Route 2 – Alley

         You push your bad feeling aside and tell yourself that it is probably just your imagination. It is not the first time you have walked down this alley in the dark and nothing has ever happened before. Nevertheless, you are aware that you are here in Archdorf and that you have to be on your guard. You think that something can always happen here, but the thought of the warm inn and a roof over your head to protect you from the downpouring, merciless rain drives you forward and so you enter the dark alley. Your chroma lantern lights your way and you see rubbish lying here and there on the muddy ground. A foul smell hits your nose and you discover the body of a dead rat at your feet. Disgusted, you pinch your nose and take care not to step on the dead animal. You can’t remember it being this bad the last time you were here. Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you notice the silhouette of a person on the ground. His head is leaning against the wall of a house. You become nervous and inwardly prepare to see a corpse when you get closer and see that the person is still breathing. It is a man with only one arm, holding an empty bottle in his hand. In addition to the foul stench of rubbish, you now notice the acrid smell of alcohol and realise why the man is sleeping here in the cold rain, lying in the dirt. You feel sorry for him, but there is nothing you can do for him and you only hope that you will not have to go through something like that one day too. You don’t want to end up as a hopeless alcoholic on the side of the road. Again you have to think of your family and that you would like to offer your children a better life as you continue to walk.

By now you are about halfway down the alley when you hear a rustling sound. It comes from a bush under the tree you are passing. You stop and turn towards the bushes. You briefly think that a human being might be behind the rustling and reach for your dagger, but you immediately dismiss your thought because it is a very small bush. Nevertheless, you somehow have the feeling that you are being watched and a cold shiver runs down your spine. But as you look around you can’t see anyone. So you shine the light of your chroma lantern in the direction of the sound and look closer. To your surprise, an orange cat with amber eyes comes out from under the green-brown leaves and meows at you. The animal seems to have sought shelter from the rain and this place under the tree seemed to be a good place of refuge for it. The cat sits down elegantly and puts its tail over its front paws.