Into the sewer

I don’t know what awaits me down there, but I know what is above ground. I’ll take my chances. Carefully, I sit on the ground and place my feet on the ladder. PPSh in one hand, I descend into the darkness.

It is pitch black. I couldn’t even see my hand if I held it to my face. Which way is East? This way. I’m sure. I feel the ladder to reorient myself.

This place reeks. The rancid smell of **** and sewage mixed makes my stomach churn. I place one foot in front of the other, my left hand tracing the wall. My right hand holds my weapon tightly. I don’t hear anything except for a few rats scurrying around. I also hear something else… crunching. It is a sickening noise. I hope it isn’t what I think it is.

My foot hits something. I move it around. A boot, a leg. Another rat on top of the leg. I kick the little bastard and it squeals, splashing in the rancid water a bit over to the right. Carefully I step over the body and proceed, my hand guiding me along the wall.

I feel like I’ve been down here forever and the pitch black darkness is starting to **** me. I have no source of light. Where the hell am I? I could have walked right by an exit and missed it. I have no idea who or what could be down here. I don’t dare let go of the wall.

With my next step, water comes above my ankle. Disgusting. Cold. I press on, praying that the water doesn’t reach the top of my boots. I can feel a little bit leaking in, and my socks beginning to saturate. I hate how much noise my footsteps make, sloshing through the rancid water.

I carry on through the flooded part of the tunnel for a ways, when something stops me dead in my tracks. A light. It’s coming towards me.

Squinting to see, it looks like a lantern, but I can’t make out who is carrying it. I freeze and try to find a place to hide, but there’s no use in the darkness. I plaster myself to the wall and don’t move a muscle. The light draws nearer. I hear voices now, hushed whispers.

Germans. Their footsteps slosh towards me.

I can’t quite make out what they’re saying, but the halo of light surrounding the lantern creeps closer and closer.

“We should go back.” One says to the other.

“No, the Russians are too ****.”

“We just have to survive a few more weeks, and this will be over when they surrender.”

“Those dogs shoot their own men if they surrender or retreat.”

“Ours will throw us in prison.”

“Prison? Ha! I’ve had enough. Prison is better than ****. You can go back if you want, but I’m deserting.”

Deserters. Maybe I can reason with them? Maybe it’s safer not to take any chances and kill them. I’m going to have to make a decision sooner or later. One of them has a rifle. The other appears to be unarmed, but he could certainly be hiding a weapon like a pistol or a knife under his clothes.

The edge of the light grows closer and closer, their voices become louder. I can see their faces. There’s nowhere to hide.

My hand has been ****.

“HALT!” I scream, stepping out in front of them and aiming the PPSh in their faces.

They’re startled, and crash into each other. The one with the rifle drops it into the water.

“Don’t shoot!” He begs, holding his hands above his head.

“You! Hands up!” I bark at the other.

He raises his hands, but holds the lantern out so he can see me.

“I give up.” He tells me.

What the hell am I going to do with two prisoners? I have nowhere to take them. They’re bigger and stronger than me, and there’s two of them. They could easily jump me and over power me the first chance they get.

The one with the lantern sees me contemplating, my finger twitching next to the trigger of my PPSh.

He looks me dead in the eyes. I see through his soul. Feel his fear.

He has only one thing to say to me.

“Bitte.”