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Speaker 1: My entire life is revolved around the infrastructure that lay

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beneath our feet. My father and our generations before him

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all bore the same responsibility maintaining the city's arteries. I

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know the labyrinthine storm drain system that sits below us

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better than my own home. It had rained heavily over

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the last week, so when my phone buzzed in the morning,

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I already knew what it was about. The council called

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me in a panic about flooding in the industrial area,

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admittedly less maintained than the residential systems, and begged me

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to check it out. Their frantic tone was lost on

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me because I was expecting this to happen another day

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at the job. I grabbed my gear, which was well

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maintained but worn out from years of use, and I

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slipped a pack of Lucky Strikes into my pocket I'd

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never been able to kick, and headed on my way.

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Stepping out of my truck, I tied to my gloves,

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secured my boots, and started trudging down the old path

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toward the northeastern entrance. The opening to the drain was

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a gaping hole in the earth, the city's very more

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that seemed prepared to swallow just about anything whole. The

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first glaring thing I noticed was the high water levels

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in the tunnel, soaking my boots as I waded in.

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I expected water, but I didn't expect a small fire

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pit still smoldering slightly near the entrance. The thought of

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homeless people in the drains crossed my mind, and it

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wasn't a comforting thought. I'd seen this before. The vagabonds

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that took refuge and drains in this area were notoriously nasty.

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I grabbed my pack of Lucky Strikes and lit a

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cigarette to calm myself off for a potential confrontation. As

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I entered, I noticed just how deep the water went.

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I grabbed my flood gage to measure the water level.

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I had to know the exact number before making any

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further assessments. Eleven inches above road level, five inches more

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than what it should be. I grabbed my notebook and

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jotted down the numbers. I compared it to my previous

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measurements of this area, which was abnormal. I constantly kept

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meticulous notes, so I checked further back to see if

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there had been any incidents like this before. But this

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was the first time it had reached these levels. No

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minor issue would cause the water level to almost double

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like this, so I knew I had to make my

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way in and diagnose the situation immediately. Due to the flooding,

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I had to ensure the air was breathable with potential

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damage the systems. Leaks from the sewage could cause a

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plethora of gases to build up, so I pulled out

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my handheld gas detector and ventured a little further into

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the tunnels, flashlight in hand. Further in the air was thick,

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the scent of decay and mildew lingered. I scanned the

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walls for any signs of a potential cause of the

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over the top flooding, but I saw nothing apart from

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some graffiti and moss along the walls. I grabbed my

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multitol from my left side and tapped it on the

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wall for a few brief moments. Sometimes water would leak

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out between the tunnels, causing a slight shifting and misalignment

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of the entire system, which alone caused the myriad of issues.

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The walls sounded more hollow than they should, and I

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briefly stepped out to grab my laser distance device. I

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had to check for slight shifts in the path. The

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results yielded what I had already done, a moderate shift

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and a slight sag. But knowing the exact numbers could

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help me find the root of the issues, so I

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added another entry into my almost full note book. The

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deeper I ventured, the more the sound of rain and

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the city bustling faded. Now the most prominent sounds were

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the slight rumblings from the industrial machines above. This was

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just more proof of the state of the tunnel I

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was in. I didn't remember them being this pronounced when

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I was last here, and I figured the tunnel shift

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course pockets for the walls to vibrate more. I used

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chalk to mark the route I had taken. It was

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already lined with previous marks made by me, and despite

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feeling confident about knowing my way around, marking my way

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was a habit my grandfather had drilled into me. I

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found a nice fork in my path and figured I

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was finally deep enough to check the gas levels. The

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little handheld device beat to life. I had to be

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aware of anything that could harm me if I went deeper.

