Lighthouse Horror Podcast - I'm a SEARCH AND RESCUE Officer in the sewers. We have STRANGE RULES | Scary Stories

Episode Date: November 14, 2024

You won't believe the first rule... Scary Story exclusively written for the channel by The Lighthouse Horror Team Cover Art from Ninerio More of the artist’s works at ninerioarts         ��            Original YouTube link: I'm a SEARCH AND RESCUE Officer in the sewers. We have STRANGE RULES Merch: lighthousehorror.shop For more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel: Lighthouse Horror | YouTube  Patreon: Lighthouse Horror | Patreon Music: Lucas King - YouTube Myuu - YouTube  Incompetech Darren Curtis Music - YouTube  Thank you for listening to this scary story! If you enjoyed this new creepypasta story, please check out some of my other horror stories. We'll be uploading new episodes every week, featuring ghost stories, haunted encounters, mysteries, true stories, creepypasta, and anything supernatural and paranormal. Don't miss out on the thrill and suspense that await you in each episode!

Have you ever gotten lost in the sewers? The tunnels down there go on forever. They lead to horrifying places where monsters hunt people who don't follow the rules. I was a sewer worker assigned to the tunnels near the lake. The city where I worked had a vast network of sewer tunnels twisting and turning beneath the streets. They were all connected to the stormwater line

that controlled the flooding of the lake. All that water would be dumped in. into the ocean by the docks. Glenn and I were always the one sent to deal with flooding. I had no complaints. Flood waters were way better than toilet water. A recent downpour filled the tunnels with gunk and garbage. So we had to clear those blockages, even if it was way past office hours.

The lake might spill over and sink nearby towns if the flooding went unchecked. I gave up the game for this. Glenn complained. What? TV dinner night, I asked. Glenn simply answered with an irritated grunt. He turned on the light attached to his helmet as we entered the sewers closest to the lake. If I had one complaint, it was the silence of the place. It was unnerving compared to the constant buzz of the city a couple of hours away.

I followed him down the manhole entrance. Soon, we were both waiting. through knee-deep water. Hey, it's your birthday or something, right? Glenn asked. Yeah, the big two and oh, so I guess I'm old now, I replied. Glenn laughed, the sound echoing through the pipes. If you're old, that makes me what?

He asked. Ancient, I replied. He chuckled and lit his cigarette. Glenn was like a mentor, or maybe an older brother. A much older brother. He taught me everything I knew when it came to cleaning pipes. He always told me he'd teach me how to smoke, but he never got around to it. It made him look cool, like a dead serious cop in some crime scene.

I was afraid I'd only look like a wannabe. Where's your toolbox? Glenn asked as we neared the bend. About that. I might have left it at home. I thought they'd give me the day off, I replied. Glenn sighed, but handed me his own. That's all right.

Don't sweat it, kid. Mine's got everything we need. He exhaled smoke through his nose while he talked. I really wanted to learn that trick. Then, a distant sound made us both stop. The near silence of the area made it seem like. louder. It was somewhere between a growl and a groan. Maybe a coyote got dragged in with a flood, I said. Glenn didn't answer. He stayed silent for a while, deep in his thoughts. I noticed that the

hand holding his cigarette was shaking. You, um, you ever hear a cow Denton? Glenn asked. I knew who he was. Cow and his brother Chris worked sewer maintenance years before I. I did. One day, the Denton brothers went missing in the sewers. After days of searching, Cowell Denton was the only one they found. He was covered in blood. The poor guy went insane, and spoke one line over and over. It swallowed him. Everyone loved telling that story, especially to newbies. It was like a weird hazing that taught us never to go into the sewers alone. Some senior workers even shared pictures. It was enough to give you nightmares.

I couldn't even imagine what could cause such profound fear on his face. Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're scared of monsters, too, I said. Can't be too careful, kid. This was their section, Glenn replied. I heard a lot of versions of that story. Some claimed Cal murdered his brother. some said he was crazy to begin with.

There was even a mention of alien abduction. Glenn was the only one who took the story seriously. The others couldn't keep a straight face. They joked that Chris was somewhere in Atlantic City, laughing at the prank he pulled on everybody. I was inclined to believe them. Other than large rats and homeless people, I didn't think anything was remotely dangerous in the sewers.

I wanted to ask more, but Glenn looked deep in thought. And so, with Glenn's well-stocked toolbox, we headed further. The water was slowly rising because the city closed off the section until we were done. After the cleanup, it was also our job to manually open the pipes and let the floodwaters into the city sewers. We could let the city do it remotely, but we'd be swimming by the time we returned to the Entrance. The deeper we went, the darker and damper it got. By then, the floodwaters were almost up to our waist. Glenn led the way. Map in hand. We passed through sections clearing blockages and debris along the way. I had a sack attached to my back that slowly filled up with gunk and

garbage. You think Cal murdered his brother? I asked. No, no. Those brosures. Those brinked. Bozos didn't have the stomach for it, he said. You seem sure, I replied. Glenn stopped and folded the map before putting it in the toolbox. He took a long hit from his cigarette before he answered. They were my friends, he said. We worked in silence for a while. The only sounds were the occasional splashes of water.

We were at the last stop of our cleanup tour. when we heard the odd sound again. This time, it sounded more like someone in healing a big gulp of air. We both stopped and listened. I knew what rats sounded like. Even the biggest ones didn't sound like that. Then the sound grew louder. It was following us.

And that was when we encountered a floating dead coyote. I was right. I figured the flooding trapped an entire package, of coyotes, and some of them had been following our smoky scent. I wanted to impress Glenn, so I took a wrench from his toolbox and started banging on the pipe wall. What are you doing? Are you stupid? Glenn said. I'm scaring the coyotes away. My old man did this at our farm, I replied. Glenn motioned for me to be quiet, and we listened for a moment. The sound was gone. Whatever it was,

The noise drove it away. I smiled at Glenn and waved the wrench around. His expression was grave as he quieted me with an intense look. I never saw him that serious before. Sure, he looked like a cop who had seen enough evil in the world, but there was always a chuckle about to surface. It was different at that time, and it made me nervous. He carefully turned over the floating dead coyote,

The lower half of its body was gone. It looked like it was taken in one big bite. Glenn, I asked. We need to get out of here, he said. He froze when he looked back at me. His eyes were fixed on something just over my shoulder. What the hell is that? He said.

I heard shuffling behind me. It was quiet, stalking. There was a faint smell of dead rats, and then I heard that big inhale of air, as if it was inches away. Before I could turn, something took hold of my arm and dragged me. It was all too fast. I couldn't understand what was happening. I lost my helmet light, and everything went dark. I couldn't see the creature clearly as it pulled me away.

It was strange. I could feel my body being dragged away, but I couldn't feel my arm. I just knew that half my left arm was inside the thing. I was not a lightweight. I was easily more than 200 pounds, and it surprised me that it jerked me around like a rag doll. I smacked it repeatedly with a wrench in my right hand, but it wouldn't let go of me. It had a weird gummy-like texture. The wrench just bounced right off of it. Suddenly, I was free of the creature's hold. Glenn was there catching his breath as he helped me up. He placed my helmet on my head and clipped it in place.

Always buckle your helmet, kid, he told me. I wanted to look at the creature, but Glenn pulled me away. No, no, no, let's go. I fed the coyote to it. Let's not be here for dessert. He said, We waded through the waist-deep water as fast as we could. Glenn had the map in the toolbox.

I still held on to my wrench. My left arm was completely numb. My whole sleeve was soaked with goo, and it smelled like a dead rat. At some point, I noticed that the creature wasn't coming after us. It didn't matter. We still ran. A few minutes of running and water,

took a toll on our stamina. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping us moving. We reached one of the pipe gates leading to the city. Glenn and I climbed on a metal platform near the crank to manually open the gate. I took a closer look at my left arm. The feeling came back with pins and needles, but my arm felt weak.

I could move it, but only a little. The pain became unbearable, and it made me stop. When Glenn saw me struggling, he took out the duct tape from the toolbox. Together, we made an improvised sling from my left arm. What the hell was that thing, Glenn? I don't know, he replied. Glenn lit a cigarette and blew smoke through his nose. You think that's what killed Chris? I asked.

I don't know, kid, he said. Glenn flicked his half-consumed cigarette into the water and spat. After a moment of silence, Glenn told me that he often visited Cal at the asylum. The stories were right. He's insane then, I asked. He didn't answer right away. Well, Cal was convinced his brother was eaten by a monster. Any doctor would say he's insane.

What would you say? I replied. Well, I'm no doctor, but I trust him. Now, maybe that's the monster, maybe it's not. Whatever it is, we need to get the hell out of here. Yeah, and get the army or something, I added. You know, you watch way too many movies, kid. Glenn replied. He took out the map and a pencil from the toolbox.

Glenn marked a spot on the map to show me where we were. Then he marked the exits. There were two of them. He crossed one out because it was already flooded. He was certain that the whole area would be submerged in water. The other exit wasn't easy either. We had to go back the way we came, meaning back to where the creature was. And Glenn was sure that the exit was locked. I pointed at the crossed out exit. Let's just open the floodgate so it wouldn't be flooded, I said. Glenn looked at me silently for a moment before he answered. I don't want to face that thing, kid. But I don't want to let it loose into the city either.

He was right. I wanted to kick myself in the nuts. The floodgate kept the creature trapped in that area. I had no idea which route to choose. It felt like either one would. kill us. Glenn saw the worry on my face. He reached out and tapped my helmet to snap me out of it. It's just a theory, but I think there's a way of hiding from this thing. He began. He opened his toolbox, took out a small parcel wrapped in newspapers, and handed it to me. Well, happy birthday,

he said. I opened the parcel. It was a little bit of a parcel. It was a little bit of the same. It was a was a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Glenn lit a stick of cigarette from his pack. In between puffs of smoke, he explained his theory to me. Cal Denton was a heavy smoker, he said. His brother was not. When the rescue team found Cal, he was huddled in a corner with cigarette butts all around him. The creature attacked you, but it ignored me. said. For the next few minutes, Glenn taught me how to smoke. The trick with the nose was still too advanced for me, but I learned enough to avoid coughing my lungs out. We weren't sure if the creature could still see or hear us, so not coughing was important. While I was practicing smoking,

Glenn memorized the path we were going to take. We had to leave our helmets and lights in case the creature could see us. That meant that we'd be walking in the water. Blind. Glenn and I used duct tape to make a lure for the creature. We attached one end of the measuring tape to a screwdriver. The other end was taped to a pipe wall. Using the automatic coiling action of the tape measure, it would repeatedly bang the wall of the pipe.

