I looked. I had to. I couldn’t stand not to. Still, now I wish I hadn’t. The broken body lay twisted in a heap at the bottom of the drain.

I knew it was there. Had been told many times over that it was. Female or male, I couldn’t say. The bloating and discoloration had made it so that it was impossible to say from my point of view.

I sat still on the pavement clutching my head. I wanted to claw out my eyes, but that would be insane. Who could do something this horrific? Was it me? No. At least I didn’t think so.

But I had known it was there. Deep in the bowels of the city. Or maybe not so deep. Twenty five feet at the most. There was a ladder there, I could climb down.

I dared to look again. Still there. Breathing hurt. I backed away on all fours.

Something scurried in the shadows of the tunnel.