What Lies Below...

"Tell me the story again, mom," Micah asked. He curled up on the bed, dressed in his little superhero pajamas. To his right, his mother lay next to him. Tomorrow was a big day for Micah, as he started school.

"If I tell you, will you go to sleep?" she laughed. She told him a peaceful tale. The Elrod family has passed it down through generations. "Promise me you will sleep."

Micah nodded his head rapidly, causing his eyes to dart from one direction to another.

"Are you dizzy?" Micah's mother giggled. Her name was Maranda, and she worked as a local doctor in the Gurn. She never called it the Gurn, nor did she like the name. She would always say Port Urn, which was the city's actual name. Because it's underground, the G in Gurn originates from the people living in the city. She always saw the Gurn as an opportunity. The Gurn has shaped generations, and she has always harbored the desire to witness the beauty of the city above.

Micah curled up next to her. His frizzy, puffed-up hair would always brush up against her. The single-story small house sat in a remote part of the Gurn. There, less crime was ever noticed, but the creepy feeling of being watched was always an issue. From morning on, the orange atmosphere would look like something out of an old western movie. Micah loved to watch movies from a long time ago, back when civilization seemed to coexist. Outside his window, the world was eerily dark.

"Story?" Micah pleaded.

This is a loving story about a bunny finding the will to thrive. The bunny itself made its way from the Gurn to the outside world. The air was fresh, and the sky was clean. The bunny had the freedom to roam freely. The people up above were all kind to the bunny as it ventured from place to place. This bunny was well-mannered and mature enough to understand its surroundings. Every time it wandered into a city, everyone would greet it. The bunny would venture further into the world. Once the bunny departed from the dreadful Gurn, it would remain under constant watch. Not from the Gurn itself but from what lies below.

"Now I can't sleep!" Micah shouted. "Let's play games!"

"Well, you didn't let me finish," she smiled.

Micah's mother sighed and smiled. She has a big day tomorrow at the hospital. Both of them needed all the sleep they could get. His mother took it upon herself to slowly distract him from the story so he could go to sleep. She would slowly pat the top of his head and sing him a lullaby. A lullaby is what Micah would always go to sleep with. His sweet mother's voice sang a song about prosperity and family. As she kissed him on the forehead, she turned off the nightlight and slowly walked out of the room.

. . .

"Micah!" screamed his father. "Get up!"

[15 years later]

Micah shot up, his covers falling off the bed and onto the rugged floor. He snapped his head toward the clock resting on top of his drawer to the left of his room. 8:43 a.m., the clock read as he shot out of bed, practically lifting himself into the air. He stumbled and ran savagely towards his clothes, slamming into every obstacle in his path. His room door swung open as he made his way into the narrow hallway, blasting past his father, who had been cooking eggs and mystery bacon brought from the market in the downtown section of the Gurn. He was a grumpy man in his mid-fifties. He's a teacher at the school Micah used to attend.

"Did you look in the mirror?" he asked. "You look like you're a slum rat."

Micah ran toward the bathroom quickly. He dashed into the shower, scrubbing himself with the cold, frigid water that splashed on him. After his shower, he looked in the mirror, fixing his hair and brushing his teeth. He hurried out of the bathroom, wearing his uniform, and sped past his father once more.

"Aren't you going to eat?" he questioned.

"Sorry," Micah huffed. "I'm due in ten minutes." He looked toward the clock to confirm his statement.

His father had nice, smooth brown skin. He took pride in keeping him and Micah well-mannered and mature. This behavior came from his mother. She always had a proper attitude and maintained cleanliness.

"Let me look into your eye," his father asked. "Has the color gone away?"

"No, it's still there," Micah replied as he stood still with his left eye widening. Six years ago, his left eye changed color after hitting his head on a park bench. The doctor thought it could've been a disorder that's rarely seen in the Gurn. Even his mother was clueless about the condition, and despite discarding the entire theory, they were still unable to determine its cause. His right eye was brown, while the other was light like honey.