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Methane showed one fifty ppmv, fairly normal for being this

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deep into a drain. Hydrogen sulfide registered at four PPMV,

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which wouldn't affect me too much as long as I

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didn't stick around too long. But the odd thing was

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the high levels of carbon monoxide. This meant I had

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to be careful with how much I exerted myself. I

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wasn't quite sure why the levels were so high, but

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I was at least confident I could explore more to

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find out. I arrived at the red maintenance room door

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and went to check the pressure gauges. The gauge readings

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were all over the place, which either alluded to a

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massive blockage or worse, a crack in the infrastructure. The

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strangest readings were towards the north northwest, so now I

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knew where I had to head. The path towards the

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north northwest line proved my suspicions correct. The water level

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fluctuated and the floe seemed to slow down, a telltale

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sign of a blockage. The rumbling was getting louder. Now

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I knew I was getting close to the source of

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the problem. This was made more apparent by the shaking

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of the cement around me. The infrastructure was weaker here

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As I rounded the corner, I finally encountered the issue.

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A sizeable amount of rubble was in the way, creating

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a makeshift dam and a hole in the wall. I

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noted more information before approaching the scene. The wall seemed

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to have been blown out by force. Pressure built up

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from somewhere on the other side of the wall and

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blew inwards. There was no other way for the rubble

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to end up inside the tunnel in the manner that

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it did. I approached the hole in the wall itself

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and shine my flashlight through. It was bigger than if

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the concrete had just crumbled. It was damn near half

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my size. I expected to see a pocket of dirt,

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possibly a gap from the tunnel shift in which caused

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pressure to blow inwards. What I didn't expect was an

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entirely different tunnel system. This hidden tunnel seemed to be

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entirely walled with compressed dirt rather than concrete, which showed

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that it wasn't just another symmetrical tunnel or an older

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abandoned one. I took my notebook out and read through

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the things I had already written down, wondering if I

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might have information on this by all means I could

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have just made my way out planned with my team

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and the city council and worked through this more prepared.

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But those damn assholes would make me far countless reports

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on this before I even stepped foot back in. It

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would take weeks just to get the repair schedule, and

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this would come after countless days of surveying from the

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gases to the numbers and the pressure gages and the

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shift in the tunnel's layout. It wasn't ridiculous to say

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that everything could get worse fast without proper intervention or

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at least finding the underlying issues as soon as possible.

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And even if the repairs got underway promptly, undoubtedly our

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city's cheap bureaucracy would do no more than seal up

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the hole, only to have it break again or worse

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in the future. Ultimately, I decided I would go inside

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the hole, if only briefly. My idea was to poke

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around to get enough evidence, which should hopefully convince the

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higher ups that the repairs of the tunnel shouldn't just

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be superficial. This way, they couldn't just declare the hole

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to be patched up and pretend and nothing else was wrong.

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I braced myself, then crawled inside. The first thing that

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hit me was the smell. The air was thicker, with

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a faint earthly scent and something metallic. I ran my

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hand along the walls of the dirt tunnel. I glanced

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over my shoulder, and the dim light from the hole

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barely penetrated the darkness around me. So I clicked my

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flashlight on and looked around. There were jagged marks left

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by whatever tools had been used that gouged out. This

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wasn't the work of modern machinery. These tunnels had an

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older feeling, like they had been dug out by pickaxes

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or something more archaic. Then the rumbling came again in here, however,

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surrounded by dirt, the sound was more muffled, but the

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impact of the shaking was much more present. The earth

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around me sh shock, causing little bits and pieces to

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fall off the ceiling, but the tunnel held. Whatever machinery

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was being used in the industrial area above must have

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been heavy duty for it to be felt, and the

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soft dirt of the tunnel. Getting a good sense of

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my surroundings, I moved deeper into the tunnel. With each step,

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the tunnel sloped gently downward. The floor was uneven and

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littered with loose dirt and small stones. I started mentally

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mapping the path I was taking. So far, it was

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following perpendicular to the storm drain, but I wasn't sure

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how long there would be the case for, and I

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sure as hell wasn't about to get myself lost. I

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periodically paused to mark the walls using my multi tool.

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It took more effort than expected. The earth had been

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packed so hard that immense pressure must have been used

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while digging this tunnel out. At least that meant the

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tunnel had some structural integrity, seeing as there weren't any

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support beams left after its construction. As I ventured further,

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I noticed the tunnel's dimensions were strangely irregular. They sometimes

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narrowed and other times they widened. I grabbed my distance measurer,

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and the numbers confirmed my suspicions. This was not a

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professionally dug out or well planned tunnel. This raised more

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questions on top of the many that were already piling on. Next,

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I flicked the gas detector on The numbers showed higher

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levels of methane and significantly lower levels of carbon monoxide.

