Two figures walked hand in hand down a dimly lit street, their eyes darting across the surroundings with quiet urgency.
It was unmistakably Jake and Jenny. They had just left little Evan at the orphanage.
"I'm already missing him," Jenny whispered, trailing slightly behind Jake.
"You know staying close would only endanger him," Jake said, pausing to scan the shadows. "Our absence is the best protection we can give him right now."
"But... are you sure we can really escape this place?" Jenny asked, her voice trembling with doubt.
Jake nodded. "I'm confident. Weāll make it out of this area."
Jenny clutched his hand tighter. "Okay. But promise me somethingāif anything happens to me while weāre away from our childā¦ promise me youāll raise him with twice the love. Twice the effort."
Jake stopped in his tracks, turning to her with concern. "What are you talking about? Why now?"
Jenny smiled faintly. "Letās just call it a womanās intuition."
"Oh, come on. You and your intuition," Jake chuckled, the tension easing for a moment.
They reached the edge of the street, where a small park awaited.
Without wasting time, they entered and ducked behind a thick bush for cover.
"Jakeā¦ are you sure this is the right park? The one with the hidden route?" Jenny asked, watching him as he scanned their surroundings.
"Iām one hundred percent sure. Donāt you trust your charming husband?" he said, flashing a cheeky grin.
"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Charming." Jenny rolled her eyes. "Letās just go before those guys catch up."
They emerged from the bushes and walked straight into a small building nestled in the parkās corner.
It was a men's restroom.
"Isnāt this exciting?" Jake whispered playfully as they stepped into a stall. He blew a puff of air on Jennyās ear.
She jumped. "What are you doing?! Is this really the time for that?"
"Shush!" he hissed. "We could get caught if you're loud!"
Jenny scowled. "Youāre the one teasing me! Anyway, whereās the secret path?"
Jake pointed. "Right there. Through the toilet."
She stared. "Excuse me?! Thereās no way. Weāre not fitting in there. And even if we could, Iām
not
doing that. Not even if my life depended on it."
As she backed away, she accidentally bumped into the toilet wall, which gave a slight shudder.
"Hey! Stop that!" Jake said, alarmed. "You want us to get caught?"
"Oh sure, like any sane person would just say āOkay, letās jump into a toilet!ā" she snapped.
Jake sighed. "No, dumbo. We donāt go
into
the toilet. We push it aside."
He grabbed the seat and gave it a firm tugābut gagged instantly from the foul smell. Grimacing, he closed the lid, took a deep breath, and pushed again.
The base groaned but shifted slowly. After a few minutes, a hidden tunnel was revealed beneathāa tight crawlspace, just enough for an adult to squeeze through.
"Who's going first?" Jake asked.
Jenny stepped back. "Not me. You go."
With no complaints, he went in first. Jenny followed behind. Once inside, Jake found a lever. He pulled it, and the toilet slid back into place with a dull
clunk
.
The lights cut out.
"What happened?! Why did it go dark?" Jenny asked, her voice edged with panic.
Jake turned on a torch. "Itās fine. I sealed the passage. Weāre safe."
They crawled forward, their torchlight cutting through the darkness.
Jake had prepared wellāusing a regular flashlight instead of a phone, which could have easily been traced by the powerful entity hunting them.
In the Dragon Kingdom, being found meant certain death.
They were fleeing to a neighboring land where they could hide until it was safe to return for Evan.
"Jake, are we going the right way?" Jenny asked after nearly fifteen minutes of crawling.
"Just trust me. This tunnel is a shortcut. It leads out of the city and beyond the kingdomās walls."
Jenny nodded silently, and they continued.
Eventually, the tunnel widened, and they were able to crouch-walk. They reached a halfway mark where ā50%ā was carved into the floor.
Every ten percent, they passed similar markings.
To conserve energy, Jake suggested using only one torch from this point on.
Two hours later, they reached a dead-end.
Jenny frowned. "Whereās the way out?"
Jake ran his fingers along the wall and pressed a hidden spot.
The wall groaned before sliding open, revealing a narrow corridor.
"Weāre almost there," he said.
Jenny pouted. "More walking? Iām already dead tired..."
"Just five more minutes, honey. Then weāre free."
They entered the new corridor. Jake pressed another button, and the entrance sealed behind them.
As they walked, the passage began to narrow again. Eventually, they had to crawl on their elbows.
Minutes passed. Thenā
"Jake? The tunnel ends here. Are we trapped?"
"Waitā¦ Iām looking forāah! Found it!" Jake exclaimed, pressing another hidden button.
With a soft
click
, the wall retracted.
Jenny didnāt wait. She scrambled out quickly, gasping for fresh airāonly to immediately wrinkle her nose.
She looked around at the damp, reeking surroundings.
"This is your escape route?! Jake! I swear Iām going to kill you!"
--
To be continued
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