Of Solar And Dark (2018)

7 [E]

Still bent down, Alex pulls up the covering and invites us a view of a ladder that runs through a deep tunnel.

"Like I said, safehouse." Alex smirks at the look of surprise that gives Luke's face a warped look. Fighting back to hold a smile, I squint into the tunnel. It looks far and eerie with no light source to provide a sense of security.

"You guys live here?" I ask, still scrutinising the area carefully.

Daniel shrugs, "You'll see."

Alex decides to head down first, followed by Luna, Kirk and and then me. The three Solars make their way down the ladder just fine- their hands instinctively placing along the rungs and feet lowering to the exact position where the next rung goes.

As I watch the three of them go down expertly, the frantic beats of my heart plays out louder in my ears, the noise defeaning like the powerful swash of a wave tackling me, forcing me to my knees.

I don't think I can do this without light.

"Alright, you're up next." Daniel shoots me a encouraging grin upon seeing the eminent fear present on my face. My mouth goes dry as I lower myself down the hole, hands darting around in an agitated manner to grab hold of a rung.

As my feet makes contact with the second rung from the top, I draw in a shaky breath that causes my body to quiver with the effort. I widen my eyes to allow a larger amount of light from the moon to reflect on the surface but it does nothing to shield me from the growing fear of the darkness that lies below.

Like a dark chasm that just keeps growing. Like a hole that will open up and swallow me, never letting me bask in the fresh feeling of sunlight against my skin and solar energy radiating through my bones.

"Hey, just breathe. You'll be fine." Daniel calls from the top but I can't seem to muster enough courage to heed his words. They sound frightfully far from where I am even though I have barely moved an inch.

How do the Solars live in such a place?

"Hey Daniel, let me go down before him. That way, I'll be able to support him if he needs anything and you wouldn't need to worry about me."

Luke's voice is like music to my ears and grateful, I heave myself out of the torturous passage of black and throw myself against the ground, the sweat that dots my skin sticking to my shirt as the cool surface of the ground slowly sinks into my skin, the calming effect managing to slow my breaths and chill the adrenaline that arches through my vessels.

"You better not be playing any tricks down there." Daniel says cooly as Luke gives a brief nod and starts to ease his way down the ladder. Once the top of his head disappears, becoming one with the smudgy darkness, I hear him call out to me.

"You can go down now, Edward. Nice and slow."

Daniel shoots me a supportive look as I catch my breath and force myself back down the hole. Darkness wraps around me like a shawl, slowly embracing my figure and I feel myself lean against the cool metal rungs heavily, starting to pant from the way it has me trapped in its grasp.

"You alright?" From below, Luke's voice drifts up and I can almost see the way his eyes shine with concern in my mind, the way they glitter with a confidence that can't be falsified.

Unable to find the words to answer, I lift my foot before bringing it to the lower rung, knocking the surface of my shoe against the steel. The noise echoes below and I wonder if Luke understands what the sound means.

"Good, then I'll keep going. Warn me if you need a break." Luke answers after a while and despite the way I am still ensnared in horror, my lips manage to curve upwards, to form a smile. I don't know how but he understands me, the noises that I create to answer him.

The descend feels like eternity- the continous shift of my limbs and muscles and the endless motion of directing my feet to the rung below. The ache that builds up in my thighs makes my body sore by the time I reach the bottom of the ladder. The pain is momentarily gone, though, when I realise that the area we have entered is a spacious one that is dotted with lights that cling along the circumfrence of the tunnel's curve.

The wide tunnel leads out far and there are doors on each side, all lined with a fair sprinkling of bulbs that glow with bright colours. Specks of light bulbs are scattered along the walls, tinting the brown walls golden.

The fear that has embedded itself in my chest leaks away, casted out by the depth of solar lights.

"This is amazing," I hear myself breathe, turning my palms and doing a slow turn under the light's shadow, feeling the warmths dance all the way from my fingertips to my spine, a tingling sensation that I can't ignore. The feeling is wonderful, after being blanketed in darkness for so long.

"Good, isn't it?" Daniel asks from behind me. I have to answer with a laugh as he traces the curve of the tunnels, "This is one of our many safehouses or what you can call underground bunks."

"Alright, we can do the tour later. You guys took so long to get down the ladder, I'm practically famished!" Luna steps out of the room closests to us, her eyes twinkling with delight and her hands now empty of the equipment and tools. She and the others must have deposited their items while we were still making our descent.

To my left, I feel Luke shift with discomfort as a look I can't read flits across his face quickly, disappearing as fast as it had appeared. I tell myself that he's not used to the lights, the way us Solars' surroundings are so bright with solar energy and an explosion of warmth and heat that feels like a warm glow through our veins. Still, there's a voice in my head that tell me there's more to it. That he wasn't being entirely truthful earlier.

Deciding to keep an eye on him, I follow Daniel's lead as he heads down the tunnel, towards one of the rooms.

Dinner may be served but until I uncover Luke's secret and find Teddy, I'll stay hungry.

Word Count: 1797 Words

A/N: As usual, leave a comment telling me how you feel about the characters and content! Every vote, comment and share is appreciated!