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I grabbed my notebook once more and started writing the

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numbers down. But then in the middle of my writing,

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the rumbles started again. This time it was different. It

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was no longer just a muffled reverberation. I could feel

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it more in my feet, and now it was rhythmic. Thump, thump, thump.

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It was louder now, and it echoed a pulsing thrum

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that vibrated through the dirt. The ground beneath my boots

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felt unstable, as if the very earth could shift at

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any moment. And it wasn't just getting louder, no, it

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was getting closer behind me. I didn't want to waste

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time turning around. Instinct took over, screaming at me to

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get away. I dropped my notebook and made a run

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for it. The tunnel, already constricting at the scenes, seemed

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to grow even smaller as I tore through the darkness.

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The beam of my flashlight flung around wildly as the

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thudding behind me grew louder. The thing behind me was

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matching my pace. The tunnel wasn't just vibrating now, it

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was shaking, as if whatever was behind me threatened to

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collapse it entirely. I slid and skid in a loose dirt,

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almost losing my foot in I thought to keep my

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breath consistent in the dense tunnel air. My heart beat

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loudly in my ears, drowning out everything but the thing's

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relentless approach. I reached the fork in the tunnel and

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did not hesitate for a moment. With no time to lose,

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I instantly veered left the narrow passage, forcing me to

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dug slightly. The rumbling behind me grew distant for the

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slightest of moment, as if it had miscalculated the turn.

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It gave me an inkling of hope, but I knew

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I wasn't out of it yet. I needed an exit,

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and I kneaded it fast. I had put some distance

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between me and whatever was behind me, but I was

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also further away from the only exit I knew of.

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The tunnel twisted and turned. Now no longer straight and coordinated,

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it was now serpentine in nature. Its pace kept up

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with me on long straits the earth ground as whatever

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it was worked its way down corridors. However, it slowed

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down on turns. Knowing this, I darted to the side

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every chance I got, and eventually the distance widened so

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much that I could barely hear it. The only downside

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was that I was almost entirely lost. Sure, I prided

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myself and tracking my turns perfectly in the storm drained

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tunnels it was borderline mandatory for the job. But in

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the rush, I did not have the luxury to take

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detailed mental notes in my directions. My only saving grace

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was that I had a general idea of the cardinal

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direction i'd moved, so my only option was the head

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back in one general direction and hope no turns deviated

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me too much. I calmly backtracked. Without the urgency of escape,

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I had time to think on the situation. Whatever it

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chased me must have been a machine I'd never seen before.

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Without the sporadic nature of the tunnels it left behind,

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it was too asymmetrical and erratic to be a new

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storm train system. The nature of these tunnels was just

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as confusing as when I'd found them. Despite this, I

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couldn't be mad at the person operating the machine, regardless

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of my opinions and the mess they were making here.

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It was my fault that I'd stumbled into a live

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construction site. However, I could be mad that they had

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carelessly damaged the storm train system that neighbored their project.

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My priority was the make contact with whoever was working

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these new tunnels to stop current operations for me to

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get out safely. I followed imprints of my running footprints

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back as well as I could, and made educated guesses.

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For times that I lost my tracks, I would always

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seem to circle back to my tracks, which made me

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00:16:18,879 --> 00:16:21,720
thankful for the sense of direction drilled into me by

241
00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:27,679
my grandfather. As I made progress, I heard a low rumble.

242
00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:32,720
It sounded like an idle engine, though it was rhythmic,

243
00:16:33,159 --> 00:16:37,960
not a static hum. It was a slight deviation from

244
00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:42,639
my path, but to ensure my safety, I detoured towards it,

245
00:16:43,159 --> 00:16:46,039
hoping to make contact, to tell them to cease operations

246
00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:49,759
while I made my way out, and to secretly get

247
00:16:49,799 --> 00:16:51,960
the name of the company that was going to be

248
00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,960
my new nemesis. As soon as I got out, I

249
00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,360
reached the fork, the hum reverberating from the right, so

250
00:17:00,679 --> 00:17:04,359
I called out loudly in case the engine drowned out

251
00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:09,640
my cries. I heard nothing back, so for my safety,

252
00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,480
I slowed my pace to a crawl, calling out incessantly

253
00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:17,039
to no avail. The worker must have been ignorant to

254
00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,160
a passing vagrant in the tunnels, which part of me

255
00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:23,920
couldn't blame him for, as the situation was very bizarre

256
00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:28,839
but frustrated me to no end. As I peeked my

257
00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:32,039
head around the corner, I slowly brought my arm around

258
00:17:32,079 --> 00:17:35,960
to try flash my light into the cabin of the machine.

