The Junk Drawer

The Hideaway Project (4)

Mornings in the Underground always begin the same.

We awaken, change out of our sleeping clothes, and wait in the main room of our houses for the food deliveries. There are five parts of the Underground.

The North, which is above the Common, contains dwellings where the elder Hideaways live. The East, which is to the right of the Common, contains dwellings for young children, but aren't so young where they need adults to care for them. The South, which is below the Common, is where people who are older than children but to young to be adults live. Finally is the West, to the left of the Common, which is where the adults and very young children live. The Common is in the very center, and is the largest section.

There are two people who are designated to deliver the morning food. A man named Leopold, and a girl named Rèsa. Leopold delivers to the West and East, and Rèsa delivers to the North and South. Rèsa seems to be the same age as I am, and has become one of the people, besides Mataya, who I can talk to.

I awaited in the main room on the armchair, and held the piece of fabric the creature left behind. I studied it until I heard a knock outside, and went to the door more cautiously than last night, just to be safe in case there was another creature and it wasn't as merciful. Fortunately, it was just Rèsa with food.

"Hello, Everette."

"Hello, Rèsa."

We greeted one another, and I gave her a perfectly round stone in exchange for the food. Today's meal was a small slab of meat and ground roots that were close to a powdery texture.

I was about to bid Rèsa good bye, when I noticed that I was still holding the piece of fabric in my hand. The enocunter with that strange and terrifying creature was the most peculiar, yet exhilarating, thing that had ever happened to me. Should I consult Rèsa about it? I could trust her, and she wouldn't peg me as crazy, but what if the fabric was something important? What if it were a sign telling me to do something or go somewhere?

"Rèsa?" I whispered, not wanting the passerby to hear the conversation, for it might worry them that the underground was unsafe.

But there was no response. She had already left to continue her other deliveries. I sighed, and tugged on my hair stressfully, before going back into my dwelling to finish my morning routine, which included, eating the meal, and getting my tradeable goods to trade in the Common.

We trade things to keep ourselves busy, and maybe get a closer knit group of acquaintances. It's also good to trade so that we can discover new things we've never seen. An example? The shells I got from Mataya were the first whole shells I had ever witnessed, and gave me a greater aspect of what type of items exist above ground.

We may be afraid of going Above, but we aren't afraid to learn about it's past. I don't know much, except that it was called Earth, and that long ago something attacked it and reeked havoc across the entire planet, killing the entirety of its inhabitants.

Well, almost.

Others know more than I do, but I am too hesitant to ask. The other Hideaways often shy away from me, due to my lack of fear to the Above. Mataya is like me, and isn't afraid of the Above. Why she isn't is a mystery to everyone, but others don't shun her like they do me.

Mataya! I thought. I could discuss the creature and the fabric with her!

I ran off, clutching the fabric in my hand, resisting the urge to yell out Mataya's name.