SOJOURNER (III): tmr gally

27: I should stay, for once

Michelle 27

"Do you hear that?" Rose asks, flicking on her flashlight. She stares down the corridor, looking to both sides.

I haven't been listening to anything. All I've been doing, honestly, is waiting for the right moment to knock her unconscious so I can get away. The night watch is pointless anyway. Nothing ever shows up. There isn't anything roaming around down here, lurking in the shadows. We're stuck in this cool underground, trudging along, day after day, and I haven't gotten the proper amount of sleep in what I imagine to be weeks.

"No," I growl.

"It's nothing." Hilde sighs.

They sent her to watch with us, because apparently, they couldn't just let me sleep or anything. I get that they don't trust me, and that's fine, but I would rather be sleeping. Watching Rose pace at every creak is perhaps the worst thing about being with Group B.

Like now. Rose stands up, moving further down the tunnel. "I hear something."

I roll my eyes, following after her. There is no point in arguing with Rose when she is anxious. It'll only reward her ridiculous behaviour.

She pulls out a machete from her side. With a flick of her wrist, she flips it in a circle. At first glance, the weapon looks as light as a feather. Her proficiency is only intimidating because I know that she will be one of the only people awake to prevent my escape.

I turn around, glancing at Hilde, who pays us no mind. No surprise there. She doesn't seem to mind being left alone in the dim light, and for good reason. There is nothing out here that could hurt her, besides me. In fact, it's safer that she is away.

Behind Rose, I pull out my hammer, leaving my flashlight in my belt. I jog until Hilde's light blurs against the darkness. Rose stays quiet, probably to listen to whatever non-existent sound she heard. I may be partially blind, but I am certainly not deaf.

If I wanted to, I could take my hammer and smash Rose in the back of the head. It would collide, hard, buried beneath her curly black hair. Maybe it would get stuck inside her skull. She might scream, but I'd be able to run. I could escape.

Then again, I don't hate Rose. She is nice enough to me. Nice enough that I would stay if it weren't for Teresa's judgy glare. Even Hilde isn't that bad. Doug is in the other group, and so is Dawn, and hopefully Leo too. Not that I particularly care about any of those people, obviously.

It's weird, not taking this opportunity to kill Rose. Since I definitely could, and it would benefit me greatly.

Rose freezes, and I stop right behind her. She clicks off her flashlight, before backing into the wall behind us.

"What?" I ask, leaning into her shoulder.

"Cranks," she mutters. "Ten or fifteen, just ahead."

I don't know whether or not to believe her.

She moves her hands along the wall, running along it. She stops a few metres back, flicking back on her light. Above us is one of the mysterious ceilings.

"Look," she glances upwards. "We can get out."

She throws her flashlight into her pocket, climbing up the wall. She moves further and further up, pounding on the ceiling. I can hear them now, coming closer. One gurgles at the banging.

Klunk. I jump up. Even though I'm tiny, I pull myself farther and farther up the walls. Glancing down at the sounds underneath me, I grip the walls as tightly as I can. They are coming out beneath us, muttering amongst themselves. Rose clicks off the flashlight.