259
00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:38,880
If they couldn't hear me, there was no way they

260
00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:46,480
could miss my light. Fur. Instead of a luminescent paint

261
00:17:46,559 --> 00:17:51,799
job and hardened steel, I saw disheveled fur legs poking

262
00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:57,319
out with long, concaved claws, perfect for digging, perfect for tunneling.

263
00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:03,160
It shuffled more, its breathing hums rumbling more erratically as

264
00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:07,759
it knew I was near to my amazing lock. I

265
00:18:07,799 --> 00:18:11,799
saw no head. I was behind it, and whatever this

266
00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,599
creature was, it had no way to turn around or reverse.

267
00:18:16,839 --> 00:18:20,759
Its frustration was projected from its increased breathing and grunting.

268
00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:25,079
My shark held me as I looked it over, and

269
00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,039
despite how much I racked my brain over the many

270
00:18:28,079 --> 00:18:31,480
animals I knew of, nothing in the world came close

271
00:18:31,519 --> 00:18:36,680
to whatever this was. It was huge, leaving almost no

272
00:18:36,799 --> 00:18:40,759
space around it. The tunnel was a perfect fit around it,

273
00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,480
tailor made for it to move through, and seeing the

274
00:18:44,519 --> 00:18:47,880
size of the tunnel, I was astonished that a creature

275
00:18:48,039 --> 00:18:53,079
so big could exist. While I was looking over its

276
00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:58,720
strange tail, it suddenly darted off. Despite its size, it

277
00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:03,400
moved fast, its claws digging deep with a recognizable thump

278
00:19:03,559 --> 00:19:06,880
each time, and pulling it forward at a surprising pace.

279
00:19:08,079 --> 00:19:13,519
It veared left and shuffled away. This wasn't the reprise

280
00:19:13,599 --> 00:19:16,960
I was hoping for, as I heard it turn, then

281
00:19:17,039 --> 00:19:21,039
turn again, and soon I heard it getting louder. But

282
00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:26,200
from my left it was circling around, and I did

283
00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:28,240
not want to hang around long enough to see its

284
00:19:28,279 --> 00:19:32,240
front end. Its behavior told me that seeing it up

285
00:19:32,279 --> 00:19:36,440
close would be a death sentence, so adrenaline took over

286
00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,839
as I turned and ran. I tried to line back

287
00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:43,400
up to where I had been back tracking before, but

288
00:19:43,519 --> 00:19:45,720
in the rush, I did not have the luxury of

289
00:19:45,759 --> 00:19:50,079
studying the ground for footprints like before. It gained on

290
00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:53,119
me in the straits, and I created distance on the turns,

291
00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:57,200
but each turn twisted my sense of direction until I

292
00:19:57,279 --> 00:20:00,480
was utterly turned round. Just rushing through the dark to

293
00:20:00,519 --> 00:20:07,759
find safety, but I found something else instead. I had

294
00:20:07,799 --> 00:20:11,200
created a good distance between the creature, but not enough

295
00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,960
for it to lose its chase, and in front of

296
00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:19,200
me was a wall of dirt, a dead end. The

297
00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,599
scraping told me it had tunneled up to this point

298
00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:25,079
and stopped, and the concrete behind some gashes told me

299
00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:28,279
it had reached the storm trained tunnels and couldn't get through.

300
00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:32,119
All that went through my mind was as if I

301
00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:34,119
could make it to the last turn I made to

302
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,720
continue this game of cat and mouse. I turned to

303
00:20:37,799 --> 00:20:40,640
run back and try, but I stumbled and slipped on

304
00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:45,440
loose dirt, barely catch myself before I fell. The beam

305
00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,480
of my flashlight flickered on and off, casting shadows on

306
00:20:48,519 --> 00:20:53,200
the wall. I paused for a moment to steady my hand.

