The Endless tunnel, Pt 1

A girl goes into a mysterious tunnel that the townsfolk call "The Endless Tunnel" as a dare from her friends, and inadvertently starts to uncover a mystery that stretches beyond time.

"So this is the Endless tunnel."

"Heh, pretty cool right?"

"Eh, I've seen better."

"So you'll do it?"

"Of course, I'm not a wimp."

Those were the last words I said to my friend Evan before I went in.  That was a mistake.  If anyone should have gone, it's Evan.  He'd last much longer if this place is longer than it looks.  I'm a lot skinnier than he is, and he knows it.  Evan is a bit portly and has very short, almost buzz-cut hair.  He's also as white as you get.  The fact that he came out of his filthy mess of a home is surprising, but I suppose his mother needed to get him out of the house sometime.  I, on the other hand, am his opposite.  I actually enjoy the outdoors and spend plenty of time in it.  I've got a nice brown bob cut and he looks like he has a field silver hair on his head!  I, I should stop talking crap about him.  I need to focus on getting out of this tunnel.  I can't keep track of which way I'm going, nothing looks the same as when I left it, and after about 10 feet, the tunnel just fades of into nothingness.  I tried making marks in the wall to indicate how far I'm going, but... when I turned around, the marks were gone.  It feels like I've been waling for an hour.

"Hello?"

What was that?  A voice?!

"Hello?!  I can see you over there! Come over here!"

I guess I should...

The person talking is a small boy, about the age of 10, with black hair in a bowl cut, wearing an old video game character themed shirt.

"Who are you?"  He asks.

"Me?  Oh, um.. My name is Jillian."

"Are you lost in here too?"

"Maybe..."

"Oh okay!  Good luck!"

"Wait, aren't you trying to get out too?"

"Hmm... Nah.  I'm waiting for my mom to come back."

"She's deeper in the tunnel?"

"Yeah."

"Well, what are you going to do in the meantime?"

"I'm gonna keep playing this!"  He pulls out a handheld gaming device from 1998 and turns it on.  "It just came out a few days ago!  No matter how much I play it, the battery never drains!  Isn't that cool?"

"Um.. yeah.  it is pretty cool."

"Well, if you're leaving now, I hope you have good luck leaving this place!  Bye lady!"

"Um, Bye!"

What was that kid talking about?  That thing came out in 1998, and this is 2016!  Plus that hairdo was super old!  How long has he been here? 

My thoughts are interrupted by a strange shape.  A... Vending machine?  I decide to come closer.

It isn't labeled...  It just says "Insert coin"...

I pick up a green coin off the ground.  It isn't labeled either.

"Well, why not?"

I place the coin into the slot.

A drink just came out.  It's... nothing I've ever seen before.  Clear plastic container sealed with a cork, filled with a red-orange liquid with a fire stick attached to the front...  I shouldn't drink it.

I continue walking.

Wait... a light?!  A faint one, but a light!

I start sprinting.  I need to get out of this place.  It's closer, closer, closer and...

What... What is this place?  It's night.  A large lake shimmers in the moonlight.  Warm.  feels like  warm summer night  The lake.  It's surrounded by thick forest, with the exception of this clearing...

something is disturbing the placidity of the mostly silent lake

there's a boat...  and on the boat...  A girl....

Their eyes are covered by their long blue, wavy hair.  They're wearing a strange loose fitting cloak over the rest of their body.  They're rowing with two oars, slowly.  I try to step towards them and speak, but suddenly I'm surrounded by a white light.

I- I'm back at the entrance.  How long was I gone?

"Jillian!  You're back already?!  Did you just run back 'cause it was a little dark?"

"Yeah yeah, sure..."

He'd never believe me.  I'd never believe me.  Was it even real?  I don't know...

"C'mon, Jill!  Let's head home!"  Evan then starts to walk back.

Was it real?  I have to find out...  WAIT!

I reach into my pocket.  The mysterious drink is there.

So It must be real...  Who was that girl?  why was she there?  What is this drink?  Why was that boy there?  I need to figure this stuff out!

End of Part 1

Author's Note

Please give what you think of it!

Reviews

[matrixmark]

The plot thickens, yes indeed - I have many questions unaswered and they sure do need to be. Good use of imagination and I would like to read more about this mysterious tunnel. If something like this happened to be, I would have run a mile.

Cool, different piece.

Mark.