Scary Stories - Twist in the Tale Series

The Escape

What's that noise?

It sounds like all Hell has broken loose ... Oh no!

Water - torrents of it. Something has burst and it's flooding thecave, breaking down the walls.

I'm done for now, there's no way I can avoid being drowned. Isthis the way it's going to end after all this time trapped inthis tiny space?

No! The walls are heaving, falling in. Some seismic shift isbringing the place down. If I'm not drowned, I will be crushed.Either way, this is it.

Oh, the noise! It's been so quiet all this time. Peaceful andcomforting, it allowed me to forget I was trapped, let me driftaway into a world of my own, to wait for the end to come almostwithout fear. Now this!

Tumbling, twisting, turning. I'm being thrown all over. I'llnever survive this; I'm going to be entombed in this cave, buriedforever.

The water is pushing me to the bottom of the cave. I'll bepulverised against the far wall. There's nothing to do now butresign myself to the inevitable.

Wait! What's that? An opening, a tiny tunnel. The waters musthave opened it. I'm being thrown towards it. Is it possible? -Can I squeeze into it? Is there a way out, after all?

I've got to try, there's nothing to lose. If I can positionmyself correctly I might just do it. It's a tight fit; I willhave to go headfirst. There, if I can just get my shouldersthrough the rest of my body should follow. Made it! All I have todo now is inch my way along and hope it leads somewhere.

It's a passage of some sort; I wonder where it goes? I hope it'snot a dead end. There's no point in worrying about that; it's sonarrow and confined in here that it's impossible to go back. Ican only ease gradually forward and keep praying. At least theflood seems to have subsided to a trickle and the threat ofdrowning has passed. The water found a way through, so perhaps Ican too.

There's still some kind of upheaval going on, it's like the wallsand floor of the tunnel are pulsing, and I'm being forcedsteadily along it. If it collapses I will have no chance. It's sodark I can't see a thing; I may as well be blind. Where am Igoing? Where does this passage lead?

It's becoming even more cramped, there's hardly any room tomanoeuvre. I'm going to be crushed for sure. If only I could becertain the tunnel leads to safety; but I can't. I've lost allsense of direction, I don't know which is up or down any more. Icould just be burying myself deeper and deeper. But what else canI do? I've just got to keep moving forward and praying. There'snothing else for it.

On and on. Will this tunnel ever end?

No! Surely I'm imagining it. It can't be - can it?

There! Just ahead - is it? Can it be true?

A light - very dim - but yes, I'm sure. And the passage isgetting wider. There is a way out. Oh thank you!

Keep moving - got to keep moving. Hardly any strength left. I'llnever do it, it seems so far away. So tired, so hungry. Keepgoing.

The tunnel is definitely getting wider, and the air is fresher,not as stifling as it was. If only I can keep going.

It's true! There is an opening - a way out!

Just a little further.

A narrow gap. So narrow. Can I get through it? Push, push, push!

Got to get through. Got to.

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. I'll never do it. Got to.

Go on! Force your body through - you can do it!

Yes, yes, yes! I'm out. Free at last.

Oh the light. Blinding, dazzling light.

Noise - voices.

"Congratulations, Mrs Henderson. It's all over. You've got alovely healthy boy!"