Ascent: (Book 1) The Ladder (4 page)

            A bell rings out through the Mud Hall, interrupting the newly tense moment. All work in the Mud Hall stops as shovels splash in the water and water packs are gently laid to rest on the steel walkway. Some of the kids opt to rinse their hands under the hose of the water pack. Some rinse off in the puddles but most just walk out with dirt and mud clinging to their hands.

            Once on the steel walk way, the kids stomp their feet to knock off clumps of mud sticking to their mud waders. The mud drops to the walkway and passes through the grating.

            “Time for the Eatery,” Marvin says with joy in his voice. As if the threat of the Ban was nothing more than a distant memory.

            “Let’s go.” Lauren takes Marvin’s hand to help him out of the cut-out.

            “Come on, Joe,” Marvin calls back.

            “Lead us, Dreamer,” Scraggle continues to press.

            Joe takes his eyes off Scraggle and looks at the stone in the rock. He picks up his shovel and slams it into the stone, chipping off a decent chunk of it. The piece falls into the puddle. Joe kneels down to fish it out of the water. Finding it and giving it one last look, he stands and puts it in his pocket before walking past Scraggle.

            “No one can climb the Ladder out of here,” Joe says but his tone betrays his real thoughts. That Scraggle might be right.

            “But it is your fate. It is our fate.” Scraggle’s voice trails off as Joe leaves him behind to join the rest of the kids walking out of the Mud Hall.

            At the entrance to the Mud Hall sits another large metal box. The Boss stands next to it watching each group empty their buckets into it. With each dumping of minerals and stones, the Boss steps on a lever and the contents dumped inside of it disappear when the bottom opens up and swallows them.

            Joe, Lauren and Marvin are next. Joe raises their bucket and dumps out the minerals and stones from their section. The Boss steps on the lever while the three of them make their way past the box.

            “Lauren,” the Boss calls out before the next group can go.

Lauren growls, quietly through gritted teeth. She turns around to see the Boss’s hand out and open.

“Hand it over.”

Lauren pulls out a small green gem from her pocket and hands it over to the Boss.

            “Lauren,” Marvin calls out, surprised that she did such a thing.

            Joe quiets him.

            “I don’t see why we can’t keep some of them. Like there aren’t enough in the box.” Lauren tries to reason as she turns and starts to walk away.

            The Boss smacks her on the back of the head. “You’ve already got three strikes. One more and you’re in the Ban. You got that?”

            “Yes, sir,” Lauren begrudgingly answers before they all walk away to the Eatery.

            As the three of them pass through the Junction, Joe glances at the Ladder, his hand in his pocket, gripping the stone from the Mud Hall. Joe has never taken anything that belongs in the box before. There’s no reason for anyone to suspect him of starting now. Lauren, however, is a multi-time offender. The Boss is usually watching her very closely.

            The Eatery is the most cramped section of the Mines. It is lined with wooden benches and tables. All of the kids pile into it for their meal. The food is already on the tables waiting for them. By the time they all sit down, it is room temperature at best. The kids are forced to sit shoulder to shoulder as the Doctor struggles to walk between the rows to look for bruises or cuts, anything that might require her attention. The Boss and the Guard stand at the entrance to make sure all of the kids leave at the same time when done. Since everyone is in the Eatery, there’s little reason to guard the Ladder. Like all of the work areas, there is only one way in and one way out.

            Everyone eats in silence. There are only two times in the Mines that silence is ordered. One, in the Bunks when it’s time to sleep. Two, in the Eatery. Lauren and Marvin just barely get through the unappealing food. Joe looks at the Boss who is too busy watching the entire room. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the stone.

            Lauren sees it and immediately looks around to see if anyone else notices it. “What did you do? You’re gonna get thrown in the Ban for that.”

            “You did it,” Joe says.

            “Yeah, but I got caught before we got here. The further away from the box the more trouble you get into. Hide that thing.”

            “Shut it!” the Guard yells, not knowing who exactly is talking.

            “I don’t care about the Ban. That’s one day without having to sling mud,” Joe whispers defiantly.

