As the light from his flashlight dimmed, Yibo almost panicked when he didn't immediately find the spare batteries in the mess of the huge backpack. Wordlessly, Zhan took the backpack from his hands, opened the front pocket, and handed Yibo the batteries. While he was changing the batteries, Zhan shined his light.

They had been down in the tunnel for about three hours now, and more than once Yibo had wanted to just climb up the ladder and go back out into the daylight. He probably would have, too, if the creature wasn't still up there pawing at the iron flap and trying to get in.

As Yibo looked to Zhan, he wondered about Zhan again. Where was he listening? Above them, the thing was scratching at the flap with its sharp claws, but Zhan was listening into the three tunnels ahead of them. "What now?" Yibo finally asked him when Zhan was already almost on all fours and crawling closer to the tunnels.

"Can't you hear that?" Asked Zhan, completely focused on the tunnels.

"No. What should I hear?"

"It sounds like someone is playing some melody on a flute."

"What? You're imagining it Zhan, there's nothing there."

"Yes there is, listen to it. That melody, it sounds sad."

Yibo listened, but heard nothing but the creature's pawing. "Zhan, you're just imagining it. There's nothing there."

As Zhan stood up and shined his light into one of the tunnels and walked towards it, Yibo jumped up and grabbed Zhan by the collar of his shirt. "Are you out of your fucking mind? Where do you think you're going? You think I'm going to let you go in there just because you imagine you hear something?"

"But there really is something." Replied Zhan, trying to free himself.

"You're doing it again Zhan!"

Zhan spun around in confusion and asked, "What am I doing again?"

"Putting us in danger! First in the apartment where you touched that gray creature and now you supposedly hear some melody and want to go into that tunnel! Into one of the tunnels where people disappeared, as you know firsthand because you were there!"

"I just wanted to get closer to the tunnel and not go in."

"Yeah right. And then just a little bit in and then a little bit more. Go ahead if you want to get killed or lost. Go ahead. I won't come looking for you."

"I don't plan to go in there!" Shouted Zhan.

"Oh yeah, what then?"

"What's the matter with you Yibo? Are you still mad about that old man?"

"This has nothing to do with the old man at all. I get it that you couldn't help him, all right? I'm still disappointed in you, though. I don't want to be, but I am."

"Why are you disappointed?"

"Maybe because I thought you were someone else? Someone you're not?"

"I am who I am."

"Oh yeah, and who are you? I hardly know you. We've known each other for how long now? About two weeks? How do I know who or what you're really like after such a short time?"

"What's that supposed to mean now?"

"Nothing at all! I just need to find out who and how you are first. I imagined I knew. And then found out that maybe you're completely different. And now I need time to get to know you first."

"All right, then. Then we'll go back to the beginning. Be strangers who have come together in an emergency to have a better chance of surviving together."

"What, Zhan I..."

"That's okay Yibo. I get it. You don't have to explain anything else to me. Let's just go back to being strangers who met by chance and want to survive."

"Do you intentionally get it all wrong?"

"What am I supposed to get wrong Yibo? You're disappointed because I'm not who you thought I was. You're confused and need time to think some things over first, to get to know me. Blah, blah, blah. What's there to misunderstand about that? I think maybe what happened with us just happened too fast and we should have taken time to get to know each other first. If that's what you were trying to tell me, you could have just said it."

Yibo had no idea why the conversation took such a course now and immediately wanted to correct that he was simply talking about his thoughts and not his feelings. Because they are still the same. But, why didn't Yibo manage to tell Zhan the same thing? Why couldn't he just correct that?

Could Zhan possibly be right? Was Yibo really going too fast in the end and needed time? But even if Zhan were right, shouldn't Yibo at least tell Zhan that he loves him? Because at least of this he is sure. But, still he doesn't get the words past his lips and just stared at Zhan.

Suddenly it was very quiet around them. Yibo listened up and understood why it was so quiet. The scratching had finally stopped. But then did that mean the creature had given up and left again? And how could they figure that out?

Zhan watched Yibo as he thoughtfully looked up at the flap. He knew that Yibo hadn't meant to say that, and that Zhan was simply putting those words in his mouth and implying it. But Zhan also knew that Yibo was simply overwhelmed by his own feelings and thoughts at the moment and needed time. And Zhan wants to give him that time, no matter how long it takes.

"It's gone. Do you hear? The creature isn't scratching anymore." Whispered Yibo.

