How long would it be until the ceiling collapsed? Even though it looked like the builders of this tunnel had used railroad ties or something similar to shore it up, these had weakened with time. Surely, it’d be safer to move on down the narrow passageway. Cobwebs clung to my hair and arms as I crept forward, trying to walk quietly and not jar the wood which kept tons of dirt from crashing down. The smell of damp earth clogged my nostrils.
Something moved along the wall and I caught my breath. I wasn’t alone. Spiders! Judging from the webs hanging from the ceiling, the place must be crawling with spiders. I could cope with spiders, but snakes? Hopefully, no snakes shared my prison.
The tunnel narrowed. Tree roots protruded like accusing fingers above and beside me, slowing my progress. The ceiling slanted downward here and I had to bend lower to keep from bumping my head.
Inches of dirt muffled my footsteps. My path seemed to slope upward. Was there an end to this thing or was I doomed to forever wander in darkness?
The passageway narrowed still more. A thick root protruded all the way across it, from one wall to the other, forcing me to crawl under. Crawling would be easier if my hands weren’t holding the flashlight, so I set it on top of the root, directing it into the space ahead. Getting down on all fours, I proceeded to crawl.
The fragile supports above me were evidently held up only by tree roots and a fervent hope on my part.
I didn’t see the next root until my head came in contact with it– hard! The impact knocked me backward onto my derriere.
I held my breath as the root vibrated and the walls around me shivered. Clods of dirt peppered down. My prison was collapsing.
I ran. Even though I had to bend forward with my head down, I sprinted through my prison as if pursued by a nightmare; for, in truth, I was. The flashlight’s beam jiggled crazily in front of me. Dirt landed on my head and dropped down the neck of my shirt. The roar grew and filled my ears. It sounded like the whole tunnel was collapsing.
Excerpt from my work-in-progress, the fourth Ned McNeil moonlight mystery, Murder By Moonlight.
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