The Tunnel in the Hill

I had a dream the other day which turned into the first part of a short story I would like to create. I'm not sure what's going to come next or what genre it's going to follow.

Part One

 

As I look over the crest of the hill I can see him.

I can see him with his large muscular arm hooked around the little boys neck.

With the knife raised in the air we can all predict his next move but no one budges.

No one dares to disturb him in his greatest moment of rage, it’s no use, we'd all end up dead.

I can't bear the thought of what’s about to happen, that's a little boy and I’d gladly trade my life for his.

I’d rather be the one he’s raising the knife to.

I survey the area as if I'll find answers to the questions filling my mind.

The questions I'm asking myself about what I'm about to do.

 

I find none.

 

What I do find though is a small tunnel through the hill.

The tunnel's so small that from here it looks like a body just might fit.

I can't refuse to try and save a life.

I jog over to take a better look and I'm right.

If I go in feet first it's unlikely that I'll have the leg strength or the room to bend and pull my way through, but, if I go in head first and chest down...I might just be able to do it.

 

Here goes nothing.

 

People crowd around me now as they realize that I'm crawling to my own death.

Of course they want a front row seat, they're too cowardly to do what I'm about to.

I get myself half way through the tunnel and I'm struggling quite a bit.

Not only is it a tight squeeze but the earth is crumbling away as I wriggle my way through.

That's when I realize there's no turning back.

I mean, not only is there no room to turn around but the path that I just came through is no longer there.

The earth has filled it in.

I take a deep breath and hope for the best as my head catches the fresh air of the other side.

 

I'm really thankful that this opening is a bit more set back and hidden than the one I came in through because I need a moment to recoup and figure out my surroundings.

As I lay there, half in the tunnel and half out, all I can see is boulders and rocks surrounding me.

Even the ground is rock covered.

You wouldn't think that the other side of a hill would open up to a whole different world but that's what this feels like.

 

That’s when I hear footfalls not far from me.

Rocks start to fall and cloud my view.

Then this...creature appears in front of me.

I'm not really sure what he is.

He looks like he's part Greek god, part demon, and part human.

I can't know for certain but he's almost beautiful and painful to look at all the same.

 

"You thought I didn't hear you coming? You fool! Now that I have the boy taken care of, it's your turn. You think your people will save you but they won't. They're nothing but a group of cowards"

He almost hisses these words out of his mouth in some majestic and terrifying way.

I find myself chuckling at his comment because I myself was just thinking about the cowardice of my people.

At this point I start to realize that I may be the stupidest human being to ever exist on this planet, I also realize I’ve come too far to change my mind.

He puts the knife to my neck and I pass out.

Author's Note

I had a dream the other day which turned into the first part of a short story I would like to create. I'm not sure what's going to come next.
This is as far as I have gotten in thought.
I haven't yet decided on a genre or story line, or even characters.
This is also the first writing I've ever shared with the world so feedback is much appreciated.