Lights Out

Decades ago, on a normal summer evening; the sun went down. Everyone went to sleep, pondering over the suns return the next morning, yet it never came back up. All around the world said the same thing, so it's not like it went to the other side of the world and got stuck there, it literally just vanished without a trace. Like a missing person, never to be seen again. The world had to learn to start again without its sun, and underground bunkers were created as living on the surface became impossible due to the extreme cold that was not survivable.

I am one of the lucky ones born underground; my bunker is called platform 3B2. I've never seen or felt the sun, but I can nearly imagine it on my skin whenever I close my eyes. They say the sun will never return, it's been decades and the sky is still pitch black and the air is still freezing cold. I myself have never been to the surface, but every month or so a team of scientists go out to explore the uninhabited world but they always come back empty handed and answer-less. The disappearance happened so suddenly, there was no warning, no dark clouds or weather changes; just one day the sun set and then the next it never returned.

The morning after; when the sun was nowhere to be seen. There wasn't much of a panic; just people assuming it was a normal cloudy day. Then the realization of the sun not just being hidden behind a cloud came to be and that's when the panic began. Yet, people tried to go on living without the sun; but then it got real cold very fast and people began to die quickly. That's when the government began moving people to the bunkers, they were so far underground that they were able to create a synthetic form of power and heat. It was sustainable for the meantime. The years went on and rules got established, and the world continued on living. I probably will never get to live a normal sun-filled life in my existence; but I'm used to the way things are down here; considering that's the way they've always been.

"If you could be anything in the world, what would you be?" I get suddenly asked by my sister Ellie, who is lying on her bed staring at the ceiling.

She sometimes asks me these things out of the blue and I kind of just go along with it, she's two years younger than me and has a wild imagination considering everything we've been through. She has become the sun of my life.

"Maybe the sun." I say, without really thinking of my answer. "So I can brighten up people's day; maybe then we'd all know what it feels like."

"You already do that though, without even trying." She smiles, turning on her elbow and watching me sew together some of our clothes. "Do you ever wonder what it's like, you know... up there?" I know she is referring to the surface, and I think about it every day; I dream about it at night and I can almost feel the warm breeze rushing over my skin when I close my eyes.

"Of course, I wonder if mom and dad got to enjoy the surface, even if it did kill them." I can see the hurt in her eyes when I mention mom and dad, I almost regret it but a slight smile forms on her face.

"At least they got to witness it in their lifetime; I doubt we'll ever get that chance."

"You never know." I say, finishing up the final touches on my shirt. "Stranger things have happened to us, I have to go and head to the green house for a few, do you mind staying here with Jackson?"

Jackson is our one year old baby brother, after mom and dad died we were left to care for him without a true choice in the matter. Not that it makes a difference in our lives but, it can get a little bit stressful at times. Our parents died due to extreme cold on the surface. My father was one of those scientists and brought my mother along with the other scientists on a mission to the surface. Everything went wrong while they were up there and they were never seen again; they either vanished or died from the extreme cold either way they are no more in our lives. We also have to keep Jackson hidden from the guards, as each family in the bunker is only allowed two children per family. It was hard when he was first born, but as he got older he was much easier to keep quiet. We know we have to tell the guards about him one day, but today is not that day.

"Of course I will, have fun sis. See you later." I get up off my bed and head out the door of our little bunker room, after mom and dad vanished we got a smaller room that gave us barely any space to move around. It got cramped and frustrating at times, but like everything else we got by. We had no choice but to.

Almost every citizen in the bunker had a job, it kept everyone going and gave everyone a reason to get out of bed in the morning. It also gave me a chance to see all my friends, we grew up together and luckily were given the same job on our sixteenth birthday. That's when everyone had to start working.

I work in the green house, tending to the crops and vegetables. They get transported from the green house to various kitchens in the bunker, everything is rationed here and no one is allowed to take more than they need. As I walk down the long hallway to the greenhouse I am stopped by an armed guard.

"Good evening miss, ID badge please?" He asks casually and I hold out my badge and he scans it, its a normal thing that happened here on the daily. It's to keep track of every citizen in our bunker. Our specific bunker holds around 3500 of us at the moment, there was nearly 5000 but a flu epidemic took over and alot of people got sick and died. "Take care miss."