            “Everyone halt,” the Boss calls out.

            Except for slowly closing his fist around the stone, Joe freezes.

            “Who’s missing?” the Boss continues.

            All of the kids look around.

“Someone better answer me or it’s strikes for all.”

            The kids begin to murmur but no one has an answer.

            Lauren nudges Joe and points to a spot at one of the tables. There is space that is wider than the rest. Because of how packed the kids are in the Eatery, it’s obvious to see when someone is missing.

            “Who is it?” Joe asks, not really to anyone in particular. He’s more relieved that the Boss is not onto him. In the confusion, he puts the stone back in his pocket.

            The Boss looks at the guard and flicks his head toward the Junction. The Guard nods and runs out of the eatery.

Chapter Six

            The Guard makes his way into the Junction and immediately heads toward the tunnel of the Bunks.

            He looks along the lower bed cut-outs only to find them empty. “Where are you?”

            He climbs one of the ladders and looks along the cut-outs to see they, too, are empty. “If I find you, you won’t like what happens next.”

            The Guard hops off of the bunk ladder, satisfied that the missing kid is not in the Bunks. He makes his way back to the Junction. His pace slows and he runs his hand along the rock wall of the tunnel as he nears the entrance. His hand moves up and down, letting some of the dirt crumble from the wall to the floor.

            At the entrance to the Bunks, the Guard closes his eyes and embraces the silence. He spends so much time guarding the Ladder and watching the kids come and go that the now empty space of the Junction is peaceful. Serene. If he could have it this way at all times, he would.

            The Guard opens his eyes and looks at the other tunnels before spotting someone lying at the foot of the Ladder.

            He smiles slightly. “Got the Sick, now, don’t you?” the Guard taunts as he walks slowly to the Ladder. “Too bad it’s just you and me. So close to the medical office and me without the knowledge to cure you. I just never learned how to use those needles.”

            The Guard arrives at the Ladder and gets a closer look at the body on the ground. The teenager has cuts and puncture wounds on various parts of his body. The Guard takes one step back but his eyes show a devious glare. He’s glad this happened.

            He kneels down and hangs his face over the boy’s. “You got what you deserve. I hope the rest of your friends try it, too-”

            The boy coughs, violently, startling the Guard back to his feet.

            “Well, we can’t have that, can we?” The Guard looks toward the Eatery before placing a gloved hand over the teen’s nose and mouth. “Don’t fight. Consider it a mercy. The only one you’ll get.”

            The teen barely struggles. Such as his wounds are, he was not far from passing. When he stops moving completely, the Guard lowers his ear to the teen’s mouth to listen for signs of life. He closes his eyes and absorbs the stillness and the silence. Satisfied that the teenager is gone, he stands and smiles maliciously. He looks toward the Eatery and clears his throat. “Boss!” he yells out before running for the Eatery.

            The Boss turns his head at the sound of the Guard’s yell. The kids in the Eatery begin to stir and the Doctor works her way to the Boss just in time for the Guard to arrive.

            “What happened? Where is—” The Boss is cut off by the Guard.

            “It’s not good. He’s all…” The Guard gets closer to the Boss and the Doctor and whispers something no one but they can hear. The Doctor places both hands at her mouth to stifle her gasp. The Boss looks back at the kids at the tables. They sit silently still, waiting to hear the worst.

“You are all to stay here. Anyone who disobeys ensures all of you go to the Ban.” The Boss walks out of the Eatery followed by the Guard and the Doctor.

            As soon as they are out of sight, the kids all start talking to one another, looking for an answer.

            “Did he get the Sick?” Marvin looks up at Lauren.

            “I don’t know. I couldn’t hear anything.”

            “It’s not the Sick,” Joe says to Lauren. “Remember what we saw in the Doctor’s office earlier?”

            “Yeah.”

            “I’ll bet that’s—” Joe is cut off by Mason who has made his way to the front of the Eatery.

            “Listen up. I’m not going to the Ban. So all of you are going to stay right here until the Boss gets back. Is that understood?” Mason tries his best attempt at acting like the Boss. It’s not a good impression.

