Underground

• Madeleine Black, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2014

I sit up and open my eyes but immediately lie back down as I feel a massive throbbing in my head. As I lie there I look around. The walls and roof are made out of metal covered in a navy blue paint, there are no windows and the only light comes from a small bulb on the roof hanging by a chain.

"Where the hell am I?" I think to myself

Then I look down and notice I'm on a solid metal bench suspended about 7 metres in the air and my hands and feet are trapped by metal chains.

"Help! Get me out of here!" I scream but no answer came

I looked down and realised that I was not the only one in the room. There were hundreds of metal benches just like mine filled with people of all ages.

At the bottom of the room there was a workbench full of tools and a rack of guns but what really caught my attention was the person next to the workbench. He was a short, stocky, bald man with a black beard. In his hand he held a big needle with some sort of tube on the end filled with a green and black mixture.

People were struggling against their restraints and yelling out to others in the room. It was complete chaos but the man on the ground didn't seem to notice.

A loud, ear piercing scream travelled through the room. Everyone went silent, searching for the source of the scream.

"Lucy!"

Everyone looked down towards a wooden table. There stood a girl of about five years old hugging a teddy in her pyjamas. She was crying. That's when I realised on her left cheek tattooed in bold, black ink was the hotel logo.

As everyone resumed to the chaos there was an overpowering noise. Then heavy steps against the wooden floor. I look down to find, presumably the father of the little girl, running across the room. I was about to lose my view of him behind a metal bench below me when he stopped.

"What's happening! I can't see!"

BANG

I shudder as the little girls father falls to the ground.

I can't believe these people would do this and to an innocent person who's trying to save their daughter! My blood boils fuelled by anger. By this time the fathers shirt is soaked a crimson colour.

I must fight before anyone else gets hurt.

I launch into a battle with the chains that hold me down but only to give up after a few minutes. What the heck? I feel the wall move down and come to a thump. I was about a metre closer to the bottom now.

I pull harder against my chains but it's no use. That is when I realise what I must do.

"Arrrhhhhh!" I scream
Even though the pain flowing rapidly through my dislocated shoulder I force my self to stand up and jump. I land on the floor with a thud then quickly hide behind another bench in case the man noticed me. Then I quickly get up and sprint across the room.

I start panting from exhaustion and the increasing pain in my arm. It feels like forever before I reach the pale man lying dead on the floor, but I don't stop there I continue running towards the gun rack. I figured if I was to get out of here alive I needed one of those guns.

I reach out towards the rack, my fingertips are what it seems an inch away from freedom.

Thump thump thump.

What is that? It sounds like footsteps. But it can't be, could it? NO!

I yelp as I'm pulled back by my hair and dragged across the room.

"Arrrrggg!" I scream.

I struggle against his grip and manage to get free. I stand up and run. Adrenaline pumps through my blood as I become closer to the guns.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

I can hear him behind me.

THUMP THUMP

The heavy footsteps so close I can feel the vibration through the ground.

THUMP

I dive at the rack, pull out a gun and fire.

The room goes into silence once more.