And the monster rises. Chapter 4 - Into the depths of the tunnels below

The people have emptied, and I try to catch my balance as the city moves from side to side, but just slightly of course. We stand on top of the stairwell, leading down, a little frightened, a little excited, for what I don't know. " So, are you sure about this?". I ask, trying to make conversation. she wipes the dirt from her face, and laughs " As the old saying goes, I am ready for anything. Why, your not afraid are you?. " Me? No, of course not. Its not like there's anything to be afraid of". She starts walking down the stairs, takes about three steps, pauses, and turns her head towards me. " Don't you worry". She says with a wry smile. " I will go first". Walking down, I can't help but realize how oddly quick we have apparently bonded. Maybe we knew each other in a different life, maybe in extreme circumstances people tend to act different. Its hard to say really. I have gradually found that being myself in life really isn't a option, but in this case, it almost seems plausible. You know what they say though, those who forget history... " Watch out for that last step." She says, but it being to dark to see, can't see her current expression, or exact whereabouts as well. We are at the presumably bottom now, I turn on my flashlight, and she hers. I don't say it, but I do wonder why we didn't earlier. " Its hard to see exactly where were going but I believe we go left, that should lead us to the tracks, that eventually head on out of the city". I ponder this for a second. " What do you think?". I can slightly see her face now, with the residual runoff of the light, she looks both ways with the flashlight lighting the way. " You know what? I think you may just be right". I can see the echoes of the porcelain walls shimmer and shine in a most peculiar way, as the cement posts line up like soldiers, ready for war. We are in a long corridor now, with walls on both sides of us, we make our way with careful precision, as I almost miss the stairs that suddenly show up out of nowhere. Its getting darker now, the deeper we venture, if that is at all possible. As our flashlights are starting to succumb to it. And I find myself reaching out for some type of stability. But I can still see her in the near distance, like a ghost, making her way through acting as she does this day in and day out. " How do you know where your going, when its so dark in here?". I ask with a look of puzzlement, that she probably may not be able to see. "Oh, I have my ways, I have my ways". Her face is covered, and I can't quite make out the features, but I imagine her saying this with a wry grin, as I wonder exactly what she means by this statement. " So in other words, what your saying is, your not gonna tell me?". She doesn't answer this, and silence follows for about five minutes, when all of a sudden. ". Okay, so I think this is it, the tracks are down there. So if we just follow those, heading down, we should make it outside the city in relatively no time". We climb down to the tracks, and I kneel down to feel for any vibrations, just to be sure. Suddenly I just realize, I don't know anything about this girl, she could be some crazed mass murderer, for all I know. " You know what?". I pause, waiting for a answer that will never come." I really don't know anything about you". She stops for a second, with apparent opposition, or surprise. Maybe this was a question I should not have asked. " No, I guess you don't".