Changing Times

Chapter 6--The Kiss

Brendan's in charge of getting me back into the mansion safely and without the police catching us. He leads me through dark and wet underground chambers. We walk silently neither one of us looking at the other. I'm tired and overwhelmed, and I don't feel like carrying a conversation. We've left all civilization in the tunnels and all you can hear is rats and water rubbing against the walls. Brendan stops and looks at me.

“You should close your eyes for this part, Addie.”

“Why, you think I can't handle whatever it is you're about to show me?”

“O.K, whatever, but don't say I didn't warn you.”

We continue to walk in silence until we get to a closed chamber. All the water meets here and created what seems to be a lake. What I notice first though is the smell. This room smells like everything bad I've ever smelled, put together. I gag.

“You can still look away,” he says.

Then I notice what he's talking about. In this lake there are thousands of dead bodies floating. Some of them still have flesh on their bones, but most are just a skeleton. I'm taken aback, I never expected to see something like this when Brendan told me to look away. I was thinking he was referring to rats or even snakes.

“What is this place?” I ask in awe.

“This is what we call the Dead Lagoon. Before someone created an opening to the outside world everyone who was sent in hear dies. Their bodies would always end up here, in the lagoon.”

I stare out, into the lagoon. I see thousands of dead people. I know they had lives, and families and people who cared for them. How could my mother ever let this happen?

I begin to cry, I'm tired and overwhelmed. This day has been too much for me to handle. I can't remember the last time I really cried like this. I think it was the night I was told that my dad had died. I was alone in my room sobbing uncontrollably, wishing that I could see his face one more time.

“Please stop crying, you're such a girl,” Brendan says.

“You're a dick you know,” I say in tears.

“I'm only a dick to you.”

“Why only to me? Why aren't you a dick to everyone else?”

“Because, you've always had it all. You've never had to suffer. Never had to freeze in the winter or starve during a drought in the summer. And yet you seem so unhappy, when you have it all.”

I'm taken aback, I can't believe Brendan thinks this of me, does everyone think this of me?

“You have no idea the hell I've had to go through,” I say.

“Oh ya, I bet you've had it hard. Passing out at the ball last week, that seemed like it would have been hard.”

He'd mocking me, no one has ever mocked me, I'm royalty. I can't help but laugh.

“You think loosing my dad was easy? Do you think that finding out my mom killed him is any easier?” I ask him.

He looks at me and I see pity in his eyes. We stare at each other for a while.

“Did you know that you're the only teenager I've ever seen?” he asks.

“I was born here, in the chambers. I was the very first child to be born here.”

“I've never really met any really teenagers too, other than my sister. The balls are full of adults and we are not allowed to go out into public unless we have a purpose.”

We stare at each other. His eyes are locked into mine. I realize how beautiful he is, how perfect every muscle in his face is, how his eyes shine even in the darkness.

He leans in closer to me and at that moment I know he is going to kiss me. I don't try and stop him. I'm 18 and he is my first kiss, I know it's sad. My sisters have kissed older men at the balls, but that's really not my thing.

This kiss is perfect, it's gentle and calm with a burning fire. It lasts a while, then when we come out of it he just stares at me.

“Never thought my first kiss would be in front of this many people.” he says. Pointing at the thousands of dead people surrounding us.

“I can hear them all clapping, they loved the entertainment, it really is boring being dead.” I say jokingly.

“I have to get you back,” he says.

He takes me around the lagoon to a door.

“This door leads to the wine cellar in your basement,” he tells me.

“Do you know your way back from there?”

“Yes,” I reply.

“We'll be back to check on you, to make sure you're doing everything right. Please for my sake try and win the election.”

“I promise I will try.” I reply, locking my eyes with his.

“And please, don't tell anyone about this, you'll just be putting yourself into danger.”

I'm in the wine cellar now. I leave this room and make my way up to my bedroom. I realize that I have no idea what time it is. I pass a clock on the way up and it tells me that it's 7am. This means breakfast time and I'm running late. I run to the breakfast table and sit down quietly there already filming.

“What are you wearing, Addie?” my mother asks.

I look down and realize that I'm in my pajamas and covered in mud and water. My hair must be a mess because Jordan keeps staring at it. I stare blankly at them all, unable to speak. My minds trying to think of excuses, trying to think of a good explanation.

“I don't feel well mom,” I say. “I think I have a fever, I keep blacking out and arriving places.”

This was the best excuse I could come up with. My mom leans over the table to feel my forehead. The audience must be loving this.

“Oh, Addie, you are burning up,” she says. “Go up to your room and Jeromy will help give you some pills.”

I feel my forehead, surprised that she believed me. I realize I am hot, I'm actually burning up. Am I actually sick? That's just perfect. Now I have to go through with this election with a fever. That sounds super fun.

Author Note: Sorry for how short this is. I'm so busy. The next part will be much longer and I'm sorry for all of the speeling mistakes! I would love to hear your opinion on this chapter.