The silence inside the fort was deafening, broken only by our heavy breathing and the faint crackle of a small flashlight in Bobby’s hands. The weak beam flickered as he adjusted it, casting long shadows across the rough dirt walls. The air was damp and thick, carrying a dusty, musty smell that tickled my nose. It felt like this place had been sealed off for years, untouched by the outside world.
I leaned back against the cool dirt wall, Tony nestled against me, his thumb in his mouth. His wide, curious eyes followed the shaky light, darting around the dim space like he was trying to memorize every detail. The walls were roughly dug, thick roots jutting out like gnarled fingers. Some formed natural shelves, and wooden beams crisscrossed overhead, holding the ceiling in place. In the corner, the rusted ladder leading to the trapdoor stood like a forgotten secret, blending perfectly with the forest floor above.
David broke the quiet first, his voice a forced whisper.
“Well, that was fun. Anyone wanna go back out and ask what they want? Maybe invite them for tea?”
I rolled my eyes, brushing dirt off my hands. “Yeah, let me know how that goes.”
Bobby snorted. “David, if you’re trying to be funny, you’re failing. We could’ve been caught. Or worse.”
“Or worse?” David asked, grinning as he leaned against a root. “What’s worse, Bobby? You think they’re gonna probe us or something?”
“Maybe,” Bobby said, dead serious, his face half-lit by the flashlight’s glow.
Tony giggled softly, oblivious to the tension. I ruffled his hair and tried to focus on keeping him calm. “They probably just wanted directions,” I said lightly, though my heart was still racing.
David laughed. “Yeah, directions to wherever they drag us off to!”
But Bobby wasn’t laughing. His eyes flicked to the trapdoor above us. “How didn’t they see this?” he muttered. “They were right there, standing above us. How could they miss it?”
I had no answer. The door had blended so seamlessly with the forest floor, even I hadn’t noticed it until Bobby called it out. But how had the aliens—or whoever they were—not seen the hole?
David shrugged. “Maybe they’re blind.”
“Blind?” Bobby snapped. “They chased us!”
“They probably couldn’t see the fort because…” I hesitated. Because why? Because I had wished for it? Prayed for it? Did I make it invisible to them somehow?
Bobby turned his sharp gaze to me, as if he could read my thoughts. “You always have to act like everything’s fine, don’t you? Like you’ve got it all figured out.”
I stiffened, bristling. “I’m just saying there’s no point in panicking.”
David stepped in quickly, raising his hands like a referee. “Hey, cool it, Bobby. It’s not like he called the plane here.”
Except… maybe I had.
--------------------------
The silence inside the fort was deafening, broken only by our labored breathing—and the faint hiss of my inhaler. I leaned against the cool dirt wall, focusing on each breath. Every inhale felt shallow and shaky, as though my lungs were trying but failing to do their job. The wheeze in my chest rattled faintly, loud enough that I was sure my brothers could hear it too. My chest tightened, a relentless pressure squeezing harder with every passing second. I tried to draw a deep breath, but it caught in my throat, triggering a soft, raspy cough. My nose was starting to run, the damp, musty air thick with allergens that tickled at my sinuses. Whatever it was, it felt like it was crawling deeper into my lungs, settling there like an unwelcome guest.
I shook my inhaler, holding it up to the dim light, trying to guess how many puffs were left. Probably not enough if we stayed down here much longer. Tony pressed close to me, his thumb in his mouth, his wide eyes darting around the dim space like he was trying to memorize every detail.
The walls were rough and uneven, with thick roots jutting out like gnarled fingers. Some twisted into natural shelves, while wooden beams crisscrossed overhead, barely holding the ceiling in place. The whole place felt ancient, like it had been carved out of the earth ages ago and forgotten. In the corner, the rusted ladder leading up to the trapdoor stood like a secret we shouldn’t know about, its edges blending so seamlessly with the forest floor above that I wondered how anyone had ever found it.
I took a quick puff from my inhaler and leaned my head back against the wall, closing my eyes for a moment. The air down here was thick, heavy. I had to get out soon. If not, I wasn’t sure my inhaler—or my lungs—would last much longer.
“I gotta pee,” Tony said suddenly, breaking the long silence.
I blinked, trying to figure out how long we’d been down here. Time felt slippery in the fort, like the outside world had stopped the moment we dove underground.
“Well, where is Dan? He’s the one who’d be brave enough to poke his head out,” David muttered.
Dan was the fourth of us brothers. Bobby, David, and I were a year apart—Aunt Dolly always called us “three peas in a pod.” Then there was a four-year gap before Dan, and little Tony came along a few years later to round out the group.
“Dan’s at Andy’s,” I reminded them. I’m the one who keeps track of things. That’s just how it goes, which is probably why I’m the one writing this story. Whether you believe it or not, that’s up to you—but hey, thanks for reading this far.