I nod in his direction and continue my walk towards the green house, feeling the excitement rush up inside me the closer I get. I loved working at the green house, growing vegetables and providing for other citizens of the bunker.

"Hey Delaney!" I hear my best friend Maddy say happily as I enter the room and go towards my station. I smile and abruptly turn and walk towards her. "Did you hear about the explosion on floor 1?"

"No I didn't that's scary, what happened?"

"They think someone was tampering with the equipment, but there was a large explosion and half the floor had to evacuate." She explains, I cringe knowing that.

"Well, I can definitely say I'm happy I'm not on the first floor anymore, do you know if Jordan is coming today? I need to ask him about next Friday."

"He might be late, but I'm sure he will be here." I walk back over to my station and check on the crops I had planted last week, the tomatoes were growing quite nicely. I find myself to be very happy with them. The rest of my greenhouse shift goes by as normally as it usually does until near the end of it when a very distraught Jordan comes flying into the room holding a letter in his hand. He slaps it down in front of me, and before I could get a chance to read it he practically screams at me, "I have been chosen to go to the surface next week!"

This isn't a good thing.

Just like what happened with my parents the surface is practically a death sentence in this life. I feel a panic igniting within me and read the letter quietly to myself.

"Are you the only one chosen?" I ask him, hoping he won't have to go alone.

"No, apparently this is a special mission of some sorts. The scientists aren't going, they are choosing a group of others that are going too, they are trying something different." He says, pointing to that part of the letter. "Like getting a bunch of innocent people killed."

"They've never chosen young people to go to the surface, only older adults." I say, trying to figure this all out inside my mind.

"Today's a different day I guess." He says shaking his head."I'm terrified Delaney."

"It's going to be okay, if their sending kids out to the surface than obviously they discovered something new. Obviously it's safer than ever before, and I'm sure they will suit you up with the right equipment so you don't get hurt." I try to reassure him but I can see that no matter what I say to try and soothe his worries that nothing is going to work in calming him down. Jordan was always a strong guy, nothing ever bothered him, he got through life with a tough guy attitude that never went away. Even when he ran out of rations for the week and had to put in extra hours at the green house, he still remained positive the entire time and never let it get him down. But this, this was his breaking point. In all of my ten years of knowing him, I never thought I'd see him reach it.

But here we are.

"Come on, let's get out of here early and get a drink and play some pool or something." Maddy says sitting down next to Jordan and rubbing him on the back softly. He lets a light smile light up his face slightly and starts to get up, but then turns on his heal.

"I still need to check on my crops." He says, walking over to tend to them I turn to maddy as he's leaving.

"I hope he will be okay up there, I'm almost jealous he gets to go to the surface." She says. "As you said, if they are sending kids up there then maybe things are okay now. Maybe they are almost survivable."

"My damn carrots died, what the hell." I hear Jordan practically scream over at the crop table kicking an empty trashcan across the room. "I watered them every damn day, I don't understand."

"Hey, things happen. Let's just get out of here for the day, we'll plant new ones tomorrow." I say trying to settle him down, but his mood has clearly been trashed for today.

"Not like it's going to matter, considering I'll be dead on the surface within a week! You guys go for drinks and pool. I'm not in the mood." He says storming out of the greenhouse and leaving Maddy and I alone with the dead carrots.

"He'll calm down eventually." I say, trying to reassure Maddy who seems startled at his outburst. "Let's get out of here and get those drinks."

We turn to leave the greenhouse only to be met by two armed guards, I spot two envelopes addressed to us in their hands. One of the guards whose name is Steve hands us each one. He clears his throat before saying, "Maddy Simpson and Delainey Patrick, you both have been chosen for a mission on the surface."

***

I throw my things in my bag angrily back in my bunker later that day, I couldn't believe I was heading up to the surface. Likely to suffer the same fate as my parents had. Ellie watches me with tears streaming down her face holding Jackson in her arms as tightly as she can.

"Can't you just refuse?" She persists.

