-Wednesday-

            I could tell it was early when I awoke. I checked my phone. 3:19. very early. I yawned. Now was the ideal time to explore, assuming nobody else was awake. I pushed the door open, and peered out. No signs of life. I pulled the map from under the mattress and examined it. If I wanted to get to Zion’s secret cavern, I would have to walk for about half a mile. Just to get to the entrance, that is. To get to his secret lair in itself, I would have to walk something like a mile and an eighth. And that was assuming I could find the entrance. Either way, I crept out of my room, closing the door quietly as I left. As I padded down the hall, I heard a noise. I flattened myself against the wall, turning out my flashlight as I went. It was just Kira, walking across the room, knocking on Zion’s door. I watched, hidden, as he ushered her inside. I could hear them talking, failing in keeping quiet. She reappeared, then, and walked back to her room.

            “Kira,” I whispered, just loud enough for her to hear, “C’mere. I want to show you this.” She raised her eyebrow at me, but came closer. “Look. Zion made me this map.” Her eyes grew wide.

            “Because he wanted to show you his secret cavern. Don’t go there, yet. Bad things happened in there. I can’t tell you, not yet, but if you go there… Never mind. Why are you even up so early?” She changed the subject bluntly, but I was happy to oblige. I didn’t want to know what was in his cavern, not just yet.

            “I was going to go exploring. You know, see how things are set up around here. Get the gist of things…”

            “Can I come?” she asked, but she knew I wouldn’t say no.

            “I guess so… but-“

            “Awesome. Let’s go.”

 

            “And this, as you know, is the kitchen. We eat, talk, and sometimes hold informal meetings here.” Kira caught my attention at kitchen. Zion’s secret cave entrance was somewhere around the area, if I could spot it without arousing Kira’s suspicion. I swept my gaze around the room, quickly, inconspicuously, hoping to find Zion’s lair before Kira noticed. No such luck, however.

            “Watchya lookin’ for?” Kira asked, eyeing me warily. “Zion’s cavern? It’s right there, but we never go there, ever.”

            “Are you sure you don’t want to take me in there just to see? Then we can go right back out. I promise… please?”

            “Oh, darn… look at the time… breakfast is starting. And it’s your turn to serve… Let’s go!” At this point, I was suspicious of her. The time seemed to pass much faster in the caves than it did everywhere else. It was already 8:37, which did surprise me greatly. But something was up here, something was definitely wrong with this picture. Whispered conversations late at night, secret rendezvous before dawn, mysterious maps with dangerous hidden passageways. And the fact that I had seen Maddie only once in the past three days also bothered me. It was strange, also, that no one seemed to like me, that they flinched whenever my big, purple eyes caught theirs. I felt like an outsider, and I was determined to find out why.

 

            After breakfast, I pretended to clean tables until everyone was gone. Then I dropped the sponge and ran to Zion’s secret passageway. I pulled out my flashlight and ducked my head into the narrow tunnel when-

            “Delia? That you?” Busted. A new boy I had never seen before stared at me curiously, his fiery green eyes filled with mischief. And then I remembered him.

            “Josh!” I cried. I was surprised I hadn’t recognized him earlier. He had been my best friend, boyfriend, and husband in 7^th grade. We had had a shotgun wedding in a crowded hallway, kneeling on the floor by his locker.

            “Hey, Di, what’s up?” he asked cheerfully, his big Cheshire grin erasing all my worry.

            “I haven’t seen you in forever, Josh! How’d you end up here?”

            “I helped excavate it. I told you I’d get my own house when I was 16, didn’t I?”

            “I love you, Josh.”

            “I love me too.” I slapped him. He was still the same as I remembered. I had dumped him over someone else, but dumped that guy three days later, since he couldn’t compare to Josh, still. And then there had been… Zane? That must have been his name… or I thought so.

            “Josh, will you marry me again?”

            “Of course, Delia. Right here, right now. Caity’s here. She’s an ordained minister now. Or she thinks she is. She escaped here from the… asylum. Hey, maybe we should wait.” Good idea, I thought. I needed some time to think again. His name had been Zane, hadn’t it? Or was he just some other infatuation along the line? I honestly couldn’t remember. I ran down the dark hallway blindly, picking up speed until I collided with someone’s chest. I looked up, and Chad held a lantern up over our heads, smiling.