For good measure, we position the steel toolbox to fall over after the screwdriver made its final bang. I placed the sack of debris beside our lure, and placed both of our helmets on it with the lights at max setting. We walked in the direction of the monster. We were in almost complete darkness except for the embers of the cigarettes. The smoke had a calming effect on me, and it gradually slowed my breathing as we inched forward.

The water level was above our waist by then. I was still holding under the wrench, while Glenn was armed with a foldable shovel. I imagine the nightmare Cal Denton survived. He was alone in complete darkness after he witnessed his brother's death. He got rescued, but people didn't believe him. I silently wished we could get out, ask for help, and maybe get proof that Cal was right all along.

I was getting anxious. I felt like we'd been walking for longer than we planned. If the lure failed to trigger, then we'd be walking straight towards the creature. Then it came. Loud, repeated, banging sounded off in the distance. Glenn and I slowly submerged ourselves in the water so we'd be hidden. We huddled as close as we could to the wall.

Nothing was happening. Seconds passed, and I was slowly losing air in my lungs. I was surprised at how much the cigarettes had already affected me. I wanted to surface, but I felt Glenn's hand pushing me down. His fingers bit into my shoulders when I struggled. And then just like that, the creature scrambled past us, the water barely rippling. It was fast, and it filled the tunnel with the smell of dead rats. I almost gagged when we surfaced and took a big gulp of air.

The lure worked, but it was far from over. I took a couple more nasty gulps of air before I followed Glenn along the wall. We had to hurry. The cigarettes were all soaked from being underwater, so this was our only chance. We reached the exit shaft with metal rungs we could climb. Then the banging stopped, and we heard the creatures groan echoing. I wasn't sure, but it sounded angry to me. I climbed first with Glenn supporting my weight. my left hand was still weak in the makeshift sling.

I had to let go with my right hand, while Glenn pushed up so I could reach the next foothold. It was painfully slow, and we knew that the creature might return soon. We reached the top, but Glenn was right. The manhole cover was locked, and it was secured on the other side.

With both our feet on a metal rung, and our shoulders pressed against the cover, We tried pushing it. It wouldn't bud. If we banged on the steel cover, the creature would hear us. Minutes turned to an hour, and our muscles started getting tired. We were both freezing by that point. Glenn took out the remaining duct tape in his pocket and made harnesses for us.

It wouldn't even matter for long. I could hear the water below us rising. Beyond the manhole cover, there were really. raindrops. The realization that we were moments away from drowning hit us. We took turns pushing on the cover, and soon a sliver of light came in. I worked on the double to get the cover off, but we could only manage a tiny space about a finger's whiff. Glenn inserted the shovel into it, and we pulled with all the strength we had left. But the cover still wouldn't budge, and we were running out of options. Glenn?

I asked. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look, you still got your ID, kid. He asked, as he took out his own from his breast pocket. I handed him mine, and he inserted both our IDs into the gap of the manhole cover. It's so they know we were here, he said. With that, we both held the shovel and pulled with everything we had. The foldable shovel broke with a loud metallic snap.

Glenn's duct tape harness couldn't take the sudden weight shift. He fell down the shaft with a loud clatter. I dismantled my harness and climbed down. The rising water level was enough to break his fall, but it was easily 20 feet. Heights like that can make hitting the water very painful. I made it down to the water level. Glenn was there hanging onto a rung. He was wincing in pain.

Glenn, you okay? I whispered. There's no need to whisper, kid. With that racket, the thing's already coming. Glenn told me that we had to swim. He knew it'd be difficult, but he believed we could make it to the other exit. He took off my duct tape sling and tied one in to my arm and the other to his. We took a few gulps of air, and we dove down.

It was complete darkness. But I just followed the tape on my arm, and I swam. We were making progress. And then the tape became slack. I felt around under the water, and I found the other end of the tape was cut. I wasn't connected to Glenn anymore. I couldn't feel him anymore, but I knew a larger presence was in that water with me, and it moved faster than my one-armed swimming.

I was starting to run out of air, so I swam. to the top of the water. Fortunately, there were a few inches of space beneath the ceiling of the pipe. I took a large gulp of air before the water rose again. I swam blindly. When my hand touched a wall, I followed it and hoped that it would lead to the exit. It felt like forever. And I knew I was going to drown soon.

And then I saw a light. It renewed my energy. The exit was just there. I told myself I was going to make it. And I did. It turned out to be one of the helmets we left at the lure we made. The strap was caught on the crank to open the floodgate. The beam of the helmet light caught movement a few feet away.

It was large and fast enough to send ripples my way. I swam to the top of the water again. Thankfully, that section still had a few inches of air. I needed to look for Glenn. It took me a few times to dive down and come up for air, but I couldn't find him. I came up again, and my lips were touching the top of the tunnel. I knew it would be my last try. I swam around, but there was no sign of him.

I was getting desperate. I fought the urge to inhale. I looked at the helmet light caught on the floodgate crank. There was no other way. I had to open the floodgate. my right arm took hold of the crank and I started pulling. It was stuck. Even with my feet braced on the wall, the crank wouldn't turn.

And then I felt something on my arm. It was Glenn, pulling on the crank with me. He grabbed it with both hands and it started to turn. The floodgate beside us rose slowly and started sucking in water. We used the crank to keep us from being carried by the crows. Glenn was pointing at something just beyond the light. I couldn't see it clearly. It was big and swimming just enough to keep itself from being sucked in. My vision was starting to blur. I ran out of air and my lungs were starting to fill with water. With a remainder of my strength, I handed the wrench to

Glenn. And then I lost consciousness. I woke up to Glenn pumping my chest. I vomited water to the side and took in a lungful of air. We're alive, kid, Glenn said. We sat for a moment on that metal platform. The sound of the water flowing into the floodgate was like a rushing river. I need a smoke, I said. Glenn chuckled and helped me up.

Kid, you've been a smoker for about 30 minutes, he said. Yeah, but I'm getting good at it, I replied. "'Come on, I'll buy you a pack,' he said. "'We made it out of the sewers and back to the city. Glenn immediately reported the incident to our superiors. Well, after we had a cigarette. They believed Glenn. The police were notified, and a large-scale animal hunt was conducted

to check every inch of the city's sewers. I was sent to the hospital. The state of my arm baffled the doctors. The half of my arm that was inside the creature lost muscle mass in a matter of hours. The doctors had no other way to put it. They simply told me that my arm was dying. They had to cut it off. Or it might poison my blood or something.

Well, they did cut it off. And I donated my dead arm so they could study how the creature fed. It was one of their most valuable specimens, especially with the smelly goo on it. Despite the policemen in K-9 units, they never found the creature in the sewers. Instead, they found a few dead homeless people with loss of muscle mass and countless dead rats. It was enough proof that the creature was real. The sewer system was no longer accessible to the public. It was mandated that sewer workers would only enter the sewers in groups of five, and at least one of them would be an armed policeman.

I spent two months in the hospital after my surgery. Glenn would visit me almost daily and would tell stories about the sewers. A lot of weird things had started happening since we let the creature in. I wasn't even sure if they were all connected, or if the sewers had always been a strange place. and I just hadn't noticed. Glenn heard about what happened to a homeless man. He lived behind a Chinese restaurant. He had free food from leftovers and a warm wall from a kitchen

that was constantly cooking. It was a prime spot for a homeless man. But he had competition with the rats. One day, the homeless man trapped and killed a rat. It was a terrible mistake. Rats came flooding out of the gutters in every hole in that alley. There were giant cat-sized ones, small ones with long tails, and every size in between. The screeching from hundreds of rats was deafening.

The kitchen staff looked out their kitchen window and saw the rats gang up and overwhelm the homeless man. After that, the rats carried him down. to the sewers alive and screaming. The kitchen staff could see the nail marks from the man as he tried to hold on to the edge of the rain gutter. In the end, his fingers got tired, and his screams echoed as he was brought deeper underground. I'm never eating Chinese again, I said.

How about General Sous chicken? Glenn replied. Well, that is pretty good. right, I'll think about it. I said. Glenn continued his story. Days later, a search and rescue team saw this homeless man in the sewers, shouting for help as a carpet of rats carried him around. They never found him, but sometimes they can still hear his screams mixed in with a sound of rats.

He moved on to his next story with a more serious face. There was one time when Glenn tagged along with a group of policemen in search of a missing elderly woman. Her neighbors told them that this woman named Esther had dementia. She would get confused at times. Mostly, she'd remember her younger days and wander into places that she remembered. She entered a bank that used to be a restaurant

and demanded to see the menu, you know, things like that. One day, she wandered into the soup, sewers and her neighbors reported it right away. Glenn and the policeman went in search for her. They started hearing music, the kind that was even too old for Glenn to recognize. And then they saw blankets of dead cockroaches just floating by. Okay, now that is creepy, I said, interrupting his story. It gets worse, kid. Glenn and the policeman turned left at the bend of pipes

and saw the old woman at the end of a tunnel. She was dancing with a man that had a goat for a head. The music suddenly stopped, and they both turned to look at them. The next thing they knew, they were outside the sewers. That exact same thing happened several more times. they'd see the dead roaches floating by, hear the music,

and then turn left to watch Esther and the goat man dancing. Every time the music stopped, they'd be back to where they started. In the end, they couldn't rescue the old woman. The official statement was that Esther was never found. But an unofficial rule spread amongst everyone going down there, If you hear music and see dead roaches, don't turn left. Despite the strange encounter, some search and rescue people used this area. Whenever they were in a hurry, they named it Esther's exit.

You got to let me try that, I said. I don't know, it feels strange. I don't recommend it, kid, Glenn replied. Glenn told me that some of those who tried Esther's exit had bloody noses, or lost a tooth, and one unlucky guy even slipped into a coma. Speaking of unlucky, Glenn heard about an incident where a fellow sewer worker was called in to look at a hotel basement. It was right at the edge of old downtown, and that old hotel that had been built there before Nixon was president. It had gone through multiple renovations, but,

one element remained the same. There were no windows. People were always curious how it could stay in business. If they didn't see anyone going in and out of its lobby doors, they had workers going in and out. But when they were asked about the hotel, they couldn't answer. The box, people called it. They never knew what the hotel's name was. The sewer worker named Frank received a call from someone inside the building. Apparently, the old hotel had a vault door that led to the sewer system underneath. That was all they told Frank. I remembered Frank. Glenn told me he was one of the sewer workers who didn't believe Cal's story. Frank had always been curious about the old sewer system back in the day before the modern pipes. There was just something authentic about hand-carved tunnels out of solid stone, and that hotel

had a direct access to it. Frank was glad to accept the job. He drove to old downtown and was welcomed by a woman inside the hotel lobby. There were no lights inside apart from the square of sunlight coming from the lobby doors. The woman was standing just at the edge of that light. She smiled at Frank and led him to the basement. Frank had to turn on his helmet light just to navigate through the halls. The woman leading him walked very fast. When they arrived at the basement vault door, he was already panting. The woman easily opened the old vault door. Despite its age, the door was properly maintained and oiled. The familiar smell of the sewers welcomed him, but there was a foreign scent mixed in. Beyond the vault door, the sewers were flooded. The woman told him that Frank had to deal with the

flooding so hotel guests could come in. This gave Frank pause. What kind of hotel received guests from the sewers? Well, Frank went to work on the old sewer section. He quickly found the source of the water blockage and probably that strange smell. It was a huge clump of meat. There was no other way to put it. It was probably some butcher's fault who accidentally dumped a whole slab of beef into the sewers. He pulled it out of the drain, and the water flowed again. That was when he got a full look at the meat he was holding. It had a human arm attached to it. Frank dropped it and was about to run back to the vault door when he saw people there lining up to enter. He stood frozen in place. He stood frozen in place. Each of the guests going into the vault doors had porcelain skin and dark eyes.