307
00:20:54,559 --> 00:20:57,880
That small bit of wasted time was all it took.

308
00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:03,319
I was too I heard it approaching the turn ahead,

309
00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,160
and with its pace, there was no way for me

310
00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:09,920
to return to the crossroads on time. The strait was

311
00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:11,799
too far for me to beat it to the turn,

312
00:21:12,519 --> 00:21:15,079
and even if I did, I would be on another

313
00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:18,559
strait with it just meet us behind me, too close

314
00:21:18,599 --> 00:21:23,400
to beat it until the next turn. It was over.

315
00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,240
I could die in vain, or I could go out

316
00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:30,880
on my own terms, and a wash of serenity came

317
00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:35,039
over me surprisingly quickly as I just accepted the situation.

318
00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:40,119
I slumped down on a mound of loose dirt, got comfortable,

319
00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:43,160
and pulled out the lucky stripes I slashed in my

320
00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:48,559
front pocket. Smoking in a tunnel was forbidden for obvious reasons,

321
00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:51,640
but my final act was the stick it to the

322
00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:56,200
rules and do something I'd always wanted to do. I

323
00:21:56,279 --> 00:21:59,839
lit the flame of the lighter, briefly illuminating the tunnel

324
00:22:00,079 --> 00:22:04,079
in which I now sat. The first drag was harsh,

325
00:22:04,559 --> 00:22:08,279
the smoke caught in my throat and scratched relentlessly, but

326
00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,240
the buzz was the best mental reprieve from the incoming doom,

327
00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:17,759
A final moment of bliss before the end. The rumbling approached,

328
00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:21,200
nearing the final corner before the long straight to my

329
00:22:21,279 --> 00:22:25,039
dead end. The air thickened with the smoke as I

330
00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:27,640
rushed another hit, trying to see if I could at

331
00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:32,319
least finish it before it reached me. It seemed I

332
00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:36,079
was allowed to extra time as it slowed. Either it

333
00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:38,880
was saving the moment, or it knew I was in

334
00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:43,680
a dead end. Either way, I was fortunate in an

335
00:22:43,799 --> 00:22:48,839
unfortunate way, so I continued to savor my final act.

336
00:22:50,279 --> 00:22:54,519
To prepare myself, I just focused on the cigarette, staring

337
00:22:54,559 --> 00:22:56,759
at the red embers that lit up as I drew

338
00:22:56,799 --> 00:22:59,640
it in, trying to push the thoughts of a violent

339
00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:03,559
death to the back of my mind, never gone but

340
00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:06,640
far enough away to try find some last second piece.

341
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,480
As the red reached the tip of the butt, I

342
00:23:11,519 --> 00:23:16,079
felt a nauseating sense of finality. I had associated the

343
00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,160
end of the cigarette with the end of my life,

344
00:23:19,279 --> 00:23:22,079
but as I slowly came to back in the moment,

345
00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:26,640
I was holding the smoldering remains of the cigarette in

346
00:23:26,759 --> 00:23:31,640
silence smoke blogged the beam of the light from my flashlight,

347
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:34,519
one of the many reasons when not allowed to smoke

348
00:23:34,559 --> 00:23:38,079
while on the job. The stale air was replaced by

349
00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:41,759
the strong smell of nicotine, and my vision barely passed

350
00:23:41,759 --> 00:23:45,519
a few feet. This was typically in still a sense

351
00:23:45,559 --> 00:23:49,119
of claustrophobia, but all I could think about was the

352
00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:56,279
creature unmoving just out of vision. Having somewhat accepted my piece,

353
00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,680
I took a few paces forward away from the dead

354
00:23:59,799 --> 00:24:03,359
end to see if it was still there and as

355
00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:09,119
I approached, shuffling mirrored my movement. It groaned as it

356
00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:13,400
shuffled away in the same direction I was heading. I

357
00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:18,319
walked more, emerging from the cloud I had created, and

358
00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:22,680
there it was. My light didn't penetrate far enough to

359
00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,279
see it in its entirety, but it illuminated enough to

360
00:24:26,279 --> 00:24:29,519
see two pin prick eyes, like a cat caught in

361
00:24:29,599 --> 00:24:34,079
head lights in the dead of night. Growls rumbled as

362
00:24:34,079 --> 00:24:37,759
it dared, approaching slowly. In the high of the moment,

363
00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:43,640
I pieced together what was happening. I pulled out another cigarette,

364
00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:48,000
lit it up, and blew the smoke around. I lost

365
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,559
sight of it, but I could hear it defiantly moving back.

