Crossroads

Chapter One: The Tunnel

"Boys! Get your behinds back here!" That command had the opposite impact as Sheila had hoped. Her two boys scampered off away from the old, worn porch. Kudzu crept up the support beam that stood on the far left hiding the chipped paint that covered each. She tapped her foot with annoyance before turning and disappearing back into the house. Boys will be boys.

Anthony made it through the trees first. He looked back with a gleeful smile and beckoned his younger brother Marcus to follow. These woods were theirs. They knew every tree and every rock, and their nearest neighbor had to be about ten miles down the old dirt road then another five on the paved. Their dad grew tobacco and their mom did her best to raise them right. Anthony was older by two years and was growing like an oak. He was already nearing six foot despite just turning thirteen two months prior.

Marcus was young, but it was clear he wasn't gifted with the size or athleticism of Anthony. He was thin as a stick, short and would wheeze after a little exertion. A stranger could still see their relation. Both had large amber eyes and thick wooly hair. Most notable were their large round ears that almost flapped in the wind as they ran. Anthony's long legs carried him through the trees like a deer, while Marcus was left behind as usual. He was wheezing as he climbed over a downed tree towards their secret getaway.

The clearing had a wooden crate resting in the middle with two wooden stumps sitting on opposite sides. This was their place. Marcus crossed his hands on the top of his head and fought to catch his breath. He looked around but Anthony wasn't there.

"Quit...playing...Ant! You know...I don't like...this game!" He got no response aside from the rustling of leaves in the wind. It seemed spookier than usual. He waited for a few minutes until his wheezing had subsided. "Fine man! I'm going back."

Just as he was about to leave the clearing he was grabbed from behind and lifted into the air.

"Got ya again little bro!" Ant laughed as he swung his little brother through the air. "You have to open up them big ears that God went and made us! Listen to what's going on around you!"

Marcus wasn't amused. "Put me down dang it! Put me down!"

"Aww, did I scare you this time? I didn't mean any harm, you know that." Ant carried him over to the makeshift table and plopped him down on his stool. "What's got you?"

"Don't know, something just feels...off." Marcus couldn't put his finger on it, but ever since he heard the rustling leaves he had a chill running down his spine. But they were safe, this was their place. So he put those thoughts away and they carried on with their usual meeting, as they liked to call it.

A couple of hours passed by and the sun started to dip down below the tree tops.

"Better start heading back, you know how Momma gets if we don't get back before sundown." Anthony put a hand on his hip and wagged his finger in exaggerated motions drawing laughter from Marcus. They walked towards the trees, Anthony slung his arm over Marcus's shoulder. Just before exiting the clearing Anthony stopped, and clamped down on Marcus to keep him from moving.

"What's going on?"

"Shh!" Anthony's eyes darted between trees. He spoke in a whisper, "Did you hear that? I thought I heard footsteps. Twigs snapping."

The chill was suddenly back. "I didn't hear anything...let's keep going. We gotta get back to Momma."

Just then a pop broke the silence, a bullet whizzed through the air and dug into the bark of the tree to their right. The boys were familiar enough with the sound of a rifle to know what it was. But who? This was their woods.

The older brother barked. "RUN!"

Anthony grabbed Marcus by the wrist and took off into the woods. From Marcus's view it was just a blur of trees. His feet had never moved so quickly. But in their panic they had began running in the wrong direction. They ran and ran as the occasional shot rang through the forest. Further and further they ran. There was no wheezing, there was no time for wheezing.

The ground suddenly gave way and a dark mouth swallowed the boys. They tumbled down a slide of mud before being deposited in a shallow puddle. It was pitch black around them with only the dusky light above them visible. Anthony held Marcus close.

"You okay?" Anthony asked as he brushed mud off his arms.

It was a rough tumble, but nothing appeared to be broken. The wheezing had returned now that they had a moment to rest. Anthony tried to stifle it, their pursuer couldn't be far. He listened for the sound of footsteps and sure enough they soon followed. It was darker now, almost night. Anthony kept a hand over his brother's mouth and peered upwards, silent and motionless. The footsteps moved and stopped. Then moved again. Step by step they faded until they disappeared for good. The boys relaxed their bodies and sighed in relief.

"Who was that? Why was he shooting at us?" The wheezing was gone again, but that chill remained.

Anthony stood and helped Marcus to his feet. "No clue, but he's gone. Lets try to get out of here." Anthony couldn't see so he used his hands to feel the walls. He tried to pull himself up but the mud gave way and he slid back down into the murky puddle.

"Uh, Ant? I think there's a tunnel over here...its big enough to crawl through." Marcus stuck his head in the hole and could make out a faint light at the end.

Anthony reached out into the dark to find his brother. There was no way to get up that wall so they squeezed into the tunnel and trudged onward. Thankfully the tunnel was short and the brothers emptied out into a large cavern. A small stream was carving through the stone floor, and a narrow chasm in the ceiling allows starlight to leak in and illuminate the space. It was too high to have any hope of escape. The duo peered around the cavern in wonderment.

"Whoa...where are we Ant?" A fold in the cavern wall caught his eye. He could see a faint pale glow gleaming off the wall. "Ant, over there."

There was a gap in the wall that would have been hidden if not for the faint glow illuminating it. It was tight, Anthony had to turn his body sideways to inch forward. It turned and weaved through the rock expanding in some parts and squeezing even tighter in others. Still that pale light guided their path. The chill was getting colder.

"...I see...it?" Marcus stopped. He was in front of his brother and could see around another bend. Down the last leg of the path he saw it. A glowing light seemed to sit in the air and rotate, changing directions at random. He couldn't hear it earlier but now a faint hum filled the air. The chill was gone, instead Marcus now felt warmth. The light drew him in. His feet seemed to move on their own as he inched forward, not realizing that an increasingly narrow path was too tight for Anthony to follow.

"Marcus! Hold up!" Anthony squeezed forward as far as he could. Marcus slipped behind the final bend in the path, but Anthony could go no further. He pushed and pushed but his broad chest couldn't slide through. He reached out trying to grab hold of his brother. "Marcus! Come back!"

Anthony was shouting now, but the faint hum somehow muffled his calls. Marcus was standing before the light now. He reached up and put his hand in the glow, it was warm. The glow grew larger and more intense. It seemed as though the entire cave system was now awash with the pale light. The warmth had enveloped Marcus's entire body. Anthony was screaming now, but the sound couldn't reach Marcus. Then, like a switch being flipped, the warmth was replaced by the chill. Marcus felt a sudden pull on his arm, and Anthony's calls cut through the hum like a knife.

"ANT! ANT! HELP! ANT! AAANT!" The pull grew stronger, and stronger. Marcus was lifted off his feet and swallowed by the pale light.

And then the light was gone.

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Thanks for reading chapter one! Feel free to give feedback on my writing style, always looking to improve. Will continue this story next week and perhaps try to make this a weekly release.