Read Online The Life Beyond by Susanne Winnacker - Free Book Online
Authors: Susanne Winnacker
Ads: Link
started.”
We fetched the remaining water bottles from the Mustang, one for each of us and fastened them to our waistbands. We’d decided against letting one of us carry them in a backpack – in case that person got buried under a ton of earth. If I was going to get through this, then I had to ignore the fact that I was terrified. I didn’t like narrow spaces; I’d always preferred taking the stairs instead of an elevator. If we got stuck in the tunnel and it caved in, we’d suffocate. I could almost feel the dry earth clogging my throat, making me gag and depriving my lungs of oxygen …
Tyler took another swig from his bottle before he handed it to Rachel. She lifted it to her lips and then something strange happened. I watched the water enter her mouth and the muscles in her throat work without success. She couldn’t swallow. With a sound between a sob and a cough, she spat the water out and handed the bottle back to Tyler.
Joshua was watching her with a frown. “We should hurry,” he said. “The sooner we get through to the other side the sooner we can find Rachel some medical help.”
We all crouched in front of the hole and again Rachel’s left hand gave way and her other arm had to support her weight. A coil tightened around my stomach. Was Rachel strong enough to go with us?
Tyler went first, a flashlight in his hand. The glow caught on roots dangling like skeleton-fingers into the tunnel, throwing their spidery shadows at the ground, but it was still too dim to see very far.
Rachel followed Tyler, her left arm pressed against her chest while she used the right one to push forward. I hesitated at the entrance, my eyes trying to adjust to the darkness now that Rachel’s and Tyler’s bodies blocked most of the flashlight’s beam.
I crawled inside and something scrabbled over my left hand, tiny legs sending a shudder through my body. I snatched my hand away. The scent was stale and earthy. The first few feet were steep. My forearms and knees started hurting and my back was screaming at me to straighten. The only sound was our panting.
The further we moved into the tunnel, the stuffier it got. White dots danced before my eyes and I paused, taking deep, yet useless breaths.
“What’s wrong?” Joshua’s voice was muffled. The earth around us seemed to soak up any sound.
“Nothing, it’s just difficult to breathe,” I said.
Tyler and Rachel stopped. I could only make out their outlines but the soft rustling of their clothes and the scraping ceased. Dirt was falling into my eyes, so I closed them, since I could hardly see anything. I felt my way forward, trying not to focus on the way my chest heaved with every breath I took, how my elbows and knees rubbed raw on the tiny pebbles.
My head collided with something hard.
I realized I must have run into Rachel. She didn’t make a sound and I tried to see if she was okay but it was too dark. “Rachel?” I asked in a whisper.
Tyler pointed the flashlight in her direction.
Her back was bent, her arms wrapped around her middle. She wasn’t moving.
“Rachel?” I touched her shoulder and she turned to me, her eyes wide and frightened. Her skin was slick with sweat and she was shivering. She looked like she was having some kind of anxiety attack.
“I feel sick.” She closed her eyes and swallowed. “And dizzy.”
Tyler stroked her back. “Take a few deep breaths. It’ll be okay. I’m here for you.”
Just then, a soft buzz carried down to us. The fence – we were below it.
We moved on but our progress was slower than before as Rachel paused now and then to catch her breath. Her left hand was twitching.
Suddenly a few cursewords from Tyler ahead made me freeze.
“What’s the matter?” Joshua called from his place at the back.
“A part of the tunnel’s caved in,” Tyler replied. “We have to clear some earth.”
God, how were we supposed to do that? There was barely room to move.
Rachel’s breathing hitched. I hoped she was
We fetched the remaining water bottles from the Mustang, one for each of us and fastened them to our waistbands. We’d decided against letting one of us carry them in a backpack – in case that person got buried under a ton of earth. If I was going to get through this, then I had to ignore the fact that I was terrified. I didn’t like narrow spaces; I’d always preferred taking the stairs instead of an elevator. If we got stuck in the tunnel and it caved in, we’d suffocate. I could almost feel the dry earth clogging my throat, making me gag and depriving my lungs of oxygen …
Tyler took another swig from his bottle before he handed it to Rachel. She lifted it to her lips and then something strange happened. I watched the water enter her mouth and the muscles in her throat work without success. She couldn’t swallow. With a sound between a sob and a cough, she spat the water out and handed the bottle back to Tyler.
Joshua was watching her with a frown. “We should hurry,” he said. “The sooner we get through to the other side the sooner we can find Rachel some medical help.”
We all crouched in front of the hole and again Rachel’s left hand gave way and her other arm had to support her weight. A coil tightened around my stomach. Was Rachel strong enough to go with us?
Tyler went first, a flashlight in his hand. The glow caught on roots dangling like skeleton-fingers into the tunnel, throwing their spidery shadows at the ground, but it was still too dim to see very far.
Rachel followed Tyler, her left arm pressed against her chest while she used the right one to push forward. I hesitated at the entrance, my eyes trying to adjust to the darkness now that Rachel’s and Tyler’s bodies blocked most of the flashlight’s beam.
I crawled inside and something scrabbled over my left hand, tiny legs sending a shudder through my body. I snatched my hand away. The scent was stale and earthy. The first few feet were steep. My forearms and knees started hurting and my back was screaming at me to straighten. The only sound was our panting.
The further we moved into the tunnel, the stuffier it got. White dots danced before my eyes and I paused, taking deep, yet useless breaths.
“What’s wrong?” Joshua’s voice was muffled. The earth around us seemed to soak up any sound.
“Nothing, it’s just difficult to breathe,” I said.
Tyler and Rachel stopped. I could only make out their outlines but the soft rustling of their clothes and the scraping ceased. Dirt was falling into my eyes, so I closed them, since I could hardly see anything. I felt my way forward, trying not to focus on the way my chest heaved with every breath I took, how my elbows and knees rubbed raw on the tiny pebbles.
My head collided with something hard.
I realized I must have run into Rachel. She didn’t make a sound and I tried to see if she was okay but it was too dark. “Rachel?” I asked in a whisper.
Tyler pointed the flashlight in her direction.
Her back was bent, her arms wrapped around her middle. She wasn’t moving.
“Rachel?” I touched her shoulder and she turned to me, her eyes wide and frightened. Her skin was slick with sweat and she was shivering. She looked like she was having some kind of anxiety attack.
“I feel sick.” She closed her eyes and swallowed. “And dizzy.”
Tyler stroked her back. “Take a few deep breaths. It’ll be okay. I’m here for you.”
Just then, a soft buzz carried down to us. The fence – we were below it.
We moved on but our progress was slower than before as Rachel paused now and then to catch her breath. Her left hand was twitching.
Suddenly a few cursewords from Tyler ahead made me freeze.
“What’s the matter?” Joshua called from his place at the back.
“A part of the tunnel’s caved in,” Tyler replied. “We have to clear some earth.”
God, how were we supposed to do that? There was barely room to move.
Rachel’s breathing hitched. I hoped she was
Similar Books
