1 Abandoned Tunnels

Warm.

Exposure to the light had watered the enclosed hazel petal. Slowly the eye began to blink as if disturbed by the light bias. Slowly sit his body over a meadow. Rows of pine trees are just as far as the eye can see. The white skin was tickled by a little weed, a little dewy. Just wearing short pants makes him feel colder as the breeze blows against his skin.

"Hey, Nathan, don't brood about it." The brown-haired boy patted his shoulder. It was covered in glitter. It made him hard to recognize only what he looked like, yet it was sufficient to voice out who the tall young man was.

Nathan looks around, it's lonely and there's only two humans in the trees around. "Where's the other, Dean?"

The young man called Dean extended his hand, pulling Nathan out of his seat. "Wyatt found some interesting stuff at the bottom of the hill. All are gathered, come on~" Dean took Nathan in with a cheerful voice. They're holding hands all the way down the hill. It's not steep enough for a hill, but that's what they used to say.

It won't take long till they set foot in the foothills. Not far from where it stood, a gaping tunnel and others were waiting at the mouth of the tunnel. It's only a few more feet before Nathan can see that his friends' clothes look wet. He didn't even notice Dean's shirt was wet. Don't know how long he sleeps on the grass until he's left unconscious. Probably all four would rather play with water than wake him up.

A young blonde in his arms was seen gazing at the two new arrivals. "Tsk, you're always sleeping like Cinderella," taunting Wyatt with no regard for his verbal abuse.

"Not Cinderella, but aurora" corrected the slightly reddish-haired boy. Wyatt rolled his eyes as if he didn't care what the young man said on the other side. "Always show off your cleverness, Mr. Vincent clement the class champion"

The dark-haired young man in the middle of the two giggled at the foolish debate. "Keep fighting, it would be nice if no girl would go out with both of you" his arm casually grabbed Nathan, who could only bear if he got wet. The name Casanova seemed to fit Jeremy, a young man with curly hair, with romantic romanticism like romance.

Dean stepped forward one step closer to the mouth of the train tunnel. "It's been so neglected?" His eyes narrowed to see how far the tunnel has come to an end.

Vincent crouched down to check on the tracks they were treading. "Of course, look at the rust on this rail. Some have even lost the iron couplings." His hand pointed to some loose metal. He's in no condition to be passed by a train, unless he wants to crash.

"Yoshaa! Let's explore!" the blonde happily walks into the mouth of the tunnel. A few steps later turned to look at the four remaining speechless friends outside. "Come on, are you afraid to get lost? It's just a no-detour straight line."

"What if it's a dead end?" Nathan expressed concern. Worst case is they just walk to a dead end and it takes a long time to get out again.

The very young man patted Nathan on the shoulder. "Look there's a light on the other end, there's always a way out" Nathan nodded, calming down to avoid appearing nervous in front of his friends. The five of them have nothing to fear anyway.

His tiny foot slowly began to step into the dark side of the tunnel. Nathan grab Dean's hand right next to his. Darkness enveloped even though it was faint, and light began to fade from the inside of the tunnel.

"Helloooo ~" Wyatt's voice echoes as he screams.

"Stop acting like a child" seem Vincent didn't like. Well, wherever they are, those two boys always get out of line. Different views and opposing characteristics. There's no certain reason why the two are always at each other's throats but never at each other's backs.

Nathan smiled faintly because of his two friends' arguments that never stopped. But it would be strange if they didn't argue with each other. Just like Tom and jerry always find a way to fight each other. A habit or perhaps routine if the two young men of different natures were to meet each other.

"Just say you're scared of, Vincent!" Wyatt shouted one more time until his voice echoed through the hall.

"No." Vincent answered in a straight tone and a blank expression. That made Wyatt more furious. "Vincent is scared."

Wyatt's voice echoed so much that the whole hall shook. Nathan realized that vibrations are very loud if they come from only human voices.

"Peers of the lowly." His voice choked when he didn't have Dean's hand on him again. Nathan looked around in the wild, unable to see the whereabouts of his other friends when they were precise.

The vibrations had not stopped, and the sounds grew louder. At the end of its entry a light was slowly approaching. It's not a ray of light. it's like a flashlight. The source of that light was large and powerful enough to light up nearly half the tunnel. The roar of the engine sounded deafening. A train is approaching Nathan on his feet.

His heart is beating rapidly. There's no other way than to run to the other end of this tunnel. The sound of the engine approaching in pursuit without a slow pause. It literally leads him to death. Whether feelings or points of light at the end of the tunnel are becoming thinner. Like these endless tunnels follow him to his doom.

Exactly what Wyatt said, these tunnels don't intersect. Just a straight shot without a trace. Well, good luck with Nathan because the end of the hall seems to be getting away. There were only two options for him, to be run over by a train wheel or sandwiched between the wall and the rail body. Everything is equally scary even to imagine.

His little legs ran as fast as they could, hoping that he would outrun the iron horse that chased him. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tries, his legs are not matched by the skill of the machine. The train was so close that it would light up the walls around Nathan. Just a step behind him even the wind roaring at his narrow back.

He went numb, then he lost consciousness.