Skirts flying, I run down the hill with Daphne, Georgina and Harriet hot on my heels.
"I bet you don't! You haven't the guts!" Georgina shouts behind behind me, her dark curls whipping in the wind as she desperately tries to keep up.
I throw back my head and laugh gleefully. If they knew how many times I'd done this before they would not be wagering me a shilling each for the dare.
I reach the bottom of the hill first, my breathing heavy as I turn to face the gloomy mouth of the tunnel. My heart is beating rapidly, not only from the descent down the hill but also with the anticipation of what's to come. Adrenaline kicks into my bloodstream and a sense of exhilaration fills me.
I live for this feeling.
The same feeling as the time Richard and his cronies had dared me, when Suzy and Jane had dared me and countless others before them. Each and every time I'd proven myself to them - I was no lily-liver - and my savings box was substantially heavier for it!
Georgina, Daphne and Harriet come to a halt beside me, their breathing laboured. Their gazes follow mine to the murky chasm of the tunnel.
"You've got five minutes until the next one" Harriet says, checking the bracelet watch at her wrist.
I nod. It was all carefully planned and I felt no remorse that they had not the slightest idea of the deception I was playing - the number of times I had done this exact same thing.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Daphne's voice contains an edge of uncertainty now.
I secretly enjoy her unease for a moment before replying.
"Of course I'm sure! Why?" I ask with feigned innocence. "Have you three changed your minds?".
All three heads shake a negative a little too quickly. I turn my face away and allow myself a small smile - I love this part!
The bridge tunnel is wide, the arch sweeps up and around. The red brickwork is only visible in patches now, the rest stained black; a legacy of the numerous trains that have passed through. I close my eyes and can still see the imprint of the tunnel before me - a testimony to the countless time I have done this before.
The sudden sound of the trains whistle breaks the silence and I turn to the three girls.
"Let's get this show on the road" I say, holding each of their gazes in turn. "Have your shillings ready, girls!" I turn toward the tunnel and then hesitate, adding over my shoulder
"Oh, and if I don't make it, I'd like to be buried next to my grandparents - what's left of me!"
I watch with satisfaction as expressions of shock, fear and uncertainty chase across the girls' faces. Daphne looks pale and for a moment I think she is going to crumble and beg me not to go ahead. She obviously thinks better of the impulse and remains silent.
I give the girls' one last confident smile and walk towards the railway track...
It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the gloom inside the tunnel. Not that it matters, as I feel my way along the inner wall with familiarity. I leave the daylight behind and am swallowed by the darkness as I make my way further inside, walking until I guess I'm about halfway through the tunnel.
Not far, not far.....here it is!
My hand finds the niche set back into the tunnel walls, just large enough to fit my body.
The tracks are beginning to vibrate with the power of the approaching train. It screams a deafening whistle of steam as it enters the far end of the tunnel, approaching like a thundering metal beast.
My heart beats in my throat as I press myself even further against the bricks behind me, flattening my palms against the wall. I stand on my tiptoes and turn my head to the side so that no part of me protrudes into the tunnel.
It's at this very point that I realise I've forgotten to remove my scarf.
The wind created by the oncoming train has begun to whip it up and around in front of me. My heart stutters and then slams into a panicked rhythm. Do I have time to lift my hand to remove it before the train is upon me?
I have no choice - the consequences of the scarf being dragged and pulled by the train, taking me along with it, are too grim to imagine. I lift a trembling hand to unloop the scarf from my neck and before I can secure it behind me, it's swept away down the tunnel.
A second later the train roars past in all it's thunderous glory, inches from where I stand. Tendrils of hair escape from my braid and whip around my face as I fight the pull of the downdrafts that try to fling me beneath the great metal wheels.
I always forget the power of this beast and am reminded again now as it forges on past, lifting my body away from the safety of the wall ever so slightly. My hands clutch at air as
I'm sucked forward another inch...
The train exits the tunnel at the other end.
I release the breath I didn't even know I was holding and allow myself a moment of composure before peeling myself from the wall behind me.
I'll wait a few minutes - let them simmer for a while. I can almost picture them sitting high on the embankment, sharing looks of fear and concern whilst they wait to see if I'll return.
Slowly, and with the prospect of another three shillings, I turn and walk towards the light at the end of the tunnel.