Outside

‘Outside.’

I’d never seen the sky. They told us it was a blue cloth draped over the world holding the burning monster that had driven us deep under the earth.  My life lay underneath. The grottos shaped from rock cradled us against ‘The Outside’. My school was in Cave 3, a round open space here we sat, and listened, scratched our answers on stones. 

   “Well done Ayana that’s correct.” 

    “Please miss what were the trees like? Tell me again.”

She sat beside me and drew in the dust. 

  “Trees gave life, they sent oxygen into the atmosphere. Look, do you see the roots here?” She pointed to the trailing lines, “These extracted the precious carbon dioxide and transformed it into the air.  We lived free, felt the orb’s gentle warmth.” 

    “And now?” I said.

 She rubbed out the drawing with her foot. “Now we exist, underneath.”

    “Why?” 

She sighed, “It’s a long-involved story but it is enough to know we are safe underground, that Mankind with its machines and pollution, ignored the threats of nature. We rejected the warnings of the wild storms and floods. We thought we knew better than the earth. The temperature rose and the ice caps melted. Whole continents flooded. Life as we knew it disappeared along with technology, machines and light. Mankind retreated into the belly of the earth itself, humbled and ashamed. But one day your generation may learn to live beyond again.  Enough, we are not supposed to talk about ‘The Outside.’ Off you go, all of you.”

   We trailed away into the Recreation Dome. A space filled with hewn climbing frames, boulders shaped into slides and balance beams carved from old panels. Ancient brown rope ladders hung from metal spikes and knotted sheets formed swings. 

    “You going to come Ayana?” said Cedar  

    “What?” I said.

    “Today, later,” his whispered words hung above us, they waited for my answer.

    “Don’t you know? We’re going … outside.”

Cedar put his finger to his lips. 

   “It’s a secret, we mustn’t let the grownups find out.”

I narrowed my eyes, 

   “Is it Inter? The Interdict…?”

He nods.

   “But what if we’re caught?” I rubbed my sweaty hands on my legs. 

  “Don’t know, don’t care it’ll be worth it, to see…outside.”

I looked at the ancient exit. The stones prohibited exploration or quests. All forbidden, under ‘The Interdict.’ Terrible punishments followed those who broke this rule and individuals ‘disappeared’. 

   “Yes,” I said. 

I followed the path to Nehla’s dwelling space. Lined with cloth and old pillows, boxes of things were scattered about. Nehla waved, spoke in hushed tones.

   “Are you ready?”

   I nodded. “Try to stop me.”

       Nehla, Cedar, Ethren, and I snaked away towards the deeper ranges of the caves. The spheres were smaller, dimmerthe rough-edged stones of the floor sloped down. My fingers traced along a gap, something scuttled into the crack, I gasped.

   ‘Come on Adana, hold my hand,’ Nehla grabbed my wet fingers. The darkness deepened and with my other hand I reached forward into the blackness. 

   ‘It’s alright, it’s alright, there will be light of some kind.’  Flapping wings sailed above us and I ducked. 

    “Cool, a bat. I’ve heard of them. Like the rats we see, you know. But they can fly.” Ehren said

   ‘Will… will it bite us?’ Nehla said.

He laughed, it echoed over the pathway, rebounded up from the floor.

   “Don’t be stupid, bats don’t bite.”

 At the far end of the never-ending passage the light changed. Blue tinged it hovered, and the crash of water thudded against solid surfaces. As the source of the sound appeared, we gasped. 

A vast expanse of water pounded against huge rocks, then crashed down on a yellow covered carpet. The light ‘outside’ was dim, just enough to illuminate a wild expanse. Pebbles jumped and cracked as the white topped waves hurled them against the massive boulders. 

   ‘Look,’ Cedar pointed up, and we stared at a canopy of pale blue, dotted with white. Some of the white disappeared into grey shrouds which groped through the blueness. 

   ‘Is this ‘Outside’?’ Nehla said.

