Chapter 3

"What the hell?" Raphael started forward.

"Raph wait." Michelangelo grabbed his arm. "I've got a really nasty feeling about this. Just watch her a minute."

Raph pulled his arm away from Mike's grasp, but stayed where he was.

The girl climbed back down the rungs then stared back up at the manhole again. She put her hand on her midriff and looked up and down the tunnel. Then she began to walk towards the turtles, still holding her arm across her stomach. The turtles instinctively pulled back against the wall dissolving into the darkness of the tunnel.

As the girl passed the brothers could hear her breathing. It was quick, as though she was afraid and her face was twisted in pain. Their eyes strayed reluctantly to where her hand was clutching at her waist, there was a dark brown stain on her filthy t-shirt, like dried blood.

"We'd better try to get her to a hospital…" Donatello murmured watching her walk away.

His brothers were silent. They could only just see her in the darkness, sitting down in the sewer water against the wall. Her pale skin had a slight luminous quality. She sat back and was lost in shadow, but they could still hear her quick breathing.

"You're right…" Raph eventually answered Don. "Shall we get April to take her in?"

"Don't you get it?" Mike hissed.

Don and Raph looked at him hesitantly before exchanging looks. They knew what he was getting at, but neither wanted to believe it.

"I think we've found that thing Mikey couldn't catch…" Leonardo muttered.

They were silent another moment, only able to hear the girl's quick breathing getting more and more laboured.

"She'll die." Don took a step forward.

"She's already dead." Leo took his brother's wrist, holding him back. "She's been dead a long time."

Together, they crept to the corner where she sat. Don leant forward curiously and touched the wall. "Nothing…" A putrid stench suddenly filled his nostrils, Don flung himself back and dry heaved.

"Oh jeez..." Raph covered his nose. "That's vile!" He backed away with Don.

"She must've died right here." Leo said looking down. Mike crouched at the spot she'd been and gave a sad nod.

Leo looked over at Don and Raph they stood back warily from the girl's final resting place. Don looked pale, he found it difficult to believe. He didn't believe in ghosts. It wasn't logical. Yet he'd seen it all with his own eyes. Raph did his best to be nonchalant and hide the horror he felt.

"But she climbed out!"

"Obviously she didn't get very far." Leo said calmly.

"She… It spoke to me."

Leo shrugged. "I think we should tell Splinter."

-

"A ghost?" Splinter looked a little surprised. "Do you think that is what you were chasing, Michelangelo?"

Mike nodded. "It makes sense. Why I couldn't grab her, or even see her half the time."

"I would like to see the spirit." Splinter said, thoughtfully. "I hope it is not malicious in any way."

Mike shrugged. "She doesn't seem to be. She probably just wants to get out. Who can blame her?"

Don sat on the sofa with a grim expression on his face. "Ghosts don't exist." He said. "There must be some other explanation. Maybe we imagined it. It could be something psychological. Maybe it was hallucinogenic gas? Or something we ate."

"Face it, Donnie, you've found something you can't explain away with science." Mike grinned.

"Yet." Don returned Mike's grin.

-

Splinter watched the child reach up to the manhole and jump, observed her climb the rusty ladder and push at the manhole cover.

"I have seen enough. The spirit is not at rest, but doesn't appear malignant. Nevertheless I think we should leave it alone."

Leo nodded slowly. "But, if you don't mind, sensei. I just want to watch a little longer."

Splinter hesitated, then he gave a stiff nod and turned for home.

Leo watched the small figure pass him, watched it sit down in darkness and listened to her rasping breath, then finally silence. He waited. It seemed like a long time then he was startled by a loud scraping noise and what seemed like the echo of cruel voices.

The girl appeared on the floor underneath the manhole, lying at an awkward angle as though she'd been thrown. There was a clank that seemed to reverberate through the tunnels, though it was barely audible. She lay there unmoving for a long time, Leo shifted uncomfortably without taking his eyes from the still form, determined to see it through.

Eventually she sat up, holding her side and looking around. She stood up, wearing a frightened expression and glanced up and down the tunnel. The look of fear didn't leave her face as she climbed quickly up the ladder and pushed frantically at the manhole cover but it didn't budge. She climbed down and began to walk away from Leo along the tunnel. He followed silently as she meandered around, getting weaker and weaker, eventually ending up under the same manhole again. Then, following the now familiar routine, she reached up and jumped, climbed up the ladder and tried the manhole cover again, then walked slowly around the corner to sit down in the darkness. Leo listened to her die again.

-

"She was down here hours before she died." Leo murmured. "It must have been terrifying for her."

"I can't believe you sat and watched all that." Don shook his head. "That's morbid."

"I thought I might get a clue about how she died." Leo explained. "I think whoever threw her in thought she was dead."

"Why?"

"She was unconscious for hours, and she was bleeding. I think she was stabbed."

"Poor kid. Too bad we don't know who she is." Don turned back to his computer.

"Mmm." Leo sat back. Something niggled at the back of his mind.

He couldn't concentrate on anything all evening, making a total show of himself during training much to his brother's gleeful amusement. Raph's in particular.

"Is something bothering you, my son?" Splinter queried with concern. "Are you thinking about the spirit?"

Leo gave a little nod.

"It's regrettable, but what has happened is done. Try not to dwell on it, Leonardo."

Leo gave a nod and after his shower he sat on the sofa staring blankly at the TV for the rest of the evening, too unfocused to meditate. He sat there until everyone except himself and Don had gone to sleep. Eventually Don yawned and stretched.

"That's it, no more tinkering. I'm going to bed."

Leo turned and stared at Don, a peculiar look on his face as though realisation had just hit him.

"What?"

"I've got an idea. Don, you've got to come with me!"

"What? Where?"

"To see the ghost."

Don shook his head. "At this time of night? You have got to be kidding. Besides, I don't think I'll ever go back there if I can help it." He gave a visible shudder. "Horrible place."

Leo stood and picked up his katana. "It wasn't that bad. Are you scared?"

"It was. And no."

"Well if you won't come, I'll go on my own." Leo headed for the door.

"Fine." Don stood still a minute then cursed under his breath. He didn't want Leo going back to that revolting place, especially not alone. "Wait. Okay, I'll come." Don said reluctantly.

"Good. Grab a flashlight will you?"