366
00:24:52,799 --> 00:24:56,480
I edged forward step by step, creating a cloud around me,

367
00:24:57,079 --> 00:24:58,839
and I heard it bump into the wall of the

368
00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,440
turn and scram to the side. As soon as it

369
00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:08,799
reared the bend, it shuffled forward and sped away. Everything

370
00:25:08,839 --> 00:25:13,880
that had transpired left me confused. So many questions swelled

371
00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:16,599
around my mind, but I had to focus on the

372
00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:21,640
one absolute truth about the situation. I was given a

373
00:25:21,799 --> 00:25:26,880
chance to escape, and I had to take it. I

374
00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:31,200
moved through the tunnels, lit cigarette in hand, I tried

375
00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,720
not to smoke it too much, as each puff left

376
00:25:33,759 --> 00:25:36,519
me blinded for a short period, and I had a

377
00:25:36,519 --> 00:25:40,319
finite amount of cigarettes. But any time I heard the

378
00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:44,039
thumping nearby, I'd let out a few exhales of smoke

379
00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:49,160
and it would edge away, always near, but never approaching.

380
00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:53,720
With the downtime, I was able to find the remnants

381
00:25:53,759 --> 00:25:56,480
of some of my stumped footprints, and I used the

382
00:25:56,519 --> 00:25:59,720
indent of my sprinting heeling prints to slowly track back

383
00:25:59,759 --> 00:26:04,319
to where I was. Eventually I saw something that stood

384
00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,559
out of the dirt, just sticking out by a corner,

385
00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:12,119
and a bit torn My notebook, which seemed to have

386
00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:17,720
been scratched up, but otherwise intact. I was ecstatic. I

387
00:26:17,759 --> 00:26:20,680
hadn't dropped it too far from the exit, which was

388
00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:24,359
important to me, so I snatched it up, getting my

389
00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:28,400
bearings on the last distance to the exit. But then

390
00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:33,839
another sensation hit me. The space between my fingers burned

391
00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:38,680
ever so slightly as the cigarette came to its end. Then,

392
00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:45,880
as if on cue, thump, thump, thump, the rumbling thumping reappeared,

393
00:26:46,519 --> 00:26:51,960
this time hurried angry either it was frustrated and being

394
00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,759
teased by its food, always moving away or it knew

395
00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:59,680
I was nearing the exit. The walls around me shook

396
00:27:00,039 --> 00:27:03,960
and debris landed all around me. I ran like hell.

397
00:27:05,799 --> 00:27:09,480
Everything reached the crescendo. The creature shook the earth as

398
00:27:09,519 --> 00:27:12,279
it pummeled through the tunnel toward me, and I could

399
00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:16,759
tell it was gaining ground fast, but I was just

400
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,920
fast enough. I cut my back up, diving through the hole,

401
00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:24,400
just making it through as something sharp swiped at where

402
00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:27,480
I was. The pain was dulled by the rush of

403
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:31,480
adrenaline that fueled my last dash for freedom. I could

404
00:27:31,519 --> 00:27:34,960
hear the concrete get scraped away and the wall reverberated

405
00:27:35,039 --> 00:27:37,279
with a harsh sound of it trying to get through.

406
00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,759
I was soaked on the floor, landing on the flooding

407
00:27:41,799 --> 00:27:45,559
and rubble on the other side. I grabbed some debris

408
00:27:45,599 --> 00:27:48,319
and threw it at the hole, desperate to either hit

409
00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:51,359
it or block it up as best I could, but

410
00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:54,000
I knew it was a job too much for one man.