Micah's dad, known as Buel, pulled up a piece of paper and ticked down a check. His father kept track of when his eyes would come back. The doctors informed his father that his eye should return to normal within a few days. Then, days later, the doctors changed their minds and stated it would take a few months. Years have passed, and to this day, his eye still hasn't changed.

"I'm fine," Micah said. "I have to go."

"Take food, now!" his dad demanded.

He gave his dad a hug, tapped a picture towards the front door, and ran out of the house holding a hard-boiled egg and toast. He ran to his bike and pedaled as fast as he could, rocketing toward his destination.

Screeching up to a halt, he ran in with a minute to spare and announced his presence. Two people walked by and chuckled.

"You're very early, dude," chuckled a buff man named Spencer Montrose. "Why are you so early?"

"What are you talking about? I'm here on time," Micah huffed. He glanced at the time.

Spencer responded, "Yes, you should be here at nine o'clock. And if you look at the clock, it says eight o'clock."

Another person came out of a door, and a burst of laughter ensued. He ran up to Micah and looked him in the eye. Micah stood at a height of 6'1", while the man standing next to him was 5'6". His name was Cody Minkah, and he patted Micah on the side of his torso, smiling.

"What are you doing here?" he laughed. "Well, now you're on call with us!"

Micah sighed. Apparently, he had set his clock incorrectly at home, and the clock he checked in the house must've been broken. However, he found that arriving at work early wasn't a major inconvenience. He loved what he did. Helping people has always been a family tradition. He put his equipment in his locker and walked toward the garage. Five more people were sitting around a TV watching a rugby match between Imperial University and Port Urn College.

"Look who's here," Cody said. "We've got help."

Everyone looked back and welcomed Micah. They encouraged him to watch the game as the peaceful morning began to settle in. Micah worked at one of twelve fire stations in the Gurn. Station Six was a large station that housed four trucks, an ambulance, and the chief's truck. He was placed in the special rescue unit. Similar to regular rescue trucks, special rescue units in the Gurn were responsible for providing support. But in the case of breaches during firefighting, special rescue units put their lives on the line to protect anyone in the area. Sometimes they deescalate small breaches themselves. Firefighting in the Gurn is one of the most dangerous jobs to do. Night fires, flashovers, methanol fires, or backdrafts could pose a threat. Afterwards, there may be instances of random murders, robberies, and breaches. It's dangerous, but every Gurn firefighter protects their loved ones and the Gurn.

Micah sat and watched the game for a few minutes. More firefighters entered the station. Twelve on-duty firefighters soon filled the station as they conversed with each other. Micah had gotten up around the same time that Port Urn College scored their try. He wasn't a big rugby fan, as his favorite sport was soccer. He made his way to the dorm room, where two paramedics had been lying on their beds, reading. One of them was named Nina Shellbock. She was reading a Vanguard brochure. The Vanguard were the watchers of the street. They were military police who primarily patrolled the world above. Any time Vanguard is in the Gurn, it usually means someone has been doing something that is a hazard to the world above.

Nina was a very quiet girl. Rarely would she ever do anything to make anyone mad. She was also brilliant and a medical genius. She learned all of that on her own. Since both her parents died in a botched heist, the fire station effectively adopted her. She brushed aside her red hair as she kept her eyes on the recruiting brochure. She had very pale white skin that made her look as if she were sick. Rectangular reading glasses, ill-adjusted on her face, forced her to push them up every time her head moved.

Across the room, on the right was Marcus Boundman. Marcus was reading a novel about the Great Depression. His muttering could be heard from the dorm entrance. Marcus had a mustache that he trims every day. He had a scrawny build but was still strong when it came to lifting heavy objects. Marcus was also a medical genius. Marcus's insistence on never eating after saving someone's life was one notable aspect of his character. He said that as long as he knows they're alright, he will not eat till then. Marcus's nickname around the firehouse was birdbrain. Marcus was one of the tallest on duty. He stood at 6'4" at the age of 36.