He waited until everyone had gone in before he went closer. The woman was there. She led Frank to the lobby and told them that they would request for him by name any time they had a problem with the sewers. Well, Frank resigned that day. That was when he told Glenn all about it, thinking it was something. somehow connected to the creature Glenn encountered. Frank was never the same since. He never went out to drink at night anymore,

and he would only walk in direct sunlight. Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait. You don't mean that Frank went insane? Glenn interrupted. No, not that. That those are vampires, right? I said. I'm not sure, kid.

but it's ironic that nobody believed in Frank's story, Glenn said. Before he went home, he had one last sewer story for me. The old man and a couple of other sewer workers were called in. The news about Frank was still fresh then. Despite the new gossip, all talk died down when they made it to location. They just stood there and stared. Glenn and his fellow sewer workers were brought in to the public pool. Despite not being told what the job was,

they had a clue what it was before they could even enter the pool area. Bubbles? I asked. That's right. Bubbles, kid. A whole lot of it, Glenn said. They were standing across the street from the public pool, and the whole thing was covered in one. White bubbles. It had also overflowed and taken over half the street. The police had the area taped and beat cops were directing traffic away from it. As Glenn and the others were approaching, there were people who'd emerged from the bubble fortress. They looked shaken and were coughing up

bubbles. Several ambulances were dispatched to the area, and children were brought to the hospital. Everything was covered in bubbles. A man met them near the entrance and said that they had everything out of the area except for one person. They couldn't find him. His name was Josh Mackin, an obese man in his early 30s.

He was last seen going into the showers. We went in blind. Good thing that I got that place memorized like the back of my hand, Glenn said. You go to the public pool? I asked. I'm allowed to have a social life, he replied. Their only difficulty was that the bubbles were suffocating.

They only made it past the entryway. Glenn's fellow sewer workers couldn't take it. One was even having a panic attack. Poor guy had a bad case of claustrophobia. Those bubbles closed in on them. Glenn continued to start. He closed his eyes and continued walking through the bubbles. The showers were at the lower floor, so he took the stairs slowly.

Soon, he felt the familiar heat from the steam room and heard the sounds of running shower heads. Those were probably abandoned when the bubbles came. Then he heard a sound. It was like someone with long nails tapping on the tiled floor. Every step Glenn took, he'd hear. that strange sound scuttling around him. He called out for Josh,

but there was no answer. He pressed forward into the sound of the running showers and called again, and that was when a voice answered him. It sounded inhuman. The voice told him that Josh was there.

When Glenn asked where, it simply answered that Josh was everywhere. All right, who are you, Glenn called out. It took a moment, but the inhuman voice answered. It told him that Josh summoned it from the sewers. He wanted to lose weight, the voice said. Glenn was slowly moving forward as he talked to the voice. He was trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. He slowly pulled out his wrench, ready for anything. What did you do?

Glenn asked. The voice simply said that bubbles were weightless. Glenn got to the final shower stall. The curtain was drawn, and the water was running. He swiped away the bubbles to give him space to see.

He pulled on the shower curtain and rushed inside. There was a small hole on the floor. It wasn't big enough to fit a grown man, but it was big enough for the red and orange crab that was taking a peek at him with human eyes on its shell. It managed to run away before Glenn could bring down his wrench on it. What happened to Josh? I asked. Well, we never saw him.

Took two days to clear all those bubbles. Glenn replied. Well, that story was nuts. Thanks. having bubble-related nightmares tonight. I didn't even know that was a thing. Glenn chuckled and offered me a stick of cigarette. We smoked until a nurse came and shoot him out of the room. That night, I had dreams of creatures and talking bubbles. When I was well enough, I went with Glenn to visit Cal Denton at the asylum. He wanted to be the first one to give him the good news.

Cal was deemed innocent for the murder of his brother Chris. He still had PTSD and mental problems from the nightmare he went through, but at least he wasn't a criminal anymore. Cal wasn't exactly well enough to be back in society, but he started to mend on that day. I had to go back to the hospital. My arm stump was still healing. While I was there, I encountered a boy waiting for surgery.

He was eight. His leg had died the same way my arm did. The boy told me that there was a hole in the sidewalk, and he fell. The sewage current carried him far into the tunnels. It was dark, so he couldn't see what was happening. He didn't even notice that he was swimming with a creature. The boy thought he was going to die. His leg felt very weird.

It went numb, he said. And then he heard a dog, barking, and someone pulled him out of the water. A dog grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and an old man carried him away. It was Glenn. After that, the boy passed out. He woke up to the dog licking his face. It was a large black and gray German shepherd, he said. The boy told me that he saw his collar. The dog's name was Old Sarge. The dog stayed with him, only leaving just when Glenn came back with the ambulance. The boy wanted to thank the dog and the old man personally, but he was about to go into surgery. I told him I would thank them for him. I watched the nurses

wheel him into the operating room, and the pain of my stump flared. It was a reminder of my mistake. The boy lost his leg because of the creature. After that, I looked for the canine units to thank Old Sarge. It was the least I could do for the boy. But it was the weirdest thing. Every canine officer told me the same thing. There wasn't any police dog named Old Sarge. You know, it somehow gave me comfort that maybe this dog was out there protecting people. I had a feeling that we were going to need all the help we could get. I even asked Glenn about old Sarge. He knew him.

He said the dog led him to the missing boy. You know, at first I thought he was a K-9 unit. But he's just showed up and helped me four times now, Glenn said. Seriously, I asked. Yeah, yeah. You know, the mayor even declared, honorary search and rescue officers of the sewers, Glenn said proudly. I felt bad that Glenn went back to working the sewers immediately, while I healed and focused on my

prosthetic arm. He felt guilty because we chose to open the floodgate. We unleashed this thing into the city. I felt the same. Glenn's morality had bled into me, so I couldn't wait to go back. and make up for what I'd done. A couple of days later, I met Glenn at a local bar. Over beer and cigarettes, he told me about his mission the previous day. It was a bad day, kid, he said. His body was still sore for multiple trips into the sewer, but he volunteered to join. There was a 10-year-old girl trapped in the sewers, despite having a policeman guarding the

anhole entrance, the girl wandered in and had been missing for five hours. A neighbor saw her and reported it. Glenn went in with a team of four policemen and a canine unit. They got in, and the dog caught the girl's scent. I'm not sure, kid, but I think this would be the last time a k9 unit would be used in the sewers, he told me. I drank my beer and kept silent as he could continued. Glenn and his team followed the dog. It kept following the scent and took them through turns and tunnels, and then they noticed they'd circled back to where they came from. Glenn knew something was wrong, when the dog kept leading them to the manhole exit. The handler tried to control the dog, but it wouldn't go back into the tunnels anymore.

I think that dog was trying to lead us away from Dane. "'Glen said. "'I told them that we had dogs at my old man's farm. "'They protect everyone by instinct "'if they sensed something like wolves "'or even a coming storm. "'Glen then told me "'that the canine unit tried to stop them

"'from going back into the tunnels. "'It even bit a couple of unlucky cops. "'You think it had to do with a creature?' "'I asked. "'I'd bet my liver on it. Glenn replied. That ain't much of a bit, I said. Glenn chuckled into his beer.

I still got a couple of decades on it. Maybe. We fell into silence as we looked around the bar. It was full of people oblivious to the danger right beneath them. What happened to that canine unit reminded me of old Sarge and how he saved that boy? I was still getting used to my new arm. So Glenn offered to light my cigarette. So what happened next? I asked.

Glenn continued his story. He told me that it took three policemen to pin the dog down. After that, they continued to search without it, but never found the girl. There was a sadness in his voice. So old Sarge didn't show, huh? No, no, no. Maybe he was busy somewhere. "'Glen replied.

"'After that night at the bar, "'I didn't see Glenn for three days.' "'Fellow sewer workers told me "'that he went into the sewers "'and they hadn't seen him since. "'I didn't even think about it. "'I went after him. "'It was a foggy Sunday morning

"'and I was a few feet away "'from a manhole cover "'behind an industrial complex. "'It was unguarded. "'With a final shaky breath I stepped forward. You going somewhere, kid? Glenn asked.

And there it was, just sitting with his back against the building wall. The policeman in charge of guarding that area had wrapped him in a blanket and was talking on his radio. Glenn looked like he'd gone through hell, and a few tears were threatening to fall from his eyes. He puffed on his cigarette and shivered in that blanket. An ambulance arrived minutes later, and that was when Glenn parted the blanket. He had a soggy and dirty rag doll in his other hand. He saw me looking and handed the doll to Maine, as if it was a real girl. I was too late, kid.

Before the ambulance could take him to the hospital, Glenn insisted that we return the doll to the family of the little girl. they were somewhere in the area. I held Glenn up so he could stand and hand the doll to the crying mother. I'm so sorry, he told her. I knew he wanted to say more, but I could see that he was struggling with words.

He kept trying to start something but would drift back into silence, unsure of what to say. Somehow, though, the mother understood everything. She nodded, hug the doll, and walked away. At that moment, I felt like the weight of what we'd done was much heavier now. I rode in the ambulance with Glenn, and that was when he told me everything that had happened.

The day after our talk at the bar, he decided to go back and search for the girl. Our bosses did not okay that rescue mission, and Glenn didn't even bother ask for help from the police. It was mainly because the cops reported the girl dead despite the lack of evidence. They just hold me back anyway, Glenn said. He placed a cigarette on his lips. Despite his attempt at lightening the mood, it was barely enough to mask his mix of anger and sadness. The medic inside the ambulance told us that we were not allowed to smoke. Glenn just stared at him. I also gave him the meanest face I could manage while I ignited Glenn's cigarette for him. The poor medic just looked at us, and then bandaged Glenn's sprained ankle.

