Daily Dream 07-13-2016 The Underground

The Underground

The world was flooding. Sure, it was slow, but it was steady and it was growing clear that we didn’t have much time left. Those of us assigned to use the waterways and maintain the balance were the ones who knew best, but we were also the ones being ignored. The leadership told us that we’d survived for generations and that a little water would never hurt us.

Shaking my head, I pushed through on my canoe, heading deeper into the caverns. Over the last couple of days I’d been exploring further than anyone else had bothered in decades. The walls of the caverns that held the city’s water supply were smooth, sleek and shiny, reflecting what little light managed to escape my lantern, set to the lowest power to preserve the battery life.

Pressing my hand to the walls, I could feel the stone, wet where the water was seeping in. Curious, I leaning closer, pressing my ear to the stone. Ignoring the way the water pooled on my skin and started soaking into my clothes, I listened, breath held.

Roaring, just out of sight. Something was stirring just on the other wise of the walls, waiting to be released. To be unleashed. How much longer would those sleek stone walls hold back the monsters waiting on the other side to come crashing down on our poor city?

Sighing, I made my way back to the docks where some of my friends and family waited. As I was tying up my canoe, I pondered my words. They had to know. We had to prepare. Turning to the people waiting for me, I took a deep breath.

“A few days. A week at most.”

Everyone scrambled to get ready. We knew where the exits were located, guarded by the leadership. Those guards wouldn’t matter when they were washed away by the flood. The boats we had ready to breach those exits would matter though. They would get us through. In the meantime, we needed to let as many people know what was coming as possible.

Slipping into one of the few clothing shops left in the city, I browsed their wares, surprised to see they still had a plethora of hats, even pirate hats, something I hadn’t seen in years. Just where did they get their inventory? Shaking my head in amusement, I wandered through the story, trying on, or at least attempting to try on, some of the jackets. Sadly, none of them fit me.

Making my way to the front of the store, I placed a hat on the counter, not that I had any intention of wearing it. Instead, I leaned over the counter to whisper the warning to the shop keeper. I knew he’d get the word out. He knew everyone.

Now we just had to be ready. Be vigilant.

The flood was coming.