Gone (Parallel Trilogy, Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

The lantern flew from my hands and went out.
    Pitch black. That was the phrase that came to mind. I had heard it before but I had never truly experienced it. The complete lack of light horrified me. It was much worse than when I had entered the hut the night before. Then, there had been enough moonlight trickling in through the windows for me to see outlines of objects. I had thought it was unnervingly dark then, but it was nothing compared to this.
    This darkness suffocated me, surrounded me, paralyzed me. I froze in place, and my imagination took over. Creepy crawly things were coming out of the earth-covered walls even now, sensing my fear, sensing my vulnerability. Dreadful creatures with long fangs and sharp claws that only lived in dark places were marching steadily toward me in packs, ready to tear me apart.
    Pure, cold terror placed its hand on my scalp and worked its way through my body, chilling me to the bone. My heart pounded so hard I knew in a moment it would come right out of my chest and I would drop dead.
    I hoped it would happen quickly.
    Then I remembered that the spider, which I knew existed, was hanging right in front of me. Even now it could be making its way across the ceiling to climb directly into my hair. I could practically feel it creeping down the back of my shirt and onto my skin. Revulsion pulsed through me and I shuddered violently.
    Realizing the best way to avoid the spider would be to get low, and fast, I dropped to the floor on all fours. Mildly surprised that bugs didn’t immediately swarm up my arms, I decided to see if I could find the fallen lantern.
    My eyes were open, but the dark was so complete they felt like they were not only closed, but covered with a wide black cloth tied tightly around my head. I opened them wider, but that made no difference.
    Trying to ignore the feeling of complete and utter helplessness, I swept my hands from side to side, trying to find the lantern and praying that I wouldn’t touch anything living. Inching forward, I continued to search. Finally my fingers touched the hot glass of the lantern and I jerked my hand away. Relief washed over me in great waves.
    Sitting back on my heels, I tore the backpack off of my shoulders and felt the side pockets until I found the place where I had put the matches. Grasping the small box as if it were my lifeline, I set the backpack down, then held the box of matches right in front of my eyes. But I couldn’t see it. Not even a hint of it. But I could smell it. A slight sulfur smell emanated from the box from when I had scraped the match across the striking surface.
    I slid open the box and heard the sound of matches falling to the ground.
    “Crap,” I muttered. The box had been upside down.
    Massaging my forehead where an ache was beginning, I sighed. I began using the sides of my hands to gather the matches when an idea occurred to me.
    I picked up one of the matches from the ground with one hand, and with the other I held the matchbox. Dragging the match across the striking surface, I held my breath, anticipating the bright light of fire. But nothing happened. I tried again, and a third time. Finally, on the fourth attempt, the tip of the match bloomed into flame.
    The immediate area around me lit up and I grinned, feeling like I had just invented light. Not wanting to waste any of the short life of the match, I picked up the lantern by the handle and examined it. The glass was intact but the fragile mantle inside had disintegrated.
    The lantern was useless.
    “Ow!” I dropped the match as the flame reached my fingers and I was again plunged into darkness.
    Fresh despair wrapped around me like a blanket. I had no idea how much farther I would need to walk before I reached the end of this tunnel. And what if when I reached it, it was a dead-end? Then what?
    Or I could go back the way I had come. I knew what I would find when I reached the hut. But it was another type of dead-end and I would have no way to get out