The Underbelly (First Draft)

Like A Rat

I woke up suddenly and sat upright far too quickly, I groaned as I kneaded my head as I tried to work out a sudden and vicious headache. I swung my feet out of the bed and sighed in momentary satisfaction as my feet touched the luxuriously soft carpet but the headache drove me to the bathroom and I stumbled over to the tap ad let the water flood from it and guzzled it greedily.

Once I was satisfied I rolled my shoulders to work out the tension of my shoulders. I stretched my hands upright and groaned with pleasure when I felt the cracks reverberated through my spine. I wandered back to the bed and I saw the source of my headache. From the top of my bed post, where my coat was hanging, was a buzzing sound, I went pale and dove for it. With shaking fingers I plucked out the buzzing device, a pager.

On it was a message. Meet us now. My sleepy heart began to race in my chest like an Olympic sprinter. Dammit. I quickly got dressed in clothes that were left out for me, a tracksuit set in a grey colour. I took one look in the mirror and decided that at the first chance I was going clothes shopping in the market square. This outfit was simply atrocious. I took a deep breath; I was trying to distract myself from the terrifying task ahead. I closed my eyes and thought of my beautiful mother and felt some of my nerves fade and be replaced with steely determination. I strode out of the door without a backwards glance.

The amphitheatre was deserted and would be totally pitch black if not for the faint lights that ringed it. I ignored my instinct to stay near the light and headed straight across the athletic field, trusting my night vision would kick in before long. I reached the exit of the amphitheatre with no major mishaps. A deep sigh of relief rattled my lungs, so far so good.

I reached the giant door with that was the entrance to the academy with relative ease, I could feel my heart beat begin to calm down and my breathing got a little easier. I slipped out into the main district of the Underbelly and quickly glanced around to see if anyone had noticed me, apart from a few small groups of merry people, the streets were deserted. With my hood pulled up around my ears I flitted through the streets, like a criminal.

I pressed up against a tall leaning building, that judging from the smell of it was full of chocolate and my stomach rumbled enviously. I could see the thick steel door that was the door that I had come through the day before. I knew that I had to sprint from where I was now to the door. I eyed the open space between here and there nervously. I swallowed and thought of my mother to calm myself down, an image of my father also popped into my mind unbidden and I was surprised at the soothing effect it had on me. I took a deep breath and ran.

My legs and arms were pumping furiously and I was streaming oxygen from the dry air. My feet were flying and I knew that if I could see myself in a mirror that I would actually be spending more time in the air than on the ground and yes, it felt good.

I was suddenly at the door and in one fluid motion I unbolted it and slipped through. I was breathing heavily and each breath was filled with the scent of strawberries and I almost laughed with euphoria. I got out, it was almost too easy. My euphoria was suddenly shredded when I thought of the cameras in the barracks, what were the chances that there were more dotted around the Underbelly and I did not see them?

I cursed my idiocy. Well there was nothing I could do anything about it now, might as well continue on. I passed through the strawberry scented tunnels and came to the old dilapidated lift. God I hate that thing. I hope that I don't have to input any codes or anything to activate it but once I pressed the button to call for the lift, it began to beep and whirr and I could hear its shuddering descent.  All I had to do now was wait.

Once it opened I stepped into the lift and pressed the button to get me up to the Surface. The stains in the lift were still there and my curiosity got the better of me and I traced my finger over it, it peeled away and with a start I realised that it was not blood but paint. Curious.