“I gotta pee!” Tony said again, more urgently this time.
David rolled his eyes. “Just let it out,” he muttered.
I shook my head, my voice low but firm. “I don’t think we can get out right now—not with that plane up there and… whatever was chasing us.”
Bobby shifted uncomfortably, his flashlight beam bouncing against the crisscrossing wooden beams above us. “He can’t just—”
“I gotta go!” Tony said urgently, his thumb popping out of his mouth. “I can't hold it!”
The tension hung in the air, as thick and heavy as the fort’s atmosphere. We needed to make a decision, and fast.
--------------
Bobby shifted uneasily, his hand still gripping the flashlight. The beam danced across the uneven ceiling, casting strange shadows on the walls. His voice was low but urgent. “We can’t just stay here forever. We have to figure something out.”
Tony, still pressed close to me, squirmed in my arms. His thumb was back in his mouth, but he was tense now, his small face scrunched with worry. “I gotta pee,” he mumbled around the thumb, his voice muffled.
“Well, what do you want me to do?” Bobby snapped. “We can’t just—”
“Hold it forever?” Tony’s voice was clearer now, his thumb popping out for a second before he shoved it back in. His impatience, though young, was hard to ignore.
I glanced around the darkened fort. The silence was thick and heavy, broken only by the sound of our breathing. The musty air clung to my skin, and the weight of the moment pressed on my chest. We were running out of time.
“Let’s go.” I stood up, trying to steady my shaky breath, the tightness in my chest still there. My inhaler was almost empty, but I didn’t mention it. There was no time to dwell on that now.
David eyed me with a mix of caution and relief. “You sure?”
I nodded, forcing myself to sound calm, though every part of me screamed for us to stay hidden. “We can’t stay here. We don’t know how long the plane is gonna hover, or if they’re still out there. We’ll take a risk, but we need to move.”
Bobby looked over at the trapdoor. His face was drawn tight with concern, but he didn’t argue. He knew I was right. “Fine. But if they’re still out there—”
“They won’t see us,” I interrupted, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “We’ll go slow, check the area first. Then we move. Got it?”
Tony tugged at my sleeve. “Pee now?”
I sighed, realizing that the poor kid wasn’t going to wait much longer. “We’ll figure it out, buddy. Just hold on.”
We gathered ourselves. The trapdoor was still hidden, blending with the forest floor above, but I knew it wasn’t foolproof. One wrong move, and we could be spotted. My heart pounded in my ears as I carefully reached for the rusted handle, pulling it ever so slowly. It creaked, just a little, but I held my breath, hoping it wouldn’t be loud enough to draw attention.
David peered out first, his head barely visible above the edge of the trapdoor. He stayed still for a moment, scanning the area. My eyes flicked nervously to the flashlight beam, bouncing now with every shift of Bobby’s hand. I half expected it to draw unwanted attention.
After what felt like an eternity, David whispered, “Clear. For now.”
We all exchanged a look, each of us trying to steady the rising panic inside. Slowly, one by one, we climbed up the ladder, our movements deliberate and quiet. I went last, making sure to push the trapdoor back into place once we were all out. The damp ground felt solid beneath my feet, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were still being watched.
Tony suddenly let out a small sob. I glanced down at him, and that’s when I realized it—his pants were wet. The smell of urine hit the air just as I heard the telltale sound of it hitting the ground. Tony stood there, frozen, his face crumpled with the realization that he’d peed his pants.
“I—I didn’t mean to!” he cried, his voice breaking as tears welled in his eyes. His tiny hands reached up for me, desperate for comfort.
I bent down quickly, pulling him into my arms. “It’s okay, buddy. It’s okay.” I whispered into his hair, my heart breaking for him. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. But right now, we didn’t have the luxury of time or perfect circumstances. I gently rubbed his back, trying to soothe him, though my own nerves were unraveling.
David and Bobby both looked at Tony, the tension thick between us all. Bobby shifted awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, but David’s eyes softened, his protective instincts kicking in. “He’s just a kid,” David said quietly, his voice rough. “We’re not exactly in the best place for him.”
I nodded, holding Tony close, the wetness of his pants a stark reminder of how out of control things were. “We’ll get out of here,” I said, more to myself than anyone else.
The sound of the plane’s engine rumbled in the distance, reminding us that we were far from safe. We couldn’t waste any more time.
I wiped a tear from Tony’s cheek and gave him a small smile. “Ready to go?” I asked, my voice shaky but determined.
Tony sniffled and nodded, clinging to me as we made our way forward, one step at a time. The plane was still circling, but we had no choice now. We had to move, and we had to move fast.
The night felt darker, colder. But we weren’t giving up yett
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