stranger animals under tunnel

Title: The Creatures Beneath the Tunnel

On the edge of the small town of Pinebrush, nestled between thick woods and forgotten railroad tracks, there was an old stone tunnel no one used anymore. Its mouth was choked with ivy, and its bricks were blackened with time and mystery. People called it “Whisper Tunnel,” though no one could quite say why.

Thirteen-year-old Ellie Grange had always been curious about it. Her grandmother used to warn her, “Don’t go poking near that tunnel, Ellie. Strange things live where the light doesn’t go.” But Ellie had never been good at listening when her curiosity got the better of her.

One gray afternoon, with storm clouds rolling in and the scent of rain in the air, Ellie slipped away from her house with a flashlight, a notebook, and a peanut butter sandwich. She’d made up her mind: she was going into the tunnel.

Chapter One: The Tunnel Breathes

As Ellie pushed aside the ivy curtain, a gust of cool air swept past her. It almost felt like the tunnel exhaled. She clicked on her flashlight and stepped inside. The deeper she walked, the more her footsteps echoed in a strangely musical way, like the stones had learned to hum.

About halfway through, her flashlight flickered. She hit it gently, and it blinked out entirely.

Just as panic started to bubble in her chest, a soft blue glow appeared ahead. She crept toward it, heart pounding. That’s when she heard it: a low, growly whisper.

“Who dares to wake the Still Ones?”

Ellie froze. Then, suddenly, the floor beneath her gave way, and she tumbled into darkness.

Chapter Two: The Hollow Below

Ellie landed in something soft—like moss, but warmer. When she opened her eyes, she gasped.

She wasn’t in the tunnel anymore. She was in a vast underground chamber, glowing faintly with crystals embedded in the ceiling. Thick vines hung like chandeliers, and odd little mushrooms pulsed with gentle light.

And there, staring at her, were the animals.

But not animals like any she’d ever seen.

• A fox with silver fur and three tails, each ending in a flame.
• A mole the size of a sheep, with tiny glasses perched on its nose and moss growing in patches across its back.
• A bird with feathers made of shimmering metal, its wings humming like tuned instruments.
• A rabbit that blinked and disappeared, then reappeared a few feet away, as if skipping through time.

A round creature with fur like fog and glowing eyes waddled forward.

“You’re early,” it said in a voice like thunder rumbling through cotton.

“Early?” Ellie asked.

“The prophecy said next full moon,” it muttered. “But here you are. Human. Curious. And with a sandwich. Typical.”

Chapter Three: The Hollowwilds

The creatures introduced themselves as the Hollowwilds—animals who had escaped from the regular world long ago to live beneath the earth, hidden from noise, pollution, and the forgetfulness of mankind. They had once been common, long before humans stopped believing in anything too strange to fit in a zoo.

“We live under the world,” said the fog-furred one, who called himself Thistle. “And we keep the balance. But now… things are shifting.”

They told Ellie about the Crack, a rip forming deeper below, where shadows from even older times were waking. “Creatures that do not sleep. Creatures who want to claw their way back up into the world above,” said the three-tailed fox, named Lume.

Ellie didn’t know why she had come. But now she understood why she was there.

“You’re connected to this place,” Thistle said. “Some of your kind can still hear the hum of forgotten places. We need your help.”

Chapter Four: The Echo Depths

The Hollowwilds led Ellie through winding tunnels, over chasms crossed by bridges made of webbed vines, and past glowing lakes with fish that whispered riddles. They reached the Crack—an enormous glowing gash in the stone floor, leaking a sickly green mist.

From inside, eyes stared out. Not like animal eyes. More like… empty spaces pretending to be eyes.

The creatures could not go further. “Our light dims in their presence,” said the metal-feathered bird.

But Ellie remembered her flashlight.

She clicked it on.

It glowed again—brighter than before. Warm, golden light filled the crack. The shadows hissed and curled back. A voice screamed from deep within: “Not ready! Not yet!”

The Crack sealed shut with a rumble. The crystals in the walls lit up like stars. A deep peace settled into the chamber.

Ellie fell to her knees, shaking—but safe.

Chapter Five: Return Above

“You’ve done well, child of sky,” said Thistle. “But the Hollowwilds must remain hidden.”

They gave Ellie a gift—a stone shaped like an acorn, warm to the touch. “If ever the tunnel breathes again, you’ll know. And we may call you back.”

Ellie was guided back through a twisting spiral tunnel that led up, up, up… until she found herself at the tunnel’s mouth again. The storm had passed. The sky was purple and gold with sunset.

She looked behind her. The ivy had grown back. The tunnel entrance looked like nothing more than an abandoned old path.

But in her pocket, the acorn stone glowed gently.

She knew the Hollowwilds were real.

And she knew this was only the beginning.

Epilogue: Whispers and Footsteps

In the years that followed, Ellie returned often to sketch the tunnel, listen to the wind, and dream of the Hollowwilds. She never told anyone—not fully. But sometimes, when she walked by the old tunnel, she heard footsteps that weren’t hers… and the faint rustle of fur in the dark.

And sometimes, on the coldest nights, she could swear she heard the tunnel breathe.