Billy didn’t see the open space. He had been walking in complete darkness. No light. At all. He should have been more careful. He should have been taking smaller steps. But he hadn’t. His near death experience had energized him to find a way out and get big again. That was where his mind was at; that was what he was focused on. Not on what he was doing. Billy stepped out and leaned forward but there was open air and the smooth mettle wall left nothing to grab onto. Billy pitched forward and fell down, down, down into darkness.
The fall lasted maybe half a minute. Billy hit hard against the mettle floor and the sound of the CLANG echoed around him. “OMPH!” He just laid there. “Ow,” he said weekly. Billy just stayed put feeling his pain and wondering how he was still alive. He shouldn’t be. That fall should have killed him. Billy felt…well he felt awful. EVERYTHING HURT. But that was a good thing because EVERYTHING HURT. Billy was thinking, What if I had broken my neck? Slowly and painfully, Billy rolled over. The floor was uneven…had, had he dented it from the fall. “OOHHHH!” Billy groaned as he slowly sat up…It wasn’t as dark as before. Billy could make out grayed out details in the walls and the floor. Mettle rivets were all around. Somewhere to the side was a vague light coming from the floor. “OH,” Billy rolled back over. Not paralyzed, thank goodness. Being stuck here, unable to move. That would have been a death sentence for sure.
Billy heard the mettle hallway shift and clang softly as he slowly, very, very slowly tried to get up to his knees. OH…his back popped and his neck cracked. His shoulder had taken the brut of the landing. Surveying the damage Billy looked around and thought…the aluminum had bent at the impact point, possibly taking a lot of the energy from the fall – saving his life. Oh thank –
CHUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRR!
A sound echoed through the tunnel loudly. It was sudden and then the air was moving. Slowly, then faster and faster. Billy didn’t have time to ponder as soon he was being pushed or maybe sucked back. Falling down Billy tried to cling to the mettle floor and made himself as small a surface as possible. The air whipped about over and around him. He started to slide. An inch…a little more – BILLY LOST HOLD and was now up in the air being flying and rolling. Billy hit the sides and floor going head over heels unable to stop himself. The smooth mettle gave him no way to grab anything, and it was only getting faster and harder.
In brief intervals the mettle was more vivid as light became more plentiful and suddenly, “AH!” Billy yelled out as his ankle hit down and then went through something catching him and his back his something ridged – not smooth. Opening his eyes through slivers as the wind blew over him. It was a grate of sorts, like the one he had gone in through from the bathroom. Only this was on the floor. The sound of the wind was defining. Billy’s let was caught in one of the vented holes. It hurt but it was firm, and Billy had to fight, all the muscles in the legs and torso pulling against the wind. He slowly made it to where his foot was and looked own into...
The fall lasted maybe half a minute. Billy hit hard against the mettle floor and the sound of the CLANG echoed around him. “OMPH!” He just laid there. “Ow,” he said weekly. Billy just stayed put feeling his pain and wondering how he was still alive. He shouldn’t be. That fall should have killed him. Billy felt…well he felt awful. EVERYTHING HURT. But that was a good thing because EVERYTHING HURT. Billy was thinking, What if I had broken my neck? Slowly and painfully, Billy rolled over. The floor was uneven…had, had he dented it from the fall. “OOHHHH!” Billy groaned as he slowly sat up…It wasn’t as dark as before. Billy could make out grayed out details in the walls and the floor. Mettle rivets were all around. Somewhere to the side was a vague light coming from the floor. “OH,” Billy rolled back over. Not paralyzed, thank goodness. Being stuck here, unable to move. That would have been a death sentence for sure.
Billy heard the mettle hallway shift and clang softly as he slowly, very, very slowly tried to get up to his knees. OH…his back popped and his neck cracked. His shoulder had taken the brut of the landing. Surveying the damage Billy looked around and thought…the aluminum had bent at the impact point, possibly taking a lot of the energy from the fall – saving his life. Oh thank –
CHUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRR!
A sound echoed through the tunnel loudly. It was sudden and then the air was moving. Slowly, then faster and faster. Billy didn’t have time to ponder as soon he was being pushed or maybe sucked back. Falling down Billy tried to cling to the mettle floor and made himself as small a surface as possible. The air whipped about over and around him. He started to slide. An inch…a little more – BILLY LOST HOLD and was now up in the air being flying and rolling. Billy hit the sides and floor going head over heels unable to stop himself. The smooth mettle gave him no way to grab anything, and it was only getting faster and harder.
In brief intervals the mettle was more vivid as light became more plentiful and suddenly, “AH!” Billy yelled out as his ankle hit down and then went through something catching him and his back his something ridged – not smooth. Opening his eyes through slivers as the wind blew over him. It was a grate of sorts, like the one he had gone in through from the bathroom. Only this was on the floor. The sound of the wind was defining. Billy’s let was caught in one of the vented holes. It hurt but it was firm, and Billy had to fight, all the muscles in the legs and torso pulling against the wind. He slowly made it to where his foot was and looked own into...
Bigger1sBetter!
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June 10, 2023
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