The Underground

Chapter 20 - Covenant

Low, angry clouds hung over the city, blotting out the sun and colouring the houses in varying shades of grey. Sounds from the passing cars seemed sharper, more defined, in the calm before the storm. An eerie silence had settled on the land. Then, with a boom like the blasting of a far off cannon, the clouds burst at last, pouring the water they has withheld for so long onto the landscape below. The winds buffeted the windows and whistled with a high, haunting wail around the quiet houses, while the pattering of the rain sounded in the ears of the inhabitants. Lightning forked its way across the sky in blinding flashes that lit the streets in sudden bursts and then withdrew just as quickly, leaving darkness behind in its wake. 

The Blysma household was quiet, even though it was early afternoon. The four children sat, (drooped would be a better term) on the sofa, eyes turned upwards to the ceiling, listening not only to the rain, but to a story of fantastic proportions; artfully told by the man they had come to call 'Uncle'.  The tale ended, and Bertha got up from where she had been hanging upside down off the couch, her hair looking like she had just climbed out of bed. "Can you tell another one?" she asked, her hair settling into what resembled a wasp's nest.

"No, I don't really know that many stories." He responded, getting up, "And you four need to find something active to do or your mother will kill me when she gets back."

Justin rolled off the couch and flopped onto the floor, looking bored. Janis followed suit, though with a slightly more graceful dismount. Peter wandered over to the two of them and pocked at them playfully. "Ow." Justin said lazily, as though it was a requirement of Peter's game, which it was. 

Janis got up, "We could play castle."

"Naw." Justin drawled.

"We could play Siege."

"mmmm." said Justin 

"We could play Uno." 

"No!" Chorused Bertha and Justin, Peter laughed. 

"Fine then!" She quipped, "Be like that."  She flounced to the stairs, her long hair rippling in streams down her back. 

"No, Jan! Come back." Justin said, his commanding ways making an appearance as he sat up, brushing away Peter's prodding fingers. "Siege would be fun, right Bertie?"

Bertha grumbled something about cleaning up afterwards, but Janis was already returning, a glint of crazed determination in her eyes. "You won't win this time Justin, I've come up with a strategy."

"Oh I'm scared now." Justin mocked, pulling toys out from underneath the couch with one hand. "Pete, grab the castle set and some bedsheets from upstairs, I feel like winning, big time."

Peter ran up the stairs, his still chubby face shining with excitement. Newt watched him go, then asked, "So, how do you play this game?"

Janis was the one to explain, "The goal of the game is to knock down all the knights from the castle set without hitting the princess. You hit the knights with- ah, Justin, give me that- this beanbag." She handed Newt a beanbag that had obviously seen better days, it's fabric was worn nearly to the threads, and the dried out beans inside had cracked and split from years of incorrect use. Peter bumped down the stairs with his arms full of neatly folded sheets and, balanced on top, a cardboard box with holes pocked in it. He set this down on the floor in front of Justin and gave the sheets to Bertha who looked sour as she accepted them with both hands. 

"What are the sheets for?" Newt asked, as Justin pulled from the box a knight with a bent spear.

"I'll show you." Janis said, "Bertha! Come help me beat Justin!"