Under the Water (Book 1)

One

Quinn Seventh

ping

The pebble bounces of the clear, disorientingly reflective like material.

Suddenly large deep resonant bell sounds. Works done, curfew in 2 hours. Just like every other day.

Why is life so.... bland? Boring? Uninteresting? I think as i get up and look toward the middle pier, my work house is almost directly across from the West Gate. The gates are closing though, due to the 8:00 bell, and some late merchants rush in. Anyone who misses the gates will be staying in some inn or barn in the outer pier, where the outer shell of the dome was. Anyone who somehow misses the Outer Gate closing at 9:00, will be stuck outside the Aurem Imperium, left to fend for themselves against the rebels that they may happen upon.

Of course no one would get into the inner pier unless a very important message or trade was coming through. The royals there were blissfully ignorant about all the troubles of that around them.

I turn around and start walking back to the small hut like dwelling place my family and I call home.

Dad and Hydee aren't there. Probably still getting off of their shift. Their Overlooker is extremely strict about who can go when what happens and where.

I bang on the heater, jarring it into a more or less working loop of rattles and buzzes. Just one other thing failing in this house.

Walking over to a high cabinet, I open it and looked at the food left.

A can of mashed potatoes, and some green beans at least a day or two over expired. In other words they're still good.

After managing to light the electric burner and warm the 2 cans of food, I look at the clock again. 8:35, Dad and Hydee still weren't home.

They should be home by now. It's almost time for the Outer gate to close. Then only an hour until curfew.

Leaving the unopened food on the counter by the burner, I walk out of the house, and crane my neck to see over to Dads work field.

I only see smoke.