Back Underground
Daniel didn’t know what was coming but he didn’t want to stick around to find out. His eyes dashed over the scene, looking for some place to hide. The stairs of the bunker loomed menacingly only a couple feet away but there was no way he was going back in there. If he did return to the hellish shelter he’d probably just get lost or run into something else he didn’t want to see. Besides if it wasn’t his friends, he had a feeling whatever was walking towards him would know their way around the underground facility much better than he did.
There were also the morose machines littering the place but he knew they’d only offer temporary solace if he hid behind them. What other options did he have? He ran for it.
Within seconds he was already sweating heavily and his lungs were burning. He knew he wasn’t the most athletic guy but the sweeping fatigue that hit him so quickly was startling. The pounding in his ears prevented him from hearing anything else. The edges of his vision were even beginning to blur. He didn’t see the hatch until he rammed his foot into it.
It may have been sheer sense of pride that stopped Daniel from toppling over yet another time that day. Instead he stood, rubbing his toes through his sorely beaten shoe, with an expression of frustration and mild indignation. The grimace slowly faded as a flicker of hope ignited inside of him. He grabbed the handle of the half buried door and pulled. The rusty hinges groaned in protest and resisted the measly strength Daniel had left with all their might but finally subsided and let the door swing open. Without giving himself time for second thoughts, Daniel jumped in.
He landed awkwardly amid a sea of colorful wires. The sprawling maze continued as far as he could see both in front of and behind him, insulated by futuristic looking white walls. By some miracle he’d managed to avoid tugging on any of the cords when he fell.
His chest felt tight even though he had significantly recovered from his mad dash. He assumed it was just anxiety, nervousness...but he was safe. He stood up shakily, carefully maneuvering around the wires. He reached for the door’s handle and solemnly shut off the entrance. He was safe...for now.
Written by Flutterbest on 23 December 2017