Our People

The longer we were in the Underworld, the more I felt I was losing my mind. An entire month had gone by since we were first captured. There was no sign of a rescue crew being sent for us. Down here, isolated in the Underworld, we didn’t even know if our Cube was still functional. We left on a multi-day expedition to search for supplies while the Cube was docked. If no one returned with supplies, it could all be over. There was a distinct possibility our home was nothing more than a mutant playground now. With no search and rescue team sent to the Underworld, was our home still standing? Or were we just not worth saving?

That begged the question, why try to escape? The fact that the question even crossed my mind rattled me to my very core. We were prisoners of the Dwellers, those that ended humanity. Even if we had nowhere to go, to fight for our freedom was better than to die a prisoner. Sitting through those stupid classes, and watching that clearly doctored video, was messing with my head. I needed to clear my head.

I walked through the city streets of the 35th district, alone. Dawn was nowhere to be found. At this point, just one month into captivity, the prisoners of Squad Delta were granted free roam of the public city streets within the district. To say we were “integrated” into society at this point was a lie, but that freedom was granted to us regardless.

I placed a variety of fruits and vegetables into the burlap sack I was given. It was part of the welcome package given to us when we left the prison and moved into housing on the outskirts of the district designated for Surface Walkers.

Now that I no longer wore prison rags, my treatment in the city was vastly different. Thanks to my black hair, I more or less blended in with the crowd. My other squadmates, like Ms. Rose, did not have such a luxury. With bright, vibrant hair, they likely still received the same glances and stares I got when I first arrived as a captive.

“Excuse me, sir?”

A little girl struggled to reach the fruit at the top of the stand. Standing on her tip-toes, she fully extended her arm to no avail.

“Yes?”

“Could you get an apple? I can’t reach.”

It was a Dweller, but it was just a kid. Plus, how would it reflect on me if I refused to help this little girl in public? The more trust we could build in this community, the more trust they would place in us.

“Sure thing.” I grabbed three apples from the stand. “Is this enough?”

I gently placed the three apples in her bag, which was already full of other items. It wouldn’t have surprised me if the bag weighed more than the kid at this point.

“Thank you!” The girl flashed me a bright, innocent smile. Her smile reminded me of Amber’s, from when we were young. The unsettling feeling in my chest returned. Did I really just compare Amber to a Dweller? She deserved better than that. What was I doing?

The girl handed her money to the attendant. She struggled to make it ten feet down the street lugging that giant sack of food with her. I snatched the bag out of her hand. She looked up at me with a curious twinkle in her eyes.

“Where are you going?” I asked her. “I’ll carry your bag for you.”

She pointed off into the distance. “Home is that way!”

“Alright then. I’ll follow your lead.”

No longer held down by the weight of her grocery bag, the girl ran ahead with a new found energy in her step. It was like she forgot I was coming with her. I was even doing her a favor, carrying her bag. A thankless good deed, all for a Dweller. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but I was growing soft down here. We needed to devise an escape plan, and fast.

After getting a fair bit ahead of me, the little girl turned to face me. She continued to skip backwards with a big smile on her face. “What’s your name mister?”

“Ray.”

“That’s a funny name!”

“No it’s not!”

I was arguing with a little kid. This was utterly pointless, but she seemed thoroughly entertained.

“And what’s your name?” I was already helping this kid with her chores, I figured I might as well keep the conversation going too.

“Luna!’

I stopped dead in my tracks and nearly dropped the bag. How did I not realize it sooner? All it took was this little girl saying her name, and it all clicked.

As I took a closer look, my suspicions were confirmed. This was Dawn’s younger sister, Luna, the same girl who saw me behind my cell bars. With new attire on, it was clear she did not recognize me.

“Listen, kid, do you think you could take your bag the rest of the way home? I just remembered I have somewhere to be.” It was a bold faced lie, but she wouldn’t know any better.

Her smile quickly turned to a frown. “But home is right there!”

I was hardly paying attention the entire walk. We were now in what appeared to be a more residential area of the 35th district. While we were prisoners, before the Dwellers considered us integrated into society, we were barred from this area of the district.

Standing by the front of the building Luna pointed at was an all too familiar figure.

“Damn it.”

In the blink of an eye, I was armbarred and pinned to the ground. The bag of groceries spilled across the ground.

