Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Chase (05/01/25)
-
TITLE: Underground | Previous Challenge Entry
By Francie Snell
05/07/25 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
At an intersection of adjoining tunnels, he stopped and clicked off his light and waited for his eyes to adjust.
“Psst. Shawn,” a voice whispered, “Don’t go any further, we have company.”
“Jessie?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s going on? I thought something bad happened to you when your phone went dead.”
Jessie clicked on a flashlight and cast its beam at the top of the tunnel, lighting up the area around them.
“I dropped my phone. Some guys I haven’t seen before came to the cave tonight - rough looking. I was alone. So when they came in the north entrance, I ran out the south. Dropped my phone on the way out.”
“Did they see you?”
“I don’t know… maybe. I just ran from there and hid here and waited for you. I’ve been listening to them. They speak Spanish.”
“What were they saying?”
“I don’t know; I don’t know Spanish”
“You never learned Spanish?
“No, you?"
“Well yeah, enough to get by anyway.”
Jessie‘s eyes opened wide. “Shhh, hear that? I think they’re coming. Come on follow me!”
Jessie turned and cast his beam down the tunnel and ran. Shawn clicked his light back on and sprinted after him. “Where does this go?”
“Manhole three.”
“Three, I didn’t know there was a three.”
“Yeah, I just hope we can get out that way”
“You don’t know?”
“No, no one ever uses it.”
“Oh GREAT.”
“They ran through the maze of drainpipes, tripping and splashing through small channels of water.
Shawn called out. “I hope you know where you’re going.”
“Sure I do. I live down here remember?”
“Running from the voices, they darted through numerous passageways, cutting left and then right. After running for what seemed like eternity, they skid to a stop at a dead end. In front of them was the bottom of an iron ladder fixed to a cement wall. Breathlessly they surveyed the twenty-five feet of rungs ascending to the top. On the ceiling was a metal hatch.
“Manhole three?”
Jessie nodded as men’s voices echoed through the tunnel behind them.
“Let’s go!” Jessie quickly climbed the ladder with Shawn close behind.
At the top, Jessie gripped the top rung and tried to push open the grate with the other, grinding his teeth as he strained.
“Let’s both try.” Shawn climbed up next to him and together they both pushed at the grate, but it wouldn’t budge.
The voices grew closer.
Panicked, they desperately slammed the iron grate with the palms of their hands. “Oh Jesus, they both pleaded, “help us!”
“Senior Jessie? A meek voice called out from below.
Jessie and Shawn squinted down into three blinding headlamps.
Jessie answered. “Yeah, who are you?”
One of the men threw up his hands and spoke in broken English. “Praise God, I thought we’d never find you. I am Jose and these are my friends. Alex sent us. We are tunnel engineers from Mexico and have built many tunnels, but no longer do we do diablo work, we work for Jesus, and we are here to help you.” He held up a piece of paper. “Alex gave us these directions and this letter for you.”
Jessie and Shawn gawked at the men, then at each other. “Tunnel engineers?…awesome!” They scurried down the ladder, then Jessie took the letter from Jose and read it.
‘Hey Jess, sorry you have to meet my friends this way, but one of the drug lords sent his thugs after us. It isn’t safe at my place, so I sent them straight to you. They are new believers and want to help us anyway they can. Hope you don’t mind I gave them the directions to the cave, but I know they can be trusted and a great help to you. Please keep them safe. I will be there as soon as I am able. God bless you.'
Alex
After reading the letter, Jessie considered the three tired looking men before him. “You look like you could use a shower and something to eat. You hungry?”
Their eyes lit up. “Se Senior.”
As the five men started back down the tunnel, Shawn patted Jessie on the back and chuckled. “Three master’s degrees and you never learned Spanish?”
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
