The fumes had blackened the buildings that towered above me, soot and smoke from the factories had contributed to the dark depressing look. Only noticeable because they had been cleaned recently were the windows, patches glittering and shining in the sunlight. Pools of oil lay on the road, staining the tarmac. The old trundling lorries kept rumbling past, queuing only when the out of place modern traffic lights turned red. Potholes clearly visible at the side of the road, filled with litter, old coke cans and sandwich wrappers. The drains were blocked with unwanted items and more litter. A manhole lay uncovered clearly hazardous.听The pavement not distinguishable from the road, it was old and worn. In-between the crumbling stonewalls were grubby, narrow alleys. I turned into one, the immense darkness pressing in around me, even though it was midday. Rubbish bins lay overturned, litter scattered all over the floor. The smell of fox droppings was overpowering, it was as if you were walking straight into their lair.听An old battered up, chewed glove lay in front of me. An item stolen from an unknown persons garden, judging from the state it's in they won't want it back. The further you go down the alley way the more claustrophobic you feel. The feeling of eyes watching you makes you want to turn and run. A sound of something scuttering along keeping close to the wall makes you jump. Your eyes pick up the moving crisp packets as the creature advances further down the alley. Your attempt to shrink further in to the shadows of the towering buildings goes unnoticed. Silence once more. Your stomach is rumbling ferociously; jogging your memory that you had not eaten since yesterday evening. You must get lunch soon. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. You wonder whether it's your imagination or is someone or something following you.听Uncertain of what to do next you just stand there. Listening. You hear nothing. The immediate panic subsiding you take another step and again you hear the, Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Your breath coming in short fast gasps you stop yet again. All you can hear is your heart pounding so loudly and vigorously, as if attempting to escape from your rib cage. A ludicrous thought being it sounds like someone munching crisps. This sets the giant rumble off again in your stomach. As you advance down the alley the stench becomes even more vile, making you wretch. There is now nothing left in your stomach, and a burning sensation develops in your oesophagus. The smell of rotting fish mingled with fox excrement is making you feel queasy again. By this stage you are aware of another presence. Your ears pick up the scuttering sound again sending a shiver down you spine. In the gloom that surrounds you, you are able to squint ahead and your eyes pick out a streak of daylight. Relief washed through your system enabling you to breathe normally again. Dodging through the scattered litter and odd garments, you weave your way towards the light. The other presence doing so too as if it was mimicking your actions. As you near the light and the gloom became less dense, you see it. A mouse. You pounce. Lunch at last!!! | 
