Islands of Hope

Chapter 53

Johana retched again. Even with her hand clamped tight over her mouth, the noxious fumes still penetrated her nostrils. She tried not to think about the knee high liquid that soaked into her clothes and contaminated her skin. The sloshing of rancid water rang in her ears, every step like a kind of torture. At first it had been hard to move, like she walked through fetid treacle, but now she had perfected a slow arcing movement with her legs, pushing them high and wide. Johanna waded for a while, hoping she made good progress, stopping now and then for a dry-heave. As confidence filled her, her speed increased. Natural light appeared up ahead, joined by a low rumble. Joy at being near the mouth of the tunnel, her pace quickened once more. The sludge that sunk to the bottom of the tunnel threatened to unbalance her, though. Skidding forward, she released her hand from her nose and mouth, letting the acrid smell build up in her nostrils, thankful, however, that she had not fallen and gone under the tide of waste. Johanna shook, adrenaline coursed through her body. She took a deep breath to calm down, wished she had not, and clamped her hand to her face once more. Her torch lighting the way, picking out undignified floating debris, Johanna continued slowly toward what she hoped was the end of the pipe.

Her mood lifted as daylight poured in. When enough came that she could turn off the torch, she knew the ordeal had been worth it. The speed of the water had increased, and the rumble built with every step. Soon, the river pulled her forward, aiding her pace at first, but soon becoming a hindrance. Johanna needed to plant each foot carefully, making sure it was secure before moving the other.

As the daylight fully embraced the tunnel, the rumble became a roaring crescendo of noise. Under the glare of the sun, Johanna could make out a waterfall of bubbling brown water. Foamy scum sat on top, fighting not to be pulled over the edge. The excrement tugged harder, wanting her to join it in crashing down what sounded like a colossal drop. Johanna needed a way out, but the sides of the tunnel were too smooth to grip, and if a walkway had been built, the river had long covered it. She saw a platform to the right of the waterfall. Railings sat around it to protect from the raging torrent. It may have been at the falls' edge, but was her only hope.

Johanna angled her trajectory to end up on the right-hand side of the waterfall. Each step now more careful than the one before. Whilst trying not to leave her weight on one foot too long, she tested the riverbed with quick prods of her other foot, making sure she had good purchase before planting it. The going became arduously slow, but one wrong move would leave her plummeting into a deep cesspool. One step, two steps, Johanna was nearly there. Three steps, four steps, the railings almost in reach. Five steps, six steps, disaster. The undertow increased the closer Johanna got to the edge. Her worst fears all came true, the slick surface caused her to skid. With a loud splash and waving arms, Johanna's face smacked the water. Foul liquid filled her mouth as her arms shot out, more in desperation than hope. She grasped something. It felt metal. Raising her face out of the brown cascading liquid, Johanna spat out the water, adding extra spit to remove the disgusting taste. She opened her eyes, even though the excrement made them sting. Looking along her aching arm, she found she had indeed grabbed hold of the railing. Now she teetered on the edge of the waterfall, only the strength in her arm keeping her from crashing over the edge. Teeth gritted, screaming with pain, Johanna pulled herself forward. She managed to lock her other hand on the railing and fought her way through the tide. Her dive through the railings and on to dry land was not the hallmark of a graceful swan, but she was alive. Tired, covered in human effluence, on her own and unsure which direction to go, but alive.

Like so many before her, who had to see where their life might have ended, Johanna stood and stared down the waterfall. The liquid crashed into a large hole, and appeared to drain further into the ground. If possible, the stench was even stronger here. Now she was free, Johanna's body relaxed, and finally let go of the contents of her stomach. It took three attempts before the bile stopped coming. Wiping her mouth, Johanna considered her next move. With only one way to go, she crossed the metallic grated walkway and down the few steps to dusty ground. She looked back at the pipe, which disappeared into the ground. Further on in that direction sat Johnsonville, nothing more than a small dot from this distance. Johanna knew she needed to travel west. She looked up at the sun, now sitting low in the sky. It would now be late afternoon. That meant if she walked towards that shining celestial body, she could get to the slum around nightfall.