The Other Side of the Dome

Chapter 13

"Sadie! Sadie!"

I shot straight up. My whole body was shaking and goosebumps covered my skin along with a thin layer of sweat making me sticky. My heart was pounding in my ears. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the darkness around me.

Koda was knelt over my bed with a small candle. A worried look in his eye.

"You were crying," he whispered.

Even in the pitch black, I could tell everyone else was asleep. Soft snores could be heard from different directions around the room.

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

"Don't be," he looked around for a moment. "You want to get some fresh air?"

"Isn't it nighttime?"

He shrugged, "There's a little secret I want to show you."

He handed me the candle and took my other hand. It was then that I noticed the small wicker basket resting in the crease of his elbow as we walked down the narrow corridor that led to the entrance. Halfway down we stopped in front of a wooden door that I hadn't noticed when we arrived. It was almost the same orange color as the walls and had a sign on it that read: KEEP LOCKED AT ALL TIMES.

He flipped through the keys on his neck for a moment before unlocking the door and pulling me through. Behind it was a rusted metal spiral staircase that stretched up and disappeared into blackness.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we ascended. We'd gone up at least four stories and my legs were starting to ache.

"We are almost there," he replied, giving my hand a slight squeeze.

At the top was a metal hatch door, he handed me the basket before using one of the keys around his neck to unlock the padlock. Then, with his shoulder, he pushed the heavy door open.

When we stepped out we were at the top of the cliff the bunker was built into. There was nothing but grass and a few trees. It was cold out. My clothes were still damp with sweat and any time the wind blew I'd shiver. Yet, it felt nice. I took a deep breath, the fresh air filling my lungs.

"Look," he said pointing up.

I did and was awestruck. The inky black sky, and stars. So many stars. Bright and twinkling like Christmas lights. I felt myself involuntarily reaching up as if I could hold one in my hand. Feel its warmth on my skin. I had recognized a few constellations that were in my astronomy textbooks from my first year in college. I traced them with my index finger: Aries, Pisces, Pegasus...

The moon was bright and big. It wasn't even at its highest point but it was bright we didn't even need the candle to see. I'm sure Koda saw the astonishment on my face because he asked, "Have you not seen the stars before?"

I shook my head without taking my eyes off the sky, "They're not very visible from inside the dome. There are too many lights. I've seen them in textbooks and movies, but they don't compare to this."

I felt him tug the basket out of my hand. He pulled a blanket from it and laid it across the grass. Then a couple of bowls and a jar. After filling the bowl with a fragrant broth he patted the spot next to him.

"I noticed you didn't eat dinner so I made this for you. Shouldn't be too hard on your stomach."

At the mention of food, I felt an empty ache in my stomach that I recognized as hunger. I sat cross-legged next to him, gazing up occasionally as I sipped on the warm liquid. I was savory, thick, and light brown. It smelled strong of garlic.

Koda handed me a bottle of water and a few pieces of stale bread. After emptying the bottle and finishing a second helping of broth, I laid back on the blanket stair straight up at the sky. Koda covered me with another blanket before laying next to me on his back, arms behind his head.