7. Adventure into the Unknown

The sunlight outside casted a comforting warmth within the interior of the living room, where Alicia and her little brother sat. The two of them were on a couch, gazing intently at the tv in front of them, watching a show. “I told you,” Adam exclaimed, joyfully, “The bad man always loses.”

The television screen flickered, depicting a man, the hero, standing supremely over another man, the villain of the story. The villain, in question, was covered in scars on his face, and his exposed, bloodied arms revealed colourless, vague tattoos. He expressed a look of scorn and deceit, a scowl that was implanted permanently on his face. Meanwhile, the hero of the story, tired and terribly injured, had a longing look on his face. “I’m giving you one last chance to stop this hatred of yours,” said the hero, his hands and arms hugging his deep wounds, covering them.

The view within the screen panned out, revealing the surroundings of their battle. What once used to be a town, was reduced to rubble. There were people out in the distance, villagers, that fled the scene screaming. The cries echoed through the emptying streets and transmitted through the speakers on the two sides of the television.

Alicia smiled at Adam’s message. “Not always. Look,” She pointed at the screen. The villain cried out in pain. “I will never stop, you fool,” the villain said, weakly pulling something out from inside his jacket. Smoke filled the area, as the villain managed to escape. The hero desperately raced through the streets, trying to peer through the thick fog that had just erupted, in an attempt to recapture the villain. It was a useless attempt; the vile man seemed to disappear into thin air.

The episode had ended, the show ending off with a short glimpse into the next episode, next week. Alicia grabbed the remote sitting in front of her and switched off the television. “Hey, what gives? We could watch some more shows, it’s still the weekend you know,” questioned Adam, pouting. “Nope, you have homework to do,” Alicia ordered, pointing her finger towards the stairs, trailing upwards. Adam grumbled, trudging through the living room and up the stairs. Alicia watched him leave. Her eyes locked onto her backpack. I should be preparing for the music performance next week, she thought. Alicia’s notes, scripts, and other materials long awaited her focus.

Her doorbell rang loudly, jolting Alicia from her couch. Confused, Alicia stood up and stared at the front door. The hardwood flooring beneath her softly creaking as she stood up, slowly walking towards the sound. “Alicia get the door!” her mom yelled from upstairs, in a grumpy tone. Her mother had been sleeping; working long nights hadn’t done her nicely. The doorbell continued to ring; the mysterious individual on the other side seemed to be increasingly impatient. “Alright I’m coming!” Alicia exclaimed, speed walking towards the door. The girl calmed herself. She peered through the peephole, and softened her gaze, opening the door to reveal an excited Melissa. Carter was wandering around a short distance away from her, twiddling with a stick he’d broke off from a nearby tree. “Hey what’s up!” Melissa exclaimed, before pulling Alicia into a bear hug. “Uh…Hey,” Alicia croaked out, compressed by Melissa’s tight embrace.

“What’s going on?” Alicia questioned, turning around to close the door to her house, not wanting to disturb her mother. “Well, so I was thinking…well we were thinking,” Melissa answered, dramatically, motioning to herself and Carter, who subtly signaled a ‘help me’ gesture, “that we could all go on an adventure today!” Alicia eyed her suspiciously, crossing her arms hesitantly. “Um, what do you mean?” she asked, darting her eyes between Melissa and Carter.

“We’re going to Darkland!” Melissa whispered excitedly, jumping up and down on the spot. Alicia stood still, her confused expression turning to shock. “What, I thought we all agreed it wasn’t a good idea,” Alicia stammered, scratching her head. “Well, yeah, but it’s not going to be as scary as those teachers said,” Melissa continued on, her voice raising volume as she spoke, “And if it gets too dangerous, we could just run away. I found a hidden path.” Alicia’s shocked face only grew, taking in Melissa’s request. “You have a what? Exactly how long were you looking around that place?” Melissa intentionally avoided the question, instead tapped the heel of her shoe against the ground.

“Look, c’mon, I finally got Carter on board, don’t tell me I have to convince you too?” Melissa said, with a sly grin. Alicia sighed. “I have so much stuff to do-,” she started to explain.