You think the monster had reached this far into the sewers? I asked. Glenn silently puffed on his cigarette, and then answered, I don't just think. I know the creature's here, kid. I scratched a spot under my prosthetic. aesthetic arm while I chewed on what Glenn told me. You're sure, I asked.

If I bit my liver on it, would you believe me? Glenn replied. You know, you're weirdly proud of your liver. Okay, fine, I believe you. Tell me what happened, I said. He went through the route of the canine dog, even though it wouldn't help them in the end. The dog did initially get the girl's scent,

Glenn took it slow and checked every inch of those tunnels. I ran into the creature, Glenn said. I heard it breathing around one corner. The medic gulped. He was also listening. Glenn said he hid in a dark corner. He turned off his helmet light and puffed smoke to hide his presence. I wish I could see in the dark, kid.

that thing passed right in front of me. I felt scared just thinking about it. My encounter with that thing was still too fresh in my head. When he felt the monster was gone, he turned his light back on. Glenn headed in the direction where the creature emerged. It turned out to be a hidden corner with a large crack. The hole looked old with edges that looked eroded. And then Glenn asked me if I've ever been to a cave, and I nodded.

There was a cave near my old man's farm. Ah, and you must be familiar with cave walls. Smooth and eroded slowly by water over in decades. Glenn said. I nodded. I had a feeling where he was going with it. Glenn told me that it was an impossible cave. He described it just how I remembered such caves.

Forget decades. An extensive cave system like that would take centuries. And when they first searched for the girl, that cave wasn't there. You think the creature made it? I asked. I don't know, kid, but it sure smelled like it. Glenn replied.

Glenn wasn't planning on exploring the cave, but he heard a dog's whimper echoing from inside. He followed his instincts and went right in. Parts of the walls were coated with goo. Glenn had to turn off his light in case the creature came back, so he went in blindly. He followed the sound of whimpering in the dark. When he was getting close,

he took a chance and turned on his light. Old Sarge was there. He was crying near an eye. Underground River. German Shepherds cry? I interrupted. I don't know, but he was definitely upset. Glenn began.

He wasn't injured. When he saw me, old sards dropped the girl's doll right in front of me. You think he'd trying to save the girl? I asked. Glenn nodded. He continued his story. He placed the doll inside his overall. overalls, leaving his hands free. He tried to escape the way he came in, but Glenn heard the creature's

gulp of air inside the cave tunnel. It was coming towards him. I probably wasn't thinking clearly at the time. I just knew I had to get out of there, Glenn said. To buy some time, Glenn took out his wrench and screwdriver. He threw them into the two tunnels. The creature scrambled towards the sounds. He hoped it was enough to give him time to escape. He followed Old Sarge into the river. That would explain why Glenn and the doll were soaking wet. I knew he'd take me back to safety, Glenn said. They swam in the underground river for a while, before they made it to one of the creature's tunnels. It took us more than a day of avoiding the thing in those tunnels. In the end, old Sarge got me out, Glenn said.

We were silent for a while. Glenn, the medic. We all smoked our cigarettes. Then we arrived at the hospital, and I watched them wheeled Glenn in. He was already unconscious from exhaustion. The doctors assured me he'd be just fine. I wanted to ask him why he didn't take me with him. I looked at my prosthetic arm and thought about what Glenn said earlier about the cops.

They'd hold him back. It was a joke, but it hit me harder than I thought. I needed to be less of a liability to him. Parents went on protest, asking the mayor for justice. He responded by dedicating a park bench in honor of the missing girl. The day after Glenn was admitted to the hospital, I got called in for a sewer job. I came in expecting it was going to be cleanup duty.

Since Glenn was out of commission, I figured I wouldn't be given any special assignments. I was wrong. I made my way to HQ. It was a simple enough government building, a large concrete box with doors and windows surrounded by a parking lot. I was greeted at the gate by an old security guard.

There were police cars in the parking lot and a few cops were standing around drinking coffee. One cop stood in front of me and sized me up with his eyes from top to bottom. I didn't know if he was frowning at me or if it was the natural state of his face. The cop told me to follow him, and he walked off without checking if I'd follow. I was brought into a conference room. There were five people around a large wooden table.

I recognized two of them from sewer maintenance. The police chief was there and a couple of reps from City Hall. Despite the presence of the chief, the meeting was dominated by the coat and tie people. They call the shots because they represent the mayor. Everything should be done properly. The mayor was under a lot of pressure, and election was months away. After the meetings, I found myself riding in a police car with three cops. We were heading for the asylum.

That day, a sinkhole opened in the basement of the asylum. It caused the collapse of the whole West Wing. While the rest of the patients were being evacuated, my mission was to go with the cops into the sink. Cole, determine the cause of it, and, if possible, rescue the missing patients who fell into the sewers. And we had to do all of it before the whole area collapsed. Booker was the sergeant in charge. He was the man who measured me with his eyes earlier. I didn't know what his problem was. To pass the time, I opened the toolbox. I had a roll of duct tape, a wrench, a screwdriver,

and a tape measure. The second leg was. The second leg, I opened the toolbox. I had to roll a duct tape. The second leg, player was full of cigarette packs and extra lighters. I wanted to bring more, but it would be too heavy for my prosthetic arm. The two other cops were M. Diaz and F. Pelton, based on the name tags of their uniforms. They never talked to me. I can only guess that Booker told them not to. It was already dark when we got out of the police car and entered the asylum. The electric supply of the building was down. I turned down the flashlight of my helmet, while I was a while the cops had lights on their rifles. The asylum was a large brick building.

I wasn't an expert, but I knew the building was older than Glenn. I made a mental note to tell him that joke the next time I saw him. There was an archway that led to the collapsed West Wing. Diaz and Pelton were ordered to secure the area. I took this time to light a cigarette for myself, and I offered one to Booker. He flat out refused. You'll need it. "'Just take one,' I said.

He looked at me and the cigarette I was offering him. But he didn't take it. After that, Diaz and Pelton came back and told us the area was secure. "'Emm, excuse me,' I said. We were about to enter the West Wing. They stopped and looked at me. I almost folded from their collective stairs, but I took a deep breath and thought of how Glenn would handle the situation.

So, a sewer worker has no business telling any guys what to do, I know that. But for the love of God, if you want to survive down there, light a cigarette. I sent. Diaz and Pelton looked at their sergeant for guidance. The rule about smoking was a little hard to believe at first. Booker looked at me with a serious expression. I was offering them my pack. Then he sighed and folded.

Soon, they all had a lit cigarette in between their lips. I also insisted on giving them each a pack and a lighter in case we got separated. We were careful as we slowly walked through the rubble of the collapsed area. The sinkhole was just ahead, and it was difficult to see anything. Our lights were blocked by the thick dust in the air. The silence was disturbed by the scream of a woman. It sounded close. We sprinted forward in time to see a nurse dragged into the large sinkhole.

Her screams were cut off. When we got to the edge of it, there was no sign of her or the creature. The cops checked every inch of the area and made their rounds along the edges, pointing their rifles and lights in every section. We were in the middle of what appeared to be a function hall. There was a stage with a podium at the far end, and there were foldable chairs on the floor. About half the hall was dominated by a sinkhole.

Diaz and Pelton looked shaken. Booker was silent. It was their first encounter with the thing, so I knew how they felt. The image of Glenn in my head was very much alive when I called out to them and made my way into the sinkhole. All right. Come on, boys, we got a job to do, I said. It felt kind of good when I heard a march behind me. When Booker took the lead, he gave me a silent nod of approval and readied his rifle.

We slowly made our way down an incline, passing through rubble and pipes. Soon, we were walking through ankle-deep muck. The three of them did a good job at breathing through their mouths. Flood waters really were better than toilet water. Despite the smell, Diaz crouched down and examined the walls of the sinkhole. He cleared away some of the rubble and showed us what he found. I saw layers of concrete, dirt, and stone. Then Diaz pointed out the space for the sewers and the many tunnels underneath that caused the collapse.

I touched the tunnel walls. Glenn was right. They were cave tunnels, and the surface felt like they were slowly eroded by water for a long time. It seemed old. but those tunnels were recently dug by the creature. I'd bet Glenn's liver on it. The walls were starting to come down on several places, and the floor was shaking every few minutes.

The whole place was ready to sink into the sewers. We heard another scream in the distance. It echoed through the pipes. Each of them pointed their rifle to a different section. The sound came from everywhere. After a moment. Booker made a decision. He ordered Diaz and Pelton to take a tunnel each. He wanted to save as many as we could before the building caved in. There were four entrances in that sinkhole. Despite Booker's protests, I chose to go into a tunnel alone ahead of tagging along with one of them. I needed to be less of a liability. Look, if we miss one tunnel, that could mean a life we fail to save, I said.

Booker gave me his approval before he took the tunnel behind him. Pelton approached me and handed me a pistol. He gave me a simple salute before he took the tunnel next to mine. I slowly waited through the muck. It was one of the creature's cave tunnels, so it wasn't just the toilet water. There were also hints of the creature's dead rat scent that brought me back. With a gun, the toolbox, and the cigarette, I was one hand short, so I took out my duct tape and taped my tools on my arms and legs for easy access.

I had to leave my empty toolbox behind. I heard gunshots in the distance, automatic rifle. It continued firing for close to ten seconds before everything went silent again. I wanted to turn back and help, but I heard someone calling out. At that moment I made a choice. I chose the one calling for help. rather than the one who could defend themselves. My tunnel curved downward into a sure drop.

I slipped on the smelly goo and almost fell. It was a good thing I reached to study myself. That's how I discovered the branch tunnel by accident. It was too small to walk through. I had to crawl. It was difficult with only one working hand and there was loose rubble everywhere. The small ones would bite into my palm and elbow.

There were even large ones that I had to push to one side so I could pass through. And then I heard something that sounded like someone taking in a big gulp of air. It was somewhere behind me, and it was catching up. I turned off the light of my helmet, and I crawled as fast as I could. When I felt it catching up to me, I pulled out Pelton's gun and pointed. I braced myself for the loud bang, but nothing happened. I forgot the damn safety. I crawled away, scrambling faster to make up for lost time.

Small rubble bit into my skin. But I kept going. The creature was almost on me, and I couldn't see an end to the tunnel. Then I came across a large concrete block, and I squeezed through it. I made it in time, feeling the creature push on it and me along with it. I put my full weight on it, but it wasn't working. I needed to buy myself time. I took my wrench and screwdriver.

They were both taped on my forearm. I held one in each hand and forced them to the sides. I heard a groan on the other side, and I didn't wait around. I got the hell out of there. I made it out of the tunnel and into the sewers, and that's when I heard the voice calling out again. The words were clearer.

