Last Regrets

[Day 2]

DAY 2

It was the afternoon of Wednesday. 12.43 pm. The sun shone brightly out in the streets. White whisps of cloud floated in the azure blue sky. People were going about their daily schedules as usual, thinking about everything, except for a group of passengers trapped 2000 feet below in a broken underground tunnel. Nothing had changed inside. The subway was as dark and musty as before. Not a shred of light except for the torch, lying beside the old man, which was much dimmer than it was 8 hours ago. There was no Sun or Moon or the stars to guide them. No night and day. Only engulfing darkness surrendered them. Nate’s cell phone was left only with the purpose of telling the time.

The two young men had revisited the wreckage and managed to dig up a few valuable supplies out of the rubble. Their luck found some bags of crisps, 4 bottles of water, a nailcutter, packs of tissue papers, a carton of chocolate milk, a broken pencil (which Garrett pocketed despite being unable to think of a good use for it) and some spare pieces of scarf cloth.

The others were supposedly sleeping or resting. Or silenced by the approaching death. Nate’s mind spoke out of turn again. He himself was lying on the floor, beside the old injured man who still hadn’t woken up but, thankfully, was letting out jets of small faint breaths. Garrett was sitting up against the broken subway's wall with his head resting between his knees and on his either side were the mother and the child and the high school kids.

Nate closed his eyes again. His mind was blank. What was keeping them? Why weren’t they here yet? They can't have not noticed the absence of an entire subway full of passengers who were due a day back.

He then recalled the stone slide a few meters away from them. Were they already working on it? Maybe just beyond this crashed wall? How deep was it? Would it be penetrable?

Suddenly, it struck him and he bolted up. Yes…yes…they just might have a way out. Why did such an obvious possibility never occur to him before? Or anyone for that matter.

‘Garrett!’, Nate called, his echoes bouncing around in the dungeon.

The high schoolers looked up and so did Garrett.

‘What is it?’

‘The rock slide has sealed this way but the other end…. It’s still open. We could try finding out what’s that way.’

‘But it’s a long way and it’s too damn dark. And most of us aren’t in the condition to move at all’ he gestured at the injured man.

‘We’ll never know. Can’t just sit here and wait for them. We should try to do something about this if we can', Nate egged on.

Garrett went into a state of deep thought, then emerged back and turned towards the high school kids.

‘You guys…could you keep an eye on everyone else for some time?’, he asked the teens, who looked like they could use some good looking after themselves.

The kids were a little shocked at being addressed so suddenly, but the black-haired boy amongst the duo nodded sheepishly.

Garrett smiled, perking up. ‘Good! Nate and I will be right back. There just might be a way outside there somewhere and we're going to see if we can find it.'

The two had been walking quietly for three hours but the tunnel kept stretching on and on into a black mass ahead of them. No sign of light or life. Only the sound of silence was deafening their ears, except for their footsteps which seemed magnified by a thousand times.The one purpose which kept them going was the fact that there was somewhere to go to.

‘This isn’t helping Nate. We have to go back too and it’ll be impossible to make it all this way with everyone. This thing is endless.’ Garrett spoke in frustration, which was readily shared by his company. He stopped, bent down and grabbed his knees.

Nate halted in his tracks as well, let out yet another deep breath and looked ahead.

His eyes lit up.

‘Hey…I see something ahead…something big…like a machine-’

‘Let’s go’, the other responded before he could finish his sentence.

They broke into a fast run, as if a spring of life had suddenly gushed inside of them. Powered by the energy emitted from this new unknown discovery, they sprinted ahead. Their pace slowed down as they appeared that ‘something big’.

Both of them stared up silently as Nate held the torch in front of them. They couldn’t believe it.

The roof had collapsed. It was blocked. Every tiny hole was occupied by big heavy rocks, all around from the right side to the left. Just like at the other end. Much worst if possible.The big rocky barrier stared back, as if mocking them, daring them to challenge its genuinity and strength.

‘This…this is absurd. It’s…’, Garret’s quavering voice echoed.

Nate was mute. With every step their hope had increased. And when they had finally reached the last stop, every bit of faith, every drop of hope, every ounce of energy and life which was born inside them, came crumbling down like a giant tower of unstable poker cards….and on each of them was the face of the Joker. Laughing at them. Laughing at them in a cruel manner for playing into his hands. Playing into God’s hands. Leading them around like a pair of poor hungry dogs only to fall off a cliff and meet their pitiful end. God must be having fun…playing around with them.

‘To hell with this.’ Garrett turned around in his heels and started walking away brusquely without turning back. Nate followed.

Yes…God was certainly enjoying this…if there was a God.