“Dawn, what are you doing!” Luna shrieked.

“Stay away from him, Luna! He’s dangerous!”

“Get off of me!” I winced in pain as my arm was pinned harder against my back. Dawn kneeled into my back rendering me completely immobile.

Luna pushed her sister to no avail. She was not getting off my back no matter how much her sister pleaded.

“Back up, Luna! He’s a Surface Walker!”

Defeated, Luna stepped back, creating distance between myself and her. Dawn finally got off my back, but kept my arm pinned behind my back.

“Stand up,” she instructed.

In no position to argue, I rose to my feet, wincing in pain.

“You can’t trust this guy,” Dawn continued, scolding her sister. “Did he do anything to you?”

Luna pointed to the bag of groceries now spilled out across the ground. “He was helping me bring food home…”

Dawn looked at the bag on the ground and her expression changed, as though it was her first time seeing it. I had that very bag in my hands before she pinned me to the ground but apparently she failed to see that.

“He was… what?”

The death grip around my wrist loosened. I took advantage of that opportunity to free my arm from her grasp.

“Were you trying to break my arm or something?” I shook my arm to stretch it out.

Dawn got down on her knees and started picking up the food, placing each piece of produce back in the bag carefully. Luna soon joined her. Feeling too awkward to just watch on awkwardly, I lent my hand. Together, the three of us cleaned up the mess we created.

With the mess cleaned up, Dawn and I stood beside each other, doing whatever we could to avoid eye contact. After a moment, she grabbed me by the wrist and began leading me away. I was free from her grip only long enough to help pick up the food, not a moment longer.

“Come with me,” she said as she pulled my wrist. I didn’t have much say in the matter.

“Is this where you live?” The words slipped out of my mouth. Dawn led me inside a sizable room, fitted with two beds and its very own kitchen. Compared to the residential area of the Cube, this was practically luxurious.

“What am I doing?” Dawn ruffled her own hair in frustration. “Bringing this guy to our home? Am I crazy?”

I figured it was in my best interest to not answer that likely rhetorical question.

I felt a soft tug at my shirt. “Thanks for your help!”

Luna looked up at me with a bright smile, as though she forgot entirely about what just transpired minutes ago.

“Uh… no problem.”

Dawn pointed at a stone carved chair in the kitchen. “Sit there.”

This was a complete role reversal from our first encounter. At her mercy, I obliged.

“What were you really doing with my sister?” The aggression was evident in her eyes. Even if I told the truth, she wouldn’t believe me.

“Really, I was just helping her with the bag of groceries. I was shopping for myself and just happened to run into her. I didn’t even know it was your sister.”

The fire in her eyes showed no sign of subduing. “No one trusts you. I don’t trust you. You surface walkers don’t deserve any trust.”

“Believe whatever you want,” I scoffed. “I don’t care what you think of me.”

That was the exact kind of response she should have expected from me, yet she seemed caught off guard.

“Were you really just helping Luna?” Her voice softened.

“Yeah.”

For a moment, her gaze softened. She looked almost human. It left me with an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach.

“Thank you. I shouldn’t have left Luna to go shopping on her own. Our parents aren’t around anymore, so between school and my training as a retainer, I don’t have the time to do everything alone. I hate burdening her when she’s so little, so thank you.”

Now it was my turn to be caught off guard. “How many times are you going to thank me now that I’m trapped down here?” This wasn’t the first time she thanked me, but hopefully it would be the last. With each word she said I grew more uneasy.

Dawn’s gaze shifted to the floor. “Maybe Ariel and the others were wrong about you…”

Her voice was so quiet I could hardly make out what she was saying. “Wrong about what exactly?”

“Well, you all seem different. You, Amber, and the rest of your team, you’re not like the other surface walkers. Even if you try and act like-”

“Stop.” I cut her off harshly. “Don’t finish that thought.”

My request fell on deaf ears. “It just makes me think, if there’s any chance our people could-”

“I said stop.” I got out of the chair. Luna, who had been playing with some toy on the bed, took notice of my raised voice.

“Are you leaving?” Luna asked, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

“Sorry, I have to go.”

Without another word, I left Dawn’s home. So many thoughts were racing through my head. Our people and the Dwellers. Could we really? Dawn’s own doubts and thoughts were starting to creep into my head. My mind only needed to focus on one thing, escape.