high
      with
      a
      dripping
      ceiling
      from
      all
      the
      humidity.
      A
      small
     
     
      stream
      passed
      by
      the
      entrance
      of
      the
      door.
      As
      my
      light
      shines
     
     
      from
      one
      side
      to
      the
      to
      the
      other
      I
      realize
      the
      passage
      narrows
     
     
      considerably
      on
      both
      sides.
      What
      sounds
      like
      a
      distance
      away,
     
     
      there
      is
      the
      pitch
      of
      sound
      rising
      and
      lowering.
      Almost
      a
      cheer
     
     
      like
      roar.
      Amidst
      the
      dirt
      their
      also
      is
      scurrying.
      As
      my
      light
     
     
      cuts
      like
      a
      laser
      through
      the
      black,
      it
      glares
      off
      the
      eyes
      of
      rats.
     
     
      I
      closed
      the
      door
      to
      leave
      the
      place
      as
      I
      found
      it,
      undisturbed.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      can
      feel
      my
      legs
      pumping
      below
      me.
      I
      am
      almost
      running
     
     
      down
      the
      hall.
      It
      almost
      felt
      like
      the
      air
      was
      warming.
      My
      eyes
     
     
      are
      becoming
      more
      accustomed
      to
      the
      darkness.
      The
      sound
     
     
      continues
      to
      grow.
      The
      tunnel
      turns
      ahead.
      What
      lies
      behind
     
     
      this
      corner?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      I
      stood
      for
      a
      moment
      pondering
      my
      options,
      I
      felt
      a
      strange
     
     
      sort
      of
      relief
      come
      over
      my
      body.
      The
      sound
      was
      coming
      from
     
     
      the
      door
      on
      the
      left.
      I
      decided
      to
      look
      in
      their
      first.
      My
      light
      cut
     
    
   
   
    
     
      through
      thick,
      humid
      air.
      At
      first
      I
      was
      focused
      on
      something
     
    
   
   
    
     
      on
      the
      wall.
      It
      almost
      seemed
      like
      a
      huge
      grey
      caterpillar
     
     
      snaking
      its
      way
      through
      the
      sky.
      Am
      I
      am
      seeing
      things?
      It
     
     
      made
      no
      sense.
      Need
      to
      have
      a
      closer
      look.
      As
      I
      approach
      it
      I
     
     
      realize
      how
      foolish
      I
      had
      been
      again.
      A
      1999
      calendar
      with
      the
     
     
      bridge
      on
      it
      faced
      me.
      As
      I
      turned
      away:
      from
      this,
      my
      light
     
     
      shone
      on
      a
      furnace
      in
      the
      corner.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      more
      importantly
      than
      that
      there
      was
      a
      door
      beside
      it.
      As
     
     
      I
      rushed
      to
      the
      door,
      I
      felt
      euphoria
      pour
      over
      and
      through
      me.
     
     
      But
      that
      feeling
      is
      quickly
      lost
      when
      the
      metal
      door
      does
      not
     
     
      budge.
      It
      is
      locked.
      No
      way
      out
      of
      this
      box.
      Back
      out
      to
      the
     
     
      crossroad’s.
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      decide
      to
      go
      straight
      ahead.
      But
      my
      light
      stops
      cutting
     
     
      through
      darkness
      and
      falls
      upon
      a
      white
      concrete
      wall.
      My
     
     
      eyes
      immediately
      look
      right
      and
      see
      a
      staircase
      going
      up
      into
     
     
      a
      door.
      I
      bound
      up
      the
      stairs
      two
      at
      a
      time.
      Strangely,
      rather
     
     
      than
      bouncing
      through
      the
      door
      I
      found
      myself
      pausing.
      My
     
     
      head
      turns
      and
      looks
      back
      down
      into
      the
      pit
      of
      darkness.
      My
     
     
      chest
      expands
      as
      I
      take
      a
      deep
      breath
      and
      exhale.
      I
      can
      feel
      my
     
     
      arm
      reaching
      out
      and
      my
      hand
      grasping
      and
      turning
      the
      door-
     
     
      knob.
      As
      I
      push
      the
      door
      with
      my
      shoulder,
      I
      feel
      my
      eyes
     
     
      burning
      from
      the
      light
      cutting
      into
      the
      darkness.
      I
      let
      out
      a
     
     
      slight
      cough
      as
      I
      breathe
      in
      non
      stale
      air.
      Through
      my
      squint-
     
     
      ing,
      I
      can
      see
      my
      body
      cross
      the
      threshold
      between
      light
      and
     
     
      dark.
      As
      my
      arm
      closes
      the
      door
      behind
      me,
      my
      hands
      feel
     
     
      something
      other
      wood
      or
      metal.
      My
      neck
      turns
      and
      twists
      to
     
     
      see
      the
      door
      is
      covered
      in
      wrapping
      paper.
      I
      can
      feel
      air
      exhale
     
     
      out
      of
      my
      body
      from
      deep
      inside
      my
      guts.
      The
      alarm
      reads
     
     
      Dec.24th.