Secret Tunnel

[Mandy Rin†]

((Amanda Redder continued from This Is How I Disappear))

Amanda hated the dark. Dark was when people went out, partied, drank, got wasted, came home pissed and...

Amanda hated the dark.

But she hated being dead more, or she thought she would, so having to choose between being in the dark or in the ground, the choice was pretty clear. Ironically, being in the dark also put her in the ground. Wandering about the tunnels, it occurred to her how easily she could get lost in here, how easily the walls could close in, trapping her, buried alive, starving, choking, suffocating... Or she could take her chances in the open air with forty or so unstable students packing more heat than an active volcano.

Yeah, she'll take the claustrophobia, thank you very much.

Searching the surrounding caves and finally stumbling across a suitable one for a quiet rest, Amanda nestled herself into a dark nook and flicked off her flashlight, pulling out her rations and having a quick, small meal in the dark, trying not to think about her failure to find allies - twice. It seemed fate did not want her to have friends - not now, anyway. And perhaps fate had a point.

Though it was perhaps unwise, she soon found herself nodding off, forgetting her troubles as she allowed the darkness to envelope her like a blanket.





She awoke to the names of the dead.

Amanda got up, limbs stiff, stretching herself out. This place extracted from her a strange mix of emotions. On the one hand, she was safe here. In fact, she had been pretty safe for the entire game. As long as she kept to herself, she had been safe. Only when she relied on others had danger shown its face. On the other hand, it was dark. It was ridiculous, this fear, and she knew it, but it was hardwired into her brain. She had even refused to utilize closets during games of Hide and Seek when she was small.

She was never really one for Hide and Seek, though. Her favorite game as a child had been Musical Chairs. It was like a big, orchestrated dance. The music plays and children went round and around, but there are only 10 seats for 11 children. Nevertheless everyone keeps going around and around and laughing and dancing to the music, although everyone knows that one press of a button, the music stops, the fighting starts, and someone is left sitting on the sidelines while the dance continues without them.

Her fingers strayed to her neck. One press of a button.

There weren't many chairs left now. So many names had been announced. So many people sitting on the sidelines, and fewer and fewer chairs. And the only ones that got the chairs... the only ones that got the chairs, were the ones who pushed. The ones who shoved. The ones who got mean, down and dirty. The ones who played the game.

Flicking on her torch, Amanda checked all her gear, packing everything up neatly before slinging her bag over her shoulder and grabbing her weapon, making her way out of the caves.

She wouldn't sit on the sidelines.

((Amanda Redder continued at Walking in Circles...))