A minute later, the sleek concrete pipe ended. From right here, the passage was once made up of person stone blocks outfitted jointly like a wall. It regarded relatively outdated, like Pilgrims previous. Pukwudgie territory. I moved slower, attempting to continue quiet. The tunnel curved, then widened right into a part the place large stone pillars held up the roof. many of the unusual footprints crisscrossed the muddy ground. one other aspect tunnel led off to the fitting, sparkling faintly from deep within. I heard a far off chuckling, like an underground move or far away voices—it was once demanding to inform which. The flashlight beam published a typical Pukwudgie highway of footprints headed this manner. I shrugged the ebook bag off my shoulders and took out the white bread and strawberries. Then I crept to the some distance finish of this extensive chamber, opened the programs, and began making strawberry sandwiches, smooshing the fruit to liberate its scent. I laid the sandwiches on a few sheets of laptop paper. Come and get it! Then I tiptoed again and stepped in the back of a pillar, within sight the doorway to the part passage. Off went the flashlight. I crouched opposed to the column to attend. Time handed. I didn’t understand how a lot. i presumed approximately how dumb I’d suppose if the raccoon lower back and ate the sandwiches. i assumed approximately how scared I’d suppose if i used to be nonetheless down right here at evening. The darkness crowded in. the load of all that earth above me looked as if it would press down like an enormous hand. i'll photo the ceiling collapsing and burying me lower than the rocks, so archaeologists from a few destiny time might locate my bleached bones. the reason is, I’m now not so loopy approximately tunnels. My fingernails dug into my fingers. I opened my eyes large, yet all i may see used to be extra darkness. Then, a faint gentle. have been my eyes enjoying methods? Slowly, gradually, it reinforced, bringing the some distance wall into focus—as if the glow got here from the aspect tunnel. Stealthy little shuffling followed the sunshine. I held my breath. whatever glided by at the different aspect of the pillar. Ever so sneakily, i glanced round the nook. A possum? The raspy-looking, gray-furred beast waddled alongside, sniffing the air. It stuck odor of the strawberries and perked correct up. Then, it scampered towards the a long way facet of the chamber, a lot swifter than a possum may circulate. while it reached the ceremonial dinner, it raised a unusual cry. That cry was once echoed within the aspect tunnel. And without warning, a dozen or extra creatures moved quickly previous, following the possum. The hair on my neck stood up. gentle from the torches they carried published gray-skinned, muscular, potbellied creatures. Their hair hung lengthy and disheveled, their noses and ears have been grotesquely large, and their lengthy hands jogged my memory of spider legs. The creatures stank of rainy puppy and cabbage. They gave the impression of anything from a very nasty fairy story. Pukwudgies. The creatures stood probably a foot shorter than me. yet I wouldn’t are looking to face one in a gloomy tunnel, not to mention a dozen. The final of the bunch descended at the strawberry banquet, jabbering and arguing of their unusual tongue. The possum become one other Pukwudgie.