shut it off. Who knows how much clean water was left. The ponds up top were probably polluted from the battle, and I didn’t want to think too much about that.
As promised, Darcy got to choose first and elected for an entire chocolate custard pie. I noticed the pie had been made on Earth in a place called Brighton, Ontario.
I’d never even heard of it, but a pang of homesickness still hit me.
Finn grabbed a chocolate bar and happily munchedaway. “This is what I needed!” he said. “You want some?” He thrust the bar in my direction.
“No, I’m good. But don’t eat too much. We do need to save some for the others.”
Finn smiled and took another bite.
We completely inventoried all of the food in the fridges and on the shelves. There wasn’t as much as I’d hoped. Worst-case scenario, we’d need food for three months: two until the Blackout ended, and then a month or so until we got rescued. There was nowhere near enough food down here to last that long, even with rationing.
Darcy grabbed another piece of pie, giggling as she pretended to share it with Friendly. Finn sat down next to her and opened yet another wrapped candy bar. The rationing could start tomorrow.
My parents’ voices rang in my ears: my father ordering me to be a leader, my mother telling me to run. They both wanted me to survive. That meant staying underground. It was still dark, but now we had some food. If we were lucky, we could stay put and ride out the Blackout. Then we’d signal Earth and get saved. I didn’t have it all worked out yet, but one thing we had was time.
“Okay, guys, let’s grab some veggies and head back to camp.”
“Aww,” whined Darcy and Finn together.
“And make sure you wash the evidence off your hands and faces. I don’t need everyone demanding dessert before breakfast!”
They got up, and we grabbed some food and headed back. I did stash some treats in my bag.
Mandeep and Pavel were up. Jimmi had woken up too but was still yawning as he leaned against the wall, stretching.
“I’m sorry,” Mandeep said as we approached. “That wasn’t really like me to yell like that.”
“It’s all good,” I said.
Darcy hugged Mandeep and nestled into her arms tightly.
Finn and I passed out fresh beans and carrots to everyone. Alek and Maria were still sleeping, so I set theirs aside.
“Beans and carrots?” Pavel said, sticking out his tongue. “What, no Brussels sprouts left for dessert?”
I frowned. “Look. The fresh stuff, like the carrots, needs to be eaten first. There’s not a lot of extra anything, and we can’t afford to waste. Food is like gold for us, unless we can find some more, we have to get by with what we have.”
Pavel scoffed but took a giant bite out of his carrot and sat, chewing it loudly.
But then I pulled out a box of chocolate bars. “If we eat our veggies, we’ll get a treat.”
Jimmi reached out, but I grabbed his hand before he could take one.
“After the veggies,” I said.
He was ticked. “Who died and made you king?” he said under his breath.
I started to say, My dad, when I remembered he’d lost his family too.
“Never mind. Sorry. Just grab one.”
“No, thanks. I don’t want it anymore,” Jimmi said, stomping away.
I walked into the infirmary. Maria woke up and crunched on her veggies. She stared at the chocolate bar for a long time, then slid it into her pocket.
“It was Isabella’s favorite kind,” she said. But she got up and walked outside to join the others.
Alek was in worse shape. I offered him chocolate and water, but the food stayed in the wrapper, and the water trickled down the sides of his mouth.
He just stared straight ahead, barely even blinking.
• • •
Three nights in, nothing had changed. I was on watch duty alone. I settled into a comfortable spot on a corner of the locker room, and pulled out the copy of Oliver Twist . I hoped reading it might help calm me and help me remember happier times with my mom
As promised, Darcy got to choose first and elected for an entire chocolate custard pie. I noticed the pie had been made on Earth in a place called Brighton, Ontario.
I’d never even heard of it, but a pang of homesickness still hit me.
Finn grabbed a chocolate bar and happily munchedaway. “This is what I needed!” he said. “You want some?” He thrust the bar in my direction.
“No, I’m good. But don’t eat too much. We do need to save some for the others.”
Finn smiled and took another bite.
We completely inventoried all of the food in the fridges and on the shelves. There wasn’t as much as I’d hoped. Worst-case scenario, we’d need food for three months: two until the Blackout ended, and then a month or so until we got rescued. There was nowhere near enough food down here to last that long, even with rationing.
Darcy grabbed another piece of pie, giggling as she pretended to share it with Friendly. Finn sat down next to her and opened yet another wrapped candy bar. The rationing could start tomorrow.
My parents’ voices rang in my ears: my father ordering me to be a leader, my mother telling me to run. They both wanted me to survive. That meant staying underground. It was still dark, but now we had some food. If we were lucky, we could stay put and ride out the Blackout. Then we’d signal Earth and get saved. I didn’t have it all worked out yet, but one thing we had was time.
“Okay, guys, let’s grab some veggies and head back to camp.”
“Aww,” whined Darcy and Finn together.
“And make sure you wash the evidence off your hands and faces. I don’t need everyone demanding dessert before breakfast!”
They got up, and we grabbed some food and headed back. I did stash some treats in my bag.
Mandeep and Pavel were up. Jimmi had woken up too but was still yawning as he leaned against the wall, stretching.
“I’m sorry,” Mandeep said as we approached. “That wasn’t really like me to yell like that.”
“It’s all good,” I said.
Darcy hugged Mandeep and nestled into her arms tightly.
Finn and I passed out fresh beans and carrots to everyone. Alek and Maria were still sleeping, so I set theirs aside.
“Beans and carrots?” Pavel said, sticking out his tongue. “What, no Brussels sprouts left for dessert?”
I frowned. “Look. The fresh stuff, like the carrots, needs to be eaten first. There’s not a lot of extra anything, and we can’t afford to waste. Food is like gold for us, unless we can find some more, we have to get by with what we have.”
Pavel scoffed but took a giant bite out of his carrot and sat, chewing it loudly.
But then I pulled out a box of chocolate bars. “If we eat our veggies, we’ll get a treat.”
Jimmi reached out, but I grabbed his hand before he could take one.
“After the veggies,” I said.
He was ticked. “Who died and made you king?” he said under his breath.
I started to say, My dad, when I remembered he’d lost his family too.
“Never mind. Sorry. Just grab one.”
“No, thanks. I don’t want it anymore,” Jimmi said, stomping away.
I walked into the infirmary. Maria woke up and crunched on her veggies. She stared at the chocolate bar for a long time, then slid it into her pocket.
“It was Isabella’s favorite kind,” she said. But she got up and walked outside to join the others.
Alek was in worse shape. I offered him chocolate and water, but the food stayed in the wrapper, and the water trickled down the sides of his mouth.
He just stared straight ahead, barely even blinking.
• • •
Three nights in, nothing had changed. I was on watch duty alone. I settled into a comfortable spot on a corner of the locker room, and pulled out the copy of Oliver Twist . I hoped reading it might help calm me and help me remember happier times with my mom
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