The Tunnels
“I ’ll have to get on your back.” Constance suggested. “I’m short and can’t jump over the fissure. You’re taller. You can.”
“And finally someone has admitted that being short sucks,” the Dude mused.
“I have my shortcomings.” Constance tilted her head, embarrassed to admit.
“That’s a start in our relationship. We might get somewhere then. Hop on.”
“Over the cloak?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I thought the cloak makes you fly,” she teased.
“We’re not flying. We’re jumping.”
“Are you a good jumper?”
“If I take enough steps back, I think I could.”
“I’m afraid if you take too many steps back you’d jump too far and we’d end up hitting the door, then fall unconscious.”
“That’s a farfetched scenario.”
“Wonderlastic scenario to be precise,” she said. “You know about Wonderlastic logic?”
“You mean nonsense.”
“It’s a logic.”
“Nonsense isn’t a logic.”
“It is. It makes sense if you give it a try.”
“It’s called non-sense, meaning ‘no sense’ so it doesn’t make sense. Hop on.”
“Not yet.”
“What now?”
“Alice knows an art called None Fu. Do you practice it?”
“I do.”
“Where did you learn it?”
“On YouTube.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“Of course I’m kidding. Now hop on. We’re wasting time.”
“One last thing,” Constance demands. “Show me your face.”
“What?”
“How else will I know you’re not from Black Chess.”
“I’m not from Black Chess.”
“And I’m not a Vulcan with long ears named Spock. As if swearing was that easy?”
“How do you even know about Spock? You’re too young.”
“We’re not going to talk about that again. Now, show me your face.”
“I will not.”
“You will. Something is off about you.”
“I thought we were getting along.”
“That’s exactly what’s off about you. I feel like I know you.”
“You just met me.”
“It doesn’t feel like it. I know you from before. Who are you?”
“The Dude.”
“Stop it,” she said. “You’re lying.”
The Dude sighed. “How many times will I have to remind you that we don’t have enough time left? We’re not even sure this is the door we seek.”
“Show me your face or I won’t…”
Suddenly, the tunnels shook. A low drone rumbled underneath them. They both turned to look behind them.
“Something is coming,” the Dude panicked. “Hop on before it’s too late.”
“What can it be?” Constance questioned while she crawled onto his back and hung on.
“Whatever it is. We need to jump. I’ll count to three.”
“One…
“Wait.”
“What now?”
“Why to three? Why not to seven? I need to prepare myself.”
“You’re annoying, Constance.”
“And there is a reason for it.”
“What could that possibly be?” The Dude began to run.
“Because I know who you are,” she said halfway in the air. “I know you are…” And then she said his name, but it got sucked into the water that came rushing after them.