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A Strange Place 15 : Light At The End Of The Tunnel

  'Hmm. This is kind of strange.' Masa Ed wondered.

  What he expected and actually hoped happen was that the blade of the evil axe should lodge into the jaw of the snake from below, probably dealing it a fatal damage that will slow it down and lower its damage potency i.e make it hard for it to use its mouth—its primary attacking body part.

  But here he is; he is watching its once vicious red eyes that is now totally inky black—looking lifeless on its chopped off head—a sight that has him questioning the origin of the evil axe that for a reason has become cooperative.

  "I guess what people say about ninety nine misfortune and one luck is true. I am lucky this one time." Masa Ed muttered and chuckled somewhat bitterly before proceeding.

  Dragging the evil axe behind him, he moved closer to the other three boxes, and choosing the purple box as his next target; as he unlocked it, expecting something dangerous to emerge from it, he backpedaled—putting quiet a great distance between it and himself—without forgetting to brandish the evil axe. However, waiting for about a minute and seeing nothing emerged from it, he boldly moved closer to it.

  "Maybe I am lucky a second time." He muttered. Then reaching it, he fearlessly opened it.

  "What's this?" Curious, he grabbed the edge of the purple wooden planck inside the box that was revealed, and pulling it out of it slowly, it revealed itself to be the top of a step ladder made of purple wood—a mysterious sight like what happened with the large snake, and a baffling sight that makes Masa Ed wonder how on earth the step ladder he pulled out can fit inside the purple box.

  'This is definitely physically impossible. Its time I admit something paranormal is going on here. But can I win?'

  Masa Ed having be unwilling to admit what he has been experiencing to originate from the supernatural despite all the evidence— only assuming it is—became convinced at this junction he is up against a power several orders beyond what is exceptionally intelligent mind might find difficult to outsmart. Anyways, as he is looking inside the box that do have a logical bottom, trying to see if there is anything else inside it, a figurative light bulb lit up in his head.

  "Yes, the vent." He blurted out and sprang up.

  He suddenly remember above the door is a vent that might hide a passage that leads out of the room, and if his consecutive luck persists, it might lead out of the strange place entirely. So, without delay, he walked towards the door to check it out. And after about a minute of standing in front the door—looking and examining the vent wooden cover above it—concluding he needs to reach it before he can proceed, he fetched the step ladder a little shorter than the vent, and he positioned it right in front of the door.

  "Great!" Pleased with himself, he slowly climbed the step ladder, stopping until his hands can easily reach the vent cover.

  Then learning its very difficult to pry away the vent cover with just the force of his arms alone, he quickly went down to get his evil axe. And after returning, the moment he hit the wooden vent cover with the evil axe—using a moderate force—it was easily sheared through like paper—something unusual as he is certain the hardness of the vent cover—though its wooden—rivals some of the hardest rocks he knows.

  'Maybe I am lucky again.' Thinking to himself, he chuckled. Then with the help of a couple more strikes from the evil axe, he got rid of the vent cover, and fortunately and as expected, he was left with a one meter tall dark tunnel that leads to a place he would like to know—a place he has determined to find out regardless of any danger lurking within the tunnel, hoping it leads out of the damned place he is imprisoned in.

  "I should leave quick." He muttered.

  Then coming down from the step ladder hastily, he returned to the wardrobe with the empty black box the large dead snake came out from, storing the folded clothes, the white notebook and the white pen from the second compartment inside it.

  Then after moving the four boxes one by one up the step ladder—pushing them into the tunnel—he went to the table to carry the lantern on it. And after looking at the grandfather clock that told him it will be one o'clock in the next fifteen minute, he quickly returned to the top of ladder. Then carefully placing the lantern inside the tunnel mouth, he also entered the tunnel—crouching in it—before turning on the lantern that lit it up, revealing its white walls that has painted pictures on them.

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  "This pictures." Masa Ed blurted.

  Although intrigued by the paintings on the tunnel walls that seems to tell a story, Masa Ed pressed for time while also anxious of a new development, ignored them and quickly starts pushing the boxes he placed the lantern and the evil axe on forward, crawling through the tunnel about one and a half meter wide that seems to only go straight.

