by Willow Rose
“That’s perfect,” he said, and crawled back into the hole they had dug. Thomas looked at the dirt ceiling above them, wondering how long it was going to stay up there and stay out of their faces.
Brian disappeared for a second, when suddenly, the water stopped running. A few more drops landed on Thomas’s face before it finally stopped.
Brian stuck his head out from the hole. “There. It stopped. Now, we control when and how much. If we ration it, it can last for a long time. It’s one of the big ones.”
Brian slid back into the cave and put his feet in the mud.
“So, what do we do now?” Thomas asked. He was beginning to feel claustrophobic. He had no idea what time it was. If it was even day or night. He didn’t feel very tired anymore. Not like he had before they had drunk the water. Now he was fresh and awake. But he was still feeling sick to his bones at the thought of them being so far underground. He had never liked being in small places and always avoided airplanes and elevators. He was breathing heavily to try and calm himself down as he felt Brian’s hand on his neck. Brian grabbed the Zippo lighter and shut it off. The darkness engulfed them.
“We should save the gas,” he said. “You can find your way back without light. There’s only one way you can walk. Just feel with your hands.”
Thomas froze. What was he saying?
“What do you mean…back?”
“I believe if we keep digging this wall that there’s a way out. But we can’t do it alone. We need more men. So, you’re going back to the others to see if you can get anyone to come here and help us. See if anyone is still alive enough to work. I’ll stay here and keep digging,” Brian said. “It’s the only way out. You tell them we have water; that’ll make them come.”
“But…You said there was enough for the two of us. Are you going to give it to them? Don’t you think we’ll run out pretty fast?”
Brian laughed. “Nothing in this life is free, my friend. Let’s just say that now we have the upper hand, shall we? Tell them anyone who works for me will get water. But only if they work. Now go!”
31
There was murmuring between several of the people in the cave. Malene had no idea what was going on. She had been sitting at the entrance ever since Rebekka and David left, wondering if she would ever see them again. The earth still sighed and moaned like it wasn’t done collapsing, and every now and then she could hear a loud thud, the sound of dirt falling and maybe blocking their way back.
Maybe blocking our way out.
Several of the hurt people had woken up since they left. Now they were discussing the situation amongst themselves, some panicking and yelling at each other, while others tried to shush them and tell them to not panic. They had no light except for that from the cellphones. Everyone wanted one, but they had only handed out two to save batteries.
“Sh? Did you hear that?” Lars, the school librarian, said. “I think I hear drilling. I think I hear something!”
They all went quiet for a few seconds. Even Malene tried to listen. But she couldn’t hear anything.
“You’re crazy,” Michael West said.
“No, I’m not. I heard it. I’m certain. Listen,” Lars continued.
“It’s all in your head. We’re never getting out of here,” Michael West said.
“You don’t think they’re trying to get us out?” Mrs. Sigumfeldt said. She had been the last to wake up. Her scream had filled the cave as she realized her unconscious son was right next to her. Then she had screamed again and again while looking at her leg that bent the wrong way, until the old guy, Sigurd Bjerrehus had managed to calm her down.
“Your son is breathing. He’s only unconscious, as were you until a few seconds ago. He’ll be fine. He’s alive,” he had told her. “We’ll get help. Somehow. Some way. The important part is to not panic.”
Mr. Bjerrehus had been repeating that sentence over and over again as more people woke up, realized the severity of their situation, and felt the thirst and hunger they all suffered.
Malene’s watch was still working. The glass was broken, but it still showed time when she pressed the little button on the side of it and the display was lit up. They had been down there all day. It was almost seven o’clock, and none of them had eaten since that morning. Malene hadn’t eaten since yesterday evening, before she was picked up by Thomas Soe. It was getting late and it had been hours since Rebekka and David left on their rescue expedition. Malene was starting to wonder if they’d ever see them again. Would they get lost? Would they return if they found a way out? Would they abandon them? She thought about what she would do. She was no hero. That much she knew. There was no way she would go back if she found a way out. What if more of the ground came down? What if the tunnels were suddenly blocked after you had gone all the way back. And for what? A couple of hurt people with broken arms and legs that could hardly move? They were never going to make it. There was no way they could walk through the tunnels, even if they could get out that way.
They promised. She promised to come back. She’ll be here soon.
Michael West turned to look at Mrs. Sigumfeldt. “You wanna know what I think? I think they believe we’re all dead. There’s no way anyone could survive that. That’s what they think. They’re not drilling or digging to find us. They have the area evacuated. They have a police blockage surrounding it. But there is no way they’ll risk their lives trying to dig us out.”
He might as well have hit Mrs. Sigumfeldt in the stomach. She gasped for air and leaned forward in panic. Sigurd put his arm around her shoulder. Then he spoke to Michael West.
“There’s no need for that,” he said. “There’s no need to be talking like that. You’re scaring everybody. Especially the kids.”
