Roxxy called for Nora

Just as she finished packing, Nora heard her name being called from outside. Putting the backpack on and rushing outside, she joined the group that was waiting just outside the tunnel entrance. Roxxy and Brock were there, as well as five workers that were brave, foolhardy, or just plain old stupid enough to venture down into the depths with them. She nodded wordlessly at Roxxy who began to read from a checklist.

"Lets see here, so that's, hm... One, two, three, mhm... and... yup, mhm... and got everything, ayup. Mhm-mhm-mhm-yup, guess that's everything." She switched on her high-visibility flashlight. "Alright, let's go."

Roxxy took the first steps down, followed closely by her brother, Nora and the rest closely following after him, all in single file. The tunnel was damp and the steps slick and smooth from years of trickling water, and Nora nearly slipped several times during the descent. They descended and descended, and descended some more, the tunnel being seemingly neverending. Every hundred or so yards the style of the carvings on the tunnel wall seemed to change, becoming more sophisticated yet more otherworldly the deeper they went. Occasionally the group paused to sketch a glyph or a series of pictures that would catch their eye, but otherwise they did not stop moving. Eventually, after more than an hour, the tunnel stopped descending on a dime and continued straight ahead, parallel to the surface. It continued for another long stretch, a rich detailed tapestry on both walls, telling a long story that is indecipherable; at least for the time being. From time to time they passed other tunnels that offshot from the one they were travelling in, though these tunnels looked makeshift and unstable, not to metion undecorated, and bore no interest from Roxxy.

Eventually, they reached a widened area of the tunnel that provided some room to rest. One of the men went off to do some "business" down one of the tunnels, while the rest sat down to have a milk tea break. Roxxie sat next to Nora.

"Hey Nora," she started up the conversation casually as if they weren't curently miles underground, "did you also get the feeling we were being followed?"

Nora looked from where they came from and then back at her. "What?!" She paused, squinting at her, "you didn't get much sleep yesterday, did you? Who could possibly be following us? You must be imagining things."

"No, no, there was definately something. I'm surprised you didn't notice anything, you were near the back after all."

Nora glanced back into the murky blackness once more, just in case. The tunnel was silent save for the echoes coming from the group. Just as she was about to turn back and forget about it, something cought her attention; it sounded like a pebble dropping and ricocheting against the stone ground. 'Hrm,' she thought to herself, 'it was probably nothing.'

Suddenly a piercing scream came from up one of the tunnels; Nora recognised it as the voice of the workman that went off earlier. Everybody stopped what they were doing and leapt to their feet. "Come on, I think it came from this wa-" Brock shouted, but was interrupted by a deep rumbling that shook the ground they stood on. Boulders cracked and groaned above them, threatening to fall at any moment, and to make matters worse, a thunderous torrent of water came charging in the way they came.

"Forget him! Everybody run!" Roxxy yelled in a panic. They didn't have to be told twice. Everyone raced down the tunnel in some vain hope of outrunning the torrent hot on their heels, but it was no use; the water overtook them and Nora felt her head hit against something hard, knocking her out.