Tunnel to Freedom: Day 350 freewrite

ntowl (61)in #freewrite • 6 years ago

freedom tunne.png
Sandu crawled through the narrow metal-lined passage. A sharp pain in his shin made him remind himself again to avoid the sharp edges where the metal had bent or begun to rust away. Every now and then he came across caustic puddles that would leave his skin stained, itchy or burning. But still he pushed on.

He had only the soft glow of a ancient light to guide him. It worked on batteries that were nearly empty, but he couldn't risk using anything modern. They would find him for sure if he did.

They must be looking he knew. No one is left alone for long in the Sanctuary. But he'd managed to get an hour which meant they wouldn't know when exactly he went missing and wouldn't know exactly where to look. He'd made sure to leave markers in other places to suggest he went one way or another. All very far from this ancient tunnel.

In reality, he didn't even know if it would lead him past the city to Freedom - the place rumored to exist beyond the edges of what most humans considered the only place left to live. He'd listened to all the stories, the whispers of what used to be, and the gossip of how some had eventually found Freedom - a place where the air was fresh, you could see the sky, and no one cared what you did or didn't do.

The light flickered and began to slowly dim. He moved faster to get as far as he could before it ran out. He failed to notice the rusted metal in front of him. Suddenly he felt himself falling, and he resigned himself to his end.

He landed with a thud, but only felt minor pain in his leg. And then he noticed it. A broad smile crossed his face as he took a second breath of fresh air.