talk.
“It’s okay, Finn,” I said. “It’s okay.” Maria walked over and hugged him. They held each other silently.
I knelt down and looked straight into Darcy’s eyes. “I know this is scary. I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t know where our parents are.”
Her lip trembled, but I continued.
“That thunderstorm you heard wasn’t a real storm. It was an attack. People attacked us.”
Darcy narrowed her eyes and frowned. “You mean like pirates?”
I nodded. “Yes. I think. I’m not sure. They dropped bombs. All of us down here in the mines, we are the only ones who I’m sure are alive.”
Darcy hugged Friendly and took this in. “I hate them,” she said at last. Then she turned and ran and tucked herself down into a corner of the room. “I hate them!” she screamed.
Maria and Finn continued to hold each other.
Pavel was probably outside punching the walls again.
Alek was comatose.
Mandeep appeared at the doorway, groggy andrubbing her eyes. “I just got to sleep. Can’t anyone shut up for a moment?” Then she turned back to the hallway and slammed the door.
I hung my head. How was I supposed to help get everyone through this? I had a hard enough time talking to people when things were normal.
Elena had been different.
She listened to me no matter what stupid thing I said.
But Elena was dead.
I had to do something. If we all sat around stewing in our grief, we’d never survive the Blackout.
I walked over to Darcy. “Hey, you know what I need right now?”
Darcy looked up at me and shook her head.
“I need a brave girl to help me find the light switch for down here. And we need to go find some food. There’s a cafeteria down the tunnel with lots of chocolate and desserts. You want first dibs?”
Darcy nodded.
I smiled and held out my hand. She gripped it tightly, and we walked toward the door.
Finn raised his head off Maria’s shoulder.
“Can I come?” Finn said.
I looked down at Darcy and raised an eyebrow. She nodded.
“Okay,” I said. “But Darcy still gets first dibs on the desserts.”
Finn gave a quick smile and joined us, wiping his eyes and nose on his sleeve.
“Maria, you want to come too?” I asked.
She shook her head and crawled onto the cot, pulling the sheets up over her head.
Well, at least the younger kids are moving, I thought.
We walked past Mandeep and Pavel, both sleeping or trying to, and headed toward the entrance to Tunnel 1. Finn was quietly humming the “Heigh-Ho” song. Darcy noticed too and joined in.
The sides of the tunnels were incredibly smooth. The ceilings arched above us about ten feet high in an almost perfect semicircle.
I marveled at this underground world. Diggers had carved out small exploration shafts with excavators following, carving out the full tunnel and then using shovel-arms to grab copper, iron . . . whatever.
For really precious metals—like gold or titanium—or jewels, they used something called a grinder. I’d never seen one, but I’d picked up from bits of conversation that these machines could get into small cracks and holes the bigger machines would destroy.
Just beyond the entrance to the tunnel, we came to alarge door with cafeteria spray painted on it. Someone with a sense of humor had added Abandon all hope ye who enter here in marker across the top.
The door wasn’t locked, and cool air greeted us as we pushed the door open and walked inside. There were more motivational posters up on the walls, with slogans like FOOD AND WATER ARE AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD , DON’T WASTE, and REUSE AND RECYCLE .
The fridges and freezers were still working, so that meant there had to be some emergency batteries or power cells somewhere down here.
I tried the stoves, but they didn’t ignite. Keeping food from spoiling was a priority; cooking it was apparently a luxury. So it was going to be raw veggies and salads until we got some actual power down here.
I turned on the taps and water flowed out. I quickly
“It’s okay, Finn,” I said. “It’s okay.” Maria walked over and hugged him. They held each other silently.
I knelt down and looked straight into Darcy’s eyes. “I know this is scary. I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t know where our parents are.”
Her lip trembled, but I continued.
“That thunderstorm you heard wasn’t a real storm. It was an attack. People attacked us.”
Darcy narrowed her eyes and frowned. “You mean like pirates?”
I nodded. “Yes. I think. I’m not sure. They dropped bombs. All of us down here in the mines, we are the only ones who I’m sure are alive.”
Darcy hugged Friendly and took this in. “I hate them,” she said at last. Then she turned and ran and tucked herself down into a corner of the room. “I hate them!” she screamed.
Maria and Finn continued to hold each other.
Pavel was probably outside punching the walls again.
Alek was comatose.
Mandeep appeared at the doorway, groggy andrubbing her eyes. “I just got to sleep. Can’t anyone shut up for a moment?” Then she turned back to the hallway and slammed the door.
I hung my head. How was I supposed to help get everyone through this? I had a hard enough time talking to people when things were normal.
Elena had been different.
She listened to me no matter what stupid thing I said.
But Elena was dead.
I had to do something. If we all sat around stewing in our grief, we’d never survive the Blackout.
I walked over to Darcy. “Hey, you know what I need right now?”
Darcy looked up at me and shook her head.
“I need a brave girl to help me find the light switch for down here. And we need to go find some food. There’s a cafeteria down the tunnel with lots of chocolate and desserts. You want first dibs?”
Darcy nodded.
I smiled and held out my hand. She gripped it tightly, and we walked toward the door.
Finn raised his head off Maria’s shoulder.
“Can I come?” Finn said.
I looked down at Darcy and raised an eyebrow. She nodded.
“Okay,” I said. “But Darcy still gets first dibs on the desserts.”
Finn gave a quick smile and joined us, wiping his eyes and nose on his sleeve.
“Maria, you want to come too?” I asked.
She shook her head and crawled onto the cot, pulling the sheets up over her head.
Well, at least the younger kids are moving, I thought.
We walked past Mandeep and Pavel, both sleeping or trying to, and headed toward the entrance to Tunnel 1. Finn was quietly humming the “Heigh-Ho” song. Darcy noticed too and joined in.
The sides of the tunnels were incredibly smooth. The ceilings arched above us about ten feet high in an almost perfect semicircle.
I marveled at this underground world. Diggers had carved out small exploration shafts with excavators following, carving out the full tunnel and then using shovel-arms to grab copper, iron . . . whatever.
For really precious metals—like gold or titanium—or jewels, they used something called a grinder. I’d never seen one, but I’d picked up from bits of conversation that these machines could get into small cracks and holes the bigger machines would destroy.
Just beyond the entrance to the tunnel, we came to alarge door with cafeteria spray painted on it. Someone with a sense of humor had added Abandon all hope ye who enter here in marker across the top.
The door wasn’t locked, and cool air greeted us as we pushed the door open and walked inside. There were more motivational posters up on the walls, with slogans like FOOD AND WATER ARE AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD , DON’T WASTE, and REUSE AND RECYCLE .
The fridges and freezers were still working, so that meant there had to be some emergency batteries or power cells somewhere down here.
I tried the stoves, but they didn’t ignite. Keeping food from spoiling was a priority; cooking it was apparently a luxury. So it was going to be raw veggies and salads until we got some actual power down here.
I turned on the taps and water flowed out. I quickly
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