Souls Below

Chapter Six

Workers shouted goodbyes as the end of shift whistle blew. The hiss and hum of pipes and machines washed over me as I made my way down the street, the flickering neon lights causing the dark alleyways seem more menacing.

I had wanted to stay with Krane, talking about the different sectors he had found that had identical P.I.P readers like the mystery door we found. And these all lead into areas that had been "quarantined" by the Uppers. He was able to show me bits of footage when they had been ushered away from the Mech sector, claiming the sickness was sighted. It was confusing, the cameras that had been in use were patchy and sporadic with recording, missing portions of the incident that could give us definite proof that the sickness was really there.

Reluctantly I bid my goodbye, claiming Jerard needed a hand at the shop today. I was never good at lying, but I hoped he believe it enough to not question Jerard later. A brief look of disappointment crossed his face before being replaced by his mischievous grin as he sat beside me on the bed. My stomach flipped, adrenaline spiking at the sudden close proximity

"Try not to daydream into a gutter Mira" I huffed in annoyance

"Better to daydream knowing I have a brain, then to be an airhead like you" my retort earnt me a pillow to the head, sending us both into a laughing fit. He had gripped my hand, interlocking our fingers and giving them a gentle squeeze

"Just...be careful. These grey walls are only tolerable because you're around" I swallow, not knowing how to answer. "There's things that are...changing. Dad says the Uppers ae planning something but not sure what" my ears perked up at that "if anything happened to you...I..." his voice trailed off, looking away and out the window. My eyes trailed his face, a face I had looked at and studied for years. Why did he seem so different now?

"Jerard has been on edge to, the whole city practically. I've lost track on the amount of meetings he's done" Krane nodded absent mindedly "I heard a guard talking about a Lower with no ID, which is part of the reason I had a curfew. I don't know why they're looking now, but I think it's connected to that missing Upper" Krane turned his green eyes back to me, eyes I had stared into countless times, and yet I only just noticed the flecks of gold throughout.

As I trudged along the now bustling streets I opened my palm, gazing down at the small pendant that sat there. Before I left Krane had pressed something into my hand, saying it was a way to keep them together, even when apart while he was away working on the City. The stone was small, about the size of my index fingernail, it was slightly milky in colour, parts hinting at a tinge of blue that glinted with a sheen you could only see in certain lights. Silvery veins ran throughout and upon holding it up to the light I could see the different shades of colours flecked with silver.

The casing it sat it was intricate, Krane always had a knack for the finer work, twisting and shaping the metal in ways that was always captivating. Strem never approved, stating it was a useless talent down in in the Lower City.

The fine pieces of metal twisted and curled around the stone, protecting it in a way that also complemented itself. There were many imperfections, parts of the metal not joined properly, others slightly to thick or to thin, but it made the piece so much more sentimental knowing Krane would have spent hours perfecting a something he wasn't even allowed to practice.

The most intriguing, and by far the best, part about this stone as to why it made it my favorite, was a quality I discovered completely by accident. This was called a starlight stone, when I had discovered a small piece a year ago a merchant told me what it was called. And how very, very, rare it was. I didn't know what a star was, but it sounded pretty. I had climbed as high as I could that day, wanting to get the last of the warm light that trickled through the windows on the roof of the Lower City.

The colours had captivated me, always seeming like they changed when I turned it around. But what really made this stone special was after I returned home, and all the lights were off in my room. The stone glowed and unearthly blue, as if it had absorbed or captured some of the warm light within. The lowers called that Darklight.

I rubbed my thumb over the design, my mouth pulling into a smile at the immense thought that would have gone into such a gift. I quickly tied the black cord he had wound from leather around my neck and tucked the stone beneath my clothes, a warm feeling resonating from where it sat against my skin.

