October 16, 2024.
The light from the dog’s mouth carries with it an uneasy quality, and standing exposed in it for any amount of time makes the illuminated person feel deeply melancholy, and activates their salivary response to an uncomfortable degree.
Still, it’s the only light down here, so we take turns holding the dog, who is very at ease with being held and seems pleased with the physical attention, and shine its mouth light ahead of us as we navigate the darkness.
“Let’s take a right,” I suggest, at the next junction, though the passages left and straight-on are clotted with some sort of wet stringy stuff that reminds me of pumpkin pulp and seem exceedingly uninviting. Still, I’m trying to re-establish myself as leader of our group after being completely humiliated at the meal we called breakfast yesterday.
No one speaks, but we all turn right, and I consider that at least a small win. The dog shifts in Mel’s arms, yawning, temporarily illuminating the entire right chasm.
“Food!” Stefan cries, and rushes towards the hole in the wall seeping McDonalds fries and what smells like KFC gravy onto a pile of undifferentiated fast-food matter, slowly decomposing in the fetid air. Everyone rushes to it, greedily scooping anything that seems edible into their rucksacks.
As their self-appointed leader, I make what I consider a very leaderly choice to not tell them about their own faces protruding from the far wall, staring at their backs as they chatter and are overjoyed with their find, scarfing handfuls of fries, gravy, patties, bread soaked through and glistening with Subway sweet teryaki sauce. They’ll see it soon enough.
My face was not on the far wall, so I take leader’s privilege, collect some of the items they dropped on their run to the fast-food wall, a large knife, a bag filled with survival supplies, the dog’s kibble, and back quietly into the darkness of the other room with it held in my arms. If they survive this encounter, they will need a strong leader, someone well supplied, someone with vision, someone with a clear head and their wits about them.