Day 3: Tunnel #2, The Tunnel’s Secrets - Morning, 10:54 A.M.

Finally entering the tunnel’s secrets, I felt bad for the people’s home. They didn’t have light. "I must continue. They’d be happy if I did."

I watched the crowd’s piles disappear, as they went to do something else. I continued my big journey into this wild new world. I walked towards the tunnel, forcing myself to keep going.

I stopped and sat down with my legs curling around my body. I felt bad for the city still.

"Should I go back?"

I asked myself.

"No, I should continue my adventures to see what will happen next in my life. I should do it for them, and everyone I’ll meet during this."

I stood up and closed my eyes. I pictured all the good things about the city, and I thought about all the things that should happen to this city. I pictured, in my mind, a light pointing down to the city, a bunch of flowers popping out from the ground, and a happy life for everyone.

"Now this city should feel good."

I said, walking towards the tunnels. I had to, I must escape these tunnels and know what will, and what should happen to me. I felt a tear form in my eye. It touched my heart. Right before my very eyes, I saw a lion standing before me.

"Hello there,"

He began.

"I am your father."

My eyes lit up in the darkness.

"I never had a father. Just a mother who was mean to me, no one else."

I spoke.

"Believe me, I am the king of the jungle. I am the hero of this world. I saved everyone I could’ve, until here I am, dead."

"You’re not dead! I can see you!"

"That’s because of your eyes. Thus, only you can see me, and only I can see you."

"What does that mean?"

"That mean’s people can see you, but you’re really a ghost!"

"I don’t believe you."

"Still don’t? Well then, can you explain this?"

He held up a photo of me in Just-About-Born-Cat-Ville and a lion that looked just like him. I wanted to know the truth about him, but before I could explain or tell him anything, he fainted away, and now I was stuck in the middle of the tunnel.

* * *

I had so many questions to ask.

"For now, I must stick to the journey."

I said, following another tunnel.

There stood a sign in front of it.

’Tunnel 2.’

It read.

"Tunnel 2. I’ve just about entered tunnel 2."

I walked inside. The stone doors closed and there was no way of going back. I walked forward one step, then two steps, then three.

I couldn’t explain this tunnel. It was a tunnel that looked like a colorful jungle. It looked like something that wasn’t even a tunnel!

I hopped over some leaves and saw a waterfall. I ran towards it and investigated.

"This water isn’t from the sewers; It’s regular waterfall water!"

I spoke.

I launched some of my ideas of where the third tunnel could be. I suspected that it could be somewhere near or behind the waterfall.

"Where is Tunnel 3?"

I asked. I started to get stressed about where it was.

"I wonder how these tunnels even got here in the first place, and why they’re in the oddest places!"

I saw a different area of the waterfall. There was a strange statue hiding behind the waterfall. There was a secret path! I jumped on some leaves and into a tree with huge, pink blossoms in it. I climbed the biggest tree there was in this tunnel.

I saw a rocky path that led to the statue. I climbed down the tree and scraped my knee.

"Ouch! I just cut myself!"

I ignored it, knowing that it would heal soon. I realized that I had to climb the small rocky mountain to get to the statue.

"Oh well, here it goes!"

I jumped on top of one rock, then another. The small rocks turned into stones, and the stones turned into giant boulders. I climbed the last one while I rested on top of the mountain. I opened my sack and pulled out a rope. I relaxed for another few minutes, then I finally had to do it. I threw my rope down to the statue and stood tall. I lunged down the rope, making sure not to fall off.

I finally was able to get down. I pulled out the map that I got from the beginning of the tunnel.

I rushed through the different maps and papers from my bag. I pulled out the one I needed, the brown one that was partially ruined and torn. I stared down at the map for a while and felt a mist of water hanging on my chin.

I closed my eyes and turned to the statue. I felt the rocks, the felt a button.

I peeled open my eyes to stare at a red button that had strange lettering on it. I didn’t know what it was there for.

"Well, here it goes."

I said, pushing the thick button into the statue. It glowed a bright red light, bigger and brighter than the sun. I closed my eyes, still having a demanding time trying to see. The light went away, and there was no more waterfall. Instead, there was a whirlpool.

"What should I do? Should I jump in it?"

A cracking noise came from the statue. The statue dropped, and I fell into the whirlpool. I screamed, panicking, trying to get help, but nothing happened. I fell into the whirlpool. It spun me countless times, trying to get me to calm down and notice that it wasn’t supposed to be doing this.

I was holding my breath for as long as I could, and almost let go.

You can’t die now!

I thought.

You must escape this place, or else your life will end in a horrible way.

I tried to swim in it, but the currents were too strong. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hold my breath that long. Just before I let go, the whirlpool disappeared, and a giant swamp monster came out.

"You must not escape this place, and you never will!"

It spoke, glaring into my eyes. He was a grumpy swamp monster; it was like he had pouring lava out of his mouth and a giant troll-like face that was in the shape of a football. I thought of what to do next.

"Think fast!"

I whispered.

"Think fast!"

My lightbulb turned on, and I pretended to sink underground. I stopped holding myself up and sunk to the bottom of the rocks and played dead. I closed my eyes, pretending to feel dead. The giant swamp monster came up to me.

"You died already? Amazing! I won!"

He ran away and I got up. The whirlpool began again and sucked me underground. I watched the swamp monster try to stop me.

"Hey! I thought you were dead!"

He yelled.

"Oh well, good luck next time!"

I replied with a proud look on my face.

He growled, grunted, and furiously started destroying the rocks and trees all at the same time. I watched him go crazy as I got sucked into the whirlpool.

"Is this a bad thing getting sucked underwater?"

I asked.

"Hopefully,"

The swamp monster replied with a growl.

"Whatever. At least I’ll fix this problem too."

"No, you can’t!"

"How come?"

"I’m not going to let you, that’s why!"

I rolled my eyes and swam straight to the bottom.

"Here goes nothing."

I spoke. I sucked myself inside the hole that was there. It took me to an underground room. I saw the swamp monster try to get me. The hole closed and I nodded. I watched the swamp monster try to catch me. Before the doors closed, I yelled,

"I’ll defeat you some day!"

"No, I’ll defeat you someday!"

He replied. I pretended that I didn’t hear him. Instead, I turned over to a wall that had another code on it. I stared at it.

"What’s this?" I asked. Of course, It opened the code that I could read.

"You’re about to enter Tunnel #3."

It began.

"You’re about to face another giant beast that could take days to complete. If you lose, you die and never escape these tunnels. If you win, you move onto Tunnel #4. Good luck. Do not fail this one."

I didn’t know what they were talking about.

"According to the steps on my paper,"

I spoke.

"It says that there would be some creatures that I’ve never seen before. That could be one of those creatures!"

I found a light towards the exit. There, it read,

"Tunnel #3. Good luck!"

The wooden sign fell to the ground. It broke in half, and the sign turned from spruce wood to crushed-up wood pieces that could give you a splinter.

"I have to be careful of this tunnel. It sounds like it’s a dangerous place. That’s a fair warning for sure!"

I walked up over to Tunnel #3. I entered it, and the doors closed behind me.

Next Chapter: Chapter Five: Tunnel 3 - The Tunnel’s Secrets