Free What Happens in the Darkness by Monica J. O'Rourke

“Get up.” She sobbed into his neck. She moved closer to Harry and spooned him, rested her hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat. Somehow it would comfort her.
    The problem was, there was no heartbeat.
    “Harry!” she yelled. “Don’t be dead! Harry !” Her voice was shrill, and she sobbed until her throat was raw.
    “Harry, please . Please wake up. You have to wake up! God, no!” she sobbed, coughing through her tears, trying to catch her breath.
    She moved away from his body and pulled her legs into her chest, tucked herself into as small a shape as possible. Eyes closed because she didn’t care any more, couldn’t fight this. It wasn’t fair. She was just a kid. Things like this aren’t supposed to happen to kids.
    She calmed down, sucked in a few breaths, and rubbed her sore eyes with her palms. Tried to think. Had to try again. Had to. Couldn’t stay here in the dark with Harry’s dead body. Couldn’t stay here because there was no way out, no one was coming to rescue her, and she swore if she made it out alive she’d never set foot in a tunnel again.
    One more try. That was all she had left, all she was willing to do. If this didn’t work she would come back here and die next to Harry.
    Downtown station this time. Seventy-Seventh Street.
    Janelle reluctantly dropped onto the tracks again, her entire being filled with dread and a sense of impending doom. The flashlight beacon sliced into the darkness of the downtown tunnel’s gaping maw.
    Her last chance.
    If the next station turned out to be blocked, there would be no way out. She tried not to think about it.
    She stepped into the tunnel and started on her way.
    Okay, not terrible, there was still hope. She could do this. She crossed the fingers on the hand not holding the flashlight. Her body shook in terror as a response to her bravado. 
     
    *** 
     
    Something moved in the darkness ahead.
    She sensed the movement rather than saw it. Standing perfectly still she held her breath and listened. A small sound, like concrete being kicked. She wanted to call out but was petrified that someone—or something—might answer. Sweat dripped into her eyebrows.
    Another scattering of pebbles.
    She raised the flashlight, terrified to look, more terrified not to.
    Its eyes reflected back in the light beam.
    She nearly dropped the flashlight. When she sucked in her breath, its head jerked in her direction, a starved and crazed look in its half-dead eyes. Bones jutted from the animal’s emaciated flank. Its hind leg was clearly broken and hung at a peculiar angle to its body.
    She tried whispering to it, because in her utter fear she had no idea what else to do.
    It stared at her. Just stared, like it didn’t believe she was really there. Or like it was waiting for her to make the first move.
    “Please, dog,” she whispered. “Let me pass.” She wasn’t really trying to reason with it, just begging out loud. This was a dog after all, and she was great with animals. Had even aspired to be a vet.
    A low growling resonated in the back of its throat.
    It lowered its head and stared at her, made darting little movements as if about to pounce. It bared its fangs, and the growling grew louder.
    She looked for a weapon, her eyes darting from one side of the tracks to the other. A few feet away a wood beam leaned against the tunnel wall. The problem with these tunnels was that they just weren’t very tall, just high enough for train clearance. That wasn’t much height, but the designers likely didn’t build them to escape a crazed animal.
    The beam was about five feet away. The dog was a little farther than that. She began to inch her way toward the plank, noticing how narrow it was, like the balance beam in gym class.
    The dog noticed her movement and snarled, revealing teeth that hadn’t suffered much considering its malnutrition.
    “Easy, dog,” she said sternly, hoping to show it who was master, hoping it was someone’s lost pet. The dog cocked its