Micah made his way to his bed and rummaged through his things. On his nightstand, he placed a picture of his family and ran his fingers towards the side of the frame.

"Hello Micah," sang Marcus. "How long are you here for?"

"Three, maybe four days," Micah replied. "How's it going, Marcus?"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"I'm fine," he sang once more.

"That's good," Micah smiled. He and Marcus were close friends. "Any big calls this week?"

"Yah, know," Marcus said. Marcus sat up from the bed and stared at the ceiling. "We had a breach yesterday, but the Vanguard was near so, ya know."

"Is that how she got that?" Micah darted his eyes toward Nina, who had slowly shifted the brochure to the side, revealing a rectangular lens.

"Right!" Marcus shouted and gave a thumbs up. "Don't tell the rest. You are aware of the situation with the Vanguard and other military divisions."

"Yeah," Micah replied. "Make sure you lock the door when you're going to read that in a room like this."

Nina slowly nodded her head. She would only ever speak to a few members in the firehouse. She would usually be near Marcus and Micah. They both knew about her dream of joining the military. She's been secretly training herself and studying. Whenever someone asked her what she was doing up late with numerous books on the kitchen table, she would always say she was studying for college admissions.

[Errrrrrrrn Eeeeeem Eeeeem] "Engine 33, Battalion 1, Ambulance 12, Rescue 2. Respond to- shopping district structure fire in the 12th District. 102 Burg Lane. Gurn Locality Store. Repeat, Engine 33, Battalion 1, Ambulance 12, Rescue 2. Respond to- shopping district structure fire in the 12th District. 102 Burg Lane. Gurn Locality Store."

"Let's roll," raced Marcus. Nina handed Micah the brochure, whispering words into his ear before running with Marcus out of the dorm room. A few seconds later, the first hum of the trucks echoed throughout the station. Micah exited the dorms and leaned over the rail, gazing over the garage. Almost every truck left the station as the gates closed.

"Micah?" screamed someone from below. "Where are you?"

Micah leaned further over the railing. He saw Spencer with Xavier Benedict, "X," and Jordan Bergstein hanging by the wall next to a whiteboard.

"I'm up near the dorms," Micah responded. He walked over to the small enclosed steps and made his way toward the three men speaking amongst each other. Xavier and Jordan were staring right at Micah as he approached them. They both looked skeptical.

"What's up?" Xavier asked. "How's it going?"

"Yo, X. What's up, Jordan?" Micah said. "What are you guys up to?"

Jordan pulled out a paper that had a ton of words on it. Everyone moved closer, lowering their heads to read everything on the paper. The words "accepted to enlist" were written a few words down from the start of the page. Jordan smiled with his braces shining brightly. Spencer took the paper from his hand and stared right at it.

"You're going up top?" he said. "You know you can't show this to anyone, right?"

"Isn't it time we give the military some slack?" Jordan uttered. His poor choice of words made all three of them look at him as if he were deranged.

"Jordan," X sighed. "Get your foot out of your ass. The military, with the exception of a few divisions, is engaging in harassment. We're not the only ones who are upset, but the rest of the crew will hold you accountable for your actions."

"It's not smart to gloat about this," Micah added. "I'm proud of you. You'll succeed, particularly with the work you're doing now, but you should exercise caution in this situation."

[Errrrrrrn Eeeeeeem Eeeeem] "Special Rescue 3, Ladder Truck 1. Respond to- shopping district structure fire and Class B breach in the 12th District. 102 Burg Lane. Gurn Locality Store. Repeat, Special Rescue 3, Ladder Truck 1. Respond to- shopping district structure fire and Class B breach in the 12th District. 102 Burg Lane. Gurn Locality Store."

[Chapter One: So What Is Below?]