            “You okay?” he asked, more amused than concerned.

            “Aah, yeah,” I said sleepily. “hey, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about this map… I got it from Zion?”

            “Agh! Lying bastard promised he’d stay away from you!”

            “Scuze me?”

            “I… I have to go.” He looked off into the distance. I strained to see whoever it was he saw at the other end of the hallway, walking with a girl I’d never met. He flashed them his perfect smile as he walked off. Kira and her friend approached me.

            “Hey, Delia, this is Caity.”

            “Hi! I’m Caity. I heard some great shit about you! We’ll be great friends!” I stare at her for a second before turning quizzically to Kira, making sure she’s safe to talk to. She rolled her eyes and shrugged. I smiled a nervous half-smile, and then opened my mouth to greet her, when I was interrupted by a firm hand on my shoulder, and ragged breathing.

            “Delia, Caity, I need to talk to Kira. NOW.” Caity and I exchanged a puzzled glance, backing down the hall slowly. I gave her a devious look, and we snuck up to her door, and, pressing our ears against it, observed the following conversation:

           

            “Why?” Chad pleaded.

            “I am NOT talking to you!” Kira retorted.

            “I promise, though, really!” Kira sighed.

            “Chad, they’re already getting suspicious. Just… no.”

            “I love you. Do you love me?”

            “CHAD!”

            “Okay, okay, but sooner or later, they need to know.”

            “Well, when YOU decide there’s something worth TELLING, I’ll be the first one to spill the news.” Kira was practically shouting now, sounding both angry and very, very sad.

            “Kira… are you mad at me?”

            “No, Chad, not you. It’s not… no. It’s nothing. That’s just it. NOTHING.” She was sobbing now, her breath ragged and her voice unsteady and tight.

            “Oh.” Chad whispered, then, for a moment there was silence. We stiffened. But then, we heard a loud sound, and it took me a minute to realize it was somebody getting slapped. I looked at Caity, who was silently bagging up. I pressed my ear against the door once more. The conversation had become even more indirect, so I couldn’t tell who had slapped whom.

           

            “Aah! What was that?” Chad yelled.

            “I can’t even believe you! I am sick and tired of yoru shit! Just leave me the hell alone! Kira screamed, and it was a minte before her sobs broke through again.

            “I love you.”

            “I love you too, Chad.” I realized now would be a good time to elave, because now’s when things would get… ugly, shall we say. I motioned to Caity to get a move on, and, reluctantly, she retreated to the main cavern. I snuck back to my bedroom, and as I opened my door, Kira’s fell open, revealing Chad  pressing her up against it, his hands on her chest. My mouth fell open as I stared, unbelieving, at the sight before me. He was… (I mentally stumbled over the words) FEELING HER UP. I shook my head disapprovingly, turned, and retreated to my room, where I undressed, rinsed my mouth out, and climbed into bed. As I lay pondering, wondering why this place seemed so double sided; I couldn’t help but replay his face in my mind. He seemed almost, almost happy. I laughed. As if true happiness were possible, here, in tunnels, where we lived like moles. Happiness was imaginary, wasn’t it?

-Tuesday- (night) -

            I hear voices calling me. I turn to look him in the face. Those beautiful blue eyes, but with such cruel words.

            “Hey, you’re a little wet!” He jeers, leading his posse on.

            “Yeah, I hadn’t really noticed!” I shout back, raising my hood and walking away. I roll my eyes.

            “Idiot,” my friend mumbles. I hear laughter behind me as I open the door to the café…

           

            I am in the band hallway, talking to him about a creepy kid. He has to go. I give him a hug goodbye, and he holds me there, his hands sliding lower and lower down my back until…

 

            I am in the line for the cafeteria when I feel a hand around my waist. I turn, and there he is, talking to me, saying my name so kindly before walking away to his friends, denying what we both know is there…

 

            I am trashing his locker with my friend, so mad at him for not telling me about his girlfriend sooner. We leave him a note…

 

            I knew him so well, I cared about him so much….

 

Why can’t I remember his name?

 

            I woke up in a cold sweat, rubbing my shoulder to get the knots out of it. My dream had seemed almost real… but it just wasn’t. I stop moving, and strain to hear a faint murmuring from the hallway. I creep to my door, and push it slightly ajar. I listen.

