Risen from Ashes

Act one, Part Sixteen: Illness takes Hold

Nina quietly walked out of her room; in her hand was Bello. She looked both ways, seeing no one awake as she listened to the snores. Once she was sure it was clear, she passed their room and looked for the entrance out of the lair. After what happened today, it was time to do something she should have done from the very start. Leave the lair and go back to the surface. She then spotted an entrance leading to the other part of the sewers, not the way to the surface.

She heads there, tiptoeing and keeping Bello quiet till they are out. She stepped to the sewer pipes, walking on the dirty water. She cringed at this; of all places to live, it had to be in a dirty, smelly underground dumpster. She looks around the pipes, hearing the echoing of water drips.

Then she heard Bello chirping at her. She looked down at him, walking forward. "No, I am not going back. We are going back to the surface and getting out of this god-forsaken city!" Her voice raised, causing an echo around the pipes. Bello chirped again, but he sounded sad. Nina stammered. "No, I'm not! I'll... I'll," she stopped, her tears overwhelmed with tears. She softly cried. "I don't want to be here anymore.." she sniffed, wiping the tears off her face.

She resumed her walking forward. She decided to follow them until she made it to a large opening that showed a row of pipes leading to the surface, hoping it would be her way out of the sewers. Nina listens to the echoing drips and the water splat under her feet. She never noticed how massive New York sewers can be, almost like a maze. She was breathing softly, seeing a puff of air coming out of her mouth. Meaning that since it's December, it will get really cold.

She stopped her track, then she turned to the right. But the way led her to an empty pipe tunnel. Bello in her hand was shivering, in fear and the cold. Nina held him close to her shoulder, helping him get warm. She was not ready for him to hibernate. She reached an opening that showed a bridge across to the other end.

Nina walked across the bridge, careful not to slip and fall into the darkness below her. Then, she got out of the bridge and continued forward. Then it was quiet around her, no echoing of the drips or her feet walking on water. It was all quiet and still. She came to a fork in the way, leading to different ends. She decided to take the left one. But it only takes her to an empty tunnel over the bottom of the sewers.

"Great, I think we are lost." Nina breathed. Bello chirped at her, only for her to glare down at him while walking. "We are not going back to those turtles!" She yelled, her voice echoed. Bello chirped angrily at her, making her more mad to see her pet taking their side. "Oh yeah!? If they never meant to harm me, then why did that big-brow freak slap me!?" Bello replied with a chirp. Nina scoffed. "I insult him!? He is just the same! Everyone in this city is the same- Ah!!!" Before she could finish her rant, she took a misstep and tripped. Then she fell down the path and landed on the bottom sewer's dirty water.

Nina swam out of the water and climbed back to the concrete floor. She gagged. "Ah! Gross!!" Nina spit out the water and shivered, disgusted. She grabbed Bello quickly and placed him safely beside her. Bello just glared right at her. Nina narrows her eyebrows. "Don't look at me like that!" She snapped, getting tired of his disappointment.

She picked him up, carrying him in her hands, and decided to continue their way out of here. The bottom sewers are very dark, dirty, and very quiet. No light or life here. Bello pulled himself inside his shell, scared. Nina walked forward, wet and muddy.

Nina's body started shivering, feeling cold and scared. This was not what she expected her plan to lead her. She is now lost and alone. "Bello... I'm scared.." she whispered, her voice quiet and soft.

"Aww..need any help?" A voice asked from behind her.

Nina stopped in her tracks. Was there someone here? She thought the turtles were the only ones down here, and it doesn't sound very friendly either. She turned around and gasped, seeing who was with her.