Ehren pointed. 

“That above us is the sky, and that water is the sea.”

We blinked at the natural world.

   ‘I thought… I thought, there was nothing,’ said Nehla.

   “But where are the trees, Miss said the earth needed them. Where are they?” I said. 

I looked around, away from the thunderous noise and peered into the distance. Far above us I saw tall pillars, topped with green. They hovered at the edge of tall wall-like mountains

   ‘There. Look, I see them.’ I started to climb the white ledges.

   “Stop Adana,  it’s not safe …”

Nehla’s voice drifted away as I found ridge after ridge, hauled myself higher. My feet gripped the dusty verges, and my fingers grabbed the roughened walls. The wind buffeted my clothes and tugged my hair out of its braids.

    “Adana… Adana come back…”

  Their voices skipped away, and I shook my head. Excitement pounded inside me and my whole body tingled. I reached the top threw myself onto something green and soft. I ran my fingers through the ends of the green and found I could pull it. I stared at the green shafts in my hand and looked to my left. 

    Tall sentinels crested in coronets of leaves, stared down at me. I scrambled to my feet and reached out touching the gnarled rough bodies. They did not move, as though they had always been.

Within the sky the light changed. I wandered to the lip of the cliff.

    “Adana… Ehren …. Light…. fade…”

I knew the way back home was below. I didn’t want to be the subject of ‘The Interdict.’

I levered myself over the top of the cliff and scrambled over the white walls. My toes touched holes and I clambered lower. My fingers grabbed at stones, but I couldn’t find the ledges I used to climb up. A faintness moved within my head, tingles began in my fingers and toes. White creatures shrieked above me, their wings beat close to my face. I screamed, tried to hit them away and my foot slipped. I bounced towards the slopes below. 

   “Adana…” Nehla’s voice screamed inside my head and I crashed onto a yellow soft carpet. 

   Nehla cradled my head and rocked me to and fro. “I thought you were dead, you fell like a stone.”

I sat up and stared at them.

   “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to find the trees and …”

Ehren’s spittle hit my face and I squirmed.

   “You stupid, stupid girl. We’ve had to wait for you. Look, look at the sky.”

I craned my head up gazing at the darker canopy. The round orb hovered over the water and glowed red over the waves.

   “What’s happening?” 

   “The sun is setting and it’s going to be dark. If we’re not back …”

   “The Interdict,” I whispered. 

 The blueness intensified as the orb descended into the horizon. The canopy above changed to dull grey. Behind indistinct splotches, white spots appeared, they glimmered, twinkled against the ever-deepening dullness. A crescent light rose and held its position. It cast a white glow across the waves. 

   “This way, hurry up.” 

Cedar stopped. In front of us were two uniformed men, in their hands metal rods. 

   “Come with us. You know the rules. This place is ‘The Outside.’ This is not allowed.”

We were taken to ‘The Circle’, a crowd gathered. The elder stepped forward. 

    “You have been found in ‘The Outside’. This is expressly forbidden. The outside is wild and dangerous. You have brought danger to our clan. The punishment is 100 days in the Under Level.”

The crowd gasped. Stories of the Under Level told of individuals placed in small caves with barred entrances, only allowed out to exercise and work. They dug for the white glowing rock which was moulded and formed into the ball required for the spheres. People became ill and death followed.

   “They’re just children,” my teacher said.  “They should be inquisitive; it’s how they learn. Please Elder Major, don’t sentence them to certain death.”

He shook his head, “They must obey the rules; they have reached the 14^th crossing of the four changes.”

I lifted my head; my eyes challenged the older man. 

   “Elder Major, the Outside may be a dangerous and wild place, but it is beautiful and compelling.  Its sentinels watch over a lush greenness and its waters crash on rocks to show such strength. Mankind may have broken it, hurt it and tormented it, but Nature has returned stronger than ever. The … birds …fly and the Great Orb is magnificent, as is the lesser Silver Orb that shines when the golden light recedes. We… should be celebrating ‘Outside’, not pretending it’s threatening and ugly.”

