Nighthowler 2, Ep. 15
#15 of CYOA: Nighthowler 2
The fifteenth episode of our Zootopia themed community CYOA sees Nighthowler, Judy Hopps' vigilante alter ego, trekking into the depths of a rusted steel pipe in search of clues. What will she find?
The pipe.
A steel pipe, turned orange with rust, four feet in diameter; plenty big enough for a rabbit. Shining her flashlight up into the darkness, didn't really give her much. It was dry, as much as anything could be in a sweltering rainforest right next to a river, corroded from lack of maintenance and covered in moss and algae. Water hadn't ran through in a long time.
Putting her flashlight in her mouth and taking several steps back, bare paws splashing through shallow water, Nighthowler began to formulate a plan. A running start and an ambitious jump, that was all she needed to get in there. Her little paws caught the edge of the pipe, clung tight while she scrambled up. Her companion was heavy, but she'd done athletics in full kit, boots, vest, helmet, and all. Heaving herself over the rim, trying not to let too much orange rust and moss cling to her bare fur, Nighthowler got to her feet on the edge of the pipe and shone her torch inside.
An incline, steep but manageable, leading up into the dam. Why wasn't the water running? Well, it was a slim chance, but maybe there'd be a maintained hatch or a way in further inside? It's not like she has anything to lose. Sweeping the beam of her torch in front of her, careful not to step on anything dangerous with her bare feet, Nighthowler climbs the incline. It's a small dam, one of many that fill the Rainforest District as part of a water network, helping supply the lush jungles and thick swamps with heavy artificial rain.
Inside it's damp and humid. Water drips occasionally from the ceiling, algae and moss sparse now where light can't reach. Shivers run through Nighthowler's fur, thoughts of being swept away by a sudden surge of water keeping her on edge, ears constantly alert. The deluge never comes.
Instead, Nighthowler finds
[1] A doorway! Nighthowler's gut instinct paid off, there's a thick steel door installed into the tunnel wall, held in place by heavy hinges and surrounded by a thick rubber seal. It doesn't look like part of the original design, not having had time to rust and corrode like the pipe's mouth. Streaks of grime and damp mark the recesses, but the rest is dulled steel gleaming faintly in the sharp light of her torch. It doesn't look like it's supposed to be opened from the outside, but there's a heavy emergency release lever right by where the lock would be. Could this be a secret escape route that Nighthowler could use as a way in?
[2] A hole! Maybe this was why the pipe was shut down in the first place. Corroded steel opens into cracked and crumbled concrete, leading into a room deep within the dam's insides. It doesn't look like anyone's set foot inside for quite some time. Shining her flashlight inside finds mostly piles of debris, concrete and twisted rebar. In the far corner is a rickety staircase of rusted metal, leading up into the darkness. Maybe, long ago, this was some kind of storage or control room. Now it's little more than ruins - but still a way in.
[3] Vines? Sleek and shiny, they glisten in the torch light like no plant Nighthowler's seen before. Smooth and black with a faint purple sheen, covering the walls in rootlike webs. They look wet. A guesstimate puts Nighthowler around half-way into the dam, so how could a plant be growing in total darkness? A fungus, maybe? Or something else entirely. Shining her torch deeper reveals more and more of the twisted black vines, covering every surface. Maybe this is what is stopping the water flow, some kind of weird blockage?
Posts have slowed recently because I'm learning a new set of skills, though you'll be finding out just what I've been working on very soon~ It's the beginning of a new journey for me and, hopefully, exciting new content for you. But enough about that, what sticky situation is Nighthowler going to find awaiting her? Just what strange things are going on in this abandoned - or maybe not so abandoned - dam? Drop a vote here, or a suggestion for what should come next here!