"Mhm, I know." Replied Zhan. He heard the flute again in return, though. For a brief moment, the moment Zhan and Yibo argued, it stopped. But now Zhan heard the melody again, louder than before.

Yibo stared at the tunnels and asked, "What the hell? Is that what you heard?"

Zhan nodded. "Yeah, that's it."

The flute playing, the mournful melody ended again after perhaps only a minute. Now other sounds could be heard. Incredible noises. Like it was raining hard and storming. And the storm would continue to play the melody that had played on the flute before.

Rushing wind played the melody, inflicting an oppressive feeling in Yibo and Zhan's chest. An incredibly quiet, sad, yet very beautiful music. And to this music, the rustling of the wind, the rain, was now joined by the thunder of a thunderstorm. And wasn't there a piano and a violin to be heard somewhere?

Zhan shone his light into the tunnel, but there was nothing to be seen. It was as if he was drawn to this melody. And Yibo couldn't stop staring into the tunnel either. He even had goosebumps from that melody.

"Hello?" Zhan called out into the tunnel. No answer. The melody just kept playing.

Yibo stepped closer to the tunnel. Without noticing, he grabbed Zhan's hand and held it tightly. "Is anyone there?" Yibo shouted into the tunnel.

They stood hand in hand in front of the tunnel and suddenly they felt, a strong gust of wind that apparently went right through them. Although it was eerie, neither of them was afraid.

Zhan looked at the walls of the tunnel and turned off his flashlight. Yibo cried out in shock and fear. Zhan whispered, "Open your eyes. It's beautiful."

Very slowly, Yibo opened his eyes and saw what Zhan meant. Bright warm white lights appeared all around the tunnel by the walls. The concrete floor had disappeared and a road appeared in front of them. But how is all this possible? How could it be? Was the air in here contaminated with some hallucinogen? Is that why they were seeing things that weren't there?

Zhan walked a few steps along the street and toward a bright light. Yibo followed him and the tune seemed to get louder. They kept walking and it looked like the road would go on endlessly before they reached the bright light.

But then, all of a sudden, it was over again and they were back in the dark. Zhan switched on the flashlight. They were standing in the middle of the tunnel. Yibo turned back to the ladder, saw it, and dragged Zhan back there with him. "I don't care what you think, I'm not staying down here another second."

"What are you going to do?" Zhan asked, confused.

"We're going up there now. I'd rather dig myself into the forest floor up to my nose than spend another second here. I don't want to die here."

Yibo grabbed the backpack and pushed Zhan up the steps of the ladder. "Is there any reason why I have to go ahead?" Zhan asked, as Yibo was almost yelling at him to keep climbing.

"Just keep climbing Zhan. I'm sure the creature is gone. Now get your ass up there!"

Zhan kept climbing until he reached the flap. He opened it a crack, it looked safe. So he opened it further until it was all the way open and then climbed outside. He looked at the sun in confusion, and when Yibo appeared behind him, he asked him, "How long were we down there?"

"Maybe three or four hours, why?"

Zhan pointed at the sun and Yibo replied, "That's not even possible! When we went down there, it was early in the morning. How can it be evening now?"

"This is totally crazy, isn't it?"

"Let's just get out of here." Yibo replied and closed the flap. Then he pulled Zhan behind him, through the old factory hall and towards their car, which had some new dents.

Zhan sat down in the driver's seat, while Yibo put all the stuff Zhan had put in the passenger seat last night back in the back seat, and then sat down in the car as well. He looked around in the direction of the hatch again, confused, before telling Zhan to drive off.

By the time they were back on the paved road and headed for their next destination, the sun was slowly setting. Yibo just thought about the tunnels for a moment and was convinced that there must be some kind of hallucinogens down there, which made them not notice how long they had been there, hearing the melody and also seeing this lighted tunnel with its road.

And only now, as he was about to fall asleep, he thought back to his argument with Zhan. And just like before, he wasn't able to explain to Zhan that his feelings for him hadn't changed. Even though he wanted to say it so badly, he just couldn't. Maybe Zhan was right and he just needed some more time.

Zhan pushed away any thoughts of the tunnels and just kept driving and driving. He looked thoughtfully at Yibo from time to time, convinced that it was best to give him time until he was absolutely sure what he wanted.

And Zhan also wants to use this time to figure out for himself whether he wants to have a relationship with Yibo or not. He knows that he loves Yibo. But is that enough? Aren't they perhaps too different? Will the 6 year age difference, matter at some point after all? Can their young love withstand everything, which might still lie ahead of them?