Twilight Embrace (Completed)

Chapter 58

“Damn this place is cold and damp.” Lyell spoke out loud as he navigated the dimly lit tunnel.

The illuminating glow from the insects flickered on and off as he groped his way along the damp walls. His footsteps sounded hollow on the cobblestone floor. He couldn’t help being amazed that such a place existed under the city and wondered how far down he really was. Maybe this was supposed to have been a tube station but for reasons unknown it was abandoned. This thought was the only thing that kept his fear of what lay ahead from becoming overwhelming.

“Annjelica, why in heavens name did you come down here. What on earth made you think I was down here?” His question fell into the silence around him. Only the glow worms heard his words and they just continued flickering and glowing ignorant of his despair.

Just when he thought the tunnel would never end, he almost fell through into a large room lit by lanterns hanging off the walls. It looked more like a storage room as there were wooden crates stacked on top of each other. The ceiling was quite high for an underground room. The plastered walls were unpainted and the concrete floor was covered in dust and old newspapers. Lyell felt his first instincts were right and this was an abandoned tube tunnel. As he scanned the room he could not see another way out and didn’t like the idea of going back the way he came.

Lyell walked round behind the crates searching for another door. Just when he was beginning to lose hope and contemplating returning to the tunnel he felt a draft coming from behind one of the crates and putting his weight against it he shoved. The crate was heavy and refused to budge. He put his back against it and placing his feet apart, bent his knees and threw all his weight into forcing the crate backwards. Slowly inch by inch the heavy crate moved under his persisted attempts. Finally he was rewarded and with sweat dripping from his forehead he stared at the small opening he had managed to uncover.

He looked through the opening only to see another long passage way dimly lit by an odd light bulb on a cord along the ceiling.

“For these lights to be on, there must surely be someone at the end of this tunnel.” He said as he squeezed his tall frame through the gap between the crate and the opening. He couldn’t help wondering why the crate had been placed in front of the exit as if to block it off. The opening was definitely large enough to get the crates through, but if it was old machinery for the trains then it must have been brought in by another entrance. This thought spurred him on and he walked quickly down the wide corridor.

He noticed that the floor was now paving slabs and not cobblestones. The walls were still unpainted and grey. There was a distinct smell of mold and damp which made him screw up his nose. He passed a couple of dead rats along the way and as he kicked a rat out of his way he heard a hissing sound and spun around. Slithering on the ground behind him was a snake. It appeared to have two bulges already in its slimy body and Lyell guessed he was feeding on the rats.

Lyell backed away slowly keeping a watchful eye on the snake. “Hey there.” He said talking to the snake. “I have no intention of stealing your rats. You are welcome to them.” Lyell slowly backed away making sure he did not let his guard down and when he was a safe distance away he turned and ran, looking back to make sure the snake was not chasing after him. He was relieved to see the snake had lost interest in his retreating figure and proceeded to swallow the two rats he had kicked out of his way.

He kept on running wanting to put as much distance between him and the snake as possible when the corridor unexpectedly veered off to the left. Glancing back over his shoulder he saw no sign of the snake and slowed his pace to a fast walk. In the distance he saw a wooden double door. As he got nearer he was surprised to see it was a very heavily carved, ornate, dark wood door. It looked new, definitely not something that had been down here for ages. There was no handle or lock or anything that would show him how to open it. Leaning up against the door he felt it give slightly and with both hands he pushed one of the doors and it opened a fraction.

“Maybe if I push both doors together they will open.” As he spoke he put a hand on each door and shoved. The doors parted slowly as if on an automatic release that involved both being opened at the same time. He was not prepared for what he saw. 

After walking through endless tunnels and cold dimly lit corridors covered in rats and then there was the snake, but this…. This was way beyond comprehension. Was this what had attracted Annjelica down here?