Extinction

Chapter one- The Underground

Chapter one- The Underground

Raelyn peered cautiously through the eye hole on her shabby but sturdy door that belonged to her house. She brushed back the white blonde frizzy hair, that was blocking her vision, out of her eyes. She stood there, as still as a statue evaluating the area that she was protected from by the very same door. She took shallow breaths sometimes holding it in if she said something out of the corner of her eye. After a few minutes, when Raelyn was satisfied that she had inspected every place that was within her vision, she picked up her backpack and slowly opened the door. It creaked and she halted and stopped breathing, and at that same moment she felt that her heart stopped beating. She quickly scanned the area and noticed that there had been no movement. So with that she quietly closed the door as she stepped outside and locked it. She threw the bag around her back and pulled the many layers of clothing she was wearing tighter to her being and hastily walked out into the open street of her block. Rubbish lay stranded on the cracked road and blood stained pavement. Raelyn barely noticed it as she carried on walking.

A rat ran in front of Raelyn's feet, close to being stepped on. Raelyn jolted to a stop and the rat scurried off into a small cardboard box placed on the pavement. When she realised that she was in the open, and a dim light highlighted her being to others, she hastilty moved to the side of the pavement. It was 6 am and still dark, so she was sheltered from the black of the night and the shadows of the buildings if she stayed close enough to them. The moon still gave her enough night to see where she was walking though, but not too much that she'd be seen easily. Raelyn wrapped her arms around her body to attempt to give herself more warmth. In Geldon, the district where Raelyn lived, it always seemed cold throughout the year. But today was especially cold. Before Raelyn left she placed more layers on top of her clothes.

In Geldon the houses looked the same as her own, made out of wood, brick, and any other materials that were easily accessible. All of the windows were blacked out and had bars of steel on the outside. All of the houses had one bedroom, one kitchen/dining room and one small bathroom that contained a toilet that had to be emptied daily and a bath in which you would have to fill up with water from a boiled kettle. Raelyn heard stories of the richest part of their country, where they have plumbing, electricity, heating, and so many more wonders. But of course, you had to be rich to live there. And being rich meant having a well paid job. Most were doctors, scientists or people who have inherited their money and posessions.

Raelyn stopped and bent down at the end of a narrow alley. She moved a wooden crate with rotten food in it to the side and pulled at the hatch that the box had been hiding. It opened stiffly as she pulled at it. When it had opened as far as it could she slipped into the hole, making sure no one was watching her first, and climbed her way down the ladder. She felt the rust on the exposed parts of her fingers that her fingerless gloves didn't cover as she moved from rung to rung. Once she reached the bottom of the ladder she jumped down, bending her knees as she did, to prevent hurting herself.

She swiftly moved down the old sewer, her mother had told her of when they had plumbing, a long long time ago, that these very sewers, that now where empty and full of dead children and adults slouched against the walls, worked. Something so small to people in the past would mean so much to the people in Geldon, and other towns like this one. Raelyn was still wary of her surroundings as she walked, stepping over dead rats until she began to hear the noise of talking increase. When she reached the end of the sewer she knocked on a wooden door four times. Once, then pause, twice quickly, another pause, then the final knock. A small hatch opened on the door in front of her and a dark brown eye peered around until it fell on Raelyn. The hatch closed, and the heavy door opened. It revealed an old woman, wearing more rags of clothes than Raelyn was, with a cream knitted shawl on top and a red beret placed on her head, which she wore everyday that Raelyn had known her. Her teeth were yellow but she had a warm smile as she shooed Raelyn inside. "'Ello Raelyn, dear. Back again are ya?" Raelyn was currently standing in a market otherwise known as the underground. This was a place where people could smile and talk without being worried that someone was listening. There were many stalls across the rest of the sewer as far as Raelyn could see. Selling food, clothes, furniture, medicine and much more.

"Hi Miss Robynson,Theo is still sick. Mum sent me to get more medicine for him" Miss Robynson looked at Raelyn with sorrow and pity. She placed her dirty but comforting hand on Raelyn's shoulder.

"Am sorry dear, such a shame it is. But don't you worry! 'E'll be back on 'is feet in no time!" Raelyn gave a small and thankful smile to Miss Robynson. Her brother had been sick with the flu the past couple of days. So her mother has been sending her down to the Underground with some of her possessions to trade for medicine. But as it is so expensive and they have had to cut down on food just to scrape up enough money get the medicine.

"Thank you, I better get going. I need to be back soon to help mum clean the house and prepare the food" It was only 6 am when she left her home, but it is a 15 minute walk to the underground and she was not sure whether she would have to barter for the medicine, and then there was getting the food. By the time she got home her mother, sister (Clover), and brother would be waking up.

"Alrigh' sweety. Give 'em my love will ya?" Raelyn gave Miss Robynson a kiss on the cheek and promised her that she would and made her way down to Mr Anderson, the man who sold the medicine.

She noticed the open stall that had three tables placed against each other, barricading Mr Anderson in from the front, that had many bottles full of different liquids, herbs, and pills placed on them.

"Well hello Raelyn, back so soon?"

"Hi Mr Anders-"

"I've told her Mr Anderson makes me feel old" He gave a sour look that made Raelyn smile. He was only in his late 50's but Raelyn had always called him Mr Anderson. "It's Rob"

"Hi Rob" She looked at Rob and he nodded, satisfied. "Theo is still sick, I was wondering if I could get some more medicine?" She looked down at the small bottle of liquid that she had brought a couple of days before, she noticed that the price had gone up. Rob noticed her looking.

"Ah yes, I'm sorry but money has been thin lately, I needed to put the prices up" Rob looked at her sadly, he had four children of his own, and a wife.

"Don't worry. I understand" And she did, it had been hard lately. As supplies like food and your basic essentials have started to become low, and the prices have gone up.

"But let me see what you've got and I'll see what I can do, okay?" Raelyn took the package out of the inside pocket of her jacket and placed it on the table. Rob picked it up and undid the wrapping of paper. Inside was her mothers necklace, passed down from her grand mother. It was a simple necklace but her mother told her it was half gold, and gold was one of the most rarest possessions now. Rob inspected it and seemed to be thinking about it. He sighed and pocketed the necklace.

"Okay then, I can give you two bottles. How's that?" Raelyn smiled, it was definitely good. She thought even getting one might of been hard. Gold must be rare.

"That's great, thanks Rob" She took the two small glass bottles that contained a cloudy white liquid and put them safely in her pocket.

"I hope he gets better" Rob held out his hand and Raelyn shook it.

"Me too, thanks again" She walked off to finish her shopping and headed home.