411
00:27:55,839 --> 00:27:59,960
Once the smell of dampness wore off, I smelled something

412
00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:08,160
I knew smoke. At first, I thought it was my clothing,

413
00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,119
probably stained from the smell of cigarettes I had just

414
00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:15,599
gone through, but it was strong and smelled distinct mora

415
00:28:15,799 --> 00:28:22,000
than it coincided with my walk out. Following the route

416
00:28:22,039 --> 00:28:25,319
I took and hearing the rain from outside, I made

417
00:28:25,319 --> 00:28:29,480
my way to the exit and my eyes watered, not

418
00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:33,559
from relief, but from the smoke being blasted towards me.

419
00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:37,359
I had to cover my face with my sleeve as

420
00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:40,720
I went down the final straight, and when I could

421
00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,599
finally see again, I saw what was causing all the smoke.

422
00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:49,480
The barrel at the front, which I thought was just

423
00:28:49,519 --> 00:28:52,960
the fire for the homeless, was lit with a fresh flame,

424
00:28:54,319 --> 00:28:57,039
a mix of dry wood for fuel and wet leaves

425
00:28:57,079 --> 00:29:00,720
for smoke. It wafted through the storm. I drained tunnels

426
00:29:00,759 --> 00:29:06,119
with fervor from the strong winds. Once outside, I felt

427
00:29:06,119 --> 00:29:09,960
a new sense of urgency, a feeling to relish my freedom,

428
00:29:10,319 --> 00:29:13,839
but also to take action. I ran back to my

429
00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:18,759
truck and dialed the city council. I made arrangements for repairs,

430
00:29:19,319 --> 00:29:23,559
making no mention of the tunnels I had found. I explained,

431
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,039
I found a hole with that the gases from the

432
00:29:26,039 --> 00:29:29,920
earth were leaking through that way, the people who go

433
00:29:30,039 --> 00:29:32,839
in won't need to enter the other side, and would

434
00:29:32,839 --> 00:29:37,319
wear enough protection to obscure their vision. The less curiosity

435
00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:43,319
the better. Over the coming weeks, in preparation, I kept

436
00:29:43,319 --> 00:29:47,599
the fire lit like clockwork. I've never crossed paths with

437
00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:50,559
whoever has been lighting it before or when I was

438
00:29:50,599 --> 00:29:55,880
in there, but they exist. Some days I go to

439
00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,920
light it only to see some one has beaten me

440
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,880
to it. Whoever it was seemed to know about the

441
00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:06,680
creature before me, and seemed to appreciate my joining their efforts,

442
00:30:07,359 --> 00:30:09,680
once leaving a thank you note on the barrel for me.

443
00:30:11,519 --> 00:30:14,480
When the time came for repairs, I waited for the

444
00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:17,599
boys to go inside the tunnels, watching them glance at

445
00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:20,799
the fire as they went past. They tried to kick

446
00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,599
up a fuss about it obviously being a hazard for

447
00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:26,200
them to work in the tunnels, but A managed to

448
00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:30,200
spit enough jargon about the necessity of it. They knew

449
00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:34,920
about construction, but I knew enough buzzwords about storm drain infrastructure,

450
00:30:35,319 --> 00:30:37,720
the bold face lie about the need for the fire.

451
00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:41,480
They never knew that it was my only hope of

452
00:30:41,599 --> 00:30:47,440
keeping whatever was inside far away from them. The entire

453
00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:52,160
time they made those repairs, I stood outside diligently keeping

454
00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:56,799
the fire ablaze, and once they walked out, I lied

455
00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:01,240
that I would set it out once they left. I've

456
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,839
been in the tunnel since the incident. I checked and

457
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:08,920
saw I was still solid, but while doing my inspections,

458
00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:13,920
I sometimes still hear it. I no longer think it's

459
00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:18,079
the machines from the industrial area above I recognize as

460
00:31:18,119 --> 00:31:23,240
movement patterns all too well. Now we're safe from it

461
00:31:23,359 --> 00:31:28,799
breaking through the solid concrete for now, but I still

462
00:31:28,839 --> 00:31:32,640
go by every so often and keep the fire lit

463
00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:37,359
just in case it ever gets through again.