They Will Run You Down

Forty-Four: Dyed-in-the-Wool

"RISE AND SHINE," echoed thunderously throughout the loft. Caleb, emphatic as ever had arrived to graciously allow the newcomers leave of their sleeping quarters.

All four jolted into alertness with a start, and raised their heads for the express purpose of shooting Caleb sleepy but vicious looks; to which they received back only a simple, sly grin.

Still holding Harley in his arms, John pulled her close to him for just one more second and kissed her shoulder before loosening his grip, reluctantly allowing her to get up. Having gone to sleep with wet hair, Harley's alabaster locks were a tousled, tangled mess. John thought she looked adorable as she sleepily stood from the cot in her oversized T-shirt and awkwardly attempted to slip into her loner shoes.

"Gotta be at the mess hall by 0700 if you wanna eat!" Caleb announced, standing with his arms crossed near the stairwell.

At this, John finally rolled himself out of bed to join the rest of his group in getting ready to face the day.

As the foursome groggily made their way over to the stairs, Harley did her best to smooth her unkempt hair with one hand as Rebel rested comfortably in the other.

"Here love, I'll take him," John insisted as he lifted Rebel into his own arms.

Taking the lead, Caleb escorted John, Harley, Taylor and Edvin down to the main level of the building and out into a warm, sunny morning, making everyone who had just woken up squint in discomfort.

Walking quickly, Caleb guided the group down a brick walkway around the mould loft to the otherside where a clearer picture of Plateau began to take shape.

More old, warehouse- like buildings made of brick, metal and glass existed beyond the one they had just spent the night in, and all appeared from the outside to be at least half a century old. But between and around them grew vibrant trees and shrubs, some bearing colorful flowers and others even grew fruit and berries.
It seemed that all available space on the plateau had been put to good use.

The fouresome took in this new place. This new world apart from the world, where a community had learned to live and thrive, much like that of Wudinna and its little community. For Edvin and Taylor, Plateau made them long only for home.

"Here we are," Caleb announced as he strode up to the farthest warehouse from where they began and led the group directly through the threshold.

Inside was an enormous, open space with concrete floors, exposed metal framing and an impossibly tall peaked tin ceiling.

Rows of tables, chairs and no less than two hundred people occupied the center of the vast space. Some sat eating their morning meals and the others moved about, either looking for a seat or waiting in line at a makeshift concession stand at the far end of the hall, where workers dished out each person's humble ration of eggs and what appeared to be oatmeal.

As the group paced deeper into the space, led by Caleb, the residents of Plateau were made aware of their presence and a hush slowly began to fall throughout the mess hall. Those who had seen the foursome enter nudged those who hadn't in a procession until the whole place fell silent as they gazed at the newcomers.

Acutely aware of being observed, the foursome stiffened up awkwardly. Still they followed Caleb up the center of the hall, between the rows of tables and toward the breakfast line.

That was, at least, until the people began to clap their hands. Those who had been sitting stood from their chairs, and those holding their trays placed them down to join in.

Harley, John, Edvin and Taylor stopped in their tracks, feeling absolutely befuddled. The applause intensified within the gigantic, hollow space, the sound reverberating off the steel walls as more people began to clap.