The Portum (Undergoing Rewrite)

Part Fourteen

The person dragged me towards a small tunnel, lit by strip lights on the ceiling, at the end of it stood a metal ladder, I was headed towards it. Fear bubbles inside of me, was I going to go above the surface?

The person shoved me towards the latter, "Climb it." He commanded, with a tone that showed I should do as he said.

I gulped and began climbing, the ladder was very tall, and I couldn't see the top. The rings of the ladder were a little slippery, I had to keep my nerves under control, and otherwise I'd have no way of climbing it.

I heard footsteps below me, the other person was climbing up too. I sighed and began to climb a bit faster, wanting to get out of the claustrophobic place as soon as possible. It felt like hours, but it must have only been half an hour at least, by the time I reached the top, my arms and legs ached, I wanted to do nothing else but sit down and probably sleep. But, those choices were impossible, I knew that much.

The ladder ended just below a door, with a handle that looked like it had to be turned to open, it was a circular shape and looked like a wheel. I think it was called a hatch, if I remember from my home-schooling classes.

I heard the man's voice below me, "Open it, and hurry up!"

I did as he said, clinging onto the bars with one hand and wrapping my foot around the side pole, as I used my free hand to turn the handle.

The hatch swung outwards, revealing a white light that poured out of it, illuminating my face. The person below me ushered me upwards, so I climbed out of the hatch, closely followed by the person, who seemed like some sort of guard.

I blinked and looked around me, my ground was wood-chip, which was strange. To one side was a truck, I looked around, there was only a road, the truck, and the hatch, there was no sign of any rock, which was what was always in the Portum, as it was the walls of the place, and ceiling.

I gasped, realisation dawning on me, daring to take a glance upwards, I saw the sky, and it was a reddish colour, what I think were clouds, were a black ashy colour.

"I'm on the surface?" I mumbled.  The guard closed the hatch and walked over to the truck, I followed, knowing it would be better than to be dragged again. Climbing into the truck, I closed the door, leaning my head against the window as the guard began to drive, I took in the bleak surroundings. All I could see was the wood-chip road and a lake to the right of me. The soil was an ashy colour, the sky was almost hidden from view by the clouds.

I stared outside, everything was like a desert, and there were very few pieces of vegetation and absolutely no trees in sight.

About an hour passed, according to my smart-watch, I'd had all sorts of thoughts that should have made my watch beep, but there was nothing. The government or even my mother, must have shut the thought tracking off.

I had no idea where we were going, dread and fear bubbled inside of me, I gathered up the courage to ask the guard a question, "Where are we going?.."

It took a few moments for the guard to respond, "Somewhere where people like you cannot ruin The Portum's civilisation." I frowned, thinking of places, but there were too many to consider.

Why was I not told about the surface? What was my mother so determined to hide from me and the rest of The Portum?