From Bunkers to Palaces

Part 8 - Pry

Kate stirred as the box-car slowed...

In the middle of bad dream, she pushed herself forward, wanting to stand up to protect herself from the man in her dream of terror but the crisscross restraints of the belts fastened to the body-hugging seat held her fast. With her eyes still shut, she flailed her hands around in the air.

Bending and picking up a canteen of water, Diana pulled out the cork and splashed cold water on Kate's face.

"Arghh!" Kate yelled, opening her eyes. Wiping the water from her face with the rug, she felt around her body before she unclipped the four buckle-locks to release herself. The speed at which Kate did this, took Dianna's breath away.

"No-na-no!" Diana struggled with her own belt clips so instead, grabbed Kate's arm, saying, "You mustn't stand up. There's nowhere to go. It can't be very far now..."

Kate sat and reconnected the straps. 

"Let's calm down and share things about our lives, Kate, but keep it down. You likely woke everyone."

"Sorry guys," Kate called in a loud voice.

Turning to Diana, she said, "I don't want to play that game. I just had a bad memory, one so bad I can't speak of it."

"Okay. Let's just share one thing at a time about our lives. I'll go first. I was married to Joe when I was sixteen."

"How old was he?"

"It's your turn, Kate, tell me something about your life..."

"I'd rather share with Richard as we have so much to talk about, don't you think?"

"You were, how old, when you met Richard, was it..." Diana stopped, remembering that Kate wouldn't know that she had listened to her personal conversation.

"I was ten and he was twelve, and if you need to know, we met, no —he saw me and I saw him —in church in my home town..."

"Now, that's something I didn't know. My Joe was also my age, sixteen. We have our birthday in the same month, June. We've been married ten years now."

"What's your favorite color?

"It's my turn, to ask you, but, it's green, like my eyes, that's the eyes I usually wear everywhere except when I'm sleeping at nights. I didn't have my contacts in, so that's why you see me as I am and why I can't see very well, only long-sight things are clear.

"Mine's Red."

Kate laughed at this as, to her, Diana seemed more of a quieter color-liker, like pastel pink.

Their sharing time came to a halt as the box-car, having continued to slow for a mile or more, reached its destination.

They emerged underground in much the same kind of 'station stop' as the one from where they had started.

Faced with a long corridor that went in both directions from here, much wider than in the previous bunker, Kate looked to Diana for directions as to which way to go. 

"Anika here will show you the way to your quarters. I'll catch up with you in the dining hall," Diana said.

"Wait, Diana; I have something of the most importance to tell you."

"Can't it wait?"

"No, it can't; but I remember you saying the Richard employed you so I think he should hear what I have to say as well."

Drawing her aside and leading her into a chamber, Kate looked around in great surprise, exclaiming, "A library. How wonderful; my favorite things are real books, not computers!"