Underground Darkness: Book 1 of the Powers Children Series

Chapter 6

 Lunch is deathly quiet. News of the protest has, by now, been shared with the whole compound. Neither Spade, Nor Orea, nor myself says much, and when I notice a Red trip a Yellow across the room, I slip my hand into Spade's for comfort. The only people who are completely unaffected by this rivalry are Blues and Greens. I don't know any Blues, but every time Sarah returns from her classes she goes on and on about the new, fascinating stuff she's learning about science and computers and the whole facility. I know she isn't oblivious to the tension, she's just trying to not make it as bad. The only thing that I've noticed is different is that she sits around the room, watching us and listening to us, then silently scribbling in her notebook. I won't be surprised if she does a lot of writing today. The Blues I've seen painting murals on walls, acting like everything's normal. If anyone has it easy, it's them.

"Something's not right," Spade says, his voice low.

"Nothing's been right,"

"No...where are all the Oranges?"

I glance over at the usually dirty and full tables, and am surprised to find that the Orange side is completely empty. Even less than the usually amount of Yellows are clustered around their table, heads bent and fearful. I had no time to react, because a guard jumped up onto the nearest table, waving his helmet in the air to get everyone's attention.

"Attention, we are now under Code 3 warning. It is vital you report back to your dorms immediately. Pinks leave first, in an orderly fashion. Take the stairs for levels 2 through 5, elevator for the rest. No one else leaves until all Pinks have left!" He shouts above the crowd, signaling for the Pinks to leave. They clearly didn't hear orderly fashion, because they get up, abandoning food and drinks at the table. Several Yellows jump up and clean the mess up, having been commanded to. I rack my brain for what a Code 3 was as the Reds follow out.

"Bombing? How? I thought the Allies had wiped out all of the Hemispherian's arsenal," Spade asks me.

Direct bombing was Code 3, I remember. Blues are ushered out, not nearly as fearful as the chaotic Pinks were. Most of them take their time to clean up and leave, Greens mixing into the end of the flow. I glance at the Yellows and notice that Ay isn't with them, either still with Halvares or already back in the room. Hoping for the second option, I help clean up the table and leave calmly with the other Purples. Spade and I take the stairwell hidden next to the elevator, seeing as he lives on the fourth floor, and he hugs me tightly before telling me to stay safe and disappearing through the door. That's when I felt the first tremor of a bomb striking the ground half a mile above our heads. I struggle past now frantic people to my floor, knocking on the door to my room. Ay opens it, dressed in sweatpants and a T-Shirt. She pulls me in, closing and relocking the door. Sarah sits up straight when I stumble in, Bella runs over to hug me, and even Ella smiles in relief.

"Why'd you take so long?" Bella shakes my shoulders. She seems stronger, more energized. She told us once they were training them to be high-ranking military officers, the fittest of them all. She was apparently doing really well.

"Sorry, just making sure everyone got back safely," I say. Looking around the room, I notice they're already prepared. The closet, bathroom, dresser and beds are all clean and secured. Ella and Bella have matching bags laying on their bunks, Ay has an open, half packed bookbag and Sarah has a gym bag half full of notebooks and binders.

"We prepared just in case we have to evacuate," Sarah says. Bella climbs back into her upper bunk and opens up a military tactics textbook. Ella is brushing her hair, humming softly while carefully staring at the ceiling. The room shakes again, and we all jump.

"So...would you care to explain what happened today?" Ay says from her bunk, a blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Sarah stops writing in her notebook and looks up, confused. Ella and Bella already clearly know.