The heavy black rescue truck sped down the road in the shopping district. The rig sped past, its siren blaring, with the words 'Station Six Special Rescue Unit' etched on both sides. The Gurn had no skyscrapers. Apartment buildings typically stood at a height of twenty floors. Even in the downtown area or Gurn outskirts, there weren't any extremely tall buildings. Firefighting in the Gurn was a handful; nevertheless, the thrill makes everyone excited. The horn blared as it blasted through crosswalks. Finally, the thick smoke emerged into the dark orange-tinted sky of the Gurn.

"There she is," X said over the headphones.

"What?" Jordan asked. "The breached thing?"

"No, the fire," Micah laughed as he slapped Jordan on the shoulder.

The truck's loud noise forced them to use headphones for communication. Strong winds caused the fire to drift to the right. The Gurn appeared to be particularly vulnerable to wind. Nevertheless, the smoke flying toward other buildings made their job much more difficult.

"Is that station 3 up ahead?" asked Jordan. "Yeah, that's their SRU rig."

"Why'd you answer your own question?" asked Xavier.

Jordan didn't respond. Instead, he playfully pushed Xavier's shoulder forward.

Spencer didn't speak. The constant sound of the horn and the cries from the Q-siren would cause panic among those in front of the truck. When someone posed a question to him, he would gesture with his hands in an attempt to respond. Although it looked funny, the rest of the crew understood what he was trying to say. Still, the truck raced forward down the unmaintained road. The constant jolt and hiccup of the truck as it went over the rough pavement made it feel like a rollercoaster.

Arriving on the scene in style, the black-painted truck, with its lights still on, screeched up right behind station 3's tiller. They swiftly exited the truck, gathering their equipment and additional supplies for the remaining firefighters, who were actively suppressing the fire to prevent it from escalating through the roof. They put on their masks and had their gloves tightly clamped on their hands. As they reached the front of the building, the chief from station three explained the situation to them. Standing right behind the chief were three members of station three's Special Rescue Unit.

"I'm calling it a Class D breach now," he stated. "That's the reason this place is on fire. There's people still inside. This will be risky, as always. Get in and out; either contain the breach or kill it."

"Set the time to five minutes," Spencer said. "Five minutes. If we're not out in five minutes, hit the fire. Managing the risk of backdrafts during pressurization can be crucial."

Everyone agreed. They used a fireproof watch. It would send out emergency signals after three minutes had passed. Once it hits its time, the watch would screech a fire alarm-like noise, which would also alert the chief and others around.

[5:00]

dmph dmph dmph

The seven of them hurried into the store, employing thermal scanners to locate any survivors and identify the breach. They carried axes, a razor-sharp eagle hook, and sledgehammers. Micah carried a long fire axe that possessed a deadly sharpness. He was third in line as they ran into the back of the store. There, they discovered a body with its stomach torn out. They also found the body completely burnt. The smoke made it difficult for anyone who wouldn't have a thermal scanner to even see the floor. There were limitations to the effectiveness of the helmet flashlights. A door in the back of the shop led upstairs. The flames upstairs were hotter and had everyone sweating all the way from the bottom of the steps. Spencer looked back as Jordan put up four fingers.

A harrowing cry for help echoed toward the seven Special Rescue Unit firemen. Without any remorse, they ran up the stairs, entering a hallway with a storage room to their left. They divided into two groups, with Jordan, a member of station three, and Xavier heading left towards the storage room. Spencer led the way as a burst of flames rocked the end of the hallway. The flames created a pocket of light, which helped Micah's squad know that there was an opening ahead. Once they reached the opening, another minute passed. As they entered the open space, another light illuminated near a window. Micah had first noticed a figure scratching the walls.

"We take it out!" Spencer screamed. "Check your air!"

Micah still had 3/4 left. He held onto his axe as they approached the breached oddity. The oddity tilted its head slightly, pleading for death. It continued scratching the wall before slowly stepping toward them.