Help me, the voice said. There was a figure huddled in that far corner. It was one of the patients of the asylum. I recognized the hospital gown. I moved closer, and the strong smell of cigarette smoke welcomed me. The voice called out again, asking for help and a cigarette. I recognized the voice and shone my light on his face. It was Cal Denton, and he was surrounded by cigarette butts.

I can only imagine that it was the same scene the rescuers saw when they found him. We locked eyes, and he immediately reached over and turned off the light of my helmet. Keep that light off. He began. If you want to live, you get on the ground and you light a cigarette. In a matter of moments, we were both smoking as if our lives depended on it. We were in the dark with just our puffing. and then we heard the creature.

It felt so close that I could almost reach out and touch it. I remembered Pelton's gun. I took it out of my pocket, flick the safety off, and pointed it where I thought the monster was. Then Cal's hand pushed it down. We sat there in silence for a while, and then Cal let out a sigh of relief. It's gone, he whispered.

Why'd you stop me? I asked. I saw a guard shoot it earlier. It didn't do shit, he said. He then told me that he spent days in the dark and learned how to survive. I looked over at him. This is our fault, you know. Glenn and I opened the floodgate and now it's here, I said.

Cow told me that Glennon told him. His voice softened. before he said it wasn't our fault. And then, out of nowhere, he began to cry. It swallowed him. It swallowed him. It swallowed him. It swallowed him.

He said that over and over. It gave me pause, just thinking about his story. I wanted to ask him more about the creature and the things he saw in the dark. But Cal was not ready to talk of any of it. His mind was still healing. After a while, he settled back down. He lit the cigarette I handed him earlier. All of a sudden, Cowell was back to normal.

There was a strength in his voice when he told me we had to get out of there. We made our way through the sewers. Cal insisted that I keep my light off. He led the way in the dark with me holding onto his shoulder. In the distance, we heard someone screaming. There were gunshots, and it was over quick. The sewers were silent again, but Cal was frozen in place. You okay, Cal? I asked.

It swallowed him. He said again. I know, I know, but we have to keep going, I replied. But my words weren't helping. He just kept repeating that. Cal looked over at me with this crazy look in his eyes. He grabbed me by the shoulders. And then he was gone.

He ran off somewhere. I went back to our spot earlier, but he wasn't there. I checked the creature's tunnel, but there were no whispers. This guy was kind of a pain in the ass, but I knew I wouldn't forgive myself if I just left him to die down there. I didn't need to ask myself what Glenn would do. He was his friend. I knew that Glenn would just casually light a smoke and say some cool one-liner

before he headed back into the tunnels to find Cal. With a deep sigh, I headed deeper into the sewers. All the while, I was wondering why I forgot to bring a map. Glenn always had the map. I was always depending on him too much. I needed to be less of a burden to him. I heard the creatures groaned somewhere ahead. I turned off my light quickly and puffed my cigarette.

I quickly inched my way closer to the wall, and I made myself as small as possible. The creature was somewhere close. The smell of dead rats was mingling with the cigarette smoke, and then a hand covered my mouth. I struggled, but the hand was. was surprisingly strong. It smelled of cigarettes. You be quiet now. It's coming straight for you, Cal said, and then he told me to run. We passed through the tunnel as quietly as we could. I tripped a couple times, but Cal helped me. And then I saw a light at the end. There was that groan and the intake of air behind me, and all of a sudden the end of the tunnel felt so far.

I knew that the creature would be honest if I didn't do anything. I took my last pack of cigarettes, and I lit them all at the same time. I almost felt dizzy from inhaling that much smoke, but Cal was there to keep me running straight. I dropped my improvised smoke bomb behind me, and I pushed my legs to move faster. And it worked. The creature stopped before the wall of smoke. Cal and I made it to the cave exit. It was the courtyard just at the house.

outside the west wing of the asylum. Just when I thought the danger was over, I saw Booker running. He told us that the whole area was about to collapse. We ran like hell. Walls began to crumble and sink into the ground. Everything was getting sucked into a large hole. But we ran and we made it. We stopped just beyond the outer gates.

The rest of the patients and asylum took. staff were there. They were ushered by Diaz into public buses that would take them to their facilities. Booker, Cal and I were leaning on the outer gate. We were looking into the large sinkhole that ate the whole asylum complex, including the grounds. A nurse came to collect Cal. But before he went, he looked back at me with a grin on his face. Now you give my regards to Glenn, okay? He said, I will do that, I replied. Before he went, he asked for my name,

and I told him that Glenn called me kid. He smiled. Well, I'll see around, kid. He whistled as he walked away. I watched as he was ushered into a bus. After everyone was safely transported, police officers came in to secure the large sinkhole. I just hung around mainly because I didn't know what to do.

And then Booker and Diaz approached me. Booker gave me a note with numbers of how many personnel and patience they saved that day. It was for my report at HQ, he said. Thank you, I replied. Booker and Diaz looked uncomfortable. Diaz looked down like he was trying to read something on the ground. Where's Pelton? I asked. Booker's face softened.

His frown turned into a blank stare. That was when he told me that Pelton was dead. Booker told me that Pelton sacrificed his life so Diaz could lead the staff to safety. We were silent for a moment after that. I only met the three cops that day, but I knew that they were good men. I did my report at HQ, and the note Booker gave me did help, even though I could only save one person. They saw the whole thing as a team success.

The whole asylum complex collapsed on top of the creature, but nobody assumed it died there. Stone and concrete seemed to be nothing to it. I'd seen the creature melt stone down there, and that was considered very helpful in understanding it. Authorities speculated on the creature's origin based on recent findings and reports. Some said that prairie dogs easily dug through concrete.

They considered this for a while, but the creature didn't exactly dig. It melted the stone. A biologist suggested that the creature had to be some sort of reptile. There were species of lizards and snakes that could produce acidic saliva. The creature could produce something corrosive enough to melt stone. it was highly possible, and for a time the creature was considered a reptile, especially with its hard exterior. When I hammered it with a wrench, it just bounced off.

And then Dr. Charlotte Nix came up with a theory that terrified everyone. A new species of bees had been discovered in a Utah National Park, the Pueblo bees. They were named after ancient people who built their dwellings on cave entrances and cliff faces. These bees made their nest inside solid stone, creating a network of tunnels. It still wasn't confirmed, but Dr. Nix was positive that the creature's tunnels under the city would resemble those made by the Pueblo Bee Queen. What terrified everyone was the implication of this theory.

If the creature was related to bees and was indeed a queen, it could start birthing a colony that could easily overwhelm the whole city. Okay, honestly, I don't give a rat's ass. They're wasting time studying this thing, Glenn said. I don't know, I think it makes sense, but I'm just not sure about the tongue, you know, in that eye I saw. I said.

I was in Glenn's hospital room a couple of days after the asylum incident. I was eating his tray of hospital food, while Glenn ate the burger I brought in. Can I at least have some fries? I asked. I tried to grab one, but Glenn swiped it away in time. He had great reflexes for such an old guy. I've been eating that water soup for three days, kid, he said. I was still waiting on a replacement prosthetic arm,

so I was one arm short of wrestling a piece of french fry out of his hands. You know, doctors gave you that food for a reason, I said. I took a sip of his soup, and it was just water and vegetables. Didn't even have salt. I moved on to the pudding cup, and Glenn snatched it right out of the tray. These quacks don't owe nothing. The body needs meat and salt. By the way, kid, good job saving cow, Glenn said.

In the end, I think he saved me, I replied. Cow was transferred to the same medical facility, but the asylum patients were isolated from the rest of the hospital. While I was there, Glenn told me about the recent news, he heard. The police had confirmed that the creature was bulletproof. Glenn heard about it from a nurse who had a friend in the police. One team encountered the creature at a far section of the pipes, somewhere near the docks. They were able to radio it in, but it was too late by the time everyone got there. It was gruesome. Three of the five members were never found. The two bodies they did find,

they had a fate similar to my arm. They lost muscle mass within a few hours, and they died. The nurse had pictures of the victims. They were skin and bones. Police investigators tried to extract as much information from the two dying members, but they were too weak to say anything. The only thing they got out was that that creature was bulletproof. Shattered bullets at the scene were proof enough. How do you kill something bulletproof? I asked Glenn. Bigger bullets? He replied. You mean like a tank? Eh, or a missile, Glenn said. You know, I'm starting to think. you watch too many war movies, I replied. Just as I left Glenn's hospital room, I got a call from

Diaz. He wanted to meet. He insisted, so I told him to meet me at the burger joint near the hospital. I was halfway through my burger when Diaz walked in carrying a metal case. He ordered his meal, and we got talking about creature theories. He'd gone back into the sewers after the asylum incident. they didn't encounter the creature, so he had a chance to get a closer look at the tunnels. They looked similar to the burrows of Komodo dragons. Booker Pelton and Diaz took a trip to Indonesia the previous year. They were cool, he said, like Jurassic Park Dinos. He seemed enthusiastic about it.

And then he showed me a picture. Pelton was posing with a Komodo dragon. It was a side profile of the antinosalphi dragon. It was a side profile of the animal while it was flicking its tongue. It was something, but it wasn't enough to doubt the other theories and switch over. The creature's tongue wasn't forked, and it didn't just flick. It snaked and moved as if it had a mind of its own. The eye I saw was maybe reptilian, I wasn't sure.

And then Diaz told me about the time they were on patrol at the asylum ruins. They had a weird encounter in the sewers. He wasn't exactly sure if it was connected with the creature or not. Diaz and Booker were near one of the creature's tunnels. The SWAT team lent them their night vision goggles so they wouldn't attract the creature with their lights. They all had a cigarette. Diaz had to pause his story to thank me for the smoking advice.

Worked like a charm, he said. In the dark tunnel just ahead of them was a policeman just standing there? Maybe it was a trick of the smoke interacting with their night vision goggles, but Diaz was sure that the guy had no head. Booker was sure that they were the only ones assigned to the area that day, and the guy's uniform looked very old. The headless policeman ran,

and before they knew it, the two cops were in pursuit for someone without a head. The guy was fast. Booker and Diaz were starting to run out of steam when the policeman stopped. Booker was pissed, he said. He pointed his rifle and ordered the headless guy to drop to the ground. And then the two soldiers heard something crawling on the tunnel ceiling. He told me it wasn't like anything he ever saw.

It was different. They slowly looked up. and they saw a large centipede that could easily eat them both. They were lucky it was already preoccupied with something. Diaz couldn't quite see what the centipede was holding. His cheap government-issued night vision goggles were grainy, but he said it looked like a head. And with the way the policeman reacted,

there was a good possibility that it was his head. The two soldiers were frozen and pleasant. staring while the headless policeman jumped and trying to reach the centipede on the ceiling. It scuttled quickly away with the headless policeman in quick pursuit. Before the guy disappeared at the bend, he turned to face them and saluted. The two cops were surprised. The headless policeman just stood there tapping his foot. It must have been habit or muscle memory, but bookers.

and Diaz saluted back. As if satisfied with that, the headless policeman continued his pursuit of the giant centipede. Booker and Diaz ran to that bend. It was blocked off by debris from the collapsed asylum. When they looked further, there was no sign of the headless policeman or the centipede. I wonder what would have happened if he didn't salute that guy, I said. Diaz just nodded deep in thought. We sat in eight for a while.

