Tunnels 02, Deeper

to warn Mum and Dad, or even the police, do you think they'd believe me? They'd think I'd lost my mind or something." His head sagged forward and he sighed. "All the time I was locked up in the Hold, all I thought about was you and me getting home. I just wanted to go home . It kept me going for all those months." He broke into a cough, which might have masked a sob -- Will couldn't tell. Chester grasped Will's arm and stared straight into his eyes. His expression was one of the deepest despair. "I'm never going to see daylight again, am I?"
    Will remained silent.
    "One way or another, we're stuck down here for good, aren't we? There's nowhere for us to go, not now. Will, what are we going to do?" Chester said.
    "I'm so sorry," Will said again in a strangled voice.
    Cal's excited cries echoed from up ahead. "Hey!" he was calling repeatedly.
    "No!" Will yelled back in frustration. "Not now!" He waved his light in a gesture of irritation. He needed more time with his friend. "Just wait!"
    "Found something!" Cal hollered even more loudly, either not hearing Will's response or choosing to ignore it.
    Chester glanced to where the younger boy was and declared, "It'd better not be the station. I am not going to get caught again." He took a step forward along the tracks.
    "Hold up, Chester," Will started, "hang on a second. I want to say something."
    Chester's eyes were still red-rimmed with fatigue. As they stood there, Will fidgeted with the light orb in his hands, and from its illumination Chester could easily read the turmoil in his friend's filth-covered face.
    "I know exactly what you're going to say," he said. "It's not your fault."
    "But it is!" Will cried. "It is my fault... I didn't mean to get you into all this. You've got a real family, but... I've... I've got no one to go back to. I've got nothing to lose."
    Chester tried to reply, reaching a hand forward, but his friend went on, growing more incoherent as he attempted to give voice to the emotions and regrets that had been knocking around in his head for the past months.
    "I never should have gotten you into this... you were just helping me..."
    "Look... " Chester said, trying to calm his friend.
    "My dad will be able to fix everything, but if we don't find him... I --"
    "Will --" Chester tried to interrupt once again, then allowed him to continue.
    "I don't know what we're going to do, or what's going to happen to us... we might never... we might die..."
    "Just forget it," Chester said softly as Will's voice fell to a whisper. "Neither of us knew it would turn out like this, and besides" -- Will saw a broad grin ease itself into place on his friend's face -- "it really can't get any worse, can it?" Chester punched Will playfully on the shoulder, unknowingly hitting the precise spot that had been so horribly injured by the stalker dog in the EternalCity.
    "Thanks, Chester," Will gasped, clenching his teeth to stop himself from crying out form the fresh wave of pain.
    "Hurry up!" Cal's shouts came again. "I've found a way through here. Come on!"
    "What's he ranting about?" Chester asked.
    Will tried to pull himself together. "He's always doing this, running off," he said, rolling his eyes.
    "Oh, really? Remind you of anyone?" Chester said, arching an eyebrow.
    Slightly abashed, Will nodded. "Yeah... a little." He managed to return Chester's smile.
    They caught up with Cal, who was positively vibrating with excitement, babbling something about a light.
    "Told you! Look down there!" He was jumping up and down, pointing to a large passage that led away from the train tunnel. Will peered down it and saw a soft blue glow, flickering as if it was quite some distance away.
    "Keep up with me," Cal ordered and, without waiting for either Will or Chester to react, raced off at a furious pace.
    Will tried to shout after him, but Cal didn't stop.
    "Who does he think he is?" Chester said, looking at Will, who just shrugged as they both followed Cal's lead. "Can't believe I'm being told what to do by a pesky midget," Chester complained under his breath.
    The temperature suddenly seemed to soar, making them pant. The air was so searingly dry and arid that their sweat was whisked off their skin the moment it appeared.
    "Man, it is sweltering down here. It's like Spain or something," Chester complained, undoing several shirt buttons and scratching his chest.
    "Well, if you believe the geologists, the temperature should rise one degree for every seventy feet you get closer to the