Before Alicia could come up with an excuse, from her piling homework to her projects, she stopped herself. Suddenly something changed, Alicia sensed a change in temperature within her surroundings. Don’t go, said the voice, awakening inside her mind. Alicia internally screamed; her heart rate was sent soaring for a moment. She stood momentarily silent. Alicia glanced upwards; What was previously a bright, blue sky, now suddenly seemed dimmer and turning a little grey, turning into a medium turquoise colour. Then it cleared a millisecond later, leaving the skies back to its crisp, clear colour, a brighter shade.

“Huh, actually, now that I think about it,” Alicia said, suspense driving Melissa’s excitement, “I think it’ll be awesome.”

Melissa’s smile grew wider, her joy infectious as she turned to Carter, who gave her a thumbs up. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Alicia said, before turning to her house. She slipped inside and managed to get changed quickly in her room. “Hey mom? I’m heading out with Melissa and Carter,” Alicia announced, her voice echoing through the hallways she stepped into. “Okay, have fun and stay safe,” her mother said, her voice barely audible from upstairs. Satisfied, Alicia sped through the halls and down the stairs, when she heard a shout. “Hey Alice?” It was Adam, peering down at her from the top of the staircase. “Can I come too? Please?” He said, smiling sheepishly. “You have homework to do, don’t you? Besides this is too boring for you,” Alicia managed to manufacture an excuse.

Adam pouted; his bottom lip quivered. “It’s fine, I’ll tell you a story when I get back,” Alicia added. Adam’s face suddenly lit up and he smiled. “Okay, but I’m holding you to it!” he exclaimed, running back to his room.

…

The trio raced through the sunlit streets on their bikes. Alicia had worn a small backpack over her shoulders, that comprised of food, water, and some other essentials. It became certain that this adventure wouldn’t be a short one. The warm chills of the spring air passed on her face, as Alicia pedalled her way alongside Melissa and Carter. Houses, trees, and mailboxes passed them in a blur, their bikes speeding through like bolts of thunder, or so Alicia felt.

They rode through the homely neighborhood. Alicia glanced at the familiar roads and streets she’d grown accustomed to over the years. “Alicia, how are you!” A middle-aged woman exclaimed, waving from her lawn. Alicia slowed down, as well as the others. “I’m doing pretty well, Ms. Cromwell! How about you?” Alicia replied back, smiling back. Ms. Cromwell began to walk down her driveway, towards Alicia. “Hey, I was wondering if you had enough time to help me cut my lawn? It’s pretty large as you see.” The lawn in question, spanned throughout the block and around the corner of the street, as large as several regular lawns mashed together. “Uh…sure I guess,” Alicia muttered, her eyes met Ms. Cromwell’s dagger striking eyes.

The woman’s eyes pierced through the air, electrifying and paralyzing Alicia. The large woman produced a smug grin, hands on her hips. “Well actually, Ms. Cromwell,” Melissa responded, accusatory, “We’re off to do something ourselves, so maybe you should get someone else to do that.” Ms. Cromwell’s grin quickly turned into a scowl, her sharp gaze switching to Melissa. In a split second, Alicia sensed a wave of energy wash over herself, this one of negativity and contempt. Alicia only continued to stare at the older woman. What is happening? She thought, blinking repeatedly. Ms. Cromwell stormed off, muttering a fleet of curse words. “You kids need to learn some manners,” the woman huffed, turning yet another cold, distasteful glance towards Melissa. Carter watched the commotion silently; his burrowing looks that darted between the three women, were overflowing of confusions and bewilderment, clear as day.

“Alright let’s go, our journey awaits,” Melissa exclaimed, breaking the air of silence, eyeing Alicia with pity. Alicia sighed, her foot grazing the side of the bike pedal. The trio began to pedal again, gaining speed gradually, and speeding through the road. It was empty; Other than the three of them, there were no cars, vehicles that occupied the road, ensuring a carefree, pedal to the metal action.