  ...

  After about an hour.

  'What's going on this time?' Masa Ed mused internally, confused as to why he hasn't reach the end of the apparently straight tunnel in a long time. And despite the sweat pouring down his face that sometimes gets in his eyes, thereby interfering with his sight; and the soreness and tiredness of his muscles and joints, Masa Ed never for once stopped pushing the boxes through the tunnel he is starting to think might be endless. And even though his mind suspects there is no way ahead—no end to the tunnel—he persisted in crawling forward, undeterred but praying and hoping for a miracle.

  ...

  An unknown amount of time passed, and Masa Ed certain he has been crawling in the tunnel while pushing the boxes for several hours at least, took his first rest by pausing and then sitting on the smooth white tunnel floor with his back leaning against the tunnel wall.

  Regarding the dangers in the tunnels he at first anticipated before entering it, Masa Ed no longer bothered about any of them. He has since a long time ago forgotten about it, and this is a result of the negative thoughts occupying his mind. Where does the tunnel end? Does it have an end? If it does, will he ever reach it? Even if he reaches the end of the tunnel, what awaits him.

  'Is entering the tunnel the right choice? And will I ever leave this place?'

  Masa Ed almost burst into tears amidst the deafening silence pervading the tunnel.

  'I shouldn't be negative.'

  Scolding himself in his mind, he held back his tears and in the next moment, he got up from sitting despite the persisting pains echoing in his muscles and skeletal structure.

  "What!" Astonished, he realized the tunnel height for a reason unknown has increased greatly. Its now tall enough to accommodate his height that should have hit its ceiling originally.

  But anyways, it wasn't the time to find out when it increased in height or what might be the reason behind it. The ultimate goal is to exit the tunnel as fast. So Masa Ed back to pushing his boxes along the smooth floor of the tunnel resume his journey to find a light at the end of the tunnel—at least one brighter than that of his lantern that has only decreased minimally in intensity despite the considerable length of time it has been burning.

  ...

  Many hours later.

  While Masa Ed contemplates a possibility of him returning, it happened that his surroundings suddenly lit up in intense bright white, almost scaring him witless.

  "???" Looking left and right at the tunnel wall beside him, he saw torches burning with white flame lined on them—the source of the intense bright white light—starting from where he is and ending at the end of the tunnel he could clearly sea up ahead.

  Thinking positively. Thinking he has found the light at the end of his tunnel, he hurried up—pushing his boxes with excitement after he already forgot all his pains.

  Few hundred of meters later, finally exiting the dammed tunnel with his boxes ahead of him as he vacated the tunnel smooth floor, he stepped onto a floor of super fine white sand that seems to glow softly.

  "What's this place." Quietly muttering, his eyes scan the incredibly vast chamber he entered. A chamber about a thousand kilometer long and about seven hundred kilometers wide and high. And in addition to the glow of its white sandy floor, it is minimally illuminated by white flame torches mounted on torch posts that are lined along its golden wall with white engravings.

  "Hmm?" Spotting the only worthy thing in the chamber that is sitting at its very center, Masa Ed leaving behind his boxes, carried the lantern in one hand and the evil axe he held with the other before he start walking towards it.

  "This is kind of majestic." Reaching it and in awe with it, Masa Ed moved closer to the golden platform with steps for its edges.

  After he examine the white carvings on it, he climbed up its steps. And reaching its top that is 33 meters from the white sandy ground, he momentarily became transfixed by the sight of the glowing white engravings of the golden sarcophagus sitting on it.

  'Moonlight.' Like a revelation, he realized the source of the light that is making the sarcophagus engraving glow was moonlight. So, looking up, he saw a ray of moonlight stream from a round opening at the very top of the chamber wall far in front of him—just below its ceiling. However, despite the realization of a true light at the end of the tunnel, instead of becoming excited and happy, he became dejected because reaching the opening almost seven hundred meters far above the ground pose an almost impossible challenge giving what he has access to as prop.

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