Where's My Happy Ending?

Brandy Rhodes tightened her grip on Simon’s hand as they stepped off the plane and onto the sunlit tarmac of one of the Caribbean islands they had looked at when booking the trip. Despite the scenic backdrop, a cloud of unease loomed over their vacation. 

The trip was meant to be a fresh start, a chance to mend their broken marriage after her husband was caught having an affair. Brandy was determined to make this work and hopefully be able to put the past behind her.As they drove to their resort, Simon’s attempts at small talk felt hollow, like they were going through the motions.

 Brandy’s silence was a shield, her mind drifting back to her husband’s betrayal—a wound that never quite healed.

When they arrived at the resort they were met with cheerful staff and a welcoming atmosphere, but the real challenge came when they decided to take a long stroll along the beach. The sun was setting, painting the sky in brilliant shades of orange and pink. It was a moment of serenity, a brief escape from their troubled past.

But just as they started to relax, dark clouds suddenly began to roll in. The gentle breeze picked up, and the once-calm sea grew restless. 

Brandy glanced at Simon, her brow furrowed.

 “We should head back,” she suggested, her voice tense.

Simon looked at the sky, then at her, his expression a mix of regret and determination. 

“Let’s stay a little longer,” he said, though his voice wavered uncertainly. “Maybe this is just a passing storm.”

Brandy’s eyes met his, a storm of her own brewing behind them. “We can’t keep pretending everything is fine, Simon.”

 Her words hung in the air as the first drops of rain began to fall.

Simon turned to face her when suddenly a bolt of lightning came shooting from the sky striking a tree that was five feet from them. Simon grabbed Brandy’s hand and pulled her to what seemed to be a concrete bunker entrance protruding from the ground with overgrown plant life all over it. 

“Come on!” Simon shouted over the howling wind as he swung the large metal door open with a grunt. 

They rushed inside slamming the door behind them with a loud chilling ring.

The storm outside had become a relentless beast, its claws scratching at the bunker’s entrance. With the realization that going back into the storm was far too dangerous, Simon and Brandy had only one option: find a way out before things got worse.

The bunker’s metal walls groaned as if in pain, and the constant pounding of rain against the reinforced concrete served as a grim reminder of their situation. Every passing minute felt like a ticking clock, the air growing thicker and breaths growing shorter. 

The weight of despair was thick in the air, the need to act overshadowing their rising fear.Simon was already examining the walls, running his hands along the surface.

 "There has to be another way out," he muttered, more to himself than Brandy. 

His hands shook slightly as he traced the edges of a rusted steel door on the far side of the bunker.

Brandy joined him, heart racing. "What if there’s no other exit? What if we’re trapped?"

Simon shot a look of grim resolve. "We can’t think like that. We have to try everything."

Nodding in agreement, Brandy attempted to keep fear in check. "Okay. Let’s see what we can do."

They began by examining the door Simon had been working on. It was old and heavily rusted, the handle nearly impossible to turn. Working together, they managed to force it open just enough to slip through a thin gap. 

Beyond it lay a long, narrow tunnel descending into absolute darkness.

"Do you think it goes anywhere?" Brandy asked, voice barely a whisper.

Simon took a deep breath. "We won’t know until we try."

Brandy squeezed through the gap, feeling awkward and constrained with Simon closely behind. The tunnel was cramped, the air even more stifling than in the bunker entrance. Every step seemed to echo, and the darkness was overbearing, enclosing them.

As they continued deeper, the tunnel twisted and turned, leading them further into the bowels of the bunker. Claustrophobia was almost unbearable, and silence was occasionally broken by the drip of water and the distant roar of the storm above.

Suddenly, Simon stopped and broke the silence. "Do you remember the day we met? I couldn’t believe how unlucky I—"

Brandy cut him off with a frantic, "We don’t have time for that! We need to keep moving. We can’t afford to waste any time. We’re running out of clean water. We have no food. We need to find a way out soon."

Simon looked down muttering, “I’m sorry.” And continued to walk. 

The tunnel seemed endless, a maze of concrete and shadows. Each turn brought new uncertainty, and with every step, hope dwindled. They had no idea where they were headed, and the storm’s rage outside felt like a distant but ever-present threat.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the tunnel began to widen.

A faint light ahead provided a glimmer of hope, renewing their energy as they pushed forward, their pace quickening. 

Emerging from the tunnel, they found themselves in a large room. The walls were lined with expired supplies, some long abandoned and covered in dust. An old, rusted hatch lay in the middle of the room. The light came from a dim bulb hanging above from a thin wire, illuminating the corroded steel.

“How is there still electricity?” Simon asked, puzzled.

“I don’t know,” Brandy whispered, looking down at the hatch."Do you think it’s an exit?" she asked with cautious optimism in her voice.

Simon scanned the area and shrugged. "It’s our best chance. Let’s see if we can get that hatch open."

To Be Continued.