Forget the Forgotten

Chapter Eighteen

"Run!" yelled Nick.

Blindly, they ran into the tunnel on their right. Amelia screamed and grabbed her ankle. She almost fell.

"Come on!" urged Nick. He grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him.

"I'm trying," she sobbed. The pain was unbearable, but she forced herself to run instead of limping.

"Is it still there?" cried Jacob over her shoulder.

"I haven't looked!" returned Nick.

Amelia looked straight ahead as she walked.

They turned right.

They turned left.

The walls with the blurred graffiti seemed not to want to end. Her torches flickered in the stale air, but she just kept running. Gasping, Amelia tried to suck air into her aching lungs. But she could not.

The muscles in her legs burned like fire and her knees were shaky.

She noticed that she was slowing down.

"I just can't do it!" she pushed out, breathing heavily. "Nick..."

"Pull yourself together!" he shouted. "Don't give up now!"

"Nick..."

Colors swirled before her eyes. Her legs suddenly went numb and seemed to no longer want to carry her.

Then she hit the ground. A tin can bored into her hip and a damp, rotten piece of paper stuck to her cheek.

"Come on, Am!" urged Nick. "Move it!"

"Leave her alone," screamed Veronica.

"Shut up, Ronnie!" Nick pulled her over.

Then she heard Ayla's voice. "Don't give up, Lia! You can't do this to our parents! You must survive! I believe in you!"

"The fog... it is coming! Let's go Amelia. Do it for Ayla!" cried Jacob in a shrill voice.

Nick grabbed Amelia under his arms and helped her to her feet. Then he pulled her on. Amelia forced herself to walk. Her left ankle was now so numb that she wondered if it was still there. Her knees gave way with every step.

"Don't stop!" she ordered herself and tried to hang on.

Suddenly the opening of the tunnel widened and they stormed into a large room from which several corridors led into the darkness. But Amelia didn't even notice them. She just stared at the two words smeared with blood-red paint on the wall:

LET'S PARTY!

It was the room under the stage. They had found it!

"The ladder!" cried Amelia triumphantly.

They had done it! They were safe! Amelia gave a howl of joy.

"Yippee!" cried Jacob.

"Yes!" yelled Nick, clenching his fist in the air.

"We're saved," shouted Veronica.

She rushed towards the ladder and threw aside her torches. Amelia ripped hastily at the rusty rung. She could feel the rough metal under her fingertips as Veronica pushed her ruthlessly aside.

Amelia fell and tore her knees open again on the rough concrete. The skin burst open and bled again.

"What's the point?" protested Amelia, but Veronica was already climbing the ladder. When Amelia looked over her shoulder, her heart almost stopped. The first foothills of the red mist were just pouring out of the tunnel!