Suspending Reality (4 page)

I was looking forward to a fresh start. In spite of all the doomsday talk, it wasn’t the end of our world. We’d survived, and we could try again, and I was certain we could get back on our feet with a lot of hard work and determination. I’d chosen to believe there was a wonderful future awaiting us, and I had to hold on to that hope. At the very least, we’d go down in the history books as survivors who colonized the sea.

***

Rachel brushed her brown hair out of her dark eyes. “I can’t believe you beat me again,” she said, staring angrily at the striped balls that still lay on the table.

“You know nobody down here can beat me,” I said, grinning.

She smiled, then tugged on my long, blonde French braid. “You’re a hustler. That’s what you are.”

“Hey! I won fair and square.”

“Nah. I only let you win because it’s your sixteenth birthday.”

I smiled. “In that case, I get all the loot.”

“Fat chance, but I’ll tell ya what. I’m not a sore loser. Let’s play again. Winner gets the necklace, earrings, and bracelet.”

“Game on,” I said.

“Great!”

My gaze narrowed. “Oh, hey, I forgot to ask you. Did you leave me flowers for my birthday?”

She cocked a brow. “Um, no. You know I can’t grow anything. I bet it was Brett! How romantic. Any idea where I can find a boyfriend like that?”

I smiled. “I’ve tried to set you up countless times with nice guys.”

“I know. But there’s never that spark.” She sighed. “I guess I better make that spark, because we’re all that’s left of humanity.” She bit her lip hard. “Okay, my love life is depressing me. Tell me more about those flowers and let’s try to figure out this little mystery.”

“Somebody left me a pot of white, pink, scarlet, and yellow begonias right outside our quarters.”

“No note?”

“It just said Happy Birthday, Sky. It can’t be Brett. I never saw Brett watering any plants. And I know him too well. He’d never take the time to grow flowers. He’s a great guy, but growing stuff. Definitely not his forte. Somebody put a lot of work into growing them. And I’ve already asked my family and everyone else I know. The flowers are a complete mystery.”

“Maybe somebody’s crushing on you.”

“On me? No way.”

She grinned widely. “Girlfriend, you’ve got a secret admirer.”

“But why the secrets? I’d love to know who it is.”

“Maybe he’s threatened by Brett.”

“Or maybe it was just somebody being sweet.”

“So what’s Brett up today anyway?” she asked. “Shouldn’t he be spending the day with you on your birthday?”

“He’s milking cows and has a million chores to do. He won’t get out of work until later.”

“I’m surprised you’re not working in the greenhouse.”

My green house was a magical place that came alive when my flowers bloomed. I was so good at it that I was even put in charge when Rita started to neglect the place and didn’t produce enough food. I surprised everyone and pumped out food faster than anyone thought was possible. Everything was a big, disorganized mess so I instituted a new system and labeled everything with a permanent marker on plant stakes and paper labels. I even added hanging plants to save space. The better a greenhouse is ran, maintained, and cared for, the more food and flowers it will offer.

As I pruned plants, transplanted seedlings and cultivated flowers, I enjoyed the time alone. It gave me time to grieve and think about my mother. I still wasn’t over my mother’s death. It also gave me time to think about my family, personal reflection, and my life. Part of me liked being alone. And besides, I always butted heads with everyone anyway. Maybe I was meant to be a loner.

There’s nothing like getting down with the dirt to melt away all your problems. It was a cleansing and therapeutic way to work through my grief. And it was also my way of getting in touch with nature, since I wasn’t allowed to go to the surface. 

“I took the day off for my birthday,” I said. “Who wants to work on their birthday? Not me.”

“Well, you deserve it because you work so darn hard. I’m so glad I’m off today. My mom works me to death in that kitchen. I’d rather play all day in the dirt like you. I’d love to get my hands dirty instead of waterlogged from dishes.”

I smiled. “Oh, hey. I’ll have big, juicy strawberries ready this week.”

Her black eyes lit up. “I can’t wait!”

“Brett’s dying for some too.”

“Well, yeah. You grow the sweetest strawberries around.”

I chuckled. “I’m the only one.”

She laughed. “So when is the lettuce coming? I want to eat a nice, healthy salad.”

“I’ll have more lettuce in two weeks.”

“Awesome.”    

My best friend grabbed the triangle and racked the balls up, making sure to put the eight-ball in the middle. “I’ll break,” she said, positioning her cue and squinting to take aim. “And I want solids this time.”

I grinned. “Have at it. But this gardener is going to kick your butt again.”

She was holding the stick at an angle, ready to fire away, when a humming sound caught our attention. “The chute,” she said.

“That’s weird. As far as I know, nobody is scheduled to arrive.”

I shot my gaze across the room at the glass tubes that transported people to and from the surface and vice versa. The glass lid slowly opened, and three friendly city workers stepped out.

“Hi Walter, Melvin, and Chad,” I said.

They were three brothers we had gotten to know quite well since they were always down here fixing any problems the place had.

“Hi, girls,” Walter replied.

“Hello, fellas,” Rachel said flirtatiously. “We weren’t, uh…expecting anybody, but do you care for a friendly game of billiards on this lovely April day?” she asked, rubbing her thumb on her pool cue.

Walter frowned. “Not much of a pool player, I’m afraid.”

I smiled. “I can teach you everything you need to know in ten minutes.” 

His face lit up as he met my gaze. “I-I’d love to, Sky, but we’re down here on important business.”

“Really? I hope it’s nothing serious.”

“We just need some oxygen readings. Stupid machine’s glitching again, and I’m gonna have to reset everything,” Melvin complained. “It’s gonna take a couple of hours minimum.”

