There is no light in this godforsaken place. I am the only one in this darkness. I gave up screaming long ago, no one came to my rescue. It’s been days, I am beginning to run low on food. I only have a few slices of stale bread, fuzzy spots growing on it, with some raisins, and only a half full canteen of water to wash it down with.

  I lost track of time since I last saw his smiling face. Nathan’s face, cheerful after learning I got a job in the mines. The hope of finally being able to have meals on the table, with warm blankets and pillows, waiting for us at the end of the day. 

  Nathan was the only thing I had left, and I was the only thing he had. I needed to escape, to return to my little brother’s side, to see his face once more. Grinning from ear to ear, when I would return home with the jingle of money in my pockets. Avoiding my eyes, when I caught him doing mischief to the man next door. Running to me when he tripped, crying big wails for my attention. Nathan, was what made me happy. That all ended, when the path collapsed leaving me in utter darkness, alone, waiting for rescue. But no one came.

  I looked around, back against the rough cave wall searching for any light. I needed to escape, and return to him, but, how? An idea came to me, as I felt inside my pack. It could risk another collapse, but no one was going to rescue me. As I pulled out the sticks, I hesitated, wondering why I was risking death. I should wait until I run out of food, then do it, but it has been too long since the collapse, everyone must think I was dead, Nathan must think I was dead. That did it. The thought of my brother made me grab my last remaining match, and light the fuse of the stick. I set it down, and immediately ran deeper into the mine. I bumped into something steel, and hollow. A mine cart. I jumped into it, and crouched down on the bottom. There was a blast and the sound of rubble raining down onto the ground. I felt rumbling in the cave, and jumped out out of the cart, dashing toward the small light of an exit.

  I sprinted, thinking of Nathan. I got metres from the exit of the mine, rumbling under my feet, the sound of rocks falling down. I barely noticed the cracks of rock over me, as I saw Nathan, sitting outside of the mine, crying. I yelled his name, and as he looked up, he was processing what he was seeing. When he realized who it was, a wide smile, that I was yearning for, began to across his face. I was crying tears of joy when he smiled. He yelled my name, running towards me.

I tripped in my blindness to the light, and my tears. As I rolled over, onto my back, and looked up at the ceiling of the mine. I lay there, frozen with fear. Above me, rocks were cracking behind the supports of the mine. Then supports were unable to handle the weight and pressures of the rocks, as they broke. Rocks came crashing down, towards me. I heard Nathan’s screams, as he told me to run. I could only stare at the one, massive rock over me, as it fell towards me. I felt intense pain for a few seconds, then nothing at all. The world became black again.