Like A Fairytale

Chapter 24

Lena

Burgstadt's metal sang. She heard it cracking, creaking.

The shelter was small and narrow, but furnished like the most magnificent living room. There was fresh water and also some nuts and dried fruit. The nuts came from one of the villages in the 3rd New State, which specialized in the preservation and recovery of old foods.

Lena reached for a sugary roasted almond while she waited. The sweet cinnamon flavor reminded her of her childhood. Of Christmas parties with her many uncles. She reached for the next almond, while she listened to the conversation of her father and Mr. Wang.

Lena had not only thrown her arms around her father's neck when she arrived in the safe room but also around him. Grandfather Wang had stroked her back. "We are safe, my dear!" he had whispered to her. "Shall I tell you a fairy tale?"

"Maybe later", was Lena's answer to the offer. She was too afraid to be interested in fairy tales. And she was no longer five years old.

The old servant who had fetched them was also sitting with them. Next to Samuel. The old man had fallen asleep. From exhaustion.

"Father?", Lena finally turned to her father.

"Yes, dear?"

"Will we have to leave Burgstadt?" She pointed to the escape capsule that was adjacent to the room.

"Only if the damage cannot be repaired." Her adoptive father sighed. "It would be a shame for the city if we had to leave it to the water. But if this is the case, a new one will be built. Until then, we would be accommodated in the seat of government. At your uncle's. What luck that we are almost there and don't have to wait to be picked up by another city. Or have to seek shelter in one of the villages."

"Hm." Lena very much hoped that it didn't come to that. She didn't want to leave any of lives behind if they had to leave the city. She snorted angrily. I ask for the safety protocol, and THIS happens! It can't get any more ironic. How lucky I am!

The room swayed slightly to the left. Allarmed Lena pressed herself against the wall. Are we sinking? Is it really happening?

"Miss?" Samuel looked at her worriedly. "Is something wrong? Do you need something? Are you not feeling well?"

"What?" She immediately shook her head. "No. I'm fine."

Flo

As soon as the elevator arrived on Level 4, it came to an abrupt stop there.

"Oh." The shadow nodded.

"What?" Flo blinked. The walls carted and vibrated. "What's going on?"

"The elevator has failed. Change of plan. We take an escape pod on Level 4." Almost casually, the gray man grabbed the iron doors and pulled them open. The elevator had only reached half of the next Level. "Can you climb?"

"No." Flo was the epitome of unsporty.

"Good."

"AAAH!" Startled, Flo looked for support. The shadow had lifted him up, together with the whining wolf cat, and carried him to the next level with a mixture of throwing and lifting. The impact hurt, and Flo clung to the open elevator door to avoid falling backward back into the elevator. The shadow followed effortlessly. Then he first pulled Flo to his feet and then the shadow pulled Flo along with him until they hid behind several gears.

Flo has never been to Level 4 before. As if enchanted, he looked around now. There wasn't much to see in their hideout, but the light was brighter than on Level 3. Here, too, the red alarm lights were lit, but everything around him seemed less threatening. He heard the soft chirping of birds whenever the metal of the city did not roar under the pressure of the water.