"Ellie, you know I can't defy the guards." I say, zipping up my duffle bag and throwing it on my bed. "They said we are leaving in a week and are giving us time to prepare and say goodbye to our families, we are also taking a class tomorrow for surface lessons."

"How many people have also been chosen for this mission?" She asks, helping me put some clothes into my bag.

"Nearly fifty of us; I'll meet them all tomorrow." I say, reading the letter in my mind again along with the list of those chosen.

"Dear Delainey Simpson,

It has come to our attention that some activity has been reported on the surface, we have chosen you among forty-nine other youths to explore this activity. This task is not optional, it is required as the fifty chosen are the most fit for the tasks to be given. The time on the surface will be for six months, you will be tested to the best of your abilities and your strength. Upon return to the bunker, you will be rewarded greatly for the following two months after. Everyone leaves at the same time in a weeks time, before then mandatory meetings will be held and classes will be taught. Consequences will be given if attendance fails to happen. The first class will be held tomorrow morning in the grand station, please bring all I.D cards and birth identifications, pen and paper will be provided. Please be on time and attentive. More information will be provided during lessons and meetings.

Sincerly, Bunker Residences #4."

The rest of the letter went on to include the rest of the forty-nine that were chosen for the surface mission, which was still unknown at the moment. I glance at the clock on the wall and realize how late it's getting.

"I should probably get to bed, I have to get up early for that meeting." I say, finishing up some last second packing and getting into my bed. "You'll be just fine Ellie, it's only for six months."

"That's way too long." She says, wiping a tear from her eyes.

"Get some sleep sweetheart."

"I will in six months when you come home safely."

"Ellie..." My heart sinks hearing that.

"Goodnight big sis." She says, putting Jackson back in his crib and turning off the light.

"Goodnight little sis." I say, closing my eyes and drifting off into a dreamless slumber.

***

"The surface is dangerous." One of the instructors say the next morning at the meeting.

"No shit." Jordan says, slouching in his seat next to us. I smirk and turn back to the presentation at the front of the room.

"But with the right equipment and knowledge regarding the surface, I believe each and everyone of you will come back stronger and more knowledgeable than ever before."

"So, why did the sun go down and never come back up?" Jordan yells out, and snickers are heard from across the room.

"I don't think we will ever know, but the reason we are sending you fifty to the surface is because we believe it is becoming survivable."

"But why us?" I ask out loud, wondering why they aren't sending adults to the surface but youth instead.

"All of you have been tested, throughout the last two months; without your knowledge of your skills and abilities and we believe that youth will be more capable of surviving the conditions on the surface than the adults."

"Yeah, okay there." Jordan says sarcastically under his breath. The man in the front of the room rolls his eyes and continues on with whatever it is he's talking about.

"First lesson is, keeping warm. Ever since the sun went out on earth, temperatures dropped dramatically and the cold will be your greatest enemy; knowing how to make fires will help your chance of survival very greatly." He then goes on to teach every one of us how to properly make a fire with little resources, since the sun wasn't on our side we didn't have much to work with.

I got the hang of it almost right away and was able to make a small fire out of two sticks, sparking it to ignite.

"Beautiful Delainey!" He says, watching me ignite my fire with ease. I beam in satisfaction.

"Okay class, pick a partner...someone who you've never spoken to before, I want you two to get to know each other; as this will be your go to person on the surface."

Everyone groans and looks around the room, searching for a partner they feel comfortable with but also someone that will be the best for them on the surface.

My eyes land on this girl, she's sitting in the corner all alone and terrified. I make my way towards her and Jordan steps in front of me.

"Let's be partners." He says.

"The instructor specifically said to choose someone who we have never really spoken to before." I say, trying to make my way past him and towards the girl.

"We can pretend we don't know each other," he says eyeing a guy in the corner of the room."

"Who are you trying to avoid." I ask, wondering if he's trying to choose me so he can avoid his ex-boyfriend. "Just go talk to him"

"But we have to choose someone who we don't know." He says, in a smartass tone.

"Then pick someone else." I say, barging past him and heading straight for that girl.

She glances up at me and smiles, "Hello, I'm Jenna."

"I'm Delaney." I say sitting across from her. "Ready for the surface?"