            Joe stands up but Lauren grabs his arm.

            “Is that understood Mud Slinger?” Mason taunts Joe.

            “Joe. What about the Ban?” Marvin asks.

            “There’s not enough room in the Ban for all of us,” Joe says loudly enough for most of the Eatery to hear him. Lauren stands up alongside him followed by Marvin who stands up on the bench.

            Lauren picks Marvin up and sets him on the floor. Then the three of them make their way toward the entrance of the Eatery. Mason steps in their way to block them.

            “I’m not going to the Ban because of you, Slingers.” Mason says with as much authority as he can muster.

            More kids stand up, ready to follow Joe and Lauren. Lauren looks back to see even more of them on their feet. Many remain seated, some afraid of the Ban, others afraid of Mason and the Guard.

            Lauren turns to face Mason and smirks. “You sure about that?”

            The three of them, joined by many others, move past Mason and out of the Eatery.                       They run through the tunnel entrance to the Junction. There are enough of them filing through the tunnel that they should be running into each other. But years of practice makes it a smooth movement with no stumbling or bumping into one another or the walls.

            The Boss turns around to see them moving towards them. He tries his best to stand in the way of the body. “Get back in the Eatery, every one of you.”

            His words fall on deaf ears as all of the kids see the body lying at the foot of the Ladder.

            “Please, all of you, go back. You don’t need to see this,” the Doctor pleads. “Marvin…”

            Marvin stares. He knows he sees something bad but he’s not entirely sure what. Tears start to form in his eyes.

            “Joe…” The young boy’s voice is quiet.

            Lauren tries to hide Marvin’s eyes but he moves her hand away.

            The Boss looks back over his shoulder at the teenager on the ground. Though he may be overbearing with them, the Boss does have the kids’ safety in mind. Still, if seeing violence is the only way to keep them protected and in line, then he will do what is necessary.

            “Fine.” The Boss steps aside for the kids to see the dead teenager in full. “Look. This is what happens when you don’t follow the rules. The most important rule of the Mines is no one climbs the Ladder. You’ve been told this since each of you were old enough to speak. It has been hammered into you all your lives. Yet some of you do not listen and you continue disobeying. Look at what that disobedience will bring you.” The Boss points at the teenager on the ground. “Look.”

            A few of the kids move to have a closer look. Joe walks to the body and stands over it. He shifts his eyes from the dead teenager up along the Ladder and to the tunnel above.

            “If it is not you, this will continue to happen.”

            Joe looks toward the sound of Scraggle’s voice. Scraggle stands on the other side of the teenager, looking up into the tunnel.

            “Only the Dreamer can lead us to the Surface. Only the Dreamer can climb the Ladder.”

            “I warned you to stop filling their heads with your fairy tales.” The Boss grabs Scraggle by the collar.

            “Do not forget,” Scraggle tells the Boss.

            “You’re lucky. If I had my way, you’d be in the Ban for life,” the Boss tells him.

            “All kings must have their advisors,” Scraggle reasons.

            “You’re no advisor, old man. You’re not even a fixer anymore.”

            “But I do know the prophecy.” Scraggle winks at the Boss. “And there is more than sick up there.”

            The Boss releases Scraggle’s collar. “Everyone get to your bunks. It’s lights out.” The Boss turns to the Guard and the Doctor. “Get him out of here.” They both lift the teenager from the ground and carry him to her office.

            Joe takes one more look up the Ladder but is distracted by Marvin’s small hand grasping his. Joe tries to put on a brave smile for Marvin as he walks with him to the Bunks.

            Lauren starts to catch up with them but takes one look up the Ladder. She can see just far enough to catch the darkness above the lighting at the mouth of the tunnel. She looks back at the Doctor’s office to see the Guard and the Doctor laying the teenager on the table. Lauren faces the front again to catch up with Joe and Marvin. Scraggle’s voice grabs her attention.

            “Convince him to lead us,” Scraggle calls to her.

            She looks back only to see him disappear as the crowd of kids file in behind her.