Occasionally, one of us flashes one of our lights behind us and to either side. We all feel the same thing. As if eyes are skittering along the wall after us. The tunnel itself is alive. It knows we're there, and it's tracking our every movement.
We've been walking for almost half an hour when we get to a dip in the wall. Sam stops and places his hand on it.
“I think this used to be an offshoot of the tunnel,” he says. “It's been bricked up; you can see the different patterns.” He shows us with his light.
“Keep going,” I announce. “The way in front of us is open, so we keep going. Until something stops us.”
“I don't like the way you said 'something',” Dean comments.
“Trick-or-treat,” I murmur.
We keep going. Behind me, I can hear Xavier humming. There's no particular tune, just a sound that occasionally dips or swells. I don't know if he's giving himself a soundtrack or just trying to fill the space around us. Either way, I'm grateful for it. The silence is too deep. It's the type of silence that makes anxiety slink up inside you, and makes your muscles stiffen up with anticipation as you just wait for that sound that'll scare you.
I can only hope it's just a sound.
It isn't lost on me that this could be more than just a tunnel. Whatever purpose it originally served, it could have been modified just as the basement was modified. At any point, we could come out to an underground room or a trap. We might not be alone down here.
With every step, I get ready. I prepare myself for what might come next. There isn't much space here. There are points in the tunnel where we have to walk single file, and some places that force us to duck down to get through. If something does happen, it's going to be hard to get away.
“Xavier,” I say. “Are you doing okay?”
“Would it make any difference if I wasn't?” he asks.
I laugh. “I guess not.”
“We'll get there,” he says. “We will get there.”
A few minutes later, Sam stops in front of me. I crash into his back and clutch onto his shirt.
“What's wrong?” I ask.
“The tunnel ahead of us,” he says. “It's partially collapsed.”
I look around him and shine my light forward. It joins up with the beams from Dean and Sam, and I can see where part of the tunnel has come down. Rocks and rubble litter the floor and create a small space to move through.
“What do we do?” Dean asks. “Do we turn back?”
“I'm not,” I tell them. “I can get through that.”
“You might jostle something out of place,” Dean says.
“I won't,” I say.
“Emma,” Sam whispers, but I look up at him.
“Let me do this, Sam. I’ve got it. Trust me.”
I give him a kiss on the cheek, then walk around them toward the gap in the rocks.
“What if you do?” Xavier calls after me.
I look over my shoulder at him.
“Run like hell.”
I walk carefully toward the rocks. With each step, I listen and watch to check for any movement. Nothing happens. I slowly approach the opening and rest my hand against the solid section of the wall. Crouching down, I lift one leg and slither my way through the entrance. I hold my breath and try to keep steady. No shaking. Just slow, deliberate motion. My back hits one of the rocks, loosening it and making it drop. As it slides away, I dive forward out to the other side just as it kicks up a cloud of dust with a loud thump.
“Are you alright?” Sam calls.
I stand up from where I landed on my knees and turn to check the entrance. It looks like only that one rock fell. I move to go back toward it, so I can help the guys through. I'm about to reach through the opening when another chunk comes down, sending more dust flying.
“Emma!”
The sound of Sam screaming my name is more chilling than the rocks collapsing down on each other. When the dust settles, the tunnel is almost completely blocked. I can still see some of a flashlight beam dancing through, but it's not enough to fit through.
“It's too dangerous to touch those rocks again,” I call back. “They could shift, and we don't know what would happen.”
“What are we supposed to do?” Dean asks. “We can't just leave you over there.”
“Yes, you can,” I say. “Turn around and go back up the tunnel. Go back into the temple. Xavier, did you bring the map?”
“Yes,” he says.
“Show them where the tunnel goes. Figure it out. I'll meet you there,” I tell them, fighting to keep my voice steady.
“What if the rest of the tunnel is sealed?” Dean asks.
“I'll meet you there,” I repeat.
“Emma,” Sam says.
“I love you,” I say.
Turning my back to the collapsed rocks, I shine my flashlight ahead of me and start to walk. Behind me, I don't hear anything. The men haven't moved from where they were standing.
“Go!” I shout back. “Get out of here!”
I finally hear their footsteps retreating, and mine mimic theirs as they get further and further apart. Soon, I hear nothing but my own breath.
The tunnel continues to get narrower as I make my way down it. Soon I can open my arms only a few inches to the side and run the backs of my hands across the rough stone. My face aches with the cold, and my lungs feel as if they are filling with dust and dirt. I focus on my breaths, thinking about them rather than anything else.
The silence is horrifying, but I tell myself it's better than hearing something. If I hear something, that means I'm not alone. That's not what I want. I want to hear nothing. I want the silence.
Until I hear it. Ahead of me. I can't tell what it is. But