I wasn't sure how to react to his wild encounter. It was bizarre, and it made me think that the sewers were a far stranger place than I thought. I wondered what else could be down there. Then, Diaz remembered the metal case he brought. He opened it, and there it was, the most awesome-looking prosthetic arm I've ever seen. scene. It was made from some kind of alloy, light and sturdy. He forgot the arm's name, some fancy initials and a number, he said. Diaz helped me get it on, and it felt like I had my arm back, but a much better version. I didn't know what the technology was, but it did whatever I

intended it to do. It made my previous prosthetic seem like a piece of stick. I was speechless. This is too much, I said. But Diaz was happy to give it to me. He told me to consider it a gift from the three of them. I offered to pay for his burgers and all the burgers he and Booker could eat. He laughed. Before he headed out, he reminded me that the arm was still government property, and he begged me not to lose it.

I returned to the hospital to show off my new arm to Glenn. He was walking through the hospital bridge. He was wearing jeans underneath his gown. He still had tubes attached to him while he pushed this wheeled metal pole that carried his bag of fluids. Hey, new arm, he asked. Yeah, government property, I said. Hey, good for you, kid. You can wipe your ass with taxpayer money, he replied.

Glenn just chuckled and continued down the hospital bridge. So where are we going? I asked. Well, they gave me the go-ahead to visit Cal. He said. Now, I wasn't sure if I wanted to see him or not. I still had whiplash from Cal's drastic changes. One minute he's okay, that he's not.

So I wasn't sure if I fully like this guy or thought he was completely crazy. I was okay with peaceful Cal, but crazy Cal was a lot to handle. It was a bit chaotic in that isolation area. area. Half the evacuated patients were crammed into one ward. There were rows of hospital beds lining the hallways, and every room held about five to six patients. A lot of them were tied to their beds, some were wandering around, and a few were by the windows. Cal was one of the window people. Glenn dragged a chair over and sat next to him. For a while, they just looked out the window in silence. There was a storm brewing in the distance.

The clouds were just visible above the cityscape. There was a moment when I thought that dark clouds had a slight purple tent. Must have been a trick of the light. It was gone after a moment. There was another asylum patient there with us. He was sitting in a wheelchair. Perched on his shoulder was a huge black and white stuffed crow, the kind I only saw in the natural museum when I was a kid.

It looks so real. I wanted to touch it, but approaching an unknown asylum patient wasn't a smart thing to do. So I kept my distance and just watched the guy in the crow. Out of nowhere, the patient spoke. He told us that he got away safely because Tick-Tack warned him. Then the guy pulled out a single green gummy bear from somewhere in his hospital gown and raised it to the crow's beak. I almost jumped in surprise when the crow moved. It snatched the green gummy bear from the patient's fingers and gulped it up in one smooth move.

It was real. I could only watch as the black and white crow gave me a one-eyed stare before it flew away into the distance. Everyone's got an animal sidekick, I whispered to Glenn. We watched the other patient wheel himself into one of the room. Glenn looked around for any hospital staff before pulling out his cigarette pack and lighting a stick. Then he handed it to Cal, who started puffing away. I took his lead and lit one of my own.

I was pretty addicted at this point. Pretty soon we were all there smoking and watching the clouds over the city. The fluorescent light above us flickered every few minutes. Glenn and Cal were wearing their hospital gowns, and there was a scent of alcohol and disease in the air, mixed with cigarette smoke, of course. Gal, you remember when I was the only one who believed you? Glenn asked. Cal nodded and said,

I never forgot. There was a slight tremble through his voice. It felt like that one word held a lot of emotion behind it. It must have been very difficult to be accused of killing his brain, other, and nobody believing in the monster he knew was real. Back then, you were still too afraid to talk about what happened, Glenn said. Cow nodded, and almost broke down at that. Are you still afraid?

Glenn asked. Cal lifted his head and said no. He said he was angry. That thing killed his brother. All right, then tell me everything that happened. You know where that creature came from, Glenn said. Cal stared into the distant dark clouds. There was a flash of lightning and a rumble in the skies.

I felt like I was intruding on something personal, but I couldn't walk away. This was the real story of the Denton brothers. It started with the drought, Cal said. Glenn looked confused. Maybe it wasn't something he expected. I was still in school when the drought happened. It was a big deal back then. People called it the end of days.

It was more than a year without rainfall. Water supply only came in about an hour per day. It got so bad at one point that people were leaving the city. Cal and Chris were sent to the lake because it was drying out. Cowell told us that their job was just to clean up and clear blockages. The city's water supply mainly came from the massive lake. There were blocks of drying mud. It was blocking the water supply that could flow to the city.

The Denton brothers went down, and there was only about knee-deep water left in the middle of it. People said that it was the first time in centuries that the lake was drained like that. There were dead fish everywhere. And the smell, my God, it was terrible, Cal said. He continued his story. The Denton brothers saw something peeking out just above the remaining water and mud. It was a stone statue, where it used to be.

The details were lost. and it looked ancient. It was inserted into a base of solid rock. Without thinking, Chris lifted the stone statue and dislodged it completely from its base. Chris thought it would be worth a lot of money to some museum people. Cal begged his brother to put it back. They could just call someone else to get it,

but Chris argued that someone else might take it. He told us that Chris bagged the statue. It was the size of a toddler, lighter than wood, and as hard as stone. Wait, why'd you think it had to do it with the creature? Glenn interrupted. Cald told us that even the thought of it still freaked him out. He took a deep and shaky hit from his cigarette and blew it out slowly. It was like he was afraid to say it. When Chris took the statue, Cal heard the inhale of the creature

and a groan from somewhere beneath the mud. He told us that there was a time when he didn't believe in himself. Nothing happened after he heard those sounds. Days went by. During the drought, the monster must have been stuck under all that mud. And then the drought ended. And the lake's water began to rise. He said that his brother Chris had sold the statue.

The city rejoiced that day. Even made it a holiday. They thought it was the end of their suffering. He told us that there wasn't anything weird then, maybe a couple of missing fishermen and campers. Cal was getting anxious. He told us there was nothing until that night of the sewer flood. Cal grabbed Glenn then.

It swallowed him, he said. He repeated that over and over. Glenn calmly held on to Cal. cow was sobbing at that point. We were practically strangers to each other, but there were only a few of us who'd survive this thing. Maybe we weren't complete strangers after all. I gestured quietly in Glenn.

Maybe it was time to give Cal some privacy. He wasn't the peaceful Cal anymore. But Glenn never moved a muscle. He just sat there with his wrinkled hospital gown and his bag of fluid. slowly dripping into his veins. He waited for Cal. Minutes went by, with us practically unmoving. And then Cal slowly lifted his head.

And he gave me a genuine smile. I felt like it was the first time he realized I was even there. He asked me if I passed his message along to Glen. Cow chuckled, and then turned serious again. He told us that he wanted to make things right. This is also our burden. You remember that, Glenn added. I nodded.

When Glenn and I decided to open that floodgate, we sealed our fate. We had to get rid of that thing even if it killed us. We were dead anyway. If we drowned that day, the monster would still be trapped in that section. I should have stopped him, Cal told us. Yeah, and we should have drowned our sense. regrets are useless now, Glenn began. So you had any idea where the statue is now?

Cal took a deep breath. I could see the internal struggle on his face. I was afraid he might snap again. In the end, he gave up the last of his secrets. He gave us four words, Natural Museum, Aztec exhibit. We sat with Cal for a while. while longer, until a staff saw us smoking. Cowl was taken into one of the rooms, and Glenn and I

walked back to his side of the hospital. Glenn demanded to be released after our conversation with Cal, but he needed more tests first. So the next day, I reported everything we'd learned from Cal to HQ. Glenn even wrote it all down for me, so I wouldn't miss any detail. I didn't need that. The conversation with cow would haunt me for a long time. After my report, Booker and Diaz were assigned as my security detail and retrieving the statue from the Natural Museum. I was glad to see him again. I even joked around by hiding my head in my overalls, so I looked headless.

Diaz laughed, but Booker told us it wasn't funny. He smiled when he thought I wasn't looking, and they gladly accepted my offer to buy them burgers for lunch. We made it to the museum, and the two cops slammed an official form onto the desk of the curator. It had the city's stamp and everything. I wouldn't even be surprised that the document was signed by the mayor. That official document, it was like a golden ticket for us. If we asked for an entire T-Rex skeleton, we'd get it and more.

Both the statue and the curator were brought into HQ. I wasn't told to leave the conference room, so I stayed and listened to, to what the curator had to say. I sat somewhere in the back. The curator was questioned by the same five people I reported to. They were accused of acquiring stolen items. The statue was technically government property, because it was taken from the lake. The curator argued that the statue was an artifact from the Aztecs, ages before the formation of the U.S. government. The poor guy discovered that the people before him could not be argued with. He was required to aid in investigating the statue

and how it related to the creature in the sewers. The curator agreed and started to share the history of the statue. There wasn't much to see. The statue was made of stone. It was eroded in several places. It might have been full of details in the past, but the elements had ruined it beyond recognition. I could barely see the long tongue.

Or maybe it was a tale, I wasn't sure. The curator started with a little history lesson. Aztecs were originally from Central America, and they expanded their empire from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. It felt like a lecture. The curator asked why the statue was this far north. Then he answered the question with a single word. Symbols.

The curator then asked Booker to flip the statue, so the officials could see the carved symbols underneath. It was in the section of the statue that looked like it fit into the slot of the stone base. The base was still underneath the lake. He spent a long time translating the primitive language. He read it aloud. God of rain. God of life.

Winged serpent. Mad God. Killer of tribes. Imprisoned God. Exiled God. Some of the symbols were lost to erosion. in time. So far, the curator could only extract those words. From there, he told us that the creature must have been in some kind of prison underneath a lake. The Aztecs considered it a god.

When the creature started killing, they captured it and sent it far north. With that, he was assigned to the research teams and everyone was dismissed. There were multiple times when I wanted to talk to him, but I didn't get the chance to. I went back to the hospital, and I told Glenn everything. Our talk of gods reminded Glenn of a story he heard from a policeman named Kurt. He'd been a friend of Glenn ever since they went on a rescue mission together. Dispatch called in a disturbance underneath a holy temple. There were complaints of digging sounds and stone rumbling late at night.

