The Well at Aster Park

"True. The most profitable thing in this city is reopening something that was supposed to stay closed." Ethan did not laugh. He followed the fence line and found a service door half-buried in shrubbery. The lock had been changed, but the screws were still fresh. He pressed a hand against the metal and listened. Not empty. Deep resonance. A shaft full of wind. Voices. He was about to work the hinge when a quiet voice said, "Don't move." A girl in a gray hoodie stood at the top of the stairwell, probably early twenties, holding an old camera in both hands. Her posture was steady. Her expression was not. "Maria?" Ethan recognized her first.