“Well, I’m just telling the truth here,” Michael West continued. “Someone has to say it the way it is. The only way for us to get out of here is if we walk through those tunnels over there on our own.”
He got up to his feet and wiped dust and dirt from his pants. “Luckily for me, I’m able to walk,” he said. “I’m leaving.”
“Michael,” Mrs. Sigumfeldt said. “Don’t leave us down here. Take me with you.”
“You’re in no shape to walk,” he said. “I can’t carry you. Sorry.”
“Michael, Goddammit. Please?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t carry you and the kid. I can’t.”
“Michael! You can’t just leave us.” Mrs. Sigumfeldt was crying now. Not that she cared much, but to Malene it sounded almost like he was breaking her heart.
But then again, Malene didn’t know any of these people and, to be frank, she didn’t care much about them either.
No one said anything more as Michael West started walking towards one of the tunnels. Malene watched him closely as he disappeared through the hole. Back in the cave, Malene heard Mrs. Sigumfeldt whimpering and crying. Without anyone noticing, Malene had stolen one of the cellphones from the pile. It had belonged to one of the dead ones back in the first cave. They had made the pile of all their cellphones from everybody’s pockets to save them for later and save the batteries. Everyone had been instructed to only use one at a time, but Malene didn’t trust any of these people. She had wanted to be able to light her way if she ever got stuck in one of those tunnels by herself. If she had to run.
Malene felt the phone in her pocket, while looking at the pathetic bunch of people lying and sitting in the limestone cave. There was no way any of them were going to survive. Michael West was right about that. He was the smart one for leaving.
Malene sat for a few minutes more, debating with herself, before she decided to get up and follow him.
32
We found more stuff. Good things. Besides the cans of tuna, we found a box of Danish Butter cookies, a few were still whole, the rest mostly crumbs, but still edible. I found a candle that I put in the pocket of my jacket. I found a box of oats and some wrapped crackers. Best of all, I found three bottles of water. That was going to keep us goin
g for a little while longer. Thirst was the biggest threat to our survival at this point.
“Let’s grab as much we can carry and get it back to the cave,” David said.
I felt a sadness and slight desperation as we left the cave and started going back. Somehow, it felt really scary to have to walk back down there again. I had liked the feeling of going somewhere…of getting away from that cave. I was imagining that we got closer to the top as we walked through the tunnels, and kept hoping for a way to the surface with every turn we took, every time we reached the end of a tunnel. Now we had to go back. David felt the same way, I could tell. He walked slowly, yet he was determined.
“Now I only hope we can find the right tunnels,” he said.
The pressure felt heavy. Here we had food enough for the people to be able to at least make it through the rest of the day and night. How horrible it would be if we got lost…if they starved to death while we tried to find the right way back.
I wondered if David was thinking the same thing. I felt bad for being selfish and wanting to continue to find a way out, and decided to keep it to myself.
David stopped in a cave. I lit the entrances to the tunnels, and we found the one with only one mark, and then continued. Suddenly, the earth rumbled and dirt fell down from the ceiling.
“Get back, hurry,” I said, and pulled him out of the tunnel, right before it crashed in front of us.
He landed on top of me, and then rolled away. “That was close,” he said. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” I tried to get up, but I had hurt my head in the fall and I felt dizzy. David saw it.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“I will be,” I said. “Just give me a second.”
David sighed. “Now what do we do?” he asked. “The tunnel back is blocked.
I sat up; the dizziness was almost gone. My head was still hurting like crazy. David lit the other entrances with the cellphone. “We could try this one,” he said. “We haven’t been through it before, but with a little luck, it’ll lead to the same cave.”
“It’s a long shot,” I said.
“I know,” he said, and sat down next to me. I felt tears pricking my eyes. “Let’s take a little break first. Maybe we could eat something?”
I looked at the food. I had taken off my jacket and gathered it all inside of it, shaping a vagabond-bundle.
“It was supposed to be for the people that are trapped down there,” I said. “I don’t know if it’s right for us to eat from it.”
“I haven’t eaten since yesterday. I need something to keep me going,” David said. “Or I’ll never make it down there.”
“It just feels wrong,” I said. I felt the hunger as well, but probably not as bad as he did, since I had a big breakfast at Lone’s house before I left. I reached in and handed him some crackers. He ate them greedily. I grabbed a couple as well. The guilt was eating at me, but so was the hunger.
“You want one of these awful wrapped cakes?” I asked.
He grabbed one and ate it. I tried it as well. It wasn’t as bad as it looked. Then I opened a can of tuna. We ate with our fingers. David even drank the water it had been in.
We rested for a few minutes. I put my head on his shoulder and we sat leaned against the limestone walls and closed our eyes.
Another rumble woke us up. A loud thud reminded us where we were and that the earth was still collapsing around us.
It was truly terrifying. But there was something worse. Another sound. A scream that pierced through our bones.
33
“Did you hear that?”
