Press. Release. Wait.

Lost and Found

I had made the decision so fast I hadn't had any time to think. I needed it. I knew I needed that phone. But the consequences of this decision had led me here.

I brought myself up against the wall of the tunnel. My only guiding marker in the darkness. At this point I knew there wasn't another entrance for miles. I wasn't quite sure how many miles but far. Very far.

My feet slid and scraped along the edge of the tunnel. Carefully. One step at a time my searching footsteps made their cautious way through the darkness.

I could go back. I could definitely go back. Was my phone really that big of a deal? For a second I stopped and looked around. I took in the pitch blackness around me.

Ok. Fine. It's kind of important.

If I didn't have the wall to lean against and navigate me I would be completely and utterly lost. My eyes flickered back down, scanning through the dark floor for any sign of light emanating from my phone. Even the tiniest flicker of pale blue ground.

Nothing. Not a glimmer. Not a flash. Just nothing. Just a heaping pile of nothing. I felt like this was the spot. For some reason I felt like this was as far as I had gotten.

I got down onto the ground, making sure to keep one hand firmly pressed against the wall to keep my bearings, and scrabbled the other hand in the dirt. I felt around for the smooth, metal back of my phone.

A few desperate scrabbles over the dirt ensued. Over and over again I placed my hand over the pebbles and brushed it back towards me. I crawled forward and repeated the action. This time with even more urgency. I could feel my other arm shaking as it struggled to stay against the wall.

And suddenly it wasn't on the wall anymore. I was lost. I immediately shifted my entire body to the side and grabbed against the wall, breathing heavily as I hugged the wall.

Don't risk that again. Don't get lost.

I got up, my arm still shaking nervoulsy and began to walk forward again. I scanned the ground once again, making sure to be as close to the wall as I could get.

And then I heard it. Those tiny scratches that made me shudder every time their sound rang out into the darkness.

They were almost rhythmic in nature. They seemed almost like they were waiting for something. Impatient scratches onto the soil. Lifting up then ringing out as they were brought back to the ground. Digging through the soil of the tunnel.

And there it was. There was my phone. I could see its cool blue light reach into the darkness. Its tiny power despererately trying to illuminate the black.

I approached it with caution, noticing that the scratching sounds was getting louder as I got closer to the phone.

I reached my hand out as I got closer. I could almost feel the phone in my hands. Just a few inches and I would have it.

But the scratching was right in my ears now. Rhythmic, horrible scratching.

SCCCRRCCHHH.

SCCCRRRCCCCHHHH...

And then a pause.

SCCCRRRCCHH.

SCCCCRRRCCCCCHHHHHHH...

And then another pause.

I took that pause to reach out to my phone. I reached my hand out but I was still a few inches away.

SCCCRRCCHHHH...

And then I felt my feet slide slightly through the dirt.

The second scratch never came.

I froze.

My eyes darted back and forth, desperately trying to track where the sound was. But I still couldn't see anything.

I was awkwardly balancing against on one foot, crouched close to the ground when my motion froze. My other hand closed against my body instinctively. I braced myself, still trying to balance one foot.

CRUCH! CRUCH!

I heard a few footsteps echoing through the darkness. They were so close they could have come from me.

My eyes darted to the phone. I could see its light just ahead of me. If I just reached out I could get it.

CRUCH! CRUNCH! SCCRRUCHHH!

Whatever it was its last step dragged against the ground.

I could feel warmth against my skin. Only now did I realize how cold it had gotten. I hadn't even realized I was still shivering in the cold as I balanced on one foot.

The warmth went up and was almost touching my ear.

Shallow, hot breaths pushed against me. I closed my eyes, waiting for it to pass. But it stayed, almost waiting for me to make my move.

"Just one more step."

It whispered into my ear.

"You shouldn't be here."

A tear leaked down from my eye.

"But it'll be okay. Just one more step and it'll all be over."

I couldn't keep my balance much longer. My foot drifted just above the black ground. I needed to act. Now.

My foot stepped down with a sickening crunch. I grabbed my phone with one swift movement and began to sprint.

The warmth of whatever it had been faded quickly. As if it had literally been right in my ear. The moment I took a step away I no longer felt the warmth of its presence.

I ran as fast as I possibly could. Vision of the ground below me gave me newfound confidence to sprint through the subway tunnel.

Then it called out to me.

"All you needed was one more step, Cheyenne!"

I ignored it. Whatever it was.

"That's okay," It said a little quieter, "I'll find you soon."