Edward Hudson
The small group of slaves went deep into the tunnel with Edward. They had their heavy pickaxes on their shoulders. The miners were not particularly strong, and they had to use their full body weight to make the pickaxes strike. It was very hard work.
“The tunnel is almost twenty meters deep. We have to work through some really hard rock.” Edward said.
“How far do we have to go?” Asked one of the slaves, a woman with a thick curly hair.
“There is about fifty meters to go, but most of that is through the harder rock, and then we hit softer rock.” Edward replied.
The group worked slowly and diligently. They had to work, and if they didn’t work, they would be whipped by their masters, who treated them like garbage.
Edward was a simple slave. A man of advanced age, which was not very common in the slave colony. Edward had brown hair, but it was already thinning and graying from the dust and corrosive gases. He was of normal build. However, through the many years of working in the mine, he had already sustained a number of bruises and injuries and was visibly marked by the hard work.
The group of slaves were about thirty people. The miners were tired and sore, but they had no choice but to keep working against the hard rock.
“Are we nearly there? We have been working for almost two hours.” A man said to Edward.
“About ten meters left to work through", Edward replied.
The slaves labored in the dimly lit tunnel, heaving pickaxes against the hard rock. They were weary from hours of intense, back-breaking work, but they continued to push forward. The tunnel was narrow, forcing them to wedge themselves between the walls as they drilled and chipped away at the rock. They were determined to reach the softer rock, which promised a rest from the exhausting labor. As they struggled on, the tunnel began to close in, the rock growing denser and more difficult to break through. But with perseverance and determination, they finally reached their goal and collapsed in exhaustion on the soft ground beyond.
The soft wind picked up and hit them with a warm gust. Edward called out, “We made it! We got through the stone! Friends, let's take our first rest break for today.”
The slaves stopped hammering and sat down on the floor of the tunnel. Water seeped in through the cracks in the rock wall, which was still forming. It was cold, but most of them didn't really notice the cold because they were too tired and hungry. They hadn’t had any food since this morning and they desperately needed some water.
“We'll be leaving soon,” Edward said as he walked over to a bowl of water that was sitting on top of a small box full of cans. He took out a can and opened it.
The slaves also drank some water. After a few minutes, Edward began to speak again. “We have reached our quota for today and the masters will be satisfied with our work. We have done well, my friends, and we should all be proud of what we have achieved today.”
He had barely put the bowl to his lips when a loud crack sounded through the tunnel.
Edward turned and looked up at the walls. He saw that they had cracked and dirty water was starting to pour into the tunnel. Edward called out to the group, “We need to get out of here now!”
The slaves hastily picked up their pickaxes and ran for the exit. They could see the light from the entrance way and they sprinted as fast as they could. Suddenly, one of them slipped on the water-covered floor. Dirty water was rapidly flowing into the tunnel and it would take only seconds for it to be completely filled with water. Edward ran back to help the woman up, and together, they ran towards the exit. Edward knew there were two ways out of the tunnel - one through solid rock and one where rocks were only beginning to form. The second way would be easier since they wouldn’t have to try to work through rock while avoiding getting washed away by the water rushing into the tunnel. "Run faster Maja,” Edward called out to the woman.
As they got closer to the exit, it was clear that there were a lot more people rushing towards the exit than were actually getting out. Many of them were washed away by the increasing water and disappeared from view. Edward yelled out to everyone, “The second passage is our only chance! Run for it!”
As they got to the end of the tunnel, they saw that everyone had made it through except for one of their pals. Edward asked Maja if she was ready to leave and she said yes. They put their arms around each other and jumped. The sides of the cliff were covered with long, thin bushes, so they had to find a flat rock to jump to. A thin, winding trail snaked through the bushes, and the pair had to leap through the air to reach it. Their feet reached the flat rocks on the shore, and they collapsed on the ground, exhausted.
The water was still pouring rapidly into the tunnel, and rocks were starting to form on one side. Edward saw that there were still about twenty people left in the tunnel, so he waved for them to come towards him.
"Come here! It's safe here for us!" Edward called to the others. Edward was quite a good swimmer and his hope of being able to help the others gave him the strength and endurance needed to support the others on their way to safety. With calm determination, he reached out to those who needed help, extending a strong arm or lending a steadying hand. He guided them through the treacherous currents, urging them forward with shouts of encouragement and reassurance. Whether struggling against the force of the water or balanced precariously on a slippery rock, Edward was there, offering support and guidance as his fellow survivors made their way to solid ground to safety.
Suddenly the surf crashed against the legs of a small group of slaves, digging into their feet. Within seconds, the group was knocked over, and they scrambled to crawl back while being dragged under.