The group of guards had moved on as I made my way back to the abandoned building, eyes darting around in case anyone curious enough tried to follow. My stomach twisted in fear and anticipation; I had never met an Upper. Any that were unfortunate enough to be cast down here usually died within a few weeks of starvation or crossing paths with the wrong person. Any that managed to last longer usually became part of the Lowers Wealthy club. A group living in the better part of the City, syphoning whatever life was left out of the people around them.

Even living amongst the broken and filth that occupied the Lower City, Uppers still managed to have a hand in luxuries. This was going to be my only chance to have some questions finally answered, and hopefully give me an idea on how to save my people from wasting away.

As I approached the abandoned building I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The broken windows staring at me like empty and soulless eyes, mimicking the growing, empty feeling of the city. I pushed the door open to the building I had hidden the Upper in, flinching at the creak as the dry, old hinges protested.

Walking through the eerily quiet space I silently stepped over broken tables, chairs, and parts of the ceiling that had long since peeled from the roof above me, exposing areas to the next level above. I peeked around the corner into what once looked like an office, feeling the panic rise to my throat, my feet rushing me forward and eyes darting around when the space where I had stashed the Upper now empty, a small puddle of blood indicating where he had been.

As I came around the side of the desk that had been flipped over I spied his still frame in the corner of my eye, my body freezing and brain unresponsive on what to do next. Those bright blue eyes were fixated on me, wide with fear. I turned slowly, raising my hands to show I meant no harm. I noticed his chest rising and falling rapidly, nose flaring when I moved to quickly.

The clothes I had seen him in that first day had been pristine and unmarked. Now, they were dirty and ripped, his pants now with holes in both knees. Taking in his appearance I noticed the cuts and bruises that littered his face underneath the dirt that caked his skin. His lips were dry, one side split and bruised, and if it wasn't for the fact I had seen him in his prime state I wouldn't have know he had darker skin.

I crouched down slowly, not wanting to spook him into defending himself once I spied the broken table leg in his right hand. A moment passed before slight recognition sparked in those enchanting eyes

"...You..." he breathed out heavily, as if he had expended all his energy moving to where he was now propped up against the wall. I lowered my hands, slipping the bag from my shoulders "you were...at the...market" he added between breaths

"I think you took my advice on getting dirty too seriously" I joked, trying to break the tension. He blinked a few times as those words sunk in, a laugh shaking his body before he whimpered in pain, squeezing his eyes closed and grasping his side. One eye peeked open at me

"I assume the...make shift...bandage was your...doing?" my eyes flicked to his side. He must mean the medic wrap

"the medic wrap was all I had time to make" there was a moment pause "what's a...bandage?" the young man frowned, looking down at his side again "I tried to trade a few of my tickets for some more medic supplies but many stallholders stocks are low since the shipment for medic supplies has been cut in half" the man grunted as he tried to push himself into a better sitting position

"I feel like...we are speaking two...different languages" he mumbled. It was my turn to frown

"What's languages?" he started laughing again, only to result in another grunt of pain "What's funny?" I added. He wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his ripped hoddie, letting out a long sigh, eyes now curious

"Why are you different?" I cast my eyes down at that question, my secret not something I would share with a stranger, let alone an Upper. I unzipped my backpack and pulled out the bottled water before answering, the young man jerking at the sight. I handed it over, not looking him in the eye

"Jerard would say it was because I was hit on the head" I let out a small chuckle. I handed over the food, seeing his eyes light up, absently licking his lips "this should last you at least four to five days" I watched as shock crossed his face, as if the large quantity of food would not last that long

"This is five days worth of food?" I stared down at the food again, wondering what we were seeing differently

"Is it not?" the man ran a hand down his face, letting out a groan

"I've been here for six days, and I'm still surprised" I stared without moving until he accepted the food "I didn't know it was this bad" I sat back, questions thundering through my head but I knew I had to stay focused. I had to pick my questions carefully but I couldn't help curiosity from spilling from my mouth

"Do you really have houses that you can get lost in?" his head snapped up, eyes locking with mine "Like a maze?" I added, not understanding the weird look he was giving me. His mouth twisted as he tried not to smile

"All the questions you could have asked, and out of all the ones...that's been shouted at me..." he paused a moment to catch his breath "that's the one you ask?"