The Elder glared at me. 

    “You see, she has ventured to ‘The Outside’, and has returned tainted, insolent and defiant. We cannot indulge such behaviour. You others, you, will listen to your parents and members of our council for guidance. But you, Adana, daughter of Ciman and Zankhana, you will go to the Under Level and you will remain there.”

The Guard took me away. I knew what happened next, tomorrow they would dress me for the Under Level, and I would have one half turn of the time sphere to say goodbye. I looked between the bars of my cell, drew my knees up and hugged them close. A glimmer of light moved towards the cell. 

    “Adana… Adana it’s me...”

Nehla’s hand reached in. She twisted a pointed lever between the bars. It clicked, and the bars retracted. I hugged her to me as tight as I could. 

   “I’m so sorry Nehla, I …”

   “Shush Adana, listen to me. You have to leave, escape.”

   “But… what about you?”

   “I will be fine, go.”

I took the backpack she offered and hoisted it onto my shoulders. 

   “I love you Nehla, I’ll never forget you.” I said.

I followed the route from the previous day, my fingers traced the bumps along the passageway. 

The burning monster, The Sun hurled its day- glow at me. I saw the water, quieter this time, ripples caressed the shore in rows of white bubbles. I scooped it up and drank. The salt stung my mouth and I spat it away. I stared up at the cliff. To the left a sort of path was hewn into the rock. How stupid to have clambered up and then fall back when I could have walked. As I moved higher, the wind caught my hair and whipped it across my face. The heat from the sun orb, scorched my face. I looked towards the horizon, saw the pebbled sand, and the water with light that sparkled, danced. ‘The Outside’ was striking. 

    I turned my back on the sea and headed inland, towards the tall majestic sentinels I found yesterday. I reached them and ran my fingers over their knobbly bases.

    “Don’t touch our trees, they are sacred.”

I jumped back from the voice. Stood to my right was a boy about my age. His hair hung down his back. He carried a weapon, a curved branch strung with a weave, it held a long shaft with a pointed tip. I stared at him. 

   He pointed with a different stick towards me. This one shone, caught the light, I reached out touched it, and he moved. I screamed as I looked at  red ribbons which streamed from my hand. 

   “You stupid girl, don’t you know knives are sharp?”

I shook my head, tears ran down.

    “Come over here.”

I stood still, shook my head. He yanked me closer, wrapped a cloth around my hand.

   “You’d better come with me, Anatrea will know what to do.”

I stumbled after him. He walked with long purposeful strides. I scurried behind, dodged strange looking plants and odd movements within them.

    “What’s the matter with you? It’s only rabbits.”

My eyes found a creature with long ears, a different sort of life. I stopped. 

He turned, his eyebrows drawn together,

   “Have you never seen a rabbit?” 

    “Never.”  The creature bounced off into the undergrowth.

    “Where have you come from? You’re very… pale,” he said.

I pointed towards the earth.

    “Beneath,” I said.

His eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open.

    “Under… the ground?”

I nodded.

   “But…no… it can wait, come on that cut looks nasty.”

I looked at the cloth, now stained red. I turned watery eyes to him.

   “It hurts,” I said.

The trees thinned out and the grass became well-trodden. I looked at a collection of covered mounds, grasses protected their lids, and their sides were covered in brown mud. A woman appeared from an opening.

   “Who’s this Ansel? She’s very pale.”

Her face split to reveal a set of white even teeth, her eyes crinkled, and she reached a hand towards me. I cradled my injury close to my body. 

   “I won’t hurt you. But that looks very sore. I can help you.”

Coldness crept over me, in spite of the heat from the golden sky orb, I tried to speak, my words froze.

She moved towards me and an arm reached around my shoulders. She drew me into the wooden mound and I sat on a pile of cloths, lashed together with woven cords. I sank onto them as she unwrapped the cloth from my hand.

