Ficlets

Towel Monster 9

A light flickers above a bench in the middle of the Northern University’s campus. A lone figure is doubled over on the bench. He is watching his shadow flash on the ground. He is wearing a dark grey jacket with a hood draped over his head. He doesn’t move much and makes no noise. A small duffel bag rests on the ground beside the bench.

“Hey,” Kevin whispers, surprising Jack.

Jack turns in the bench, his eyes open slightly wider than normal. “Are you ready? Last chance to back out,” Jack asks.

“No way. I am in. Let’s do it.”

Kevin leads Jack to the grate twenty five feet away. It is rusty and through it they can see black rungs that descend under the sidewalk. Kevin grabs the grate and begins pulling up. Jack quickly joins in. The hinges crack and squeak, but it opens without much difficulty. The shaft is dark and damp.

Kevin places a foot on the top rung and Jack grabs his arm. “Always listen before you jump into a dark place,” he reprimands.

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