Locked

The sun rose on the fake window, casting a brilliant yellow glow into my room. It was like this everyday. The sun rose, and I got up to face the fake window that had a beautiful virtual landscape printed on it.

I wonder if I'll ever find out what the real sky looks like, I thought as I got dressed. What does it feel like to have the sun actually shine on you?

The elders in the facility sometimes told us about what it felt like. How the sun created a warm, tingly feeling. How sometimes there was rain, when water droplets fell from the sky.

That would probably look weird, I thought with a snort. But again, I grew up with a window that only showed a bright blue sky and a beautiful yellow sun. It wasn't high-tech, like some of the other bunkers I've heard of. Apparently, those high-tech windows would show a weather cycle. And I wasn't able to search up what rain looked like, since there weren't any computers here in the facility.

My parents weren't able to afford a luxury bunker, like those that had pools, gyms, and classrooms. They could only afford this, almost broken down old bunker room. There were two beds, which meant that two people would have to sleep together. At least we got our own bathroom. But that was it. Not even a TV to keep us occupied.

The only thing that kept me from going insane from boredom are the other families that lived here with us. They had brought some interesting things, like toys and books.

My parents didn't have time to move anything. And plus, they had gotten the smallest part of the entire bunker, since they couldn't afford the better rooms. My parents came here when my mom was pregnant with me, so they brought some books, but that was it. According to my mom, the nuclear war had come so quickly that in the blink of an eye, there was a warning being passed on everywhere. My mom said that she had a flip phone, so it naturally took a while for the news to get to her. In fact, it wasn't until her relatives from the other side of the world called that they actually started moving. Before that, the only clues they got were the airplanes and constant earthquakes that happened.

This bunker had a small, miniature classroom that looked very old. That was where the adults taught the kids English and math. There was also a medic room, where my mom had given birth to me. We were lucky enough to have a doctor, though I was pretty sure the other better bunkers had more experienced ones. But I knew I should be grateful for what I had. There was also a greenhouse, a storehouse, and a kitchen, where most of us stayed for the entire day. At least it was pretty big.

I pushed open the super heavy metal door and stepped out of my room. The hallways were short, since this bunker was one of the smaller ones. And everything was located on one level, so there weren't any stairs or elevators.

I let my legs take me to where I always went in the morning; the kitchen. I could smell the aroma of the canned beans that we usually ate every morning. It wasn't too bad, but it was... tasteless. Which made it easier to gulp down every morning in a way.

The kitchen was completely white. Everywhere you looked, you would either see a white counter, a white wall, or a white table. The only thing that wasn't white were the stove, the things that the other families brought, and the windows, which were flashing the normal sunny day scene. 

"You're up, Jake," Misha, an elder, said in her croaky voice from the table. "How was your sleep?"

"Good," I replied, sitting down beside her.

Oliver, another elder, set down a plate filled with the orange-brown beans covered in goop. "That's good to hear."

"Thanks," I said as I picked up the fork beside me and started munching on the beans. As usual, it was tasteless. But at the same time, it seemed sweet, salty, and sour.

"Your parents aren't up yet?" Oliver asked once I was finished.

"No," I replied. "They're still sleeping."

"Oh, that's too bad," Oliver murmured.

I could tell he had figured something out, because every time he did, he would always have a small and triumphant smile on his face.

"What is it now?" Misha asked, obviously noticing Oliver's expression as well. "Don't tell me it's like last time when you claimed you found a computer when it was actually just a flattened pillowcase?"

I couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

"My eyesight isn't as good as it used to be!" Oliver retorted defensively. "And this time, I made sure it works."

"Are you gonna tell us then?" Misha pressed on.

Oliver smirked. "It's best to wait until everyone's here, don't you think?"

Misha rolled her eyes. "Fine. I have to go brush my teeth anyway."

"Hey Jake!" a cheerful voice announced from behind me.

I turned to find myself staring at Luna, one of my friends in this bunker.

"Hi Luna," I replied.

"Come on, cheer up a bit!" Luna whined. "You always act so sulky!"

Luna was the heart and soul of the entire facility. I was never able to understand how she was able to act so happy when we were literally stuck underground in a run-down bunker. But again, she was one of the only reasons that we have been able to go on living here without banging our heads on the wall for the entire day. And plus, she was the only person that was actually my age. Everyone else was either way older, or too young.

The interesting thing was that she could get the younger children to play with her, and also get the older people to do fun things.

If only she can share some of that energy with the rest of us, I thought. Then maybe I'll actually see the up-side to living in a bunker.

"Yeah, she's right," Oliver chimed in. "I'm also sure that once I reveal my revelation to you, you'll cheer up."

"It's really that good?" I mused.

"Yep, it is," Oliver confirmed. "And I'll prove it to you soon enough."

"Ooo, you figured out something new?" Luna exclaimed.

"I sure did!" Oliver sounded proud.

I sighed, not wanting to get my hopes too high. "I'll be going to brush my teeth. And I'll wake my parents up while I'm at it."

As I left the kitchen, I heard Luna begging Oliver to tell her.

What can it be though? I wondered as I headed back to my room. And why does Oliver seem so confident?

I felt some of my hopes rising. I tried to stifle it, but it was too strong. I had been stuck in this nasty and boring bunker for much too long. And good news was rare. Maybe this will finally cheer me up for once.

I speedily brushed my teeth. The toothpaste was running out, according to one of the other families here. They had been the ones who brought toothpaste. I had to give them credit for thinking ahead very well.

Once I was finished, I hurried to my parents bed and shook them awake.

"Mom, Dad, wake up!" I whispered. "Oliver has something to show us!"

My mom shifted and got up. "We'll be right there."

I navigated through the hallways back to the kitchen, where I found the two other families eating.

"Good morning," Aldrich, one of the dads, greeted me. "Oliver seems really excited today."

"He says he'd found something," I replied.

"I did indeed!" Oliver murmured. "Hey, Jake, are your parents up yet?"

"Not yet," I answered. "But they'll be up soon."

"They'd better hurry." Oliver sighed. "I can't hold in the news any longer."

"Then spill it out!" Luna complained. "You've been holding it for too long!"

Oliver snickered, obviously enjoying torturing Luna.

"We're here," a voice announced from behind me.

My parents stepped into the kitchen, still in their pajamas.

"You haven't changed," Minerva noticed as she stepped into the room as well.

"No, we haven't," Mom said. "But we'd like to hear the news that Jake was talking about."

"Ah, yes." Oliver nodded. "Perfect! Everyone's here now. So, are you ready?"

"Yes," one of the young kids said.

"Here it is." Oliver took a deep breath, and held it as if to grow the tension. Then, he released the news. "The communication system works! We can talk to all the other bunkers now!"