The Tunnels Below by Nadine Wild-Palmer (best short novels of all time .TXT) 📕

“Good to hear you!” he said. “Now it looks like you’re popping off already then?” He nudged her in the side.

“Jasper, are you going to come with me?”

He laughed heartily.

“Heavens, no! The tunnels are my home now. But feel free to come back and visit anytime. We will never forget what you did for us.” Cecilia felt the warmth of his words.

Kuffi came over and took Cecilia’s hand, and Cecilia waved goodbye.

“Wait for me,” called Luke as they entered the secret passage, which was now quite bright and sprouting with moss and small yellow flowers. “There’s just one more person to say your goodbyes to and she’s waiting for us by the lake.”

They walked down Jasper’s secret tunnel towards the Concave Stadium and made their way towards the shore of the lake under Polaris. So much had changed in such a short amount of time: the air was alive with song, and exotic fruits hung from lanky vines.

“Here, try this,” said Luke, pulling a big round bubble of amber off a nearby stalk.

“What is it?”

“Sweet milk. You drink it,” said Luke, biting a hole in the skin and taking a sip. He passed it to Cecilia. “Delicious, huh?”

Cecilia put her lips to it and drained it—the bubble burst.

“Scrummy,” she said, licking her lips.

It took a while to walk to the lake. They travelled slowly, taking it all in and chatting, passing the smiling faces of the dwellers that they met along the way. Everyone seemed so happy.

Just as she was about to ask where they might find Lady-Bird, they came to the mound overlooking Polaris and there, sitting peacefully in all her splendour, humming sweetly, was Miss Lady-Bird. Cecilia dashed over to her and tumbled into her arms.

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” said Lady-Bird.

“Who?” said Cecilia, looking out over the sandy surface where a beautiful rainbow glow pulsed.

“Mr Sparks. Of course.”

“At one point we thought we were going to have to gather up all the dwellers and fill the lake with tears. We were going to get you to sing and everything,” Cecilia said.

“Well, I’m glad it didn’t come to that.”

Cecilia got up and walked some way over to the edge of the water and touched the surface. She brought her hand away and noticed her fingertips twinkling as she held them up to her face to study them. Luke jogged over and wedged his hands in his pockets.

“Cecilia?” he said softly. “You’ll come back and see us sometimes, won’t you? I mean, if you can?”

“Of course I will, Luke. I’ll find a way. Besides, I owe you a marble.” Cecilia felt overwhelmed, both happy and sad at the same time.

“Oh yeah!” said Luke, remembering their deal.

“Goodbye.” She waved at Mr Sparks as she and Luke turned back towards their friends where they prepared to part company.

29Goodbye

Once they’d shared some teary goodbyes, Cecilia and Kuffi walked away from their friends at the lake below Polaris, the sound of people laughing and crying with joy growing further and further away. Now gathering at the water’s edge, their faces were wet with tears of happiness. But she didn’t feel their happiness. She and Kuffi travelled up the lime line and walked through Market Square. Everything had changed. Kuffi asked if she was hungry or thirsty, if she needed anything, and every time she answered no by silently by shaking her head. So he rested his furry hand on her shoulder instead.

“Kuffi, what will I tell my family when I get home? There will be so many questions. No one will believe me,” she said.

“Well then, don’t tell them exactly what happened. In many ways it’s for the best. The dwellers are a much smaller community of beings compared to where you come from, if Wilma-Rose Newbury’s book is anything to go by. We’re fragile and belong to a very delicate environment, as you can see. We need to be kept safe. The secrets you have learnt about this place and us, they need to stay down here with us where they belong. We can’t have hundreds of wanderers ‘popping’ down whenever the mood takes them. But you know, you can always write it all down, like Wilma-Rose did, just for you, so you don’t forget! Then you can always tell that story to people and they’ll know it well and it will be part of their experience—but without ever realising it was real and that it actually happened to you.”

“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea,” she said, looking at her feet. “Kuffi, do you know how the elemental sphere ended up being my birthday present?” Cecilia asked.

“Yes, I’ve been thinking about that. And it seems Wilma-Rose Newbury took it with her just before she popped home the last time. In her final diary entry she writes of wanting to take something back with her to prove the existence of the tunnels, something special. A new discovery that would make her famous. I don’t think she realised the effect it would have on those that dwell here. And it seems like she must have taken the elemental sphere as proof, which had a monumental effect on the lives of the dwellers, as we now know. She did, however, forget her diary, which I dare say is a stroke of luck for us!”

They reached Kuffi’s grand entrance and she recognised it right away. It felt like she had only been there a few hours ago.

“It will be much easier for me to catch up on my reading now,” Kuffi remarked as they walked into the cabin, which was much brighter.

Kuffi sat in his chair and reached into his pocket and pulled out Wilma-Rose Newbury’s diary. “It’s time for you to go home,” he said. “Have you got all your things? It says to make sure you have everything you want to take with you.”

Cecilia opened her rucksack and took out her coat and put it on.

“Right. That’s better,” she said, sitting back down.

Kuffi flicked through the book