With her feet pushing down on the pedals as fast as she could, Alicia felt her blood rushing through her body, her adrenaline beginning to spike. “So, where’s this secret passage?” Carter yelled, staring expectantly at Melissa. Alicia glanced at her as well, curious. Melissa smiled, staring straight ahead. She sped up, turning a corner, in which Alicia and Carter followed. “Just follow me,” Melissa said, her joyous demeanor never ceasing to fade. They passed a construction zone; busy men and woman engrossed in their tasks.

“Hmm, the opening should be somewhere here…” Melissa pondered aloud, stopping. “Hey, why’re we stopping?” Carter asked, slowing down a metre away. Alicia watched Melissa in scrutiny, then scanned her surroundings. The construction zone behind them, houses half built and machines everywhere, lined some sort of boundary between the public neighborhood and the outskirts. Small, manmade forests and parks existed in front of them. A short distance away, Alicia could hear the cheers and shrills of children, from one of the waterparks nearby. Pathways to the parks and miniscule, strolling forests, were snaked through in front of them and veering off to the right. To their left, lay several rows of houses and public buildings, which tapered off a long distance away.

“Oh right!” Melissa exclaimed, heading to the left. Carter trailed behind her. Confused, Alicia peered again towards the left. There didn’t seem to be anything important, except for a valley that travelled into the distance, that disappeared into an old forest. Alicia yelped and began to pedal on her bike, as Carter and Melissa travelled farther into the valley. Carter turned his head and peered towards her. “Alice hurry up!” he said, huffing as he cycled through uneven plains. Alicia pedalled faster, managing to draw closer to Carter. There was a small, one-lane road that separated the houses from the large, green valley. The valley was filled with grass, and colourful flowers blooming at odd areas, groups of flowers clustered throughout the area.

The trio, now metres apart from each other, headed towards the old woods situated at the end of the valley. They were approaching a hill that faced downwards; the grassy valley was bumpy and almost completely uneven, with hills that rose up several metres high. The hills were sprawled throughout the valley, with most of the steeper ones situated in the centre of it.

Alicia raced quicker, catching up to Melissa. “Hey, didn’t we hang out here a couple times? I thought everyone knew this place,” she asked, viewing her surroundings in mesmerizing beauty. They were the only ones here; it seemed eerily quiet, apart from the occasional chirps of birds and the swaying of tree branches against the growing winds. “Yeah, a while ago, I think,” Melissa responded, “But there’s a pathway here that no one knows.”

Intrigued, Alicia continued to follow Melissa and Carter farther into the valley. Continuing to go straight through the valley, through the centre, they would enter the rickety old forest that they’ve visited numerous times before. However, Melissa abruptly veered left, leaving Alicia and Carter to slow, slightly puzzled. “C’mon, let’s go,” Melissa yelled, smiling, turning her head to glance at them. Carter and Alicia looked at each other, both confused, before joining Melissa in her new, strange direction.

Where Melissa was headed now, was straight towards a clump of thick trees that seemed to block all visibility from the outside. Melissa drove over a small bump, propelling her forward, dashing through the hill. Carter and Alicia followed suit, Carter grinned as he felt the cool breeze pass over him, speeding along the hill. Alicia nervously steadied herself, as to not fall in any which way.

As they approached the shroud of trees along the outskirts of the valley, Melissa began to slow down drastically. She hopped off her bike, the action mimicked by both Carter and Alicia a moment later, as they began to travel on foot, nearing the narrow passage through the trees. As they drew closer, Alicia realized that behind the trees, was a metal mesh fence blocking them from entering. Melissa motioned them over, pointing to an opening to the near left of them. “So here we have to leave our bikes,” she continued, tying her bike to a tree using a lock. Alicia and Carter rummaged through their backpacks, each holding their own locks to their bikes.

After securely fastening their bikes, Melissa crouched down to squeeze through the small opening, which was barely large enough for Carter, the biggest of them all. “Huh,” Alicia pondered, “Just like we used to do as kids.” Carter nodded, chuckling, as he bent down to measure himself against the hole, scanning the perimeter of it. Satisfied, Carter slipped his backpack through the hole in the fence and crept through it. It was a tight fit, but he managed to peer back at Alicia from the other side, after a slow, deliberating moment of slipping through.

