First Spark

chapter seven

Mare

The way back doesn't seem nearly as long as the walk there. Now that I'm looking around I study the path we've been walking down. I see the wooden beams that support the walls, the lightning buds that sprout randomly across the floor and climb up the walls. I was panicking the first time I ran down here I didnt see any of it. It smells like rain water and soil, it looks warm even though I shiver under the jacket. The lights make it seem homely. Enough to put me at ease for the first time since I woke up down here.

Noah walks ahead of the rest of us, but now his head hangs low and his footsteps seem heavier. He keeps massaging his hands almost like he's making sure they're still attached to his arms. He doesn't turn around to speak on the way back. I nudge Eden and whisper, "Is he alright?" She looks up at him and the look in her eyes darken aswell. The look is gone when she looks back at me though.

"Yeah, he's just thinking. He'll be alright so don't worry about it okay?" She smiles at me in a way that makes me think she's asking me to believe her. I decide to let it go for now, there's something else I want to know anyway. So I nod and keep walking.

"So how come I've never heard of a city underground? It doesn't seem like anyone else up there does either."

Grey speaks up, "I've been working under Blaine for years and he tells me it's for the safety of each of us. So
Nedra doesn't start a fight with Novac and Novac doesn't start a fight with Nedra." He takes a breath, "Because Nedra has things Novac doesn't and Novac has things Nedra doesnt." He tries to explain. He puts his hands out asking if I understand.

"Like the red apples?"

He laughs at that and I frown in embarrassment.

"Yeah, like the red apples." He chuckles. "But Nedra has better air filters while Novac has more technology. Had you ever heard of the vaccinations before the new domes started popping up?"

"No."

"That's because Nedra had it first and Blaine gave it up. Quite literally. I guess after the world ended we got one half of the knowledge and Nedra got the other. Where we have Transcribes, they have other kinds of technology, where we have medicine, they have better ways of getting around outside. Things like that."

"Gotcha. But, if Blaine practically owns both Novac and Nedra, why not conjoin them into one nation? Wouldn't it be better if we were together to share each other's knowledge and help each other out?"

"I don't know, maybe. Blaine doesn't seem to think so though, so it hasn't happened."

"Hasn't anyone tried to go against it before?"

"Dozens of people actually. But no one ever hears about it."

"Why not?"

"Because he has people to cover it up for him. People like me." His face is flat and has a certain emptiness to it. "But that's why we haven't gone after him yet. Because if we don't have enough evidence over him then the same thing will happen to us as what happened to the others."

It's silent for a moment after he says that.

Everyone thinks over what he said.

"But like Eden said, because of you we have more proof against him. When we go at him he won't have room left to stand." He smirks and winks at me, he hits his fist on his palm and pretends to throw a punch. I chuckle and shake my head.

"Who's fiesty now?" I ask him. He smiles brightly in return.

"Oh just you wait and see! You haven't seen the half of it." He jumps side to side and throws a few more punches. We both laugh and I see Eden smiling and shaking her head. Grey smiles brightly again and crosses his arms over his head. He walks ahead to talk with Eden.

I see another lightning bud growing up the wall and pick it. It's light is much dimmer than the others, barely a light at all anymore. It's stem is weaker and wrinkled. I look at the brighter ones around and notice that the newer buds shine brighter than the older ones. The one I'm holding is almost out, the petals that wrap around the bud are starting to unravel. They turn into flowers when the die.

I tuck it in my hair. But I forget to look where I'm going and trip over the floor.

I fall to my knees and my hair falls in my face. The bud falls out of my hair but as I go to pick it back up I see the light of more buds next to it.

When I follow the trail of lightning buds I find a small field of them. I hadnt seen it before because its been walled off. I fell where a small hole in the wall is. They crawl up the walls like vines and curl around each other.

I can't see where the feild ends because the walls curve and block the view but I do spot an old path going through it. The path has almost completely disappeared from all the new growth sprouting on it but I can still see where it used to be. It follows the field and wraps behind the wall too. I'm tempted to crawl down it to see where it goes but before I can I feel a hand on my shoulder.

I jump a bit and turn my head around to see Noah staring back at me.

"Oh, s- sorry. I tripped and then saw the field and got distracted. Sorry to make you wait-" I stop because I see him look down at the field too. His jaw clenches and his eyes shine with an emotion I can't discern. Like hes reliving a dream. Like he sees something I can't down that field and around the corner. I notice his hand go to his other and pull at the glove again. Making sure it's still there again.

"Are- you alright Noah?" Something about how I say it catches him off guard and he looks down in surprise.

"What?"

"Are you alright? You look, I dont know, different..."

"I should be the one asking you that. I heard you fall and came to see if you were okay. This place just brings back memories. It was walled off years ago." He notices me watching his hands and stops pulling at them.

He offers me one instead. I'm almost surprised by his offer but take it none the less.

"Thank you. I wasn't paying attention and tripped." I brush the dirt off my pants and turn back to the hole that leads to the feild. "Do you know where this is?" He takes a moment to respond, thinking up what he'll say.

"Yeah. I used to come down here alot when I was younger. I almost forgot about it until now."

"Where does it go?"

"The river, or, part of it anyway." He shakes his head, pushes the hair off his face and turns back to me. He frowns, embarrassed. "Sorry, let's catch up to the others. You're okay though right? Didn't hit your head or anything?" We both start walking.

"Yeah. I'm just clumsy sometimes." I chuckle and scratch the back of my neck. He looks back at me again, studying my face. There's a certain look in his eyes that make me wonder what he sees. "What is it?"

"Nothing. Its just, you kinda," he tilts his head a bit and narrows his eyes. "Remind me of someone I used to know." In the corner of my eye I see his hands fumble together again. I don't say anything about it but wonder what he means the whole way back.

A/N Ayoo guess who's back, back again. Me. Obviously. Who else would I be talking about? 

Sorry, anyway, hope you like this chapter! It took me a while to be satisfied with it so I'm hoping it turns out for you guys too.

Thoughts on Noah rn? What's in his mind? Why did the "Blaine covering up Mares not-death" bother him so much? What's he got up his sleve?

*snickers at my foreshadowing*

Find out next time on Total Drama Island.

I'm sorry.

No I'm not.

Media pic is more concept art for what Grey looks like. My precious bby angel. Just imagine the picture has brown eyes okay?

Also this one isn't as long as the last few chapters sorry bout it but if all goes as planned the next should be a longerish one.