Different.

Chapter 6: More than meets the eye

Chapter 6

More than meets the eye

Our descent into the suffocatingly dark hole was a silent one. The thick layer of slippery moss silenced our footsteps, and my eyes were hawklike as they followed Alexander down the narrow passageway.

It might've just been that he was constantly in an irritating state of self congratulatory ego boosting, but it seemed to me that even the way he walked, shoulders swinging side to side, was smug.

I was tempted more times than I cared to count to hit him in the head with the torch and walk off, but I restrained myself.

"Are we getting any closer?" I asked impatiently, breaking the silence. My words came out with little puffs of steam, it was so cold in there.

The tiny tunnel made me just a bit claustrophobic, but I didn't admit that to him. He'd probably just have smirked and cracked a joke.

He didn't turn when he replied, but I could hear the sarcasm in his voice as he said, "Yes, we're almost there sweetheart."

I seriously was about to knock him out, and I actually raised the torch above my head to do so, when I caught out of the corner of my eye a brighter white light a little ways away.

I craned my head around Alexander's broad figure to get a closer glimpse, but he must've seen me because he chuckled and said quietly in a way that bounced off of the walls that were practically closing in on us, "Told you so."

I stood up straight suddenly and scowled at the back of his head, loathing him more with each second that passed by.

But then, the white light got brighter, and bigger, and as we emerged from our little, dark, creepy hole, my jaw just about dropped straight to the ground.

Unraveling before me, was what looked to be an entire underground city.

Houses, shops, and all other kinds of buildings lined dusty dirt streets. But not little wooden huts like you might assume, no, clearly these were built to weather some sort of battle, as the houses seemed to be reinforced on the outside with a thin layer of shiny metal, even over the windows.

Children and mothers of all shapes and sizes hustled and bustled about, shouting to other people, playing tag in the streets, some of the younger girls doing each others hair.

There were even a few dogs tied up outside of people's homes, curled up and resting peacefully, miraculously oblivious to the rushing city around them.

Behind a few of these smaller buildings was a giant, slightly ominous looking, castle like structure, where I was assuming someone very important lived. It's spires reached high to where the sky would be, but instead there was hard packed earth.

I was still absorbing all of the details of this strange place, when a tall girl approached us.

She laughed and yanked the torch out of my hand, startling me a bit, before turning to Alexander.

"I can't believe you actually made her use one of the torches!" She laughed again, a light, girly laugh. The kind I've always wanted, nothing like my loud obnoxious barks. "No ones touched these things for years!" She went on, blowing out the torch and proceeding to twirl it like a baton.

I've always wanted to be able to do that, too.

Alexander looked at the girl pointedly and cleared his throat.

She blinked and turned to me as if just realizing I was there.

"Oh, my bad!" She apologized, seeming sincere as she put the torch down and extended a hand. "I'm Jenna," She introduced herself with a bright smile.