When Alicia made it to the other side, her environment changed drastically. What used to be smooth, green valleys that spread for miles, was now replaced by the wild, chaotic, and overgrown vines, plants, and ancient trees. A lone river snaked across them and seemed to stretch on forever, escaping deep into the wilderness. “Ow,” she yelped, as her finger grazed a thorn in front of her. It left a mark, but no blood seeped through. “Ah that’s nothing,” Melissa said chuckling, looking over, “I got so many cuts from this place.” Alicia rubbed her finger, before trailing on towards Melissa and Carter, who picked through the place. With tree branches, thorns, and rippling vines surrounding them, it had been difficult to maneuver through, as there didn’t seem to be an apparent path. “Hey,” Alicia asked, drawing closer to Melissa, “How many times have you come through here?” Without a glance, Melissa continued to step through the wild, hopping over a stranded log, one that lay several metres out on the ground. “Just a few times, but don’t worry, I know this place like the back of my hand.”

“Well, that’s reassuring,” Alicia muttered quietly, following her. Carter picked up a large stick and used it to carve himself a better path through the vines and thorns. Melissa looked back and caught his eye, frowning. “What’s with you and sticks?” She questioned, a puzzled look on her face. Carter shrugged, gripping his new tool as though a companion he kept around for years. “Is it getting darker?” Carter asked, squinting at the sky. The trees that towered like skyscrapers shielded them from direct sunlight, as blocking them from viewing the blue skies. “Nope, it’s just the trees blocking the light. It’s 1:35pm,” Melissa noted, peering at her watch.

They travelled further. Alicia turned around. Behind them, the fence they’ve escaped through, was much further away, several dozen metres away. Although much of the trees blocked the view of the perimeter of the fence, Alicia spotted the fence travelling all around the horizon, displayed as though it were a wall or protective barrier of some sort.

“Okay, here it is!” Melissa exclaimed, grinning at them. She was pointing towards a lone manhole cover. It was covered in stray vines, leaves, and dirt. It took a moment before Alicia and Carter recognized it. “This is getting weird,” Carter muttered, eyeing the manhole. Alicia nodded in agreement. “Well, we can’t just waltz into the place, it’s surrounded by guards,” Melissa reasoned, gesturing to the path in front of her, “Besides, this leads directly to the center of Darkland.”

Alicia glanced at the sky; the glowering trees continued to obscure much of the sun’s rays. She remembered the voices, and what they had said, before she embarked on this adventure. Don’t go. Alicia sighed and trudged straight towards the manhole cover, surprising both Carter and Melissa alike. “Yay, that’s the spirit!” Melissa said, displaying a full smile, clearly proud. Her eyes glimmered joyfully, as though an excited child off on an adventure. “Hmm,” Carter pondered, scratching his chin, “If this Darkland really is what people say it is, I’m all in.”

Melissa clapped excitedly, grinning, as she walked over the manhole cover. It was loose, unlocked. She began to pull out the cover with great difficulty, before gasping for breath. “Hey, some help here?” Melissa asked, groaning. Carter rushed to Melissa’s aid, picking up the cover from the other side. Together, they managed to pull the manhole cover over to the side, placing it on an area of dirt and grass. Alicia watched, peering into the manhole. It was pitch-black; devoid of any light, as though it were covered by a blanket of darkness. “How do we see anything in there?” Alicia asked, unsure, glancing at Melissa. The auburn-haired girl slipped out a flashlight and a bundle of rope from her backpack. “Oh right,” Alicia added, patting her pocket, where her phone lay. Melissa fastened one end of the rope around a nearby tree, one whose trunk was thick enough to withstand considerable weight and threw the rest of the rope down the hole.

