Children of the Underground

1

Darkness. That is all I see. I sit up and feel my way around the room until I find the old light switch. I live in a place called the Underground. Ever since The End War in 2015 every surviving human had moved into underground tunnels built by a secret organization called Mercy. Having no place to go the survivors submitted to Mercy and became the first citizens of the Underground, called Mercerians. I'm part of the thirteenth generation: Lowlines named because most children have been born in the lowest class. Almost everyone believes that Mercy started The End War but we cant do anything about it. They have a military service who call themselves Grounders. They have enforce the laws Mercy made for over 120 years. No one knows when people started to move Underground. People just started trickling down. Those who weren't so lucky to make it died on the surface.

          Let's see. Should I wear a beige shirt with holes or a beige shirt with holes? Beige shirt with holes it is. I put on my running shoes and black jeans, grab my knife, put it on my belt and head out the door. Today is day marks my 1,825 days of survival. "Joy".

    As I walk the streets of my home I see the Grounders out on patrol with their weapons pointed towards people as they walk past. Sometimes they shoot just for the fun of it. They never get punished.

    Put your head down walk at a regular pace, nothing to make you look suspicious. Don't wave, don't smile, just walk. Children look out towards the streets from their broken homes hoping to get a glimpse of their parents or older sibling, someone that they hope to come back.

    I'm making my way down the narrow path trying to get to the Rations Station before it opens up again. It goes on a time rotation. Luckily it seems abandoned for now. I grab the knife out of my belt and begin to hack at the door two or three times and it opens with a creaking noise. 'Jackpot' The room is full of untouched crates of food that should be moved in the back.

"Guess the Rassioner forgot to move them." I say to myself. I've noticed that when your alone for so long you begin to talk to yourself. It keeps you sane. Just a little noise in the background. "Let's see... which box is the lucky one..."  All of them are piled on top of each other in a messy way. "...How about you!" I spin around once and throw the knife and it hits a random box at the top of the pile. "Why does it always the one at the top." I sigh. Somehow I manage to maneuver my way up to the top of the crates without knocking them all down. I grip the handle of the knife...

"1,2,3" With all the bicep strength I have I yank at the handle but for some reason it decides to not cooperate with me. 'What a shocker'. I need to hurry up. The Rassioner could be back any moment and I wouldn't want to attract the attention of the Grounders again. "Lets see. Attempt number 2!". This is where it all goes down hill. Being the smart boy I am I pull with all my strength and end up tumbling down the mountain of food rations and pulling down with me the crest at the top with my 'Luckey Knife'. This creates a loud noise which is equivalent to the sound of a gunshot! "Agh!" I shout when the crates to fall on top of me breaking in the process. "Oh no." My heart is beating out of my chest. I haven't made this big of a screw up since I was 12. I begin to hear the panicked shouts of bystanders outside. Quickly as I can I get up, snatch the knife and bolt out the door.

    "There he is!" Someone shouts. I freeze in my spot. The Grounders look dead into my eyes. "Run" I say out loud. But my body is paralyzed with fear. I watch in terror as a gun is aimed at my head. "Ahhh!" That sight manages to knock me out of my trance. I duck down and run down the alley outside the Rations Station and hide behind a garbage can. "Bang!" The gun goes off and hits a gas pipe making a "Thunk" noise. "Step out while you can boy and I promise to kill you fast." one says with humor in his voice as he draws closer. "Bang!" They fire the gun again. 'No, I can't let them get me! After everything I've been through, after everything I've seen I can't give up now.' Without thinking my body makes a break for the closest bit of cover which happens to be a floor ladder. They climb up the sides of buildings. "Bang!" "AHHH!" I scream out in pain and look to see my leg with blood slowly trickling down from my calf. I fall down to the ground and hear my heartbeat in my ears, praying that this is a nightmare and everything just is a dream. "Bang!" Another shot is fired, but this time it from above me. "Bang! Bang!"

    "Leave the bloody kid alone." A voice calls from above with a hint of a Britoush accent. A dark figure slowly appears from the ladder. "Come with us peacefully and we promise to kill you quickly." One of the Grounders says. "Ha!" The voice laughs with amusement. "You know you say this every time, but nothing ever happens.". Ever so slowly the Voice makes its way out into the dim light. A boy, no older than me. He has short black hair with two white streaks on the right side. Pale skin covered his body with light freckles all over his face. He wore a similar outfit to me, but then again almost everyone wore the same thing. Next to him was another boy but this one seemed older. Not by much but older. "Bang!" The boy fired his gun again. "I suggest you get the hell out of here before we give you a new meaning of the word 'Grounder' ". 'What the hell!' The Grounders aime there guns at the two on the ladders. "You just dug your own grave." A Grounder says. "Your right. You did." Not a second later two shots were heard, and two fell dead...

End of Chapter One...