Unhinged

1.

**Note*** A working title, written a few years ago, not edited 

"Come on Cathy catch up to us, take Maura around front." 

"Come on Maur." Cathy said. "Lead us down this spooky tunnel." 

I never did like my friends, they were all goody goodies most of the time, but behind my back they were a little more than satanic, just like right now. "Yeah Maur lead us." Jackson called. 

"No, why me?" I asked. Why does it even have to be me? This was their idea, I only agreed on the account that Ale was my ride home.

"Because you're tunnel girl, so come on tunnel girl. Lead us." How did I know they would say that? Whenever I feel scared someone just reassures me by calling me 'Tunnel Girl'. It's a reminder of how I was brave enough to enter the tunnel as a child and escape. It's a reminder of how drawn I still am to the tunnel. How I feel completely foreign and at home in these tunnel's all at the same time. 

"Tunnel girl isn't gonna do it. Not this time." I said. 

"Aw come on, we know you're the bravest." 

"Aw all right." I said taking the flash light.  

"Want me to hold your hand?" Ale asked. 

"Nope, tunnel girl has got this." I said meaning to sound confident, which I did not feel at all. 

I held the flashlight, shakily leading us down the tunnel. I focused on the beating of my heart, not even aware of the sounds around me. Leading us deeper into the tunnel I saw graffiti saying 'Go Back' written in red. I ignored the sign, I kept trudging deeper into the tunnel. I became aware of a distant dripping noise, and something that sounded a bit like a splash. 

"Guys." I whispered "Did you hear that." I waited for their answer, but none came. I turned to see that I was all alone. 

Splash. 

I heard the sound again. Against all reasoning I decided to keep going farther into the tunnel. The noises are probably the others trying to scare me. They are gonna be shocked to see that I'm still following my path. I walked straight keeping steadfast. Suddenly my flashlight began to flicker. They meant to do this. I thought, they put old batteries in on purpose. 

My friends are gonna pay for this. When I get back home I am gonna give all of them a good talking to. 

I took a few more steps before my flashlight went out completely. I am not going to keep doing this to prove a point, not in the dark. I don't have a death wish. 

I turned around and inched my way through the tunnel, in the dark I was completely clueless on where to go. I stepped through the mud and gunk. If I ever get through this alive I will spend my entire life in the light. I will never spend another day in darkness. Just as that thought ended a hand wrapped around my waist and another over my mouth. "Didn't your parents ever tell you to stay out of the tunnels babe?" a deep raspy voice asked.

That voice, I-I don't recognize it. It doesn't belong to one of my friends. I have been in this tunnel alone for the past half hour trying to prove a point to my friends when it wasn't even them following me.

"Stop!" I tried to scream against his hand, however it just came out muddled. "Help! Help!"

I continuously screamed but it was no use, my words were inaudible and my screams would never be heard from this deep in the tunnels.

"They don't like screamers." The man leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Keep quiet if you value life." Then he lifted his hand and I kept my mouth shut, I was frozen in fear.