Underneath (Foundation/Pre-write)

Chapter 2

That sense of serenity was almost instantly taken away when I felt the ground give out. Dirt quickly began to fill my boots as the earth around me began to hug my knees. Seconds after struggling, I felt my feet fall free, but the dirt around me was up to my chest. I stopped. I wasn't falling deeper into the grounds grasp. I took a deep sigh.

A hand grabbed my ankle and pulled me deeper into the ground. Lucky for me my eyes were closed. I was afraid to breath, the fact that I might suffocate. Ew, what if some weird bug crawled into my nose. The thought of that almost made me gag. Suddenly all the dirt around me disappeared. Excluding the dirt in my boots and clothes.

I fell into a chair and was automatically strapped down into it. A woman entered a door on the right. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, held up by a mechanical pencil. I heard that they used to have wooden ones like that.

"Strip."
  
I scoffed. "What?"

"Strip, take your clothes off, get natural."

"I kinda can't. I nodded my head towards my arms, buckled to the chair.

"Strange..." She said, walking over to a podium looking desk. As she pressed a button, a weird sound of machinery hissed behind me. A clicking noise sounded, giving my limbs freedom.
"Now strip, you have 2 minutes."

After a scarring hour I was released into a hallway. I slowly walked down the hall and found the boy from the bus. I sat next to him on the ground. 

"Glad you have your clothes on." He said. I just chuckled.

"Oh my god! That was traumatizing!" I said a little too loud. Covering my mouth with my hand, mystery boy chuckled.

"Welcome to the Underneath." I head a familiar voice say as I glance up.

It's my Xavier.

"Come with me, I'll be laying down the rules while at the same time, taking you to your rooms."

I hadn't seen him in 7 years, but I still knew it was him.
  
"Are you okay?" Mystery boy asked as I inhaled slowly.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm good." I said in a Husky whisper as I brought my hands to my eyes.

"You sure, you look a little-"

"I said I'm fine." I said maybe a little to harsh. He looked hurt, really hurt.

"Fine huh? Whatever." He said as he stood up. I'm such a jerk. Why am I acting this way, Xavier most likely doesn't remember who the hell I am.

I stood up next to mystery boy and looked straight into his ocean green eyes. "I'm sorry."

Mystery boy was scanning our surroundings. There was only one other boy with us.

"Let's go." Xavier said, starting to walk down the hallway. His voice sounded the same as it did 7 years ago. But 7 years can change someone.

As we walked mystery boy leaned in towards me."Your okay. I'm used to being snapped at all the time." He did not just use that card on me!

"No. No! That does not make it okay," I said in a loud whisper. "That does not make it okay for people to walk all over you." He smiled. That's all I get in return for being weird. A smile and an echoey hallway with three other boys!

"Enough with thee drama, follow." Xavier snapped.

These people and their one word commands.

He lead us down a hallway with many doors. And when I say many, I mean many. Was this our punishment? To travel for the rest of our childhood, through a never ending maze?

"Mayz, you're here." Xavier said, stopping at the third to last door. The other boy we were with stepped forward.

"First and last name."

"John Mayz."

"Age." 

"Twelve."

Ha

I doze off, trying to figure out where my room would be, as they continued to play "20 questions." To think about the fun, shy Xavier, now being in charge of the newbies, was kinda weird. He obviously didn't know me or didn't care about me. Why do I care?

"Neo." Mystery boy stepped forward.

"First and last name." Finally, Mystery Boy just doesn't suit him.

"Dakota Neo." Awww, that's a cute name.

"Age."

"Sixteen" Holy what now?! I mean, he's not that much older... I will be 15 next month. The next thousands of questions were intriguing. I focused hard, trying to get to know Dakota better.
"Wood." I stepped towards Xavier.

"Full name."

"Kaitlyn Wood" And that was it. He froze for just a second. He did remember. 

"Age"

"14"

It was so quiet in that hallway I could hear Dakota take a deep breath in, the same why I had during his turn. I don't think he realised the age gap until now. He was supposed to be in his room, but he lingered in the hall to listen to me. The felt like they carried on forever. So I'll spare you from the pain.

The questions ended with him asking for my birth date. I walked passed Xavier to get to my room, but as I walked passed Xavier he whispered to me.

"Long time, no see." I couldn't look at him. It felt... Odd. Like, talking to someone you watch die. But I stopped in my place.

"I'm sorry." I couldn't think of anything else to say. He took in a quick, deep breath.

"Newbie, come over here." He said looking at Dakota. The rooms you were interviewed at will be your rooms for the next few years."

"Wait, what?" Dakota said calmly as he took a step forward. "She was questioned at the same room as me." I just noticed that I hadn't moved since Dakota's interview.

"We are limited in rooms so most people share. So get used to each other. Any other questions before you settle in?"

Dakota grabbed my four fingers and squeezed.

"Nope." Dakota said Xavier rolled his eyes. I just stood there like an awkward puppet.

The moment we got into our room I blew up.

"We need to talk!" I said.

"What about?"

"What was that?" It's not that I didn't like it.

"You looked troubled, so I thought I would help."

"Fine." I didn't really know what to say.

"Fine?" Now that was a look of true puzzlement.

"Yup"

"I was expecting a whole I don't need your help or a well don't kind of thing."

"I'm 14, obviously a mess, and in a new place. I will need help. Not like Xavier is any help." Crap.

"How do you know his name?" I knew this guy could look right through my lies. I left out a long sigh.

"We were friends when I was 7. But that year he got taken down here. Both of his parents had died so he got taken. Can you believe he's only 15?" I ended.

"Then how the hell is that kid in charge of us?"

"Well he's been here for 7 years, they might have a lack in staff."

"Can we be done? I'm kinda bored now."  Dakota said as he flopped on the twin bed to my right. I followed suit and sit on the left. I looked around the room. It was so small, like a cell I'll be in for the next four years. No outside contact. No mom.
And let the anxieties settle in.
I felt my throat closing. My whole body shook so badly that I felt cold. The lump in my throat grew as I tried to hold tears in. I'm stuck, helpless, alone.

"Kait..?" I looked up with all the strength I had. He had gotten up and came down on his knees in front of me. He gave me a concerned face. No one has looked at me like that since my dad died. That made my tears flow heavily. I curled up, holding my knees close to my chest.

"Kota..." I stifled out between sobs. He climbed up on the bed and sat behind me. He wrapped his arms around my body and rested his hands on my lap. He moved his legs so they cradled mine. He began whispering calming words into my hair.

Once I was calm a bell rang. I took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

---Chapter End---

I think this chapter is kind of cringey, but it just sets a tone and pathway for Kaitlyn's future relationships. 

-KAC