The Dark Tunnel by Sharon H.

     Traveling along her journey, hitting the many bumps, Faith held tightly to the sides of the pickup truck that she was riding in the back of. Slowly she seemed to be getting where she needed to be, hitting every bump along the way.The truck entered a dark tunnel, it was so dark that Faith could not even  see the truck she was sitting in. Suddenly, she felt a jolt; Faith lost her grip and fell out of the truck. She landed on sharp rocks, which lined the sides of the tunnel. She jumped up, rubbed her head, and tried to flag down her ride. But the truck kept going through the dark tunnel, the driver not noticing that Faith had fallen out.
     Faith began walking, deciding that she would just have to continue her journey on foot. But she was so small and the tunnel, the darkness, seemed endless. Every so often Faith would stop to rest on the rocks. The darkness, so thick at times, that she could not even see her own hands. 'Where does this tunnel end?" she often thought. She could hear what sounded like rats, running nearby, but other than herself, that was the only sound. Faith walked and walked, and the tunnel twisted and turned, but the darkness continued. "Where is this tunnel taking me?" Faith wondered, as she felt a chill go through her.
     Too tired to keep walking, Faith curled up in a corner to rest. Cold and alone, she didn't know what to do. She thought about the old saying 'There's light at the end of the tunnel', and found herself wanting to scream "WHERE? Where is it?!". When she finally let the scream out- it only echoed back at her. Faith could only cry herself to sleep.
     She woke a short time later, to the sound of the rats moving closer. Faith got up and began walking once again, covered with the darkness that surrounded her. She was losing hope that there was an end to this tunnel, that light existed somewhere at the end. She was no longer even sure, with all the twists and turns, that she was still going the right way. But still she walked.
The truck driver, she realized," either never noticed that I was no longer in the truck, or he just didn't care what happened to me. It doesn't matter to anyone whether or not I make it out of the darkness." Battling with herself about whether or not to give up...she tried to push on.
     Time passed so slowly and it seemed to become more and more hopeless.
Finally, she thought she saw a little bit of light...but she wasn't sure if she dared to believe it. "Is this it?!!" Faith hollered, "Have I finally reached the end of the darkness?" Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound, it was coming from in front of her, where she saw the light. Faith began running toward the light, faster and faster. She saw the light, she saw the end of the tunnel, the end of this dreaded darkness. Faith was running so fast, so excited, that she almost tripped. There was Relief and joy in Faith as she ran toward the opening.....and then she saw it.....large machines dumping boulders at the edge of the darkness, where it joined with the light. "They are blocking off my exit! Faith screamed "No! No! Wait!! Help me out first!!" But by the time reached the end - the light had been swallowed by the boulders. Her way out was gone, and though she screamed and pounded, no one responded. She was once again alone in the dark.
     I sat on the hard, cold ground, numb. Her brain,attempting to throw out options, suggested walking back to the other end , where the truck entered the tunnel. But it seemed too far away...and she felt so heavy....so tired....and completely drained.
     Faith finally just laid on the cold, dark ground and stayed there. She was never found....She was never missed. Faith was never.

by Sharon H.