The Way Back

They knew they were lost. A few stolen kisses, away from the group, didn't seem a bad idea initially. But how far the ripples of our decisions travel is a story for another day.

Endless groping in the darkness of the forest seemed to get them nowhere for hours. She stopped by intermittently to catch her breath and let-off a silent sob. He religiously kept marking trees along the path with a sharp stone even though he could not see those markings anyway. They discussed and debated, argued and fought, cried and patched-up with kisses but remained lost. No food, little water, dead phones and a few ounces of hope was all that they had.

Hand in hand, they moved ahead with cautious steps in the dark until he suddenly slipped. In one swift take, she got tugged along too and a rapid downward fall ended in a thud against a wall.

Bruised arms and grazed knees, they picked up the fearful bits of themselves. Brushing himself, he started walking along the wall, feeling its roughness with both his hands. She dutifully followed. It was pitch dark and his voice seemed to echo. In one flash of a moment, he realized they were inside a tunnel. Either end of it would fling them back into their 'lost world'. Their delight knew no bounds at this discovery.

Tears of happiness streaming down their faces, they started moving in rapid steps along the wall. It was then that he spotted light at the end of the tunnel. What he didn't know was that it was the headlight of an approaching train.

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This post is in response to the Trifecta Writing Challenge week eighty-one. The prompt is to use the following word in its third definition, in a 33-333 word piece.

LIGHT (noun)

1a : something that makes vision possible

  b : the sensation aroused by stimulation of the visual receptors

  c : electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength that travels in a vacuum with a speed of about 186,281 miles (300,000 kilometers) per second; specifically : such radiation that is visible to the human eye

2a : daylight

  b : dawn

3: a source of light: as

   a : a celestial body

   b : candle   

   c : an electric light