The Created

Chapter 21: Power Struggle

ANDY

Mornings are the best.

Yesterday is gone and a new beginning is here. The morning light beating against the ground, the trees swaying merrily, no bloodthirsty animals prowling for a meal. The whole scene seems to scream renewal. I love that.

It's an especially good morning because there are two new people in the group. I've been a bit worried after the events from last night and the lousy reception given to Connor and Kye (shotgun), but this morning I'm ready to really meet them.

I push myself up to my feet and then head over to where Amber is. Her eyes are still closed but she says, "Good morning."

"Ready?"

"Never."

She stands up groggily and takes my Holvnid off of me. Then she fixes my hair; I'm sure I flattened it while sleeping. She walks into the adjoining room and I follow.

"You know," she says, "you could ask Cat once in a while."

"I do! Well, I was going to. But she had last shift so I'm sure she just got back to sleep."

Amber chuckles. "Andy, you know I'm teasing. I really don't mind."

Sometimes I feel like a burden anyways.

Amber grabs me a packet of wafers and a piece of fruit. This will be breakfast today. She also grabs my toothbrush and one of our tubes of toothpaste, then I follow her down the rocky stairs and out into the morning sun. I know we'll find the others out here; Paxton always goes for a morning swim before collecting sticks for a fire that we'll never make because later in the day—when he's, believe it or not, even grumpier—he'll say "a fire will attract too much attention" and then ask me if I "want to have my eyes ripped from my sockets by a hungry beast or a gang of marauders who happen to be wandering around outside the walls" to which I would obviously reply that, no, I just want to be warm for once inside the stupid cave. But such is Paxton.

And Cat...well, Cat will be wherever Kye is. And Kye and Connor weren't in bed, so I just assume. I mean, if I had just been thrust into a cave indefinitely with people I'd never met, I'd spend as much time outside as I could, too.

I shimmy out from behind the waterfall—Amber holding tightly to my arm—and into the morning air. Always so fresh.

Sure enough, there's Connor and Kye and Cat all sitting in a neat line on the ledge some distance away from the waterfall and all thoroughly de-cloaked now that night has passed and there are no monsters to worry about. Their feet dangle in the water lazily as they munch on their own wafers and fruit. Past them, quite a ways off along the edge of the forest is Paxton, as I suspected, pointlessly picking up sticks, his hair still wet and dripping from his swim, dampening his rugged clothes. The shotgun maintains its position.

Amber catches sight of Paxton. "Darn. Shirt is already on; we missed the show. Really, Andy, if you're going to wake me up, at least do it a tad sooner and make it worth my while."

Everything is as it should be.

I tiptoe my way over, careful not to slip, and plop down next to Connor at the end of the line. My feet splash into the water. At night, I would never do this; I'd be terrified that some giant creature would turn me into a midnight snack, but in the day it's alright. And the water feels amazing; I'm considering taking a page from Paxton's book and going for a swim.

"Good morning, everyone!"

Connor flinches, then yells back, imitating me. "Good morning, Andy!"