unknown

Keeping out of the way of the massive door closing shop for the day, if one wanted to, there is time to fall back to the world before this one but neither do. Instead, both stand in place while watching the way the door puts up a fuss towards the end much like a child not wanting to go to bed. Music on low will come after, that sigh of freedom making things alright.

Facing what is ahead of them, Vincent being Vincent starts looking around that has Benny watching after him all the while wishing he had a smoke. Still pissed that none of his gear made it through, the smoldering thought is put away as Vincent is pointing to something. “You might want to check this out,” is all he says. Curious, Benny walks over to where Vincent is standing.

What seen are sawn planks cut in equal length before handed down to the one doing all of the hammering. Vincent takes a step back and says, “My question is, if we follow it, will we be disqualified?” A legitimate question, Benny looks to the door and its massive encasement and then back to the staircase. Being at a right angle, he can understand why it was overlooked by imagining eyes forward in being disciplined.

“I don’t think so.” A pause settles in before Benny says, “I say we go for it.”

“In that case, hold on,” says Vincent who immediately digs his fingers into a side pocket. Success is him putting on display a midnight blue cylinder balanced along the width of his palm. “Cool. Now, let’s see if you work.” With the on switch activated, a beam of light shoots forward. “The battery is supposed to be good for six hours which to me means three hours cut in half by two.” Loving his honesty, and though neither know the length of the tunnel, Vincent takes the lead in descending the staircase.

“Eighteen is what I counted,” he yells up. Hearing this, Benny goes to counting each step as he takes his time in finding the next step down until he is beside Vincent. What is ahead of them is a miner’s tunnel in that the way ahead is braced to where gratitude falls on the worker carrying a sealed bucket containing this shift’s supper. Under the meager light, their walk ahead is filled with the ghosts of yesterday having the best intentions of finding that elusive key that so far has ended in a horrific death. That last part has Pete making sure they’re aware of this. Benny kept to himself as did Vincent that had Pete pushing away from the table in offering refills to coffee gone cold.