            “…don’t have a chance… too good for me… Delia… but Kira may have… just try to remember…” I picked up Zion’s voice coming from the hall. And then a new, lower voice I didn’t recognize:

            “I can bet she… nobody does… just face it, you… regret this, i…” I shut the door again, softly, leaning against it. If only I could remember…

            I walked over to the table leaning against the bedpost. I picked up a book, and turned it over a few times in my hands. I put it down. I brushed my hand a cross a pen, a purple tablet, and an envelope I hadn’t seen there before. I opened it quietly, the paper rustling as it ripped. I took out a paper and began to unfold it, but a smaller piece of paper fluttering to the ground caught my eye. I picked it up to examine the large, loopy scrawl on it. It read:

            ‘I made you a map. On it you will find everywhere. And a few places I excavated myself. See you at breakfast.

                        Zion S.”

 

            Zion’s cursive was practically illegible. I opened the map and traced the lines with my fingers. It was, I had to admit, beautifully drawn, as if he had put quite a bit of time and effort into it.

            I again traced the lines with my fingers. I checked my phone. 11:07 PM. I could go exploring, now that I was awake again. Or I could put the map somewhere safe and explore tomorrow. I sat on my bed for a while, pondering, and finally deciding to do the latter. I put the map under the mattress, then checked the time again. 11:11.

            “Make a wish, Delia,” I whispered to myself, “make a wish to come true.” And wish I did.

-Tuesday- (morning) -

            When I woke up, the only noise I heard was a soft tapping on my door. I stretched my arms out over my head before letting my feet hit the packed dirt floor.  Shoes, I thought. Where did I put my shoes? As I walked to the door, I found them. Rather, I tripped over them. This darkness thing may be arder than I thought. I fumbled in my pocket for the small flashlight, and wound it a couple times to turn it on. Then I opened the door.

            “Hi,” Kira’s bright voice greeted me. “I just thought maybe I could show you around a little more, then maybe you could come get breakfast with me.” She smiled eagerly, pushing a strand of light brown hair behind her ear.

            “I could probably use a tour of the place, since you all don’t make maps. But how about breakfast first, ok? I’m starved.”

            “Aiight. Then I’ll show you around. And you’ll need a job, too. You’ll probably be a harvester or a runner. So – to breakfast?”

            “To breakfast.”

 

            After breakfast I caught up with maddie, who was talking to a dark haired boy named Kenny. I walked over to them, and Kenny started to leave.

            “What’s up with him?” I asked.

            “He doesn’t like you. Says if you and zion become something, he’ll go soft and we’ll all be screwed. See, fromw hat I’ve heard, zion’s the best-“

            “ONLY!” Kenny shouted from a different breakfast table.

            “-Only runner they’ve got, which pretty much means he’s got no conscience. So if you were to get to him-“ Kenny was nodding profusely at that point. “-we would all starve.”

            “Oh, great. Sounds like a headline- Hidden caves, Secret lives, Forbidden love. Tonight at nine on Sci-fi.”

            “Ah, no. That’d be Eureka, and it’s on Wednesdays.” Kira interjected.

            “Definitely Tuesdays.” I replied.

            “And you would be so sure because…” Zion interrupted.

            “Because it’s my favorite show and I keep up with it. I once got the schedule all screwy and thought it was on on Wednesday nights so I didn’t watch it ‘till Thursday.” I won the argument.

            “Anyway… time for the grand tour a la Kira.” She said, gesturing toward the hallway. “Seeya around, punks!” And with that, we were off.

            As I soon discovered, the caves, or as Kira referred to them, catacombs, were vastly tiring to walk the lengths of. Then Kira started talking.

            “So, I, ah, saw you eyeing my ‘good pal’ Zion earlier. Whaddya think of him?”

            “Ah… well, I’m new here, so I don’t think it’s my place to-“

            “Shut up! I mean, come on. That boy is hot with a capital S-E-X-Y! He’s just… too normal for me.” She said, scoffing.

            “Oh. I get it. You asked him out, he said no. Now he doesn’t talk to you?”

            “Yeah… how’d you-“

            “Happened to me once. December, 7^th grade. Big mistake. THEN he started, get this, started telling people he was going to KILL me! No reason, either!”

            “I’m sure he had a-“

            “The only actual reason had occurred like two months before!”

            “Ohmigawd! LET ME FINISH MY GODDAMM SENTENCE! Jesus, girl, you talk more than I do!”