Walter stared at me, then grinned. “You know, Sky, you’ve got the prettiest eyes. I swear, they look different every time I see them.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I guess they do change color sometimes.”

“You know what they say about people with hazel eyes?” Rachel chimed in.

“No. Why don’t you enlighten us?” I said.

“They’re unpredictable and fun-loving.”

I laughed. Unpredictable. I was definitely that.

“Okay, then,” Rachel said. “We’re going to get back to our game now. But you two have fun.”

“You too,” Chad said.

“You’re more than welcome to play when you’re done,” she said.

“We’ll keep it in mind,” Walter said, winking at me.

After they walked down the corridor, something fell from Walter’s pocket. It was the key card for the glass chutes. I picked it up and my mouth opened to call his name when an idea suddenly struck me. They’d be gone for hours. They’d said so themselves. Maybe we could sneak a peek at the surface. I couldn’t believe I had the key card to activate the chutes. It was like destiny was paving the path for me to go see what was up there. It was beckoning me.

We went back to our game while I pondered the idea. Would I return the key card or would I make the most of what fate delivered in my hands?

Rachel looked at me. “I heard Chad has a crush on Carla.”

“He’s too nice to have a crush on such a wench,” I said.

Carla was my arch enemy, my nemesis down here. She was tall, pretty, and tough. We fought all the time over something stupid that happened when we were fourteen. I thought it was petty. Fighting over a guy is lame. But if Carla could ruin my day, she sure would in a heartbeat. 

“Did you see the way Walter looked at you?” Rachel asked. “He’s got a huge crush on you. Maybe you should go for it, Sky.”

“What!? He’s way too old. I’m only sixteen, and he’s gotta be in his twenties. Besides, I already
have
a boyfriend, remember?”

She playfully nudged me. “Just messin’ with you. I guess those brothers aren’t my type either, but you gotta admit they look pretty good in those uniforms, all big and buff.”

“You just love muscles, don’t ya?”

She shrugged, then made the break, scattering balls across the green velvet. “The more, the dreamier,” she said.

We both laughed.

“Well, Melvin seems to be kinda into you.”

“Meh, it’s the boobs,” she said, glancing down at her ample chest. “I think I’ve got the biggest melons down here.”

“Melvin’s not that shallow, Rachel.”

“Right. He’s a man, isn’t he? All men are like that.”

I chuckled.

“They’re good guys though, like big, giant teddy bears,” she said. “I don’t know how many times they’ve gone out of their way for me.”

“Didn’t Melvin bring you back some fresh apples?”

“Yeah. He’s always doing stuff like that.”

“You shouldn’t accept too many gifts if you don’t wanna lead him on.”

“Pssh. He knows he’s in the friend zone.”

“They’re so lucky,” I said. “They get to see the surface, and we’re stuck down here for two more years.”

“I know, right? It’s so not fair.”

My gaze drifted to the glass capsules that shot up a clear tunnel straight to the surface. “What do you think is up there?”

“Sky, please tell me you’re not back on that ridiculous conspiracy theory again. You watch too many old movies.”

“I don’t know. Don’t you find it the least bit odd that they won’t let us go up there except for a few at a time? What’s that old song say? ‘Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage.’ I feel like that, and I’m sick of it.”

“So you’re quoting The Smashed Cantaloupes now?”

“Smashing Pumpkins,” I corrected, rolling my eyes at her lack of appreciation for the retro tunes my mother used to listen to.

“Whatever. I think you need to lay off the oldies and the Hollywood classics. They’re getting to you.” She playfully nudged me. “C’mon now. Do rats play pool?”

Rachel really was like a lab rat in many ways, or at least one of the three blind mice; she just accepted everything they told her. I, on the other hand, questioned everything, and since no one seemed to want to tell me the truth, I’d vowed to find the answers myself. I didn’t believe anything I was told, until I saw the evidence with my own eyes. 

“They’re hiding something. I can feel it deep down. The few lucky ones who do leave are never allowed to come back down here or communicate with us. Anyone who does say anything about the surface seems to suddenly disappear or have an accident.” I bite my lip hard, pondering. “What ever happened to Marla? She disappeared into thin air.”

“She ran her mouth. Which is why you should shut up too. She spewed out this same crap.”

“Don’t we have the freedom to say what we feel? Why do we have to be afraid to speak our mind?”

“Sky, come on.”

“What do you think happened to her?” I asked.

“I think they took her. Maybe imprisoned her on the surface.”

“Or killed her,” I said, flatly.

“Do you really think there that cold?” she asked. “Sure they’re bossy and domineering but they care about restoring this planet. They’re passionate about it. And so was Marla. We’re all on the same team.”

“True. But if you defy them, watch out.”

“You’re paranoid. I think they just gave her some jail time to straighten her up.”

“How do I know what they’re telling me is the truth? I mean, I never saw the surface. Does it even exist? Is any of this real?”

“Gosh, Sky. Maybe we shouldn’t have watched
The Matrix
last night? It was just a movie, and that Canoe Reeds—d

“Keanu Reeves,” I corrected, rolling my eyes again.

“Whatever. You can’t seriously think this is all a dream and that our bodies are being stored somewhere? Next thing I know, you’ll be wearing a black trench coat and checking your neck for a microchip.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course I don’t think that, but I do think someone is up to no good. I don’t trust Dante Marcellus as far as I can throw him. You shouldn’t go around gobbling up everything they feed you, Rachel. All we know about the world is what we’ve been told. If they’d just let one of us up there to go see for ourselves, I might believe them, but they keep us isolated in this underwater tank like prisoners, making us totally dependent on them. We can’t even breathe without them, because they have to pump in the oxygen to the city. Like I said, we’re rats in a cage.”

“And, like I’ve told you a million times before, I think they’re just protecting us,” she said.