The survivors were almost too weak and exhausted to move, so they clung to the rocks. All of them were panicking and crying. Edward looked around and saw that there was only one other rock floating in the water with them. He shouted to everyone to get on it and they did, clinging to the edges as it bobbed up and down in the waves. Edward took charge of what little they had left, giving orders and trying to stay calm amidst all the chaos. Despite the tumult, they were still standing, though uncertain of what the future held.
Exhausted, Edward looked at the sky, which had quickly turned dark, and knew that they all needed to find shelter soon. “We need to find somewhere safe and dry. We can’t stay out here,” he said. The group looked around and finally spotted a small rock nearby. They all started swimming towards it and quickly climbed on top of it. It was small but they could find a foothold on it.
“We need to come up with a plan. First, we need to find some drinking water. And then we need to figure out what we’re going to do next.” Edward said.
Just then, a loud crack sounded through the sky. The group looked around and saw that rocks were starting to break apart from each other, yellow gas rose from underwater fissures, and the water began to turn black and began to bite the nose severely. The fissures created a yellow smoke as it leaked into the water. The yellow smoke hung in the air, like a fog that blanketed the surface of the water.
Edward's voice is a sharp cry, cutting through the air like a knife. His words are filled with urgency and fear, as he urgently shouts commands to his fellow survivors. They can hear the panic in his voice, and they know they must act quickly to escape the impending disaster. The rumble of stones falling from the sky, the hiss of gas escaping cracks in the earth, and the churning of black water startled everyone. In a desperate attempt to flee, Edward screams out one last command: “Run!”
Frightened and with wide eyes and mouths the group started swimming again, but they were too late. They saw that rocks were starting to dissolve and rise to the surface. The water had turned so dark and looked like sludge as it rose. They started screaming and crying. It was terrifying. The cloud of sulfurous gas blasted them in the face, and they knew there was nowhere to go. The air stank of rotten eggs, and the clouds of smoke burned their lungs. Their eyes were watering and their noses began to run.
"Look guys, there's something," one of the men shouted. In the distance ahead of them, there seemed to be a small patch of land that looked like it could support them. “We need to make it over to that land. It’s our only hope," the man drives the people on. The group started to swim towards the land as fast as they could, but the sulfur was burning their eyes. As if tiny needles were pricking the sensitive membranes of the eyes, causing a throbbing pain. Visibility got worse. The suffocating cloud of gas and smoke burns the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe.
Soon, some slaves started to fall behind and Edward told everyone to stick together. A man who couldn't swim well started crying and after a short while just sank under the surface of the water. Another scared slave at Edward's side swam to him and told him that her daughter was seriously hurt. And before he could answer, they were both suddenly swept away by a rapidly approaching great wave and vanished from view. The rest of the group drifted further and further apart and the chaos seemed to never end.
The rest kept swimming towards the tiny piece of land that seemed so far away. When they finally reached land, they saw that some of them had made it, while many had disappeared. Edward tried to focus. He surveyed their surroundings - there were no buildings or sign of civilization anywhere. "We can't stay here overnight," he said. "Nighttime this place is deadly. The sulfur and water are too dangerous." They climbed onto a small rock to be a little bit further above. Edward took off his shirt and tied one end of it to a tall rock standing above the group. He yelled out, “Someone come help me secure the other end!” A few of the slaves immediately got up and came over to help him set up the line. After a few minutes, he yelled, “It’s done - pull tight!”
They wrapped the end of the line around part of the rock, keeping their rope length similar to the length of the rock that they were all sitting on. Edward told everyone to hold on to the rope and pull tight. "The only way we are safe during the night is to stay connected to each other", Edward explained. “While we hold on to this rope and try to get some rest, one of us needs to stay awake and walk watch. We rotate the watch every few hours. This prevents us from accidentally slipping off, sliding over the ledge and falling down while falling asleep,” he said.
Some of them didn’t understand what Edward meant and asked him, “What if the watch falls asleep too??”
Edward implored, “No, he won't. We must have faith in each other. Our watch will protect us. We must rely on the watch to quietly care for those who are at rest and quickly alert us should danger arise. Unite and support one another, we must remain strong together.”
Edward instructed everyone to hold on to their rope as tightly as they could and to rest. One man spoke with a sense of urgency, “How much longer will this danger last? I thought we would be safer here, but it seems that I was wrong. Are we truly in danger now?” He looked around cautiously, fearing that danger lurked in the shadows.
Edward replied: “I really don’t know. But I am sure that if we can just get through tonight, tomorrow will be better. We have to have hope.”
They knew the night was going to be long and terrifying, but they were determined to make it through the night alive. They held on to their ropes and laid down to try and get some rest. The first man kept watch over the others...