The temple had always been a place for silent prayer. It was a peaceful place, smack in the middle of the city. like a little sanctuary. That night, the policemen who accepted the call felt that rumbling underneath their feet as they made their way into the temple. It had a direct link to the sewers through a large coy pond.

They entered, and there were monks running the opposite direction. A few of them were injured, so some of the policemen stayed to take care of him. Kurt and another officer headed deeper into the sewer. Along the way, they saw murals, painted onto the sewer walls. It depicted some sort of God that had a human body, but the head of a toad. There were monks worshipping it, and multiple murals of this toad god standing over them. Glenn continued with the story. The rumbling of the rocks came again. Kurt's fellow officer cursed

under his breath and ran back to the entrance. Kurt made a mental note to include it in his report later. He made it into a large chamber with flowers carved into stone walls. It was a similar scene to that of the murals. At the far end of the cathedral was a giant man with a toad for a head. The god was floating in mid-air with its legs crossed and arms on its lap. It was bound with thick chains that were attached to a large boulder about twice its size. The rock crawled across the cavern floor a few inches at a time, as if pulled by an unknown force. The rumbling made the caverns shake, and pieces of the wall started to crumble. He ran. It was way above his pay grade. As soon as he got out of the Coy Pond entrance,

the cavern collapsed, and the temple was swallowed in by a huge sinkhole. After that incident, Kurt filed an urgent request for a transfer. He set his goodbyes to Glenn and shared his story with him. He told me that if you ever hear rumbling, you run, Glenn said. Do you think it's a real God? I asked. I don't know, he replied. A couple of days later, Glenn was discharged with a clean bill of health. I was waiting for him outside when they brought him out in a wheelchair. When he saw me, he said, he said, he said, simply got up and walked over. We stayed there for a while. He was in contact with our superiors, and we were both called in for a mission. After the discovery of the cave tunnels and the underground

river, several teams were dispatched to the area. It was larger than Glenn thought, and almost as extensive as the sewers. Other than the danger of the monster lurking inside, the tunnels also made the city engineers nervous. A huge chunk of the city could fall in if they could fall in if they collapsed. The use of explosives underground was immediately prohibited and the gas pipes were disabled. People weren't happy about it, but the mayor promised them that the sewer crisis would be solved in a few months. Our mission this time, it wasn't the usual search and rescue, but data gathering. We were to go in, take a water sample from the underground river, and deliver it to Dr. Charlotte Nix. Simple enough. What could go wrong? I asked.

We were just outside H.Q. then. Glenn looked at me like I slapped him in the face. You're attempting fate, kid. I couldn't help it. I was going into the sewers with Glenn, and I had a new high-tech prosthetic arm. It could carry up to 50 pounds, and it had a flashlight attached. I flexed, stretched, and I turned the light on to show it off. Glenn smiled.

It was a rare thing. I was sure he remembered that we almost died because of a locked manhole cover. We made our way to an office building downtown. The asylum incident sparked another huge shift in the city. There were buildings like the asylum that were sitting on top of large sewer sections. These would easily be accessible to the creature, not to mention the risk of another sinkhole. People were urged to abandon their houses and offices were shut down. These buildings were turned into operational stations, where the police could enter the sewers easily.

We made it to the office building. City Hall had upgraded the sewer entrances. It was no longer just a manhole cover surrounded by police tape. The covers only allowed one person at a time to climb down the rungs. The ramps could have a squad of policemen in the sewers in a matter of seconds. After being cleared for entry, we went down. The new upgrades were too clean for the crap rivers we were used to. Everything was reinforced steel and bright floodlights.

Soon, we were back in the old system. We took a few turns, and in about an hour, we found the creature's tunnel that Glenn discovered when looking for the girl. He pulled out a couple of night vision goggles from his toolbox. The same ones Diaz told me about, cheap and defective, government property. You know, I remember when there were just tools in here, he said. Then he handed me goggles.

We put them on and killed our lights before entering. It was a strange experience seeing everything with a green tint. But with my high-tech prosthetic arm, the cigarette, and night vision goggles, I'd never felt so cool in my life. I could just imagine Glenn going through the tunnel that first time. He did it without any light. while he followed the sounds of old Sarge. So far, there wasn't any sign of the creature.

A part of me thought that it died in the asylum incident, but my gut was telling me otherwise, especially after I heard those words. Mad Dog, Killer of Tribes. The path curved ahead. Our footsteps were echoing. Now and then, Glenn would stop and listen. We came upon a large open area,

with several tunnels connected to it. The underground river ran through it. We moved along the river upstream. We were instructed to take the water sample as close as we could to the source. There were spots where we could only walk in single file and even a point where we had to crab walk with our backs to the wall. Finally, we emerged into a larger chamber.

The underground river flowed through it, it's water's dark, and there was a sheet of ice on top. There were no other water sources beyond the chamber. It was a good place to take the sample. I dipped a test tube into the cold water. Suddenly, something took hold of my prosthetic, and it pulled me in. The shock drove the air out of my lungs, and I lost the sample. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, the night vision goggles messed up. There was a small icon of water blinking at the corner. The goggles died, and I was in complete darkness while I was dragged deeper into freezing waters. I would have been a complete garner if Glenn didn't dive in.

With his help, I broke away from the monster's crib. We were about to swim to the surface when we felt a strong current pulling both of us. It all happened so fast. We were sucked into some kind of pressurized tunnel. After a few minutes in the tube, I ran out of air and lost consciousness. The next thing I knew, Glenn and I broke the surface of the water. We were both catching our breaths and coughing. We were in the middle of the lake.

That area was two hours from the city. That tube must have brought us miles away. I didn't know how long I passed out, but that trip was fast. Glenn was there floating beside me. I took hold of his collar and swam to the shore. We needed to get out of there. The creature might still be after us. His teeth were chattering. Snow was starting to fall, and the whole lake was dark and silent. Instead of an ambulance taking us directly to the hospital, we were forced to go back to HQ and report. The city hall people were there waiting for us in the water sample. Glenn and I were bundled in tinfoil. They called it hypothermia blankets. Wasn't cozy, but it worked. When they saw us without a sample, they got angry. They didn't even let us make our report. They told us it was such a simple job and we failed. The mayor was facing protest from angry parents so close to election period because of us. The loss of that little girl made a big impact.

and we were fired from search and rescue and suspended as sewer workers. Outside the conference room, a woman in a lab coat was waiting for us. She introduced herself as Dr. Charlotte Nix and asked for the water sample. We ignored her and walked away. If she still wanted her sample, she could collect the puddle from our dripping clothes. After that, Glenn and I headed for the nearest burger joint. Our clothes were still wet, and we still had our tinfoil blankets. Our burgers came, and there was a large serving of fries just for me.

Right before we took a bite, Glenn stopped and looked out the window at the snow falling. Well, happy Thanksgiving, kid. I stopped mid-bite and realized he was right. I forgot it was that time of the year. We were too focused on this creature. Yeah, happy Thanksgiving to you. too, I guess. It might have been the trauma, the near-drowning or freezing, but that night, that burger never tasted so good, especially the fries. We spent the next couple of days recovering.

Glenn and I had our hospital beds in the same room, and I couldn't complain. Hospital was ten times better than my cockroach apartment. We were fired, but at least we still got the perks, and they didn't take my arm back. Glenn was content with watching old war, movies on the TV in the corner while I tinkered around with my prosthetic. On the third day, Glenn and I snuck out of the hospital. We went to a local bar, the kind with peeling paint and the faint smell of stale beer. The place was lit with Christmas lights from the ceiling. We grabbed a corner booth and ordered around beers. Booker and Diaz were at the next booth. They were nursing their drinks and looking like they'd been through the ringer. I introduced

them both to Glenn, and we all shared a table. All right, spill it. Policemen that look troubled make me nervous, Glenn said. Booker took a long swig of his beer and then told us the story of his squad. Their mission was to kill the creature. It was a joint effort from three precincts, about 30 policemen. Dr. Charlotte Nix had apparently figured out how to kill it. The City Hall rep mandated that Dr. Nix's bee theory was the way to go about things.

They brought in pesticides that killed bees, several drums worth of it. Instead of guns, the policemen had pump sprayers, like the ones farmers use. But what about the reptile theory? I began. The curator said it was a winged serpent, right? The cops just shrugged at that. The city rep called the shots. The mayor wanted the issue over and done with, so the reptile theory was discarded. They saw new tunnels that weren't there a week ago and went through one that led to this massive chamber.

The walls were covered in this strange substance, and the air was thick with sulfur. They pushed through pump sprays-ready. The chamber was even bigger than they thought, like an underground cathedral. In the middle of the chamber was a large structure made from some hardened substance. It had multiple strands attached to the ceiling, the walls, and the floor that kept it in place. Everything was confirmed when Dr. Nick stepped forward. She proclaimed that her theory about the bees was right. Some of the cops had to quiet her down.

She celebrated like they weren't steps away from the creature's nest. They approached the structure. It looked like a beehive as big as a two-story house. When they got closer, they saw that it was reinforced with bones, human, and animal. One of the cops vomited. Dr. Nix, on the other hand, was astonished. She moved closer and studied the edges of the hive with keen interest. She took a flashlight and pointed at it.

The effect was immediate. The whole nest lit. up like a gruesome nightlight. The cops wearing night vision goggles had to look away. The cops who didn't have their goggles all pointed their pump spray right at the nest. The creature was inside. Diaz saw eggs in there too. The monster crawled out of the hive. It was acting differently. In the past, the creature picked two or three victims and then ran off to feed. This time it went crazy. Diaz told us that they weren't sure if the sprays worked.

Everything was chaotic. It was too fast for them and they could barely see it. They lost Dr. Nix. The surviving policemen were suspended. So there we were. Four suspended government workers all at one table. I felt like it was the start of a joke. Glenn took a long pull from his beer.

His eyes fixed on the table. Well, what's their plan now? He asked. Booker and Diaz exchanged a look. Diaz spoke up, his voice barely above a whisper. He had a cousin working in the city hall, the one who lent us my arm. They were told that Dr. Nix was already considered dead and that they'd fill the whole sewer system with pesticides.

It was a stupid plan. Glenn and I both knew that. Even if the pesticide worked, the creature would just escape to the lake. Diaz told us that it was an order from the mayor. Smoke the thing out. It would either be driven out of the sewers or it would die. They were treating it like a bad mosquito problem. All exits and entrances would be blocked.

I could almost see the cogs inside Glenn's brain working over this problem. Those toxic gases would kill anyone close. caught in the sewers, Dr. Nix and a couple of police officers might still be alive. Hey, Glenn, they fired us, remember? I said. Ah, we just lost the title, kid. It's still our responsibility. I was reminded that we were the ones who unleashed this thing. We had to save everyone we could. The two cops looked at us. Their despair earlier was replaced. placed with determination.

