My Trip To Nowhere... - Chapter Eighteen

“More toast, Tom?”

“No thanks, mom”

“How about some cereal?”

“No thanks.”

That’s my mom; always giving me a heavy breakfast every morning before school. It was so bright and so lovely here, with the sun pouring in through the windows, and I could even hear birds twittering outside. My little brother, Darren, knocked over his cereal bowl. I smiled. I missed this… then I thought to myself, ‘miss this?’ I frowned. Something happened… something happened that made me miss all this. What had happened? My mind seemed so… blank. I tried to think, but everytime a thought crosses my mind, it disappears. It felt so weird. I reached my hand out to pick up my glass of juice. The sunlight fell across the kitchen table, and as I held my glass of juice I didn’t feel the warmth of the sunlight. But I didn’t think much of it. I sipped it, and then put the glass of juice down. Strange… I looked at it. It tasted like… nothing. I glanced around at everyone. They all looked slightly blurred. So… unreal. I rubbed my eyes.

“Tom”

I looked up at mom. But she was busy buttering her toast.

“Tom!”

I looked at dad. He was deep into his newspaper. I glanced at Darren. No… it wasn’t any of them who spoke.

“Wake up!”

I felt myself being shaken. I closed my eyes, and I felt I was leaning against something cold and hard. I did not want to lose the image of eating breakfast with my family. I groaned, and jerked awake. I opened my eyes.

I was back at the dim tunnel-like passageway. At once I felt cold, and stiff. It took me a while to remember where and why I was here. I blinked, and looked at Josh who was in front of me.

“Finally,” he said. “Here,” and he handed me the torch. “It's your turn to keep watch.”

I tried to get up to a proper sitting position. My back was so stiff after lying against the hard and cold wall. The image of eating breakfast with my family was still intact in my mind. I slowly stood up, and stretched. My neck clicked, and I stifled a groan. My body felt so stiff. I turned to see Nicky in a sitting position with her back leaning against the wall. She looked so pale. I bent over and touched her arm. And she was cold. I hesitated, then I took my jumper off, leaving my t-shirt on which was underneath. I draped it over Nicky, and made my way to the opposite wall with the burning torch in one hand. I settled down opposite Nicky and Josh, who lay asleep.

I sat.

And I thought.

I looked over at Nicky.

What seemed to be hours passed by.

Something rustled in the dark.

I froze.

I pricked my ears, and started to listen carefully.

Footsteps.

Light, cautious footsteps coming closer.

I blew out the torch in my hand.

I waited.

“Gee… that was very clever of you Tom. Now how are we supposed to see in the dark?”



TO BE CONTINUED…