Adeline

Chapter 2 - Safety

The lights from the city and it's evening illuminations, however bright they were, did not reach the small hut by the side of the canal. Even the glow from the closest lamps on the adjacent street seemed to be short lived, dispersing despairingly as it stretched down the stone steps to the side of the canal. There was a damp, dark cobble walk way that lined each side of the canal, which water's swirled and swallowed all light in its night time black state, like oil. The entrance to the almost-invisible hut was small, and from a few extra yards away it wouldn't have been observable at all. It was like a minor oasis, shielded by tall black, stone walls that assisted in hiding its secrets. The sinewy canal water that moved slowly in the deepest hidden pasts of the city made no sound at all. This might have been the stillest part of the town that was usually so lively. All light was gone now, and the tall, looming black shadows that stretched across the walkways and roads were still, silent and secure, like giants. The only sounds that could be heard were the shouts of people and music in the distance, perhaps a few blocks away. The tall, colossal buildings that hid the stone hut from everything else were abandoned warehouses, crumbling bricks, cheerless and decrepit, left to rot in the corner of London. That, of course, with the exception of a faint sloshing that was the sound of Adeline and Arthur making their way up the canal, emerging from the darkness that surrounded them in the storm drain. Their toes were frozen, close to falling off and positively numb. Not to mention, their clothes hanging off of them like a cold, icy burden. As the sun had set not a few hours ago, Arthur and Adeline had become increasingly frozen as they waded through the thick, dark water.

"Not far now." Adeline turned to her partner who was starting to become weary from the journey that they had endured. They had walked around 5 miles through tunnels of the storm drain from where they had entered it. Arthur was sure that the tracking dogs would be able to find them, but Adeline was certain that they wouldn't – and she had made an escape like this before. Much to Arthur's misfortune, Adeline was exceptionally smart and knew her stuff. Arthur had never seen such a strange and neglected place as he looked up to the towering abandoned buildings. The grey sky peered through the glassless windows and bricks were scattered across the road that had not been visited by anyone but the bums of the city who needed somewhere to sleep for the night. Arthur never knew that there was such a place in London, blocks and blocks of empty buildings that were just falling apart. It was as though they had entered the tunnel through the city, and come out in the underworld – where they were the only living souls among a city of the dead.

"Good. He gasped exhaustedly, "It's pleasant to know that you reassure your captives."

Adeline ignored the comment and began to climb out of the cold water and onto the damp stone walkway that marked the side of the canal. The girl sat on the tall vertical wall of the canal and helped to pull Arthur up. He tripped slightly onto his knees and his hands grazed onto the stone, but at least he was up.

"Come on," She clambered along the stone cobbles toward the hut and held out her hand for her hostage. He took it with cold, white and shaking fingers that he could no longer move very well. This was when he caught sight of where she was leading him. An old wooden door in the corner of the dark wall that cast a shadow over the canal. It seemed to be part of an old factory house, where the overseer would eat and check over administration business for the company. Either that or a shed – it was so small. The slate roof of the hut had fallen on one side and was sunken on the other, so internally it was only half of its original size. The wood that was used to structure it was rotten and soft. Vegetation and other types of invasive shrubbery surrounded the large stones that made up the hut, twisting and curling their way in between the stone, managing to dismantle the small building slowly over time. The thing was practically surrounded by large grey stones that had fallen over time, and Arthur wondered how this place had escaped the acknowledgement of people and civilisation.