   “Ouch, nasty, how did it happen?”

Ansel joined her. 

   “She grabbed my knife, I’ve never seen someone so… stupid, she doesn’t know about animals or bushes or anything. Such a liability.”

   “Ansel don’t be so judgemental. It looks to me as if she’s one of those they took underground when the floods and fires came. Maybe she’s never been outside.”

He sniffed and sat down. He reached for something red and round in a bowl, and bit into it. It crunched and the juice rans down his chin. A hollow empty sensation occupied my stomach which rumbled. He threw me a round thing. I flung my arm out and caught it. 

   “Will she live Anatrea?”

She laughed, “I’ll clean it and stitch it, yes Ansel she’ll live.” She raised my chin with a finger.

   “Do you have a name child?”

I swallowed and nodded. “Adana.”

She smiles, “Pretty name. Now listen Adana, the cut in your hand is deep, I need to pull the edges together with this.” She held up a thin membrane attached to a small spindle. “It’s going to hurt a bit.”

I bit my lip and held out my injured hand, my stomach tightened. I decided the tears must stop. I didn’t want Ansel to think me weak. 

It hurt a lot, but I didn’t cry.

Anatrea smoothed a cool greasy film over my hand and wrapped it with a new cloth. My shoulders relaxed; I looked out. The golden burning light sank below the horizon in a blaze of warm orange, and the dark canopy returned. Ansel left us.

   “I think you’d better stay here with me; we’ll speak to Kenal tomorrow.”

   “Who…”

She guided me to a low log platform, covered in cloths of various thickness. “This will do.”

She sat close by as I clambered into the contraption. She pulled the cloths over me and patted my hand. 

   “I’ll explain everything tomorrow Adana. For tonight you need to rest.” 

Anatrea dropped a gentle brush of her lips onto my forehead, and I drifted into a sleep where I dreamt of logs and cloths and things that slice skin. 

    I woke to a cool touch on my skin and wriggled up the log platform.

     “Morning Adana, it’s a beautiful day. Kenal will see you, let’s get you ready.” I pulled on the long shift she offered me. She plaited my hair and decorated it with a pink coloured plant that left a scented perfume. 

   I followed her to a leaf covered contraption, held up with sentinel like pillars. A white-haired man with twinkly eyes smiled at me.

   “Adana,” he said.

 I sat next to him and told him all about ‘Beneath’. He nodded, took both my hands in his.

     “The world as we knew it disappeared Adana. Some chose to hide beneath the ground, and others like ourselves took to the mountains. In time the earth grew rich and bountiful. Mother Nature forgave us. Living under the earth may have made your people frightened and unsure. You may stay with us for as long as you wish. Anatrea says you may stay with her.” 

I returned to Anatrea’s home.  

 “You’d better learn about knives and bows and arrows if you’re staying with us.’ He pushed me with his elbow. ‘You ought to get out in the sunshine too. You’re as pale as anything,” Ansel said.

I turned away from him and looked at my white arms and legs. 

   “You don’t have to come near me if I disgust you so much. I’ll stay with Anatrea.” 

He stood up, glared at me. 

   “If that’s the thanks, I get for bringing you here and helping you with your hand…” he said.

   “My hand wouldn’t be hurt if it wasn’t for you and your stupid knife.”

Cycles of the sun and moon passed, Ansel and I argued and shouted, laughed and fought. 

When I’d known seventeen crossings of the four seasons, under a canopy of twisted fragrant flowers, he waited. I walked with Anatrea towards his tall frame. My white robe flowed behind me and a coronet of flowers rested on my hair.

He smiled at me and brought my scarred hand to his lips. 

Kenal stood in front of us and bound our hands with a cord woven from grasses and flowers.

   “Mother Nature welcome these two new souls into your care, bless their unity and watch over them. Show them your kindness as they show you the respect you deserve.”