The Sidewalk

I don't understand how everything could have gone so wrong. It was a gorgeous day; the cliche sunny, cloudless and warm summer. Where the breeze every so often was just cool enough to keep you from baking in the sun. The perfect transition into my long awaited summer. I just finished up work and had begun to walk home. I didn't have a car obviously, but it was okay, home wasn't too far away. I knew this sidewalk by heart too; I could walk it backwards, blindfolded, and in my sleep. Why I would need a blindfold if I was asleep, I don't know, but you get the idea. It was the simplest sidewalk, squares you could fit two or two and a half steps in, weeds trying to grow inside the cracks. It was normal. That's all I'm trying to say. Normal. It was right next to a mildly busy road too, so I didn't need a phone according to my parents. My only worry was wandering off into a car if I decided to close my eyes and get lost in my second generation iPod. Turns out, that was the least of my worries. Half way home, I dropped, straight into hell.

I awoke to my music still playing loudly in my ears. Well, one ear anyway, the other bud had broken in the fall. I pushed myself up slowly, groaning and coughing. Everything hurt. I sat up, trying to figure out if anything was broken. No, just hurt. I touched the side of my forehead to see that it was, in fact, bleeding. I looked back at my feet to see a large chunk of rock and earth that had nearly broken in half. I recognized the now heavily splintered top of a square of the sidewalk I had been walking on what felt like only seconds ago. My eyes followed a trail of dim light coming down onto me and saw that the hold in the darkness above me was shaped perfectly to match the chunk laying beside me. I swore under my breath and stood slowly, ignoring the pain the shot through every nerve of my body. Much to my dismay the opening was still far, far away. I didn't even bother jumping. It had to be ten foot drop, maybe fifteen. I was lucky nothing was broken, although my head wasn't feeling too good. I could tell by the orange square of sky that the sun was setting, and I'd soon be in the dark. Quickly I looked around, all I saw was small tunnel, no more than eight feet wide and god knows how long. Roots and rocks jutting out of the walls every so slightly. But it didn't look right, it looked like someone dug it. A mine? No, couldn't be, my town didn't have a history of mining. Yet there I stood. I could feel a slew of cuss words pouring from my mouth as I started to pace back and forth. My feet crunched on sticks but I paid no mind. My only exit was out of reach.

I screamed and yelled. Hollered and roared. No one heard. At least, I assume no one did because no rescue came. Not one person called down to see if I was "okay". It'd be a stupid question anyway, I was in a hole. I sat on the hunk of sidewalk and tried to catch my breath. My only choice was to see where this tunnel led me, I decided. Hell, maybe it wasn't long anyway and I'd just turn around and end up back on my cement seat. I patted the rock, as if promising myself,"Right here. I'll wait right here and when I come back." I licked my finger, instantly spitting because I hadn't realized it was covered in dirt. I felt it up at one end of the tunnel, trying to feel a draft of air. Yes, air was flowing from the tunnel out. The length of it in my head grew substantially. I almost hesitated to start walking, but I forced myself to. I awkwardly held out my iPod, the back light illuminating the small tunnel a short distance. I walked for what felt like a ridiculously long time . All the while the tunnel seemed to get bigger around me. Growing and twisting. I waved my makeshift flashlight around, noticing holes in the walls and other, smaller, tunnels leading off in different directions. I noticed there were no living creatures down here. No bats, no centipedes, not even worms.

I probably should've been watching my footing more carefully. Hadn't I learned from the first fall? Apparently not. The tunnel took a sharp incline and dirt slipped out from one step. I went right with it. My iPod soared from my hand and was dragged behind me by the earphones as I slid. I was in total darkness then and couldn't find something to stop my tumbling. I rolled over just in time to feel my legs drop over the end of the ride. My hands caught the edge of the rock. I could feel the dirty cutting into my skin but I dare not let go as I stared down. My iPod swung freely in front of me, showing me that if I let go, I would surely die.