The Underground Children

Chapter 1

           

Jorden screamed as he ran down the hallway, ducking pipes and muck. His lungs burned, breathing in the toxic air.

"Jorden!" He turned around to see Crystal huffing behind him, gripping her stuffed bear. "Where is the pothole?"

"I don't know!" He cried out. His head spun. "Grandma said it was close to our house!"

Jorden could hear the rushing water behind them getting closer, people's screams getting louder.

They needed to get out!

They needed to tell the world tha-

"There!" Crystal yelled, pointing up.

When Jorden looked up, he saw the pothole.  He didn't know if  it was their pothole but it will do.

Here!" Jorden griped the bars leading up to the pothole, holding out a hand.

Crystal griped his hand and they started climbing up the stairs.

The water had just reached them when they were half way up.

Jorden felt Crystal's grip slipping.

He gripped it tighter but his hands were covered in oil.

"Jorden.."  Jorden looked down to see Crystal starting to cry.

"Please don't cry Crystal! We're going to make it!" Jorden started pulling on her arm.

The water continued to rise.

They reached the pothole and Jorden gave it push.

"Jorden, you need your other hand." Said Crystal, beginning to slip her hand out his.

"Crystal!" Jorden started pushing against the pothole aggressively.

The water was now at their ankles.

"Jorden please. Let me go."

"NO!" Jorden screamed. "I promised grandma that I would bring you home safe."

Crystal smiled. "You are."

Crystal slipped her hand out of his.

Jorden tried to reach for her but he missed.

She felt into the water.

Jorden screamed, banging on the pothole until the water swallowed him.

Chapter 1 

Jorden heard the ran flooding through the hallway.

He hoped that Quily didn't fall asleep in the hallway again, he has a bad habit of doing that.

There has been many times were he has almost drowned or woke up miles down the hallway.

Jorden heard his mom and grandma starting up the fire, poking the cols.

"-e doesn't know about the flooding, does he?"

"No. I haven't told him anything and specially since he can't hang out with her anymore."

"That's true."

Jorden decided to wake up.

"Good morning." Jorden yawned.

His mom jumped, whipping around to stare at him.

His grandma didn't even react.

"M-morn-ing." His mom stuttered out.

He smiled and leaned over to give her a hug.

He barely touched her while she lets out a scream.

His grandma sighed and threw a raw fish onto the fire.

"Sorry mom!" Jorden cried out.

"N-No P-probl-e-em." She gave him a weak smile and slowly turned towards the roaring fire.

"Do you know where Crystal is?" Jorden asked grandma.

"Don't know. She said something about exploring."

Jorden nodded. He sat down in front of the fire and poke at it.

"I overhead Elan talk about the cleaning.. she said it was going to be soon."

Jorden's mom looked up at that and her bottom lip began to quiver.

"Is the shelter ready?" Jorden said, poking at the now crispy fish.

"Your father is building it." Jorden's mom said confidently, her eye's hard.

Jorden and grandma shared  a look.

"Okay, grandma I think breakfast is ready."

Grandma nodded and got a fork to pull it out.

The fish was nicely cooked, the inside warm and sweet while the outside crispy.

Grandma cut up the fish and gently dropped it on the floor in front of each person.

Jorden sighed and stood up.

"I'm not hungry. I'm going to find Crystal." Then Jorden took off.

Grandma frowned and looked over at Jorden's mom, she kept staring into the fire,  her eye's far away.