            “funny. I couldn’t get her to say a word to ME.” Zion had snuck up on us from behind while we were talking. I wondered how much he’d heard.

            “oh, by the way,” Kira started, “what was that kid’s name?”

            “it was… Zane. I think. But it was like 3 years ago.  I’m sure he doesn’t remember me now, wherever he is.” I took out my cell. 3:25. it had been less than 24 hours since we had arrived, but I wasn’t ready to leave. We once again reached the room I was in, and I was good and ready for a nap. As I drifted off, I could have sworn I heard someone whisper:

            “it was always Zion. And I didn’t want to kill you.”

But it could have been a dream.

-Monday-

I woke up to the sound of a blaring horn, signaling the awakening of all the girls at Camp Stryder. It was Monday of the second week of camp at Stryder, and everyone was used to rising before sunlight to complete our chores. I rolled out of my bunk, and unhooked the latches on the window, opening it to greet the chilly, crisp June morning on the Olympic peninsula. The sun was starting to rise, and the cloudy, russet sky showed signs of rain. EVeryone at stryder was buzzing with excitement, because our first mixer was scheduled for nine that night. We all intended to look our best, which meant that we had to brave the Death Cross; a long, winding trail carved into the side of our mountain. The cedar fence would do no good if we fell, we all knew, so only two girls would make the trip. On the other side of the mountain, the trading post lay waiting for those two daring girls to get their dresses, makeup, and other things. I was, as usual, the one to go, along with Maddie, who was from my school. We wanted the best dresses, so we sacrificed our time and dry clothes to brave the perilous trail that would lead us to the trading post. I shrugged on my long, black coat as we set off to the dining hall, where we would eat with the rest of the camp before setting off to the woods. I scarfed down some hot oatmeal before heading out, satchel in hand, to face the unknown.
We left at around ten in the morning, and, waving goodbye to our friends, entered the forest. At first it was dark to us, but then, as our eyes became used to the light, we began to notice things. At first it seemed normal - ferns trampled here and there, moss rubbed off the trees in certain places - but then, as we continued, I became more and more wary as these bare spots fit together, almost as if someone had been making a path.
"Maddie, look at that,” I commanded, and she did. Twigs, failing to look natural, poorly concealed a hole in a tree, big enough for a teenage boy. I remembered the one lesson we had been taught our first year at Stryder.
‘Never venture off the path,’ my counselor had warned, ‘or you may not return from the woods. Bad things wait for you there, Delia. Never leave the path.’ Never had I taken her seriously, as she had always been one for pranks. Now I was not so sure.
“Maybe it’s an animal’s nest?” She shrugged, and kept walking.
“No, wait. Look at this.” I was off the path entirely now, walking towards the tree. I picked up a green fiber and rubbed it between my fingers.
“Fabric, like from a shirt or something. There’s no way this can pass as being natural. We’re going to investigate, Maddie. C’mon.” She looked at me wearily, then followed me farther into the woods.
We pulled the sticks back from the hole, but, to our surprise, there was nothing there, just a hole going deeper down in. I peered over the edge, and could just barely see a very faint light coming from the bottom. I turned around and scrabbled for a rock under the leaves lining the forest floor. I found one of a relatively decent size and dropped it in. It thudded against the outer edges of the tunnel a few times before stopping, finally, at the bottom. I gauged the distance, using my watch to find how long the fall was. Three minutes. So it was, if not perfectly straight, about 750 feet deep. I ran my hand along the wall of the hole, and found a ladder made of metal and wood.
“Should we go check what’s down there?” I asked Maddie, who was walking around the tree, looking for more evidence that I was certifiably incane.
“Sure, why not,” she said sarcastically, “it’s not as if whatever’s down there could, I dunno, HURT you or anything.”
“Yeah, I know. But I would bet my mixer dress that there’s people down there. I found FABRIC. And there’s light coming from down there. People.” I said again, and this time she looked convinced.