I looked at David. He nodded. “That didn’t sound good.”
“We have to get back to them,” I said, and got to my feet. “Something is wrong.”
More screams followed. Terrifying screams. My heart pounded. I wondered about the children…Afrim and Frederic. They were the ones I worried most about down here. They were so young and fragile. Both of them had their mothers who were badly hurt. A terrifying thought hit me.
What if one of the mothers had died?
“We have to find our way back somehow,” I repeated.
“All we can do is try one of the tunnels and see where it leads us,” David said, and got up as well. “I’ll mark the ones we’ve been through, and hopefully we’ll find the right one at some point.”
The prospect of running into these tunnels, not knowing where we would end up, terrified me, but not as much as the thought of what might have happened to one of the boys. The screams did sound an awful lot like they came from a child.
“Let’s do it,” I said.
“Okay,” David said, as he exhaled. “Guess we’ll take the one closest to the one we were supposed to go through before it crashed.”
“I’m right behind you.”
I grabbed my vagabond-bundle. The screams were still echoing through the mines, making me fear what we would find once we got back there, if we ever got back there.
I walked behind David for what felt like forever. It seemed to me that the screams were getting closer. At least that gave me some sense of security…that we were, in fact, going in the right direction.
And we were. The tunnel opened up, and suddenly we could walk upright. David started to run, and I followed as fast as I could, while still holding on tightly to the bundle of food. A thousand images ran through my mind. I was almost certain it had to be Afrim who was screaming. I prepared myself for it. I told myself that he probably lost his mother and needed to be comforted right now. I thought of the possibility that it might have been his dog, and at some point hoped that was it. It would be devastating for the boy to lose his friend, yes, but at least he would still have his mother. Afrim’s mother had been in terrible condition when we left. She had been very pale and hardly awake at all. I feared for her life most of all the people in the cave.
Please don’t let it be her, dear God. We’re so close with the water and food now. Just a few more minutes and we’ll have what she needs. It will help her, God. I know it will. Please don’t let her die a few minutes before we arrive.
“I think we’re getting closer,” David said. “I think we took the right way.”
We were running as fast as we could. The screams were more of a whimper or a loud cry now. It sounded more like someone scared than someone sad. It gave me hope that it might not be Afrim.
Maybe something happened to Frederic? Maybe his mom woke up and found him dead? Oh, God, did Frederic die? He was awfully weak!
The tunnel took a turn and we kept following it, when suddenly, David stopped. The tunnel had ended in a new cave. From there, there were two tunnels we could take besides than the one we came from. David lit his cell phone to see if there was a mark on any of them.
“There,” I yelled. “There’s a mark over there! We’ve been here before.”
David led the way through the next tunnel, and even though they all looked so alike, I was certain I remembered being in this one before. Halfway through it, the crying got louder, and we knew we were very close. David stopped suddenly and lit his cellphone. In the light, we saw Malene. She was standing in the tunnel, her back leaning up against the limestone wall with a terrified look on her blood-smeared face. Her eyes were fixated on something on the ground. In her hand, she was holding a cellphone.
David shone his light on the ground.
It was a body. Michael West’s dead body was lying in a pool of blood. His face and chest were full of holes.
34
Martin Busck stood next to Ole Sigumfeldt while they watched the giant crane set the car on the ground and let go of it. Ole whimpered when he saw small hands knocking on the windows.
“I’m going in,” he said, and jumped the police blockage.
Martin watched as some officer tried to stop Ole from getting closer, but then let him go, once he realized it was his family that was in the car.
Ole ran around the edges of the hole and Martin’s heart pounded hard while watching him
slip and slide down at one point, then pull himself up by a tree and get back on the unstable ground and keep running.
Martin put an arm around Mathilde and the baby, knowing he would have done the same for them.
Ole gesticulated and yelled at the firefighters and officers once he reached the car, and they let him open the door. Martin heard the boys scream.
“Daaaad!”
He pulled them out and hugged them, while crying heavily. Then he stopped. “Where are the others?” he asked. He looked at Jacob, the oldest, for answers. Jacob shook his head and cried.
“Where is Frederic? Where is Mom?”
Ole looked at the officers for answers. “Where is my wife? Tine? Frederic? Where are they?”
The officer next to him shook his head with a shrug. “We don’t know.”
“They fell in the hole, Dad,” Christian said, crying. He hadn’t let go of his father since he opened the door.
Jacob was crying and holding onto his father’s arm, leaning into his chest. “They…they just disappeared. One minute they were in the street because there had been an accident…then the next, they were gone, Dad. They vanished into the ground. I screamed, then tried to get them, but the car started moving as well. Then we fell. The car slid and spun around. Everything went dark inside the car. I tried to start it once it was still again. I tried to start it, so we could honk the horn, but it only worked for a little while, and I don’t think anyone could hear us. We were buried in that dirt, Daddy. It was so scary. We were really afraid.”