32 Counting Lights

While the boys continued taking jabs at each other, the busy main roads were gradually replaced by narrower streets which then faded into ones that were yet more constricted.

The conversation died down entirely by the time the roads were only wide enough for the trio to walk side by side with less than an arms-length between them. The entire street's width wasn't even compared to the sidewalk of the streets they had just come from.

The difference was like day and night. The buildings showed increasing levels of wear and tear, as though the residents competed to stay in the most delipidated houses possible. There were even a few which had roofs that were all but entirely caved in. Only the faint flickering light of candles between the cracks in the walls revealing that people still resided within.

Despite the streets being nearly completely empty, eyes would constantly peer out from within the buildings as the trio's footsteps collided with the damp cobble pathway. More and more eyes seemed to glare at them from the shadows of the interiors.

Loki and Rykar couldn't help but shrink themselves further under their cloaks while subconsciously shuffling more closely behind Chance's larger frame. Despite the silent gazes, Chance continued to walk forward confidently without interruption, as though oblivious to everything.

*UMFF*

Darkness engulfed the twins' faces as they smacked into Chance's jacket. "You done being scared of nothing or do you need a minute?" he guaffed at their insecure behaviour while grouching down to the ground.

Before either of them had time to think of a come-back remark, the sound of rusty hinges tore through the entire street as Chance tore open the cover for a manhole. Without missing a beat, Chance jumped in while the twins looked on slack-jawed.

It wasn't so much the action that left them shocked in place as much as it was the bravery of it.

The street full of eyes was hair raising. The darkness of the manhole was eerie and unnerving.

But the smell that broke lose after it was opened seemed as though Chance had ripped open a tunnel into the pits of hell itself. By the time the smell had reached the twins, their pupils had fully dilated as they froze in place unable to even wretch.

For the first half a second as the smell washed over them, consciousness had left their bodies weathered the invisible storm Chance had thrown at them.

Shivering, they fell to their knees, unable to even summon the strength to stagger away, as their muscles turned to jelly.

Hands and knees on the ground in front of the abyss, it felt like they were kneeling on a ledge that decided life and death. It had been over a minute by now and despite their frozen expressions, internally they were screaming for the torture to stop.

On one hand, they dared not take another breath, yet on the other, their oxygen starved bodies were begging for relief as their lungs shivered within them. Had it not been for their constricted pores, they would have long since been drenched in sweat as their hearts thundered in their chests.

Without knowing when, every set of eyes within the windows and crevasses which had been following the group since they appeared, had vanished. Not a single trace of life was left within dozens of metres of the abyss which chance had opened, besides the two tormented children.

"…"

"…"

A moment of eye contact was all it took to convey a thousand feelings. Without a doubt, both Rykar and Loki had come to a mutual agreement.

They would rather die than give up their last breath of 'fresh' air that inhabited their lungs.

Slowly, their eyes began to close as they welcomed the darkness. Unfortunately their eyes didn't close fast enough, they were just in time to see a pair of white calloused hands reaching out of the abyss like the claws of Satan himself.

"MMMMNNPPHHHAAAAAAaaaaaaannnnnnn!"

As soon as they felt the icy grip clasp around their wrists like an iron shackle, they emptied their lungs without a missing a beat. Their screams reverberated along the buildings like a dying cat being strangled before they were dragged into the ground head first.

* * *

"Come on, you know it was kind of funny!" Chance chuckled as they made their way through the dimly lit sewers. His pace seemed completely leisurely as though the thick are and rancid smell was non-existent.

In the low light behind him, two pairs of venomous grey eyes pierced through the darkness as though intent on boring a hole through his chest.

Both Loki and Rykar cut sorry figures as they staggered behind Chance while gasping for breath. The air within the tunnels was viscus to the point it felt as though they were breathing in a dense fog. Their lungs were working over drive just to fuel their bodies with this muddied and rancid air, even walking was exhausting.

For the last two hours, the three had walked in all but silence as the twins trailed behind Chance while giving him the cold shoulder. The sound of Chances occasional laughter rising above the subtle gurgle coming from the stream below them occasionally.

As they entered the manhole, they were welcomed by an eerily lit passageway around 4 metres wide with metre wide walkways on either side. The walls were dimly lit by light grey stones emitting a milky light which were imbedded every three metres.

The light from these stones was so dim that it didn't even cover the space between them, causing areas of complete darkness more often than not. Over the edge of the walkways seemed to be another dark and bottomless gully that simply extended straight downwards with only the sound of sloshing liquid serving to gauge the depth.

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Taking in huge breath while choking on the fumes at the same time, the twins hugged the wall with their eyes glued on the edge of the walkway.

By the time they snapped out of their daze, all they could hear was Chance laughing wildly while clutching his sides so hard he doubled over.

Refusing to give him the satisfaction of their anger, they stood up in silence simultaneously as they stared at him. "ok ok, let's get going." He muttered before walking off while still wiping tears from his eyes.

And hence the walk continued.

Rykar had long since sobered up from his anger towards Chance. However his stubbornness still caused him to be unable to forgive him and start speaking before Loki did.

To pass the time, aside from struggling to breathe, he began to count the lights as he went by each one. Recalling those he had already passed by, he started muttering internally.

"1055, 1056, 1057, 1058, 1059, 1060…"

"2391, 2392, 2393…"

"3441, 3442…"

The process went on and one until the voice in his head seemed to drown out all else. The sewers seemed endless with there not even being enough light to tell one tunnel apart from the other.

"Wake up you retard. Chance is gone." A voice tugged on Ryker's attention for a moment before being drowned out once again by the numbers.

"3678, 3679, 36- What the fuck do you want?! Don't touch me you leech." After failing to receive a reply from Rykar, Loki skipped all pleasantries. Stepping to the side, his hand whipped out as he slapped his brother on the back of the head causing him to stagger towards the edge before regaining his balance.

"Look in front of you! Who are we meant to be following?!" Loki's voice was still level, although slightly raised, yet the sweat running down the side of his face betrayed his nervousness.

Even digging in their memories, it was as though Chance was there in front of them as he had always been. Then he simply wasn't.

They stood in place, unsure looking both ahead and behind them selves as they were unsure whether to back-track or continue. Within the maze of the sewers, any choice they made seemed far worse than making none at all.

At this point, they could only hope that this was Chance playing another prank on them.