Tunnel Vision

By Kate E Lore

The tunnel is painted to look like the open mouth of a monster. With all that algae, trash, and the rush of water, this thing appears to be perpetually vomiting. Inside, its throat is coated. Like the ancient cave paintings of Chauvet, many hands have marked here. Layered spray-paint. The humans cover their mouths with the fabric of a T-shirt. We fish cannot. I swim downstream, away, until rocks and trash block my path. I face out, pointing my gills away from the poisoned water. Turned to the big open mouth of a monster, I’m wishing that were the only threat.