【ｔｈｅ ｈｏｕｓｅ ｉｎ ｏｕｒ ｄｒｅａｍｓ．】 (twd)

Deep Dark Dam

SKAGIT DAM WAS BIG. Like really really big. And very surprisingly intact for a building of that size, blotting out a chunk of the bright orange sky with its intimidatingly grey concrete walls as we drew closer. Pierre whistled in admiration as his foot pressed against the brake pedal and the car slowed to a halt, at the bottom of the hydro plant. I opened the door and stepped out into the open air under a slowly rising sun, inhaling a lungful of crisp fresh breeze, seasoned with the light scent of running water.

"Damn..." Pierre whispered, shoving his hands in his pockets and craning his neck upwards and following the length of the dam, stretching his sore body.

"I know," Reiji stepped forward, craning his neck as well, right next to Pierre in awe and excitement. "I'd heard it was big, but seeing it in person... wow." He mumbled, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Are you done, weirdo?" Katherine rolled her eyes, dragging out the toolboxes and setting them down on the floor next to the two boys. "Can we get started?"

"Katherine's right," I nodded to her and picking up one of the toolboxes, feeling a strange sense of agitation flicker through me. "The faster we get this done, the faster we can go home and get them power." I explained, remembering how we had left everyone behind in darkness. I paused in my thoughts, realizing I had just called the orphanage my home. I glanced around, wondering if anyone else noticed, my cheeks burning scarlet. Why did I feel so embarrassed by it? Had I acclimated to the weather there so fast?

"Hello!" Katherine's voice snapped me back to reality, as she waved her slender hand in front of my face. "Everyone still up there?" She asked, tapping my forehead lightly. I felt a jolt of electricity zap through my face as her finger touched my skin.

"Sorry, spaced out for a second." I said, feigning an awkward smile.

"I said, we should split up. Me and you can take the bottom for the thermometric fuses and these two clowns can get the reflux capacitors." She repeated, ignoring Reiji sticking his tongue out at her and flicking her head towards the blueprints of the dam he had gotten from one of his books. He had definitely been planning this run for a while, one would almost think that he messed with the power himself to force us to come here.

"Wait..." Reiji suddenly said, standing up straight and putting the blueprints away as a loud rumbling erupted from the walls of the dam, echoing the sound of rushing water for miles away.

"What was that?" I asked, chewing the inside of my lips.

"That was the sound of water being transferred from the hot tank to the turbine."

"In English?" Pierre asked,  letting out an exasperated sigh.

"It means the dam is still powering the city. Even after all this." Reiji replied, a twinkle of admiration in his eyes. "But it also means that we won't be able to get very far if we don't shut that off first." He suddenly adopted a more somber note, leading us up the stairs to the controllers terminal, where an actual working computer sat. He stood at the computer for a while, before turning around and looking at us, a grim expression on his face.

"That doesn't look good." Katherine said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I've turned off the water transfers..." Reiji explained, glancing back at the terminal screen. "But I can only keep them off for thirty minutes at a time."

"Is that enough to get the fuses and capacitors?" Katherine asked.

"Hell no," Reiji shrugged, honestly. "But we're going to have to make it work. Or you know, drown trying."

"Thanks, no pressure." Pierre huffed, clearly regretting being talked into doing this. I shuddered, imagining myself engulfed in water inside the dam and dying, cold and suffocated. It was a death that I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemies, to die alone and afraid.