“Alright, let’s go,” Melissa said, ecstatically, climbing down the hole using the rope, disappearing into the blackness. Carter trailed after her, followed by Alicia, who still seemed slightly hesitant. Pushing down her fear, Alicia gripped the sturdy rope, and used it to grapple herself downwards into the tunnel. Glancing into the opening, she noticed a white light flickering on, beneath her. Melissa’s flashlight. It glowed within the veil of the murky settings, ominously glimmering through the abandoned tunnel. Alicia hopped onto the steel ground, beside her was a drained pit that trailed along the tunnel, and further on beyond their line of vision. Melissa’s flashlight pointed forwards, illuminating their path into the tunnels. Immediately, Alicia caught the whiff of a musty aroma of some kind, as though a new basement smell.

“So, what is this place exactly?” Alicia asked, scanning her surroundings. “This whole thing used to be a water pipeline,” Melissa answered, casually walking along the steel path, as though she’d been here countless times. “There’s an ocean that travels around this place, and this pipe used to carry it to our town and other places.” Alicia slipped her hand into her pocket, pulling out her phone. There was no signal here, which meant they were truly alone, no connections with the outside.

“Oh yeah I heard of that,” Carter perked up, cautiously walking behind her, “It was discontinued because that oceanwater was too polluted or something right? They moved it somewhere else.” Melissa’s flashlight slightly lowered, she seemed lost in thought, staring into the distance. “I thought so too,” she responded, uncertainty in the air, “But my mom used to work for the government, and she believes that there was something else going on.” Alicia stared at her, bewildered, as they travelled faster through the tunnel. Melissa turned a corner into the tunnel, leftwards, followed by Carter and Alicia. “What do you mean?” Alicia exclaimed, intrigued. “I think she looked through some confidential info or something, but she says that our mayor made some sort of deal with foreigners on the other side of the ocean.”

The atmosphere suddenly felt chilling and mysterious. Alicia shivered in puzzlement. “Wow,” Carter added, “That’s kinda hard to believe. Reagan’s rude, sure, definitely deceitful too, but corrupt? I dunno.” A dripping noise echoed through the empty tunnels. Melissa’s light shone through the path, exposing a small puddle ahead, there seemed to be a leakage above, spilling through the cracks. Alicia wrinkled her nose in disgust, a pungent smell emanated from the mysterious liquid dripping from the ceiling.

“Mayor Thompson has always been mysterious, I guess,” Alicia said, avoiding the puddle and the drops of liquid from above, “But why the deal? Why foreigners?” Melissa forged on, she stepped on the puddle and left wet footprints as she moved forwards. Their voices echoed throughout the tunnels, bouncing off the curved walls and rippling into eerie noises.

“My guess is, those people need something," Melissa whispered, seriousness and uncertainty flowing through her words, "and maybe the mayor wants more power in those areas, so he’s reaching out.” Something clicked in Carter's mind. “Wait, hold up,” Carter ordered, wide-eyed, stopping in his tracks. Both Melissa and Alicia stared at him. “Darkland is the only thing that separates us from the ocean, which acts as some sort of barrier between us and those people on the other side, right?” Melissa slowly caught on, also wide-eyed and deep in thought. Alicia continued to stare, confused. “Yeah, I guess,” Alicia replied, when it dawned on her. “You’re thinking that they closed Darkland to keep us further away from them?”

“I don’t know, but it’s crazy, I don’t know what to make of it,” Carter responded, beside Melissa. Alicia was closely behind them, fidgeting with her phone. She turned on the flashlight from her phone, which illuminated the tunnels much more. Alicia shone the light around her, the murky settings became much more clear and vivid. Vines protruded from small slits and cracks from above, spreading across the walls of the tunnels. Rust and several cracks appeared on the metal walls and floors. There were vents above, that might’ve connected above, where various earthy and nature scents flowed through the air and into the tunnel.

“Okay, we’re almost there,” Melissa called out, excitement radiating within her voice again. A slight glimmering of light shone in from a short distance away, from above. There was a ladder trailing upwards, towards a circular door situated on the ceiling. The manhole cover was similar to the one they used to enter into the tunnels. Somehow, Alicia caught a stronger scent of an earthy, natural aroma from within the tunnels.

