Under Worlders

Five

I had the same nightmare. Five nights in a row.
I had been through several different tests now, all of them new, some of them frightening, the rest either confusing or exciting. But I never let them see my excitement. Happiness was a weakness.
A weakness I would not let them exploit.
My father had had that weakness, and spread it on to my mother. It had led to their demise. I had been devastated of course after their deaths, but I had learned from them. When one knew what made you happiest, they would take that away.
I had been aloud to explore a little more around the Surface, and had seen quite strange things. The place I was staying in was called Hotel, and the place I went to do my tests was called Scientific Lab. I wondered where they got such strange names.
Dilan had taken me to a place full of moving pictures, which he had called Cinema. I had watched in awe, but only for a little. This was dark magic. I would not be taken in by dark magic. Dilan took me to a few places, a building full of things he called books, a building full of old bones, which he called a Museum but I supposed it was a fancy name for a burial ground.
But the place that awed me the most was called Park. What a bland name I thought for such a large place full of life. The trees here were not dead like the ones in Underworld. They were vibrant with greens and a few were an auburn orange and others were even a bright pink. Grass was lush and green amongst the brown patches of soil.
The air was fresh, smelling of rich earth and scented flowers. It was a lot nicer compared to the stale, smoky smell of the Underworld.
"I want to live here." I said, startling Dilan who was smiling at me, most likely because of my reaction to Park.
"What?" He said, confused.
"I want to live here, out in open, not in that tiny box." I said, I was quite proud if myself, my sentences getting better every time I was around these people.
"I suppose we can set up a camp for you. Where would you like to stay?" He asked and I was pleased. I ran over to a large tree and climbed up it, searching for a comfortable place to curl up and not fall out at night. When I had chosen my spot I poked my head out between the branches to see Dilan watching me curiously.
"I want to stay here!" I called out, and he looked confused but nodded.
"If you say so. But are you sure you will be comfortable?"
I was touched slightly, very slightly, by his concern so I answered with "I slept on hard, sometime sharp stones in Underworld. I be fine in this tree."
He nodded in understanding then asked if I needed anything. I said no, I'll be alright, but even so he came back with a blanket and pillow (a long and wide enough piece of fabric to cover and warm the body and a soft bag full of fluff to rest the head on).
That night I had the same nightmare, but it was like I was watching it through a burry screen.
- - -
The next morning I was woken by Zara and another young woman, who looked to be about the same age as me.
"Ah, I zee you had a nize veekend wif dear little Dilan," Zara said, her accent as strong as ever. She turned to the girl beside her and said something in another language. The girl nodded and Zara walked off, leaving the two of us alone. The girl in front of me was staring strangely at me, and I felt offended that she would not stop.
She laughed then. "Aye, I ken what ya' thinkin'. Why do I keep starin' at ye? Don't ye worry lass, I can't see a damn ting."
"Oh" I said merely. She was blind.
"I 'ere dat dey call dye Spark. I myself don't particularly favour dat name. How 'bout I call ye Vita? It was me mam's name. It means 'full of life' and by da looks of it, ye surely are." She gave me a warm smile and I decided then that I liked her. I liked her quite a lot. I nodded, liking the sound if that name. Probably more than the one Luke gave me.
"I want to call you something." I said, and she laughed. She had a nice laugh, one that almost made me want to laugh as well.
"Aye, I'm fine with dat. But wouldn' ye like to ken my name first?" She replied.
I nodded, seeing as it would be smart to know her name before I gave her one.
"Clarissian. But most call me Claris." She said and I stopped for a moment, not sure if the name I would give her would suit her.
"Nice name," I complimented and cursed my low vocabulary.
"Thank ye," she smiled, "what did ye wanna call me then?"
"I wanted to call you Selia, but your name nicer." I replied. She blushed, at least I think she did, anyway.
"Come now, Vita lass, I want to take ye somewhere. I tink ye'll like it." Claris held out her hand and I took it. She seemed more trust worthy to me than anyone else I had met so far.
She had taken me to Restaurant, and had bought me eggs and bacon. It was the most lovely thing I had ever eaten, and when I had told her so, she had grinned broadly. Now we were on our way back to Scientific Lab for my daily tests. But today would be different, Claris said, today I would like the tests.
That's what I was told anyway.
And in a way it was true, these experiments would be quite enjoyable. But I wasn't going to do it unless they turned off the lights. They wanted to see how skilled I was in combat, which I believed was a fancy word for fight. But I needed darkness to fight, and unless they did turn off the lights, I wouldn't do a thing.
"Lights off! Or I will not move!" I told them, once again.
"But Spark, if we turn the lights off then your opponent won't be able to see!" Luke said again.
"Fine. Leave one light on. Not big light, just so he can see." I huffed, not liking to bargain. Luke nodded, seeing that that was the most I would give in. The lights turned off then, only one light stayed on, illuminating a spotlight around my opponent. My opponent, a boy about the same age as Dilan and myself, whose name I did not know. He wasn't as scrawny as Dilan, and he wasn't as thin as me, who was basically muscle and bone. No fat on me what so ever.
In the darkness, I smiled. My vision adjusted almost instantly, and even with the light shining on him, I could see my victim.
But he couldn't see me.
I clicked my tongue loudly, and began circling him, stirring him up by thinking I was in multiple places at once. My footsteps were silent, and so I continuously clicked my tongue, stirring him up more and more by the minute. I could see him trying to follow me, twisting around looking for a sign of my whereabouts. But I gave him none. He was following the sounds I made, but too slowly. He wouldn't catch me.
I doubted that the people in the room above behind the glass window could see me. I was a shadow, a weightless, soundless moving nightmare.
And I was ready to pounce.