The Shadows

Day 2,482

I check behind me. Nothing. I press my back against a cold brick wall. I hear nothing.I look up, and to my sides. There is nobody around. I duck into the alleyway just around the corner. Of the building. Nobody is here either. The buildings to both sides are crumbling apart. An old rusted fire escape creaks as a cold damp breeze blows by, intensifying the dampness of my smelly stained clothing. The sharp smell of urine penetrates my nostrils and I shiver as another gust of wind blows by. My thick black hair brushes into my eyes. I make a mental note to cut it when I get home. I need to be able to see at all times. My survival depends on all my senses being alert at once. I walk briskly to the back of the ally. Soggy cardboard with fuzzy patches of mold pile up against a wall. I throw one final glance over my shoulder. I am alone.

I put down the plastic bag. It's the only reason I'm out here. My heart pounds. As always, I'm terrified I will be caught.

I pull back a piece of moist cardboard. It squishes between my fingertips. It slips aside to reveal a gutter. I shove the heavy iron grate aside and without hesitation I drop into the inky darkness below.

I land with a splash in the foul smelling sludge seeps into my shoes and pants up to my knees. I turn around and climb a ladder to the hole I fell from that is about 12 feet above me and is the only source of light I have. I drag the plastic bag inside and toss it to the area behind the ladder. I grab a cardboard piece and put it on top of the grate. I hook my fingers inside of the bars of the great and slide it over the hole. It slowly is dragged into place until it falls, and completely covering all light with a clang. My ears ring as I lower myself down the ladder. I have been plunged into darkness but I know the terrain.

As soon as I reach the bottom I grab the bag and then I go left 6 paces. Then I turn left again and take 11 carefully measured steps and stop. I turn to my right and I reach forwards. About a foot in front of me is a wall. It is covered in a thick cold slime. I grope around until I find what I am looking for. I pull a loose stone that sticks from the wall out and hold it under my armpit. I reach inside the cavity left behind and find a box. Although it is dark I know this box to be a grey plastic air-tight container. Inside I find at least 6 dozen batteries and a flashlight that I know to be pink. It is long and cool and feels heavy in my hand. I slide the box back into the empty cavity and cover it with the loose stone. The cold metal flashlight feels solid in my shivering hands. I firmly grip it and feel for the switch. a dim light flickers from the flashlight, eliminating the narrow corridor. I climb onto a path in the far side of the cave. I watch the path as I walk. I had left about a hundred different colored trails made of paint dripped onto the ground to follow all of which leading to trap a dead end or an exit. All but one, that is

I follow the gray paint trail. soon I arrive at what seems to be yet another dead end. I stick my finger in a hole and push with my other hand. The entire wall moves back. I pull my finger out and fall into the tight space. I push the cement wall closed and sit on a low wood bench and turn off the light. I reach behind the bench and pull a knob. a panel pops open inside is a rope pulley system. I pull on the Rope a my little compartment is lowered to safety below.

minutes, the compartment Shakes as it hits the bottom of the shaft. I pry open the hidden door to my right hand side as warm life flows into my dark hiding spot. In front of me is a room, 20 feet by 30 feet. Christmas lights are wrapped around the top of the walls. A pile of stuffed animals, clothing, and blankets service my bed. a mini fridge in the corner is for my perishables in the wooden crate next to it is for my, well, anything else.

I have the most awesome thing you could ever have to and I am proud to boast it. That's why I have such high security.

the keepers have a pipeline full of freshwater that runs Underground through the entire city one day I was almost out of water so I took a gamble. I knew it was somewhere around here so I dug about my little Hideout. I searched all day, and then my rusty old shovel hit metal it dented the pipe I hit it again and again until a trickle of water appeared. I drink the water deeply, cashing in my hands and sipping from them. I carried up some parts that I had found an old factory. They are plastic tubes. I led them all the way from the pipe to 20 feet under my room using the plastic pipes. I mixed some cement to fill the space and hold my pipes in place. finally I cut open a hole in the keepers pipe to get a steady stream. A hole in a pipe let Steady stream of water goes straight into my water purifier.