Experience a chilling journey into the unknown with “The Tunnel,” an illustrated short story that explores fear, mystery, and the psychological weight of darkness. As the protagonist ventures into a foreboding tunnel, time distorts, silence grows unsettling, and strange encounters blur the line between reality and something far more elusive.
Text and illustrations by Mathew Callaghan
As I approached the entrance to the tunnel, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding. The darkness that lay beyond the opening seemed to swallow up the light from the world outside, leaving me with a feeling of unease. It was as if I was standing at the threshold of a portal that led to another realm, one that was shrouded in mystery and danger. The tunnel stretched out before me, its walls made of cold, rough stone that seemed to close in around me as I took my first step inside. Every sound echoed off the walls, amplifying the already eerie atmosphere. I hesitated, unsure if I should continue, but something compelled me forward. With each step, my heart pounded in my chest, and I wondered what awaited me at the end of this tunnel.
As I ventured further into the tunnel, a chill ran down my spine. The darkness was overwhelming, swallowing me whole. I could feel my heart racing as I took my first steps, my mind struggling to comprehend the abyss that surrounded me. The walls of the tunnel were close, almost suffocating, and I could barely make out the path ahead of me. As I moved deeper into the abyss, I felt as though I was drifting away, like a mere spectre in the vast emptiness. The echoes of my footsteps reverberated through the tunnel, creating an eerie melody that only added to my sense of foreboding. The darkness seemed to be alive, almost sentient, and it was as though it was taunting me, daring me to move forward. I was trapped in a nightmare, a world without light or hope, and I had no idea how to escape.
As the darkness enveloped him, time seemed to lose all meaning. The tunnel stretched on endlessly, in almost perfect silence. He had been walking for what felt like hours, but he couldn’t be sure. The darkness had swallowed up all sense of time and distance, leaving him lost in a void of uncertainty. The further he went, the more he began to question if he would ever find his way out. He wondered if he had made a mistake in entering it.
My only comfort as I walked through the darkness was the sound of my footsteps echoing and creating a steady rhythm. However, my small comfort was suddenly interrupted when I realised that the sound of my footsteps was becoming fainter, almost distant. The echo that had been my constant companion was now fading away, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. What had caused the sound to diminish? Was I walking slower, or was the environment changing? As I continued on, I listened intently, trying to discern any other sounds that might offer a clue as to what was happening. My eyes could be playing tricks on me but for a moment I thought I saw candle light in the distance.
I stood frozen in fear, my feet refusing to move any further as I gazed ahead into the darkness. In the distance, I could see a faint light flickering in the blackness, and as I watched, it seemed to be growing brighter and drawing closer. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to make sense of what I was seeing. This was no mere candle, of that I was certain. There was something ominous and otherworldly about the light, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched by something. Sweat beaded on my forehead as the light continued to slowly advance towards me, its eerie glow casting distorted shadows on the walls around me. I knew then that I was not alone in the darkness. As it approached, the light grew brighter, and I could see that it was attached to a ghostly figure. It floated in the air, its ethereal form illuminated by the eerie glow emanating. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, as I watched the figure draw closer. Its eyes, hollow and black, seemed to peer directly into my soul. I tried to scream, but my voice was caught in my throat as the figure reached out a wispy hand and brushed my cheek. A cold shiver ran down my spine as I realised that I was face to face with a ghost. The light flickered once more, and the figure vanished into thin air, leaving me alone in the darkness with nothing but the memory of its chilling touch.
Realising the seriousness of my situation, I turned to retreat from the tunnel that stretched out before me. But as I did, I quickly realised that I had no idea what direction was the way out. Panic set in as I frantically tried to work out which way to go, but it was too late. Suddenly, out of the shadows, the ghostly figure appeared once again, standing right before me. It was the ghost of a man, a miner by the looks of him, his face and clothes covered in dirt and grime, and he was holding a pickaxe tightly in his hand. The only light illuminating his features was the headlamp on his head. My heart racing, I froze, unsure of what the ghost’s intentions were. But to my surprise, the ghost did not seem to want to harm me, at least not yet…
I couldn’t believe what was happening before my eyes. The air around me seemed to grow colder and thicker with each passing second. The spirit, hovering before me with an otherworldly aura. It spoke to me in a voice that seemed to echo from beyond the grave, warning me that I should not be there. “The shaft has collapsed” it said, its words both chilling and clear. “Some of the party did not make it out” I could not believe what I was hearing, and yet the spectral figure before me left me with no doubt that it was speaking the truth. With a ghostly hand, it pointed me in the direction I needed to go to get out of the tunnel, and I knew that I had no choice but to follow its instructions if I hoped to make it out.
Heart pounding in my chest, I slowly made my way past the spectral figure that seemed to be pointing me in a specific direction. I tried not to stare at it, not wanting to anger whatever supernatural force it represented. As soon as I had passed it, I picked up my pace and walked briskly, trying to put as much distance between us as possible. After a short distance, I was shocked to see what appeared to be the entrance of the tunnel looming ahead of me. The sight of it was jarring, as it didn’t seem possible that I could have travelled this far in such a short amount of time. I had to have covered many kilometres since entering the tunnel. Yet, there it was, the opening of the tunnel growing rapidly closer, allowing more and more light to filter in from outside. I was on the brink of finding my way out and I couldn’t wait to see where this path would lead me.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally arrived at the entrance of the tunnel I had ventured into. To my surprise, the walk back could not have been more than a few hundred metres. It was a perplexing realisation, my mind struggling to comprehend how the journey into the cave had seemed like hours. Nevertheless, a sense of relief washed over me as I emerged into the fresh air and warm sunlight. The outside world seemed brighter, more vibrant, and alive than ever before, as if my brief encounter with the darkness had heightened my senses. I took a deep breath, savouring the crispness of the air, and felt grateful for the return to the safety and familiarity of the world outside the tunnel.
