Forget the Forgotten

Chapter Nine

*I can't wait to tell Ayla about this,* Amelia thought. She felt bold and adventurous as they trotted through the corridors. *Probably no one will believe that. I bet no one trusts the practical, sensible Amelia to explore the labyrinth. But I do!*

Amelia followed Nick around the next corner. She decided to take something with her to prove that she had indeed been down here.

While walking, she kept her eyes on the ground, but apart from empty beer cans and bags of chips, there was not much to see.

Tom sang softly to himself as he walked.

Amelia heard Jacob gurgling with laughter.

That was really funny. Tom was about to completely ruin his image of the tough guy.

Amelia spotted a stack of newspapers on a wall. *Maybe there's an old one I can take upstairs,*she thought.

She went over and picked one up. "Hey, guys, you've got to see this!" she shouted.

Jacob sped to her. "What have you got there?"

"A school newspaper from 1971," Amelia replied.

"Give it to me!" Veronica tore the paper from Amelia's hand. "Hey, look at the vest the girl is wearing. It's totally hippie! That's out three times today."

Nick looked over Amelia's shoulder. "Oh, man! And here's a review of the latest Doors album."

Amelia bent down and grabbed another newspaper. Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound. She jumped to the side and hit Veronica.

"Be careful," Veronica hissed at her.

"I thought I heard a rat in the corner," said Amelia.

"Oh, how disgusting!" squeaked Veronica. "I'm going back."

"Me too," Jacob joined in.

"Not me." Nick kept trotting along the tunnel, and Tom followed him.

Amelia let her gaze wander across the floor. There were no rats. Obviously, they couldn't get any closer as long as we were moving. She hobbled after Nick and Tom.

Shortly afterwards, she heard footsteps behind her. Amelia smiled to herself. She hadn't expected Jacob and Veronica to make their way back without a torch.

All five moved deeper into the maze. No one said anything.

Amelia caught herself thinking about the story Nick had told them. Images of other teenagers haunted her mind. People like her, who had partied under real people.

And then died.

Fear gripped her. She wanted to go back, but she couldn't. The others would laugh at her for sure. Especially Veronica.

Amelia limped on with her torch raised high. There was no way she could turn back now, come what may. The walls seemed to come closer.

Every now and then a rat squeaked in the darkness. Amelia couldn't help thinking about the tiny claws digging into her throat.

*It's getting to be no fun down here anymore,* she thought. *I'm getting really scared.*

But where did that fear come from?

Deep down, she knew it.

Amelia had always been afraid of the dark. When she was little, she thought monsters hid inside. Even today, she was uncomfortable in a dark room.

"Pull yourself together," Amelia cursed in silence. She tried to hide her fear and calm down. That helped a little. Concentrated she stared through the flame of her torch at the red colour of Tom's hoodie.

The tunnel now became sloping and led deeper into the earth. A little further ahead Amelia heard a splashing sound.

Nick stopped.

"What is that?" Amelia asked.

"You can see for yourself," Nick replied.

Carefully, Amelia walked on. Her eyes fell on a puddle of water that covered the entire width of the tunnel. Water flowed from part of the ceiling in streams.

"Where did all this come from," Jacob asked.

"The crucial question is how deep it is and whether we can walk through it", said Nick.

Amelia discovered trash floating in the giant puddle. It bounced on small waves caused by the rippling water.

"I'm not going over there," Veronica announced. "No matter how deep it is!"

"What's the problem?" Nick asked. "It's only water."

"Forget it," Veronica said determinedly. "I'm not wading through that in my life."

"Me neither," Amelia joined in and Jacob nodded.

Nick rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Oh, great. Let's just turn around and find another tunnel."

He turned around and went on ahead. He turned right, then left, then left again. Amelia was right behind him.

*I wish we could go back to the ladder,* she thought. *As far as I'm concerned, we can get out of here now.*

Nick turned right again.

"Why are we going this way?" moaned Jacob. "We've been in this tunnel before."

"We haven't," Tom objected. "It only seems that way. They all look alike somehow."

Nick just kept walking.

"I think Jacob was right," Veronica said.

Nick stopped, waving his torch indecisively back and forth. At that moment, Amelia realized they had no idea where they were or how to get back to the ladder.

Okay, they had made three or four turns. But did they turn right or left? She couldn't remember even if her life depended on it.

"We're lost, aren't we?" She said softly. 

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