Wiped | The Trapped Trilogy

Six (Part 1)

SIX (Part 1)
JUSTIN
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The bus comes up to the gates that will let us into the Home Dome. I can hear it opening, but it doesn't look like it is-and the bus isn't stopping. It's not slowing down!

My heart starts to speed up, and I can't breathe good.

We're going to crash!

I close my eyes. I don't want to hit it-but we're going to!

Nothing happens.

I open one eye, just in case we just haven't hit it yet. But we didn't crash. I think we passed right through the door.

Cool! I think. It was a hologram.

It really was cool-even though the stuff that happens here isn't good. But that doesn't mean I can't like going through holographic doors and stuff. It's cool!

I can't see through the windows, and that makes me sad. Not for me, but for them. I know what's out there. I just wish the other people living in the Dome did.

So this is what it's like inside of here, I think, and then try to think about something else.

I was born outside of the Domes after my mom got away. I'm only seven, but that doesn't mean I don't know everything about the Domes. My mom told me all about them. It's all so icky, I think. Everyone is controlled by one person and no one can do what they want to do. I wanna do what I want.

I'm so glad I wasn't born here. I think they would kick me out if I did.

It is really cool, though. I've only seen the Domes from the outside. I "wasn't allowed to go in until I was thirteen". That's the age everyone gets assigned to a job or something. They said I wasn't old enough and that I had a few more years to wait. And then the stuff with Eenie happened and they needed an extra person to help. I asked first. I wanted to help Eenie, and they said I was really good at being sneaky, so they let me.

The bus lets me off inside the Home Dome, and I have to wait at the bus stop some more to get to the Dude's Dome. I draw on the ground with my foot. Waiting is really boring. 'Specially when you're by yourself.

But I couldn't let Eenie come with me. She's hurt real bad, and she needs to sleep. I do want her here, but I know she can't be here.

Am I mean because I said no to her?

The bus pulls up and I get on, riding all around the Home Dome. I see the Mini-Dome. That's where Hemmings went undercover to save Eenie from the Monsters.

I wonder if Eenie would be the kind of person in a history book because of everything that has happened. I mean she found a wall. How did she find it, but nobody else did? Is she the only one that noticed it? Maybe she's just smarter than everyone. I mean, I'm smart and I didn't find it!

It takes long time before the bus pulls up to the door to the Dude's Dome. We go through it the same way we went through the first tunnel, and then we're inside of the Dude's Dome.

It's real different from the Dame's Dome. Its houses are grey, and there are more trees and grass everywhere. There are guys running around playing games and other guys walking around in different colored clothes. I know no one inside the Domes can wear dark colors, and only Safeties and Government Officials can wear white, so I gotta watch out for those people. I don't know what they would do if they found me and noticed I'm not a Domesperson. I wonder if they'll do something to me like what they did to Eenie.

I turn in a circle. I'm looking for the place where the Cookers work. My mom told me about it. She said all buildings are the same in all the Domes and they're all in the same places.

She said it was a short, fat building with big red and white material thingies over the doors. She said it doesn't have that many windows, but you can see the Cookers working through them. She said they work three times a day-one for breakfast, one for lunch, and one for Dinner. They make all of the food for the Domespeople. She told me that everyone has their own kitchens in their homes, but they only use it to make snacks if they're extra hungry.

I walk down one street, looking back and forth, just in case he's outside and not inside.

I don't see him out here, but I see the long building. I run to it and open the doors.

The smell of food makes my stomach rumble. I think I haven't eaten in a long time. Or, well, it feels like a long time.

There are ovens and counters everywhere. Each person has their own little square kitchen with no walls. They're liked up a chess board (Mom had the game on her tablet and I played it a lot).

No one realized I came in.

I walk down the center aisle, looking for his face. I know what he looks like because I grew up with him. Hemmings will know how to get Eenie back. He loves her. I know he does. I saw how he looked at her when he brought her to the camp, and how he looked at her when we saw her before he passed out. It's the way my mom looks at my dad's picture. She says she loved him a lot. And then he died.

"Hey, kid," I hear. "You aren't supposed to be in here."

The boy walks over to me and kneels down.

"Ken! It's you!" I give him a big hug. "Where's Hemmings?"

He scrunches up his face. I think I confused him.

"I'm sorry, kid, I don't know who that is."

My mouth opens to make a big 'o'.

"You know who he is! He took-" I lower my voice. "He took your place so that he could save Eenie. I need to find him."

"Sorry, kid," Ken says. He stands up and pushes me to the door. "I think it's time for you to go home now. Wouldn't want any strikes for either of us."

"Ken! Ken, please! Please, I need to find him." And then I have an idea. "Or you could come see her!"

"Kid," He sighs and looks back at his little kitchen. "Does he work here?"

I nod quickly.

Ken breathes heavily. He moves his hands to tell me to lead the way.

I run down the aisle again with Ken behind me.

But he's not there.

I go down another one. And another. And another. And another.

"He's not here!" I shout at Ken. "He has to be here!"

A bell rings and everyone starts to leave with the food they made.

"Sorry, kid," Ken says quickly and walks back to his little kitchen.

"No," I follow him. "No, he's gotta be here somewhere. He couldn't disappear! I have to find him. I have two days until she's better. She has to remember. I have to bring him to her."

"Who?" Ken asks, turning around with a big, white box that holds more white boxes inside it his hands. He walks to the door and I follow him.

"Eenie."

"Who's that?" He asks, stopping by a small orange bus. It looks like a square with wheels more than anything.

"Eenralla Land?" I say. Maybe I can make him remember. "You helped save her."

He laughs. "Kid, I haven't saved anyone from anything but starvation." He hands his food to a guy in orange clothes next to the small bus. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who Eenralla Land is."

When he says her name, he stumbles a little and puts a hand to his head.