Forget the Forgotten

Chapter Ten

"We're not lost," Nick said.

"Let's just go back to the ladder," Veronica said. "I'm sick of being down here."

"Me too," Tom joined in.

"Okay, okay", said Nick. "I know the way. Come." He kept walking down the tunnel.

*Yes!* thought Amelia, relieved. *Finally, we're getting out of here. And the others don't think I'm a coward because I didn't suggested we turn back.*

Nick turned right.

"I don't think this is the right way. We're screwing up," mumbled Jacob.

*Did the others die this way?* Amelia asked herself. *Were they lost down here?*

She forced herself to stop thinking about it.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Veronica asked.

Nick didn't answer.

Amelia's ankle was hurting more with each step. *How much longer are we gonna be down here?* she asked herself.

An icy chill went down her spine.

Again the tunnel led downhill. Amelia heard the sound of rushing water.

"We're back where we started," Tom moaned.

"Great, really great!" murmured Jacob.

Nick spun around to give him a sparkle. "Do you think you can do any better?"

Jacob looked over his shoulder into the tunnel. "No," he admitted.

"Anyone else have any complaints?" Nick asked. Amelia shook her head. So did Tom and Veronica.

"What are we going to do?" Amelia asked. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to stay calm.

"I think we should wade through," announced Nick. "If we turn back, we're just walking in circles again."

Amelia stared into the murky water. She saw rats. Brown creatures with greasy, shiny fur and fleshy pink tails. They swam back and forth, eating the rotten bits of paper.

"Nick is right," Tom said. "The tunnels run under the whole town. There must be lots of exits. If we can get through this puddle of water, we're sure to find one of them."

"But we don't know how deep it is," Veronica protested.

Suddenly Amelia noticed that something reflected the light from Nick's torch.

"Look, there's a bottle on the right-hand side of the water!" she shouted.

"So what?" hissed Veronica.

"It's on solid ground and it's not floating in the water."

"Who cares about a stupid bottle?" snorted Veronica.

Nick held up his torch and blinked into the dark. "Am's right," he said. "There seems to be some kind of ledge on the tunnel wall over there."

"Wow, that's great," Veronica muttered.

"Well? Is it wide enough for us to walk on?" Jacob asked.

"There's only one way to find out," Nick replied, climbing to the ledge. Amelia saw that he swayed a little as he tried to keep his balance. Carefully, he took another step.

"Not so bad," he called back. "The ledge is pretty narrow, but it looks like it goes all the way through the water. Follow me!"

"Are you kidding?" growled Veronica.

Nick stopped for a moment and looked up at the ceiling.

"It still seems to be pouring like buckets up there," he said.

"Watch out for the torch," Tom yelled to him.

"That's the easy part," Nick replied casually. He ducked and balanced through the thick water threads and jumped off the ledge on the other side. "That's it," he announced. "It actually goes through, and it's about a foot long."

"I won't go. No way," protested Veronica.

"You want to get out of here, don't you?" Nick asked.

"But that's so gross," whimpered Veronica.

"Just stay on the ledge. You won't even get wet."

"No."

"Am will do it as well," Nick claimed.

Oh, yeah? How would he know that?

Amelia took a deep breath. But he was right. She had to do it. It was her chance to get out of here, after all.

"Fine," Veronica said. "Then she can fall in."

Amelia looked across the water to Nick. About a foot wide, he had said. A semi-dry ridge that ran along the wall of the tunnel.

"Well?", Veronica asked provocatively.

"I will do it," Amelia announced.

Veronica made a disparaging sound. Amelia limped forward, trying to appear confident despite her injured ankle. She stepped onto the ledge. The stone felt stable. Then she took the first step. Water washed over her foot. Amelia continued to grope her way carefully. The ledge was getting narrower.

"Hurry!" cried Tom behind her.

"Hey, I have a sprained ankle, remember?"

"Hurry up anyway."

Amelia tried to walk faster. She almost reached the end. Water sloshed over the ledge and soaked her sneakers. She almost lost her balance once or twice. There was nothing to hold on to except the wall - and it was slippery from the rainwater.

"What about you, Jacob?" Nick yelled to him. "Are you next?"

"I'm coming," he answered without hesitation.

Amelia froze. The pool was rainwater, the frosty temperature of slush.

"Faster," Tom urged once again.

"I'm trying!" When Amelia looked up, she saw Nick staring straight at her. Only a small distance separated them.

"Don't let Tom distract you," Nick said softly to her. "Concentrate on not slipping. You're almost there."

Amelia nodded and took a step towards him. She held her eyes firmly on Nick. One more step.

Something grazed her foot.

Amelia winced and gave a scream.

Nick called her name out loud.

Desperately she tried to keep her balance. In doing so, she stepped on something soft that was protruding fidgeting under her foot. Amelia stumbled backwards.

She landed on the edge of the ledge with her sneaker - and slipped.

The next moment she fell into the water. Amelia tried to scream, but her mouth filled with the putrid liquid.

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