The Underground

Chapter Two: The Hiding Place

The room was about as long and wide as a football field, and about as

tall as a football field is wide. There was a bonfire in the middle of

the room, with approximately 20 tents surrounding it. One of the tents

was bigger then the others, and seemed to be a meeting place of some

sort.

        Shelly herd the elevator doors close behind her as the mysterious

Linda led her toward the bonfire. Shelly now released there were people

surrounding the fire as well. As the two ladies approached the fire,

everyone turned to look at Shelly.

        “You were right Jo.” said Linda “everyone this young lady's name is

Shelly-uh...what was your last name again?”

        “Nelson” said Shelly.

        “I'm Joseph Davidson” said a tall slender man, with trusting brown

eyes and graying brown hair. Apparently the “Jo” Linda had referred to.

“You must be tired. Come, I'll show you to your tent.”

        Shelly said nothing, but smiled nervously. Joseph, flowed closely by

Shelly, walked over to one of the smaller tents. He pulled back the

tent flap to show a small space filled with a very small bed made up

on the floor,

and a box that could be used as a chair or a side table.

        “Get some rest” said Joseph “All will be explained in the morning.”

        Shelly set her backpack down on the floor and practically fell into the bed.

        When Shelly awoke, her first thought was “where am I?” she looked

around the small tent and then it all came back. The forest, the

house, the seemingly endless flights of stairs, all of it. The next

thing she thought was that she must not have been asleep very long,

for it was not brighter as if it was day time. In fact, if anything,

it seemed darker.

        “But then again, I-uh we are underground” she thought aloud. She got

up, but slowly, for she was sore. Once outside her tent, she noticed

that no one else was around. Shelly, assuming everyone must still be

sleeping, walked over to the mostly dead fire, and put a few loges on

from a pile a few feet away. She poked the fire a little. The fire,

grateful for the attention, began burning the new logs vigorously. It

was then that Shelly noticed someone approaching. It was Joseph.

        “I see your an early waker, just as I am.” said Joseph.

        “Yes” replied Shelly smiling slightly “I'm glad someone else is

awake, I was afraid I would have to sit here a long time before anyone

else woke up.”

        “I suppose you have a lot of question.”