Necessary Heartbreak Read Online Free PDF Page A

that?” he called out, trying to remain calm and hoping that Elizabeth would respond.
    The ground underneath his feet felt different.
Has the floor changed to sand under me, or is that my imagination?
    â€œElizabeth, you are going to be grounded! Yeah, I know you’re fourteen, but I can still ground you! You can even kiss your iPhone good-bye for at least a month!”
    He paused. “She won’t care. She’s a teenager. Yeah, I’ll chill out. Hear that,
Liz
? I said I’m going to
chill out
!”
    While he was wondering why he kept expecting Elizabeth to respond to the word
chill
, he felt the floor shake again; this time it had a more defined feel, more intense.
    â€œGreat! Thank you, Elizabeth. Thank you for making this lovely experience at the church even
longer
, and
much
more fun.”
    He stopped walking when a gust of warm air hit him. “Oh, God, please let her be okay.”
    The shaking under his feet became more frequent. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and in the distance he could now see what looked like the beam from a miniature flashlight. The light remained steady, like a beacon drawing him near.
    â€œElizabeth!” Michael shouted, stumbling toward the light. “Is that you up there?”
    Suddenly his head struck the ceiling. He winced and ducked, realizing the tunnel was narrowing. He heard a muffled sound in the distance, then felt the floor shake more violently.
    â€œWhat is that?”
    â€œDad!” cried a voice faintly.
    Michael’s heart raced. “Elizabeth?”
    There was no answer.
    Michael moved more quickly now, hands skimming over the walls, stumbling a few times as he tried to reach the light.
“Elizabeth, can you hear me?”
    The ground shook again and the muffled sounds became more discernible.
    â€œDad?”
    Even though he could hear her, Michael still couldn’t see her. “Where
are
you?”
    â€œOver here, Dad!”
    The ground shook again and Michael could make out a small figure in front of him. She was partially blocking the light coming from above, and seeing her silhouette was a relief.
    â€œElizabeth!”
    â€œDad!”
    â€œWhat were you thinking?”
    â€œShh!” she whispered. “Shh!” She reached out and grabbed his back. “Dad! Oh, Dad!”
    â€œWhy did you come down here? I said not to. You could’ve been hurt, you could’ve—”
    â€œLook!” Elizabeth pointed, cutting him off. “Look! Look at this!”
    Michael shielded his eyes and gazed through what appeared to be a sewer grate at the end of the tunnel. Beyond it, he could see dirt bouncing up from the churning wheels of carts and the sandaled feet of men running past them.
    â€œWhere are we?”

2

MEETING A MURDERER

    Michael and Elizabeth stared up through the grate, startled by what they saw. Just above them soldiers wearing metal helmets and chest plates were mounted on horses. They jogged by in two-by-two formation, carrying long, narrow spears in their hands.
    They could see other soldiers lining the street, pushing back a large crowd that had gathered. The men and women were strangely dressed in floor-length tunics and veils, some wearing tattered sandals. Michael couldn’t help but notice that their hair looked unwashed.
    â€œElizabeth, did you hear anything in school about an Easter play going on in town?” Michael whispered.
    â€œNo, Dad. I wonder if we’re in East Northport or maybe even Kings Park?”
    Michael thought he had walked for a considerable distance inside the dark tunnel before finding Elizabeth. Maybe they
were
in one of the neighboring towns. But then again, maybe it had just felt that long. He tried to calculate the distance and the direction in his head.
    Could we have gone farther than I thought?
    â€œI’m not sure where we are, but we could be in Huntington,” Michael whispered back, trying to think of anything that