The Tunnels Below by Nadine Wild-Palmer

Author:Nadine Wild-Palmer [Nadine Wild-Palmer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781782692249
Publisher: Pushkin Press
Published: 2019-08-02T16:00:00+00:00

15

Hitching a Ride

Luke and Cecilia ran down a tunnel where the ground was lit on either side with two blue strips of light embedded into the ground. The blue light filled the tunnel and bounced off the walls. The tunnel itself was high and almost a complete circle apart from the flat ground, and the air felt refreshingly cool compared to the warmth of Polaris. After quite some distance they slowed down until they stopped completely. Luke leant up against the wall of the tunnel a few paces ahead, trying to catch his breath, while Cecilia brushed herself off, trying to tidy the massive curly dreadlock that was beginning to form on top of her head. The truth was, although Cecilia might have come across as a bit of a tomboy (a phrase that, for the record, she hated), she loved dresses and dressing up. She and Hester could get lost for hours in their mum’s wardrobe, parading up and down the corridor, taking it in turns to pose for the paparazzi, but Luke didn’t need to know that, or that a little excitement bubbled up when she thought about getting dolled up and going to a fancy place. And boy-oh-boy, would she like a wash.

Luke waved her over to him, dancing in the blue light. “Welcome to the blue line. This will take us all the way to Mrs Hoots and El Porto Fino, where we can scrub up and hear some real blues!” But as he gestured grandly towards Cecilia in a silly voice, a shadow crept up behind him.

Cecilia gasped and pointed for Luke to turn around but he was too busy being silly. A hand reached out from around the corner and Luke turned abruptly as Cecilia caught him up.

The hand belonged to Aubrey and he stood gallantly before them with his rolled-up carpet propped next to him. Aubrey was still wearing his bib from the competition and pinned to it was his brand-new shiny first-place medal. Luke pointed but no sound left his lips.

“Well played,” said Cecilia with an air of sincerity and she offered him her hand to shake. Aubrey slightly raised his wings and flicked his hair away from his eyes, revealing one bright icy blue eye and the other black as night. He settled when he realised that the two of them posed no real danger; nevertheless he did not extend his hand.

“Aubrey,” he gestured with a nod.

“I’m Cecilia and this is Luke,” she said politely.

“What are you lot doing hanging about around here? This is not the best place to be right now. I heard down the line that a blackout might be coming.”

“I hope not,” remarked Luke, who suddenly returned to his senses. “We are quite far from home. But thanks for the warning, man!” Luke tried to play it cool, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah, well, apparently Polaris is showing warning signs or something.”

Cecilia and Luke fell silent and an awkwardness grew between them and Aubrey.

“So,” said Aubrey, “there’s still a patch of sigh heading down the blue line.

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