What Is Buried

Chapter 4

Snapshots of scattered light flashed weakly before Kyle's steady vision. It broke free through the impenetrable darkness with all the half hearted effort of a door moved slightly by the wind.

"You found us a way out?"

Declan's quiet but hopeful voice called behind Kyle.

Kyle didn't answer but shook the flashlight in his hand with a mild irritation. He had managed to find a weak pressure point in the rubble around them. All his strenuous effort had been rewarded with a somewhat stable tunnel. A dark pathway that seemed to slope downward into the bowels of Zzyzx's abandoned halls.

It was far for a time of celebration. There was still the troublesome issue of light. To traverse down that sharp jagged darkness without their luminous guide . . .

Well, he simply worried. For Declan.

Earlier the flashlight had simply winked out for a good long five minutes. The terror that overtook Declan was something that could not be erased from Kyle's mind. The white as bone hands that gripped him, the underlying whine of sweat dripped fear in Declan's words and the sudden great tiredness that overtook his friend.

The lingering frost at the bottom of his stomach reminded Kyle of his uselessness in the situation.

Declan had finally calmed down when the flashlight struggled back to light. He had apologized and explained rather anxiously about "cabin fever." Kyle with all the knowledge crammed inside his head understood the term in a technical sense. Yet, it was the fear that Kyle failed to grasp completely. Something he could not understand. Something out there that freaked his friend.

Maybe that's why I'm pushed away? Kyle thought morosely. Because he could not understand Declan. But isn't that why he asked about his parents? Yet, all he got from his effort was sharp words and the horrible feeling of being rejected.

You're not human.

He couldn't really feel angry at those words. He couldn't feel anything but sadness at Declan's need to poke his heart out. As if Declan had to be sure Kyle's heart was there and beating. It reminded him of how Lori used to treat him in the early days of living with the Tragers.

He smiled a little to himself. She had been so prickly .

"Kyle?"

Declan's hesitant voice gently pulled Kyle away from his thought storm and he redirected his attention back to what he was attempting to accomplish.

Kyle hunched down his body as he peered forward into the tunnel. He took a couple of steps. A couple more. And let out a breath a few more steps. The broken pieces of concrete did not waver under his weight. So, he stretched his hand with the flashlight as far as it would go to see further. He felt a ridiculous urge to call out for help.

But of course, there was no one left to answer.

The air was so delicately still. He wondered if his very breath would cause an earthquake. Yet, the walls held. But from what he could see of the situation it seemed to be getting worse.

He moved back out slowly and nearly collided with a waiting Declan.

"It's no use. We can't carry forward without some kind of reliable light," Kyle said, brushing dust off his body.

Declan kicked some rocks with the tip of his sneaker and sighed heavily. "We can't stay here, man. I'll risk fumbling in the dark if we just get the hell out of here."

Kyle withheld from comment. Fumbling in the dark would surely end up with one of them tripping and splitting their skulls open, he thought bleakly.

Declan rubbed his eyes roughly in the silence. The embarrassment of his little freak out earlier did not erase the stupid words he said to Kyle about being inhuman. His attempts at apology were waved away like the dust on their clothes.

It was too late. Damage inflicted. Structure of friendship hit. Declan wanted to punch himself. He could perhaps say in defense that Kyle had just been pushing all the wrong buttons at the moment.

His childhood. His father. Declan scoffed the floor again angrily.

It was just . . . the ugliness. . . just those ugly things buried within that made him want to stab the hand that dared to unearth them.

It was no excuse what he said to Kyle. No excuse, you dickhead!

"I'm debating whether we should risk this or not," Kyle said, interrupting Declan's mental ass kicking.

Declan squinted forward into the tunnel before them. "We go far enough maybe we'll reach some light."

Kyle shook his head. "No. It goes deeper. As in farther from the surface."

"Wait. Why would we want to go deeper?"

Kyle scrutinized the flushed look on his friend. The closed atmosphere was eating away at him in quicker amounts. He could completely fall to pieces if we don't leave, Kyle reasoned.

"We don't. But we can't go back the way we can. I think we may be able to circle around down there and then come back up some other way."

Declan rubbed his eyes again. They felt so damn dry. It's only been an hour and he was already thirsty again. This was especially bad since supplies were practically nonexistent. They could not stay here.

"I'll get what's left of our pack together then," Declan said, turning back to their make shift camp.

Kyle continued to stand before the tunnel in contemplation. Like falling snowflakes, Declan's words stung back into his thoughts: You're more than human !

He suddenly caught his breath sharply. Of course . He could use his concentrated hearing to listen out for more quakes. And if his hearing could be enhanced, maybe his sight? Now was not the time for fun experimentation. But it was something to definitely consider trying when the inevitable happened.

Kyle smiled to himself. They just might make it.

Declan returned to his side with the tattered backpack in hand. "You ready?"

"Should you be carrying that? I can take it."

Declan rolled his eyes. "No, mommy. I'm perfectly capable of lifting this trifle weight."

To further demonstrate, Declan flexed his biceps in a show of mock strength.

"Just asking, dear ," Kyle responded, in a light manner. He raised a hand toward Declan who automatically stepped back at the gesture.

"Man, I hope you're still joking because there is no way we are holding hands!"

Kyle sighed. "I was gonna hold on to your shoulder from behind. There's a downward slope as we go into the tumble. I don't want us to trip and get into a nasty tumble."

"Okay, so now you're saying I'm like heavier than you?"

"I don't know. Are you gonna keep channeling Hilary by being bitchy?"

Declan stared at his friend's dry accusation. Damn. He was being an ass. It was so freaking childish. He wanted to deny it but it was true. It's what I do when I'm frustrated and angry after all.

"I'll hold on to you from behind. We both know I'm the clumsy oaf in this couple. You just keep a firm hold on our flashlight here," Declan relented.

Kyle nodded and focused on listening. Declan saw that familiar expression on his friend's face. It sent an alarm through his body.

"Hey, don't push yourself too hard," Declan cautioned.

Kyle looked back at his worried friend. "No need to worry. I am extraordinary."

Declan smiled faintly back. "Yeah, I guess so but . . ."

Kyle stared. "But . . .?"

"Just don't ."

The worry and the emotion behind the words made Kyle want to suddenly hug his friend. But he knew such gestures would be considered "not cool" to Declan. He settled for smiling brightly back at him.

"Off to hell, hi ho!"Declan joked weakly.

"At least we're together."

"Yes, there's that very small comforting thought. Thank you."

"I aim to reassure."

"You do it well, man" Declan noted, with a grin straddled between the madness of fear and humor.

And thus, they descended.

Together.

Author's note : Good lord, it's been a month since my last update! I do apologize for that long wait. Stuff in life just got in the way. Not to worry. I've already started to write chapter five. If I am not besieged by anymore catastrophes then it should be posted later this week or weekend.

As always all complaints, grumbles or blubbering praise is welcome! ;-)