My fall broke the silence, my knee-high combat boots making a loud, echoing thud as they hit the dirt. I backed away from the hole, and Maddie followed suit, her fall not quite as loud as mine. I stood up, rubbing my arms, sore from the descent. I checked my watch. 4:17 PM. We had departed from camp almost six-and-a-half hours ago, and our descent alone had taken almost three hours. We had a little less than five hours before the mixer started, and we wouldn’t even have made it to the Trading Post by ten. I figured we may as well explore our surroundings, for all the time we had left. I looked up, and blinked my eyes several times to get accustomed to even the dim light in this… cavern, I sized it up. It was large and round, and there were dim lights all along the perimeter of the wall. There were doorways all around, some open and leading into long, barely lit tunnels, some of which had signs on them reading ‘Tunneller’ or ‘Miner’ or ‘Harvester’. There were also a few other doors, unmarked. I turned around, and gasped. About half a dozen people, none older than 27, stood grouped together, eyeing me suspiciously. One, a tall, blonde boy with piercing blue eyes stepped forward.
“Why are you?” He asked, looking more at Maddie than at me. I was the one who responded.
“My name is Delia, and this is Maddie,” I said, gesturing in her direction. “We were on our way to the Stryder-Wain trading post when we noticed the poorly disguised entrance to your – home?”
“My name is Chad, and gracing your presence we also have Josh, Andrew, Kenny, Kira, Aubrey, and Zion. We came from the STryder-Wain program, and made this our home. We’re all orphans, have been disowned, or missing faces you see on your plasma screen in your cozy little dorm. We can only give you each one room, if you want to stay. But be warned – if you wear out your welcome, Zion here’ll finish you.” He nodded his head at a small, thin boy with short blonde hair. I almost laughed. I looked at Maddie. She shrugged, looked at Chad again, and then nodded, smiling. I smiled too, and reached outo to shake Chad’s hand, but he pulled me into a tight hug.
“Welcome to the family. Your room is over here. The bathroom, by all means and purposes, is back there-“ he pointed to a door with a moon cut out of it, “-mess hall is there,” he pointed to one corner of the cavern, “and your room is here. Remember this.” He handed me a flashlight, a rule book, and a ‘Keep Out!’ sign.
“We all need our privacy,” he said, casting Zion a glance as he walked out of the room adjacent to mine. “And remember… he will finish your sorry ass. Our caves, our rules. Don’t be late for breakfast. And welcome to Urbia.” I smiled at Chad’s retreating figure, as he pointed out points of interest to Maddie. Her room, do doubt, would be next to his and far, far away from mine. I stared as Zion cleared his throat.
“Uh, hi. My name’s Zion.” He said in a light, boyish voice. “I, uh, I have the room next to yours. I can show you around. If you want. Or you can come into my room… or maybe you better talk to Kira first. Yeah. KIRA! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!” He bellowed, and I was surprised at how loud he could be. A pale girl only a few inches taller than Zion opened her door.
“What. Do. You. Want.” She asked, but it sounded more like a statement. Another set of eyes peered around the edge of the door, almost covered by thick, long, dirty blonde hair. She stepped out.
“This is Shane. You’re Delia, right? Right. Where’s your friend? Chad got her, right? He’s so vile, but so much fun. I wouldn’t suggest getting to know him too well, unless you plan on adding a new member to our tribe. Your call. Anyway, come join the party. We were just getting out the text books. Hah. Sike. We’re playing soda pong. I’ll fill you in on life here. Oh. First you should prolly get some sleep. I’ll have Zion bring you some blankets. Make sure you make him leave after you’re all set. He’s a tad bit impulsive. Night, Delia. I’ll tell you all about life here over breakfast. Wednesday, right?”
“Tuesday.” And with that, I shut my door. Zion had gotten blankets while Kira was talking. I rolled them out, and found a note written in black ink, scrawled onto a piece of blue lined paper. ‘You’re hot’, it said. I knew right then that I belonged here, and also that I needed Kira more than I knew. I lay there, wondering how I had even found this place, and sighed. Tomorrow I would learn, explore, and make friends. Now, I would sleep.

Under Camp Grounds

A Story of Making and Breaking.
By Kira Alejandro

When Delia Reider (15) 'falls through a rabbit hole' into a different world, she meets a variety of people with different perspectives on life, parallel to her own, and experiences a whole new kind of wonderful. But Urbia has deep, dark secrets that are her own personal ticking bomb. Will she figure out these strangers before everything goes terribly wrong? (read my book and find out!!)

My book is, indubitably, going to be dedicated to my bestfriend, the inspiration for my book, and also the one person i can go to for inspiration. i'm not going to mention names, but i want you to know that i'll love you forever.