"Do we really have to go down there now?" Helen Turnbull was not happy about their interrupted leave, but as she donned her overalls she knew all too well the answer her husband, Robert, was about to give her.
"Of course we do. You know John is off sick at present and they said it was important we check this out now, it can't wait honey." He shared his wife's frustration, but their employer, The Cordorian City Council, had been informed by adventurers that a section of the sewer system, which ran beneath the city, was extremely unstable and they had to check it out and report back.
"They can take their job and stick it... Oh" She exclaimed in mid-sentence, covering her baby bump with her hands as she felt it kicking.
Robert walked over smiling and laid a hand on her tummy. "He's going to be a strong adventurer himself, I can tell."
"SHE will do no such thing." Helen retorted and, grabbing her backpack, she turned and strode for the door, leaving him trailing in her wake. "Come on, sooner we get this done the sooner I can put my feet up."
The sewers, as you'd expect, are not the nicest of places to go trudging around in and she never let him forget it as they went down one tunnel after another, pausing from time to time to consult her map.
"Are you sure you don't have that the wrong way round?" He moved closer to her, using his torch to bring more light to proceedings. The flickering flame cast shadows on the walls like demons doing some frenzied dance. He waited for her to bite... and she did.
"Of course it's the rig..." She trailed off as she saw him giggling. He loved to tease her. The giggling soon subsided, after a swift elbow to his ribs.
"It's just up ahead." she said as she forged ahead.
Broken masonry, splintered wood and other debris littered the floor as they drew close to the reported area. Robert paused, using his torch to inspect different sections of the support beams and ceiling.
"Definitely the older tunnels here. Look." Helen pointed to the map, which showed the layout of the sewers with various notations detailing the dates sections were added. "One of the earliest areas here... didn't I tell them the beams needed strengthening?" She shook her head as she retrieved a book from her backpack and began scribbling notes into it.
As she continued her observations Robert looked around and began to wonder why any adventurer had come down this far. Even the gangs and creatures that sometimes plagued the sewers left this section well alone. Maybe with good reason...
"Almost finished... I'll write up the rep... A loud creaking noise filled the tunnels, cutting her off in mid-sentence and then all hell broke loose. It sounded like the end of the world, as beams cracked as the ceiling gave way.
Perhaps the gods had something to do with it, or maybe it was the flight instinct. Whatever it was Robert reacted with incredible speed and reflexes pulling his startled wife to one side as huge chunks of rock, dirt and wood crashed down to the ground. Clouds of dust erupted into the air and they both fell backwards to the floor, his torch flying out of his hand as they collapsed in a heap.
Darkness reigned in the sewers, save for the fallen torch, still flickering in the gloom.
Robert staggered to his feet, a wet sensation running down his cheek. Water or blood? Probably the latter. He dismissed it from his mind as his first thought, as always, was for his beloved wife.
"Hon..." He spit dust and grit from his mouth and clawed at his face to clear dust and dirt from it as he spoke. "Honey, are you alright?"
Grabbing the torch he illuminated his wife's face and saw she too was doing the same. A thumbs up from her reassured him, she was alright, though he was still concerned about their unborn child.
Helen eased herself onto a nearby section of fallen masonry.
They took time to check themselves over, light another torch, bandage a couple of cuts they had both gotten and get water from his pack.
"You really are a pack rat." She said wearily.
His beaming smile back at her made her laugh. Typical, nothing gets him down and always that stupid grin of his... It reminder her why she loved him and how he'd won her heart. She'd had many suitors, but his sense of humour, sense of optimism and the grin had captured her heart. The fact he was also a good cook and put her first in everything just cemented it.
As the dust settled Robert began to inspect the damage.
"Shit." He exclaimed, kicking a loose stone against the huge blockage now preventing them going back the way they came.
"It's serious then. You never swear." Her voice remained steady, despite the situation. She had to be calm. For him, for their child to be.
"We can't go back that way... Let me see where this goes." He gestured further down the tunnel. "Maybe it loops back or even leads to an exit... Where's the map?"
"Under all that." She gestured to the rubble.
"Oh well, I was never good at reading those things anyway." She knew he was making light of it and went along with it.
A Rat scurried past them, from the direction of the cave in.
"Well someone can come and go as they please at least." Helen joked.
"At least we won't starve." Came a cheery retort as he started down the tunnel, torch held high.
The thought of eating rodent made her begin rummaging through his pack to see what provisions they did have. There was oil and flint, so a fire wouldn't be out of the question. Cooked Rat? She shuddered at the thought and continued searching.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a light coming towards her from where Robert has gone just a few minutes before.
"Hello?" She nervously said, reaching for a rock.
Robert emerged into the light of her torch.
"What have you forgotten?" She sighed, partly in relief and also annoyance.
"Nothing... it's a dead end I'm afraid." For the first time his voice was tinged with despair.
Her ash covered face concealed the fact that the colour had drained from her face as his words sunk in.
They were entombed.