Taken by Karice Bolton Page A

able to see,” I said, sketching what my mini reconnaissance mission provided.
    “I think if we g o in as one group and head to the tunnels that are under the city, we can take out anyone who is under there before we head to the protected area.” I pointed to the tunnel that I didn’t go down.
    “I wonder if there’s a way to enter that tunnel system from the city,” Athen re plied. “That might really put us at an advantage.”
    “Definitely something they wouldn’t be expecting,” Cyril seconded.
    “There’s gotta be. Why else would it be going there?” I nodded in agreement.
    “Let’s plan on trying to get in from a town entrance then. Now all we have to do is find it.” Athen said, placing his hand on my shoulder.
    I laughed nervously, realizing just how close we were to getting involved with the other side tonight. The dark demons would stop at nothing once they figured out we had infiltrated their system.
    “We better get on that,” I replied, shaking off my fatigue as best I could.
     

 
    C hapter 7
     
     
     
    It was early evening and already completely dark. The town’s Christmas lights twinkled in every direction I looked and hope filled me to the brim. We could take down these demons and this town could finally be at peace… though they didn’t even know they were at war.
    Athen and Cyril were scouting the end closest to the town center while Arie and I were at the end with the small shops.
    “You did not just do that?” Arie couldn’t stop laughing.
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I picked up my shoe that fell off and tapped the dirt gently out of it, doing my best not to laugh. How I could trip on a curb that I knew was there . I’d never be able to understand how I could fight with the best of them, but my day-to- day coordination was atrocious.
    “Should we try looking near the park?” Arie asked , trying to regain her composure. She p ointed to the dark, vacant space at the end of the street.
    “Might as well. So far we’ve struck out in the stores we’ve in vestigated .”
    We walked down the sidewalk until it ended and then jogged over to the park. There were only a couple of lamp posts edging the property , near the benches, and then a few in the middle where a covered picnic area was located.
    “Did you feel that?” I asked, wiping at my forehead.
    “It’s starting to snow,” Arie replied completely giddy .
    “It hasn’t snowed this entire time , and then it decides to as we are about to go underground, ” I huffed.
    “Well, hopefully it will be snowing when we come back out as well. That is if we can even find the place to enter.”
    I turned to look toward the lights and took in a deep breath. Even if it was only for a few moments, I wanted to enj oy the beauty of the first snow fall. The snowflakes were dancing gloriously with the wind, and I suddenly wanted to be back home sitting by the Christmas tree.
    “It’s hard to always do the right thing,” I joked, b ut sounded more like I was whining. I held my hands out and caught a few snowflakes before we started walking through the park once more.
    “I wonder if the guys have found anything yet,” Arie mused .
    “What is that?” I ask ed, walking toward the shrubbery. “It looks like there’s something behi nd there going into the hill.”
    “That’s peculiar,” she whispered.
    “Yeah, it is.”
    I shoved the perfectly trimmed Laurel bushes aside to expose a cement slab propped on the hill.
    “Bingo.” I couldn’t help but smile.
    “Found it,” I channeled to Athen.
    “You did?” he channeled back.
    “Pretty sure,” I replied back. I could feel his smile even though he was blocks away.
    “On our way.”
    “They’re on their way,” I told Arie. “I think this really is it.”
    “Are you ready for whatever is on the other side of that?”
    I shook my head. “But w e have no choice. We can’t abandon the forgotten. It’s our duty to save the ones who can’t save