Steam tunnel to 520 First Street Ozan leaned back against the white wall next to an intersection of pipes that shielded him from view. He slid down to a sitting position, legs crossed tailor-style. The pipes provided the only cover in the tunnel, but it was hotter near them. Maybe the heat would cure his fever. He thought they did that for fevers in the old days. Or maybe they packed people in ice. Ice would feel good right about now. An ice cube glowed blue in his mind, bright as fire. The fever again. Strength sapped from his body with each drop of sweat. He took off his shirt and used it to mop his forehead. His head felt too heavy on his neck, like it had been turned to steel. He hung it forward until his chin touched his chest. Pain pulsed in his brain to the slow beat of an old ballad. Get up, Ozan, said a voice that sounded like his mother’s. Go home and rest. He could almost feel her cool hand on his brow.
What do You think about The World Beneath (Joe Tesla)?