"What?" I queried, confusion now replacing all other emotions. He held up his hand as he waived off his question, leaning back against the wall, chest still rising and falling like he had been running. He didn't answer the question, instead his eyes wondered over my face again, blue eyes sparking with something else

"What's your name?" I hesitated, not sure if I should answer. He must have noticed the hesitation

"Why?" he shrugged

"You remind me of someone I once knew" I contemplated that answer "I'm Calian" he added. I waited for some spark of recognition, some flash back that my dreams were memories and not just my heart hoping for more. But there was nothing.

"I'm...Amira" I finally added. He let out a small huff

"Given by god" he mumbled. He said really strange things, only confirming further how different our cities were. He saw the weird look on my face "in Latin, it means 'given by god'. Interesting, considering many people I have met so far have no idea who God is"

"Jerard said it was fitting since it was a miracle when he foun-" I clamped my mouth shut, realising I was about to reveal my incident four years ago. His eyebrow raised at my sudden halt mid-sentence, but diverted the conversation instead of pressing for more.

"Why did you help me that day?" he was talking about ration day, when I told him to run. It was my turn to shrug

"I'm often told my curiosity gets me into trouble. Jerard worries it will get me into a spot I can't get out of"

"Like the saying, 'Curiosity killed the cat'"

"What th- you talk like Jerard, with your weird sayings and odd explanations" I huffed angrily, more lost and confused than I had been before walking in here.

"Sounds like this Jerard knew of the old times" my raised eyebrow answered that question. Calian moved again, letting out a hiss of pain. I felt my heart jump to my throat, not realising I had leant forward until I sat back down. I felt sympathetic towards Calian, the Lower City was a harsh environment for those that were born here, and he seemed completely unaware of that fact.

Still, he had managed to survive this long.

"Why are you h-" A long, high pitched whistle resonated through the air, causing my heart to jump to my throat and cutting off my question "s**t!" I swore grabbing out the blanket and medic supplies, pushing them towards Calian "It can get quiet cold, especially in this abandoned sector. This will keep you from freezing while you sleep" I stood and quickly shuffled some items closer to the Upper, grunting in effort with the tipped over desk "Make a nest if you can, it will help keep you warm. The medic supplies are pain-numb tablets, medic straps and sick-free water to flush your wound if it needs it"

I squatted in front of him, my eyes darting to his side for a moment. I hoped he survived the cold night, I still had so many questions to ask

"I think I can managed another night on my own"

"Maybe. I'd give it another few days before the sick starts to set in that wound" Calian looked down at his wound again

"The sick" he echoed "you mean sepsis?" I stared at him "Is there a hospital nearby I could possibly go to?" I continued to stare, he let out an irritated sigh "when you get really hurt, and you could die" he point to his would "like this, where do you go?"

"The Medic ward" is that what they called Medic wards above? hospital? "but you wouldn't get treated, the medic workers would report you straight away" Calian slumped back on the wall. He looked defeated. I felt a pang of guilt wash over me, it was my fault he had been chased that day. If he had stayed, maybe the guards would have just taken him back above. I stood to leave, I had promised to be back before the night whistle, Jerard would be worrying

"I might be able to get some more supplies, but it won't be until tomorrow" I looked down at the young man, my stomach doing that weird flip it did yesterday with Krane "Will you wait here until I get it?" Calian shuffled himself until he was sitting a bit more upright, squinting in pain as he did

"Not like I have many other options" I stared at him for the smart retort, contemplating on returning my own. But he wasn't Krane, I couldn't trust him the same way. At the end of the say, he was still an Upper

"I'll come back as soon as I can" I mumbled, shrugging my backpack on and heading out the building at a jog; Jerard was going to be so mad.