Toxic ApocalypticXreader

The Underground

I stepped into the dark corridor, keeping a close eye on Zark, not knowing if he had just lead me to my own death. He scrambled for a box of matches in his bag and with a flick of his wrist the match caught on fire, I looked down the dark tunnel, only a few feet ahead of me were the steps that lead to what I assumed to be the underground. Our footsteps echoed down the damp hallway when we reached the bottom, Zark's match illuminating our path.

"It's not very far." He said, "Just make sure you let people think that you were brought here by the other guys, and you didn't see me running from them back there." He added, now walking ahead of me.

"Oh yeah, why were you running from them?" I asked, "Shhhhh" He interrupted, placing his finger on my lips. "We're here." He opened another curtain revealing a large dome, people hustling and bustling with chores and duties, houses nicer than I had ever seen. They were made of nicer woods and built in a uniform matter. 

"I-I didn't know there were this many people still alive." I mumbled in awe of the structured civilization these people have made.

"Oh you're only seeing some of it, and there are still herds of people on the surface still surviving by themselves, hopefully they'll stay that way..." He walked off into the conjunction of people, me following closely behind. 

"Here, see that large board over there?" He asked, gesturing his eyes to a large wooden post with papers nailed against it. "Go over there and see if your family or friends are on it. They update the people who come into here on an hourly basis. I'm going to get you a ration card. Oh and if anybody asks tell them you went through the welcome test." He then walked away to some tall buildings made of scrap medal covered in tarp. 

I made my way to the board, scanning for names, but I couldn't stop thinking. 'How could all of these people existed without me ever knowing in my (age) years of life?' Although I continued my search. I looked for what seemed to be forever, but my heart sank as I found nothing. "I came here for nothing...."

"That's not entirely true." I jumped at the sound of Zark's voice behind me. He handed me a card, "you can at least store up on food, water and supplies before you leave. You normally have get a job around here to get your share of food but they don't need to know that." I chucked as I placed the card into my pocket. 

"You said that you planned on laving earlier...why? You have everything you would ever need here." 

"Yes, I do, but I want the human civilization to grow back the way it's supposed to, everyone working together, not all working under a government that only wants to brainwash it's people."

"wait," I interrupted, "why aren't you brainwashed yet? You've obviously been here long enough to know how things work around here. What's stopped you from turning into everyone else?" 

"I noticed something was up when everyone told me the same thing about their feeling on the underground, it was always repeated, like a script. So I secretly stopped going to the exams they make you do, that's what seems to be getting everyone acting the same. I can't share everything with you know though." He explained.

"Why not?" I asked, looking him in the eyes.

"He leaned against the board, "I'll tell you once I plan to leave."

"What if I want to sta-" "No, You don't have a choice. I won't let you. Now you have the address of a place to stay on the back of your ration card. Blend in and don't go to the exams. I don't know when i'm planning to leave but with some new information I gathered it won't be long." He walked away without another word.  

I began to make my way to the address when I noticed a suspicious figure staring at me, although once he noticed my gaze he began to walk away. 

***

I had made it to the address and knocked, after a few moments the door opened and an elderly woman of a tan color I have never seen before welcomed me inside She wore a decretive gas mask and a colorful tunic. 

"You must be that girl they rung me about a few minutes ago." She said, in a horse voice, a voice that has spoke many words of wisdom. 

"y-yes, I am. I'm just staying here for awhile though. Just until I find a more perminet home." 

"Oh it's fine, I could use the company." She said, taking a seat at her dining room table. "Come, sit." She said, patting the seat next to her.

I took off my satchel and hung it up on some old hooks against the wall, I then sat next to the woman. "so, how did you get to the underground?" 

"Oh well I was unconscious when they found me, I had been beaten and left for dead when they brought me here. When I woke up I was given this very home and made sweaters for the newborns. It was my contribution to the underground." She gazed out into the window. "I owe them everything. The underground is a safe, special place, a place to never fear, a place to honor, they will make the world the place they envision it."

That's when I heard it, the script Zark mentioned. "Who's they?" I asked.

The woman snapped out of her gaze. "Did I say they? I meant we." 

"Huh..." I also looked out into the window, the amount of people began to fade and The woman stood up again. 

"Come, let me show you your room." I followed the woman into a small bedroom, the nicest i've ever seen in my life. "You can rest here for the time being. I'll be going to sleep as well."

"Goodnight" I said as she walked out of the room, she smiled back at me then closed the door behind her. I shut off the light and laid under the covers, the lanterns outside slowly began to disappear, one by one. until I was asleep. and then.

"Come on wake up!" Zark shook me awake covered in sweat. "We have to leave now! No time to explain."