No light in front. No more light from behind. Too late to change his mind, he must move on, half terrified, half buzzing with possibilities.

A noise from the darkness slows him to a snail’s pace. Lurking monsters from the elders’ stories?

No.

Monsters don’t exist. They are lies to frighten people away from the tunnel; they are part of the scare tactics to keep his people where they are, to keep everybody else out.

His people don’t like outsiders; they say outsiders don’t like them. More scare tactics. Contrary as he is, he’s taking a chance on the outsiders.