They promised to help us. I was surprised that Booker was fully into it. They would leave one exit open for us, the one that led to the docks. Glenn and I exchanged a look. It was a bad plan. If we failed to find the doctor and the missing cops in time, there was a big possibility that we'd be down there suffocating undeadly fumes. Well, guess we might as well enjoy these.

these beers, Glenn said. We clinked our bottles together, the sound echoing through the bar. We drank the rest of our beers while we went through the details of our rogue rescue mission. Then, the two cops went home and promised to meet us at the locked manhole near the lake. It was the only one they could think of that wasn't guarded by the police. Glenn and I separated after drinks. I went to my apartment to prepare my equipment. Glenn went back to the hospital, saying that he needed something important for the mission. Hours later, I was surprised to find Cal Denton with Glenn. He looked better than last time. His cheekbones weren't as pronounced compared to when we visited him at the hospital.

But there was fear in his eyes. We were at the entrance near the floodgates. The metal bar holding the cover was bent, and there was a piece of shovel stuck in between. After all that time, our IDs were somehow right where we left them. I picked them up and brushed the dirt off him. I kept mine, and I handed Glenn's his. He looked at it with surprise as if he forgot it. It was just me, Glenn, Cal, Booker, and Diaz. We were all ready.

Diaz handed me a C4 charge. He explained that it had a timer and a detonator. Without those two things, It wouldn't blow up that easily. It wouldn't detonate with gunshots or fire, so the rule about smoking was still good. Glenn placed the C4 charge in his toolbox. It was supposed to be prohibited in the sewers

because the tunnels might collapse. Since we were going to jail anyway, might as well do that too. Diaz also apologized that he couldn't get us night vision goggles. With everyone deployed on the field, there weren't many left. That's all right. we got something better, Glenn said. Booker gave me a smoke bomb.

He told me to use it only in the event of an emergency, and never hold it in my hands when it set off because it could get burning hot. Booker and Diaz waved to us before they left. Then, Glenn, Cal and I headed down using the familiar metal rungs. We were all on high alert. The water level was up to our knees, as the three of us made our way to the floodgap. I waited a bit closer to Glenn, leaving Cal at the rear.

The poor guy was hugging Glenn's toolbox like a teddy bear. I didn't know how stable Cal was, but Glenn insisted that Cal deserved to be down here with us. I'm not going to deny him redemption, kid. Isn't it more like revenge? I asked. Well, he's entitled to both. Cal looked terrified. But he kept going forward. He was determined to see it through.

We met it to the platform beside the floodgate. Cal Denton looked like he was on the verge of a meltdown, but Glenn was there to calm him down. Remember why you're here, Cal? For Chris. Before I could say anything, the old man got down to business. Our rogue mission was to locate the missing scientist and the cops.

We were in the middle of a police. police operation to smoke out the monster with pesticide. There were multiple guards we had to avoid. Thankfully, Booker marked all spots on the map. With that, we had a route carefully plotted. The important part was keeping a low profile. We had to go through everything without lights. This was Cal's purpose. He saw very well in the dark, and he led us away from the guards. There was part of me wondering if I was going to make it out of here. I felt like I was running out of luck. There were moments when Cal got anxious, especially on close calls with the police.

But Glenn was patient with him every time. The first policeman who caught us was wearing night vision goggles. When the guard raised his voice, he caught the creature's attention. We didn't see what happened to him. but we could hear the creature drag him away. We were safe until we got to a junction where the tunnel split into three. We were supposed to take the left tunnel, but it was flooded. The tunnel only had a few inches of air before the water touched the ceiling,

but the temperature was the real problem. The cold made it difficult to breathe. The dark water played tricks on my mind. I was afraid something might pull me under. It felt like an eternity before we emerged into the large chamber. Booker was right. It was like a cathedral. A small village could fit in there.

The hive dominated almost half of it. There was a faint sound like groaning. Coming from the hive. It looked like there was a person trapped within it. A cop from Booker's squad. There were others, but they were already dead. We freed the poor guy, but it was too late. He died in Glenn's arms with a few last words.

He told us that the doctor might still be alive. And we found her. We found Dr. Nix inside a small hole in the wall. At first, I thought it was a small pile of clothes and a lab gown. Turned out to be her. She was alive, but barely. Her arms and legs had lost all. muscle. We had to get her out of there fast. Glenn and I carried her out of the hole, but cow was

nowhere to be found. He just disappeared. And as much as we wanted to stay and get him out of there, Dr. Nix was dying. And the creature would soon be back. And the sewer would soon be filled with toxic pesticides. But we couldn't leave him. We had to find a way to save him both. Glenn and I made it past the hive and the flooded tunnel, but it was far from over. The pesticides were coming in, and we couldn't see Cal anywhere. There was a thick fog of smoke and chemicals coming right our way. We didn't know which path to take. Cal still had the map, I realized, and the fog was almost hitting us.

And then I saw a pair of eyes coming from the fog. For a moment. I thought it was the monster. And then a large German shepherd walked up to us, and it licked Glenn's hand. Old Sarge barked once and led us into the tunnels. He even led us to Cal, who was hiding inside a cluster of pipes. But there was a sort of calm on his face that I hadn't seen before, and Glenn asked him if he could take the doctor to safety.

All he had to do was follow old Sarge. Cal had to go ahead because we still had something to finish. Cal nodded, and he gave Glenn the map of the sewers. Old Sarge gave both of us a lick, and then ran off. It was just the two of us. And I felt like we were up against very bad odds, but we had one goal. We had to make sure the creature did not escape to the lake. I knew we probably wouldn't make it out.

And I know this sounds silly, but at that moment, for some reason, I asked something. Glenn, uh, before we do this, could you maybe knight me into search and rescue? I asked. Um, I'm not sure it works that way, kid. Besides, you already save lives. You save Cal and the doctor, Glenn replied. I know, I know, it's just... It's just that if I die, I want to die knowing I was an official member, you know.

Glenn softened then. He pulled out his wrench from his toolbox. He held it up as if it was a sword. Kneel down, kid. I found myself kneeling in a river of crap, but somehow it felt like a huge honor. I bowed my head. Glenn tapped me on the right shoulder with his wrist. wrench and stepped back.

Your official, kid. Now stand up. After that, I felt my legs were stronger and my back straighter. I was ready to face whatever was ahead of us. Moments later, we were at the creature's nest when Glenn pulled out the C-4. That was when his crazy plan made sense to me. The thing went on a rampage when the cops came. I couldn't imagine what it would do to us if we blew up the nest.

Glenn argued that placing the bomb inside it would have maximum damage. He was right. He threw his arms in the air when the nest exploded. Some of the hive walls collapsed. After months of losing to this creature, it felt like it was our first win. Unfortunately, the chamber's ceiling was starting to cave in. it would develop into a full-on sinkhole in a matter of minutes. And then Glenn saw something.

In the middle of the hive were two large eggs. Their shadows were unmistakable. The eggs cracked open and figures came out, but they stopped and burned with a heat. And then we saw the creature. A section of the chamber's far wall melted and a small hole slowly grew in size. It was time to go.

We ran? There was part of my brain that went numb while we were trying to get away. All my trust was in Glenn at that point. I focused on keeping myself next to him. My sides were beginning to burn, and I was sure that we'd passed the underground river. When I started to smell the brine scent of the ocean, I knew we were almost there.

The docks had two exits. We reached the closest one, but it was closed and blocked off with a thick slab of metal. And then the creature caught up to us. The pesticide affected it, but it wasn't enough to stop the damn thing. It looked to have chemical burns, but if anything, that only made it angrier. Every tool I had was useless, except for Booker's smoke bomb. It was an effective distraction for the creature, but the thing still got to Glenn and grabbed him. We heard a voice then. It was Diaz. They came through with their promise. The exit opened behind us. Somehow I managed to pull Glenn closer to the door. Diaz was offering his hand. But before I could reach him, the creature came after May. Just as it was about to grab me, Glenn pushed me back,

lowered his head and ran directly at it. I felt like time stood still then. I could only watch as Glenn and the creature fell into the docks and sank under the water. I didn't even realize my arm fell with him. I wanted to jump after him, but Diaz held me back. Booker had the presence of mind to call the Coast Guard search and rescue team. They had boats and divers at the docks in a matter of minutes, and I didn't find out if Glenn survived.

The police arrested us, brought us to HQ, and we were accused of going against their orders. Booker and Diaz were even stripped of their badges. We spent a week in jail. All I wanted to know was if Glenn was okay. I kept repeating that moment in my head. I wondered if there was anything I could have done, to save him. There was a public outrage following the fumigation of the entire sewer system. It caused breathing problems throughout the entire city. This was the people's breaking point. Citywide

protest led to removal of the mayor. After that, a quick election was held, and the chief of police became the new mayor. He granted us amnesty for our services to the city. Booker and Diaz were given promotions. When it came to me, I finally got what I wanted. I heard about Glenn. I was sent to the hospital, half expecting someone to take me to the morgue. Instead, I was led to Glenn's hospital room. The old man was alive and kicking. He was eating a burger, and Cal was giving him a strange look. Hey, kid! Sorry we couldn't get you out quicker. That previous man, I did not like us. I held back tears and nodded.

There was a silence between us. I was fighting the urge to walk over and hug the old man. My eyes drifted to his prosthetic arm. Well, it looks like we have matching arms, huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, speaking to that, I got yours right here, he replied. I put it back on, and I felt complete again. They told me the story of how Glenn survived. The Coast Guard search and rescue team saw something floating in the distance when they moved closer.

It was a black and gray German shepherd paddling. That dog is everywhere. Old Sarge boarded the boat and pointed the officers to a spot in the water. They found Glenn, but there was no sign of the creature. I made a mental note to have dog treats in my pocket at all times. The next time I encountered old Sarge, I would make sure to thank him properly. You know, kid, it's not crazy to assume that that creature is still out there, Glenn said. The two of them sure to look before they told me the news. Search and Rescue never found the creatures in the nest.

All they found were empty eggs. After that day, a lot of changes happened to the city. Tunnels were reinforced so there wouldn't be another sinkhole. They were closely watching the lake and the ocean near the city, and the new government invested a lot of money in various search and rescue agencies. A month later, and after a couple of very interesting psych evals, Cal Denton and I were officially inducted into the search and rescue team Sewers Division. Glenn was there.

He had a cigarette in between his lips while he placed a pin on our breast pockets. He tussled my hair with his remaining hand. Well, there you go, kid. You're official. You know, I prefer that time when united me with a wrench, I replied. Glenn chuckled. placed himself in between Cal and I, and put his arms on our shoulders. I smiled. I had my friends, my cigarette, my toolbox, and a pocket full of dog treats.

That was all I needed to survive.