As they drew closer to the exit, Alicia sensed a change of some sort. As though something had begun to awaken inside her, she suddenly felt flush with endorphins, energized and anew. Confused and cautious, Alicia turned to Carter, who had slowed down and was walking near her. He seemed normal, staring at the exit in front of him, and darting his eyes around his surroundings. She sensed unease, an aura of hesitation and anxiety from Carter.

Suddenly, everything slowed down. Alicia tried to push herself further, but it was no use; it was as though she were underwater. “Hey, you guys feel that?” She asked aloud, directed at Carter and Melissa. “Feel what?” Carter responded, shooting her a questioning gaze. Melissa turned around slightly, eyeing her, puzzled. “Well, I feel nothing but excitement, you guys are going to love this place.” Melissa smiled, a twinkle in her eyes. Alicia remained silent, skeptical, as she scanned her surroundings once more. Her heartbeat raced, jitters and nervousness caused her to tap repeatedly against the surface of her phone, her flashlight flickering, its white light moving around the tunnels aimlessly.

She thought back to her dream, the one she had a while ago. That strange, electrifying sensation that rippled all over her body. Wide-eyed, Alicia slowly glanced down at her free hand. No green, Alicia thought nervously, that dream was definitely nothing, I have to stop thinking about it.

Alicia stared ahead of her. Both Carter and Melissa were walking slowly as well, it wasn’t just her. However, they were unfazed and walking as though nothing was changed. Alicia gritted her teeth, her breathing shallow and uneven. Her heart suddenly felt like crawling out her chest. It seemed as though her heartbeats were impulsively audible, echoing throughout the tunnels.

Stop, a voice inside her cried. Alicia froze, afraid. Carter and Melissa looked back at their friend, who seemed deeply lost in thought. “Hey Alice, you okay?” Melissa asked, slightly concerned. Her voice rippled and echoed through the tunnel, distorted and warped, as Alicia stared at her. Alicia sighed. She couldn’t turn back now, or else her friends would ask questions that she didn’t know the answers to. In a split second, countless thoughts entered Alicia’s mind, flashes and neurons erupting within her, as though lightning has struck her. A thousand shocks; as though a silver fork connecting within a power outlet, the energy passing destructively along the surface of her skin. Alicia grimaced, grinding her teeth, as her vision blurred tenfold. The wave passing over her, an electrifying blanket.

Everything suddenly evaporated in another second, Alicia felt normal again. She blinked repeatedly in rapid succession. “Yeah, sorry. I guess I’m just a little nervous is all,” Alicia uttered, words she managed to squeeze out. “Don’t be, there’s nothing to be afraid of, really,” Melissa explained, as she stood directly in front of the series of ladder rings that led to the top. She began to climb. The cover was several metres above her; it seemed to be loosened just enough to be pulled away easily.

“Alright,” Melissa grunted, the cover completely pulled out, “Come on guys! We’re here!” They were exposed to the outside air. The scent of earth and various other undistinguishable fragrances were spread and circulating through the air. Carter was the next to climb up, peering up as he swung himself over the rungs.

It was a short moment until the two of them were at the top, taking their first steps into Darkland. “Holy sh- Alice, you gotta see this,” Carter yelled, ecstatically in awe. “I told you, it’s awesome here,” Melissa exclaimed. Even from below, Alicia could sense Melissa smiling as brightly as she could. Alicia lowered her eyes, nervously, as her hand gripped the first rung. Here goes nothing, she thought to herself, Screw the voices.

Alicia quickly climbed up to the top, filled with a sudden burst of defiant energy and adrenaline. She poked her head out of the manhole. She caught the scent of something different, magical even. An aroma that seemed so familiar. It strangely reminded her of a faded memory.

Shocked, Alicia stopped for a moment. A faded memory. It seemed that something was struggling to reach the surface, something buried so deep. It seemed to tug at her heartstrings, and the girl was suddenly thrust into a wave of melancholy in a fraction of a second. Her breathing turned uneven, as though she ran a mile.

She quickly dismissed the thought, shaking her head as she climbed the ladder to the entrance of Darkland.