine." He whispers into my hair, kissing the top of my head and my wet, dirt streaked face. I hiccup and look up at him through my tears and I see him properly for what feels like the first time since we first entered the hotel days before.

"Oh Zak! Oh my god! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I weep and cling to him as if I were afraid he would be taken away from me any second.

"Its ok, we're ok." He reassures me looking me directly on the eyes and brushing my damp dirty hair away from my face. Aaron and Billy finally catch up and look on worriedly. Jay's voice clatters through the radio.

'Everything ok down there?" He asks, Zak pulls his device from his belt.

"Yeah, we're ok, we'll be making our way out any minute, have the first aid ready for us bro." He responds and its only then I notice the sting in my hands and knees and the relentless throb of my ankle, I'd even managed to smear blood on Zak's cheek from my cut hand.

"How are you doing sweetie?" He asks me gently.

"I'm not sure." My voice hoarse from the strain, I breathe in ragged breaths still bewildered at what had just occurred.

"Do you think you can walk?" He asks me gently.

"I'm not sure, I think so." I'm feeling disconnected from my own limbs. "Let me try."

Zak helps me up and it seems like I might be ok until I try and take a step on my injured ankle. I groan and screw up my face in pain as I feel it give underneath me, I lean on Zak for support.

"Shit!I don't think I can just yet. I'll hop back if I can lean on you." Zak shakes his head and hands his gear to Billy and Aaron and scoops me up into his arms as if I weighed little more than a wet puppy. I gasp and put my arms around his neck as he begins the arduous trek back to the tunnel entrance.

Aaron and Billy collect all the gear along the way and we reach the opening in a little under ten minutes. Zak lays me down gently in the back of the RV and tends to my cuts and grazes and swelling ankle. I watch him, his face streaked with dirt and blood, looking so serious, concentrating hard so as not to hurt me further. I reach to wipe the blood streak from his face with the sleeve of my hoodie and he looks up with a small smile before going back to his task.

"what the hell happened in there?" Aaron pokes his head around the door.

"We'll leave that explanation until later Aaron." Zak admonishes him and I flash him a small grateful smile.

"Come on lets get you back to the hotel." He goes to help finish packing up and doesn't see the panic in my eyes, I grab his wrist to stop him.

"No Zak please!" I beg him. "I don't want to go back there." I shudder at the thought of ever entering the building ever again. He looks at me with a thousand questions in his eyes but he nods in agreement.

"Ok we'll sort something out."
We end up dropping the others back at the hotel, Zak runs in quickly to grab our things while Jay keeps me company in the RV. I can't even bring myself to look at the place. Zak soon returns he tells Jay where we are going and hops into the driver's seat, Jay had already helped me hobble to the front passenger side.

"I hope you don't mind camping?" He half smiles.

"Just as long as we're away from this place I don't care!" I tell him and he rubs my thigh to comfort me as he drives away. Just as dawn is breaking we pull up to a campsite about 5 miles out of town. From what I can see in the grey morning light it looks beautiful. Lush green fields sit next to a babbling creek, with gum trees clustered here and there, I already feel so much more at ease. Zak helps me to the bathroom block and I freshen up as best I can before he helps me back into the RV where he had been busy pulling out the bed and drawing all the blinds. We climb into bed and I wince at the pain in my palm as I grab Zak's arm and pull him to me.

"Do you want to talk?" He asks cautiously. Tears threaten to fall again as I think about what a bitch I had been to him over the past couple of days. Maybe I was that pedigree bitch after all.

"I will, but right now i'm exhausted and i'm not sure I would make any sense but I do want to say I'm sorry. God I'm so sorry! I've been so horrible and stupid!" I bite my lip to stop the tears.

"Shhh"He hushes me once more. "Its ok, we'll be ok." He repeats giving me a gentle squeeze. I try and fight to stay awake, not wanting to lose sight of Zak for a second, but as he strokes my hair down my back I feel myself drifting away.

"I love you." I whisper into his chest just as I pass out.

"Not as much as I love you." He whispers back but I'm already fast asleep, swallowed up in the darkness.

Just a quick note to say thank you for all the reads, votes and comments! Being my first go at writing its a very pleasant surprise that i got any reads let alone the love and laughter from you, so thank you so much! I hope you continue to like it. Cheers! *GM*