Tunnels Under the Elementary School

Tunnels Under the Elementary School

I was at my childhood elementary school for some kind of weekend community sale, but when I stepped into the hallway to find a restroom, the building kept sprawling out. I found a narrow staircase behind the music room that went down much deeper than the school ever did. It opened into this massive, dim basement full of forgotten gym equipment, old wooden desks, and rows of metal archive lockers. My old middle school friend Dave was down there with a flashlight, sorting through dusty cardboard boxes like it was totally normal. We started exploring these connecting utility tunnels, trying to find an exit that led out to the parking lot. Every time we opened a heavy fire door, it was just another unfamiliar storage wing or an underground walkway connecting to what looked like our local grocery store. It felt strange and thrilling, like sneaking around after hours, but I had this nagging worry that someone was going to lock the heavy exterior gates before we made it back to my car.