"I'----m n------o--t t---h----e b------a---d g-----u---y," it struggled to say. It lifted its burnt index finger, pointing behind them.

They turned around to see a mass of incinerated bodies forming a circle on the wall. A young boy sat right underneath it, his head pointing downward.

"Ushsuheahndsahhsasdsh," it whispered. "Shasuutgsoakfosauht."

The whisper filled the air as Spencer walked toward it. As he raised his sledgehammer, the boy also lifted his head. His eyes were burnt. Down the hall, the three other Special Rescue Unit members came running.

"Kill it!" screamed Xavier.

Spencer swung his sledgehammer toward the ground, and a wall of fire spread rapidly throughout the building, causing it to billow out the window.

"Flashover!" screamed the firefighters outside. The building echoed with rapid honks from the horn. Everyone had been knocked out.

It took a few seconds for Micah to regain consciousness. He looked up to see both Spencer and Xavier fighting the breached oddity. The young boy moved swiftly, but he lacked an arm. Micah looked up to see flames walling off the entire room. As oxygen levels dropped, the smoke proved lethal. The cracked air gauge was misguiding him. He grabbed his axe, still able to breathe well, and joined the fight.

"Don't let him touch you!" Spencer screamed. "It'll burn that body part into a crisp!"

Micah swung his axe slightly, but it missed the oddity's torso. The oddity reacted by reaching out to him. He retreated, slamming into the wall of charred corpses. They were reaching out to Micah, their words difficult to hear. Micah watched them closely as they quietly begged for their deaths. He also glanced at the words written on the wall, causing his eyes to widen. He lifted his axe, chopping off their heads while muttering a prayer.

"Micah!" the oddity screamed as it turned around. Its face scrunched up. Smoke shot out of its eyes as it extended its hand.

"Go to hell!" Spencer let out a scream as he drove his sledgehammer deep into the head of the breached oddity. The last corpse soon perished. The fire continued to rage as the strange creature crawled, shouting Micah's name.

"Micah!" it screamed. Its voice changed numerous times. "Come here, my darling!" In pain, it cried for help. Micah stood there unfazed.

Xavier stabbed the oddity with an eagle hook, ripping its head off and causing it to wither away. Without a second to relax, the timer went off. They gathered all the injured individuals from the flashover and proceeded down the flame-engulfed hallway. The heat was intensifying, causing them to become fatigued.

"The window!" screamed Micah.

Micah ran toward the window as the smoke flew out. He waved his hand even though he couldn't see. He heard a few honks from outside. Within a few seconds, a bright light emerged, accompanied by numerous screams.

[0:00] - "Emergency Emergency." Eeeeeeeeeeen Eeeeeeeeeeeeen Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen

As the evening settled, Micah had sat up in his bed. He looked over at Spencer, who was asleep. Xavier was reading a book, and Jordan had suffered third-degree burns and was taken to the hospital.

"You alright?" asked Xavier. "Still murmuring about your mother?"

"Nah," Micah replied. "She's long gone. I just wondered how it knew my name."

"It knew all our names," Xavier responded. He closed his book, twisting his head toward Micah. "Get some rest. We faced a Class D event. Anything higher than C gives us a rest day."

Micah flopped back into bed. He looked up at the ceiling, making unsettling noises.

"What's up?" Xavier asked. "Hungry?"

"No," Micah sighed. "You saw it too, right?"

He turned his head toward Xavier.

"Those words," he continued. "Those words on the wall."

"What lies below, something, something," Xavier reminisced. "My head is all foggy. I almost died today, yah know."

"What the hell is underneath the Gurn?" Micah said. "What the hell is this?"

"Now you're asking?" Xavier laughed. "Get some rest, dude. You've been doing this for a year now. So what if this is the second Class D event we've had?"

Xavier opened his book again, humming a song. Micah rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes. The corpses, the fire, the words. Everything flooded his mind. He couldn't sleep. He needed help.

[What Lies Below......]