“Demidemons are like that, but so much worse. Some take our people and eat them.
Others take our crops. They have taken control of your leaders. All of the people that disappear yearly? The ones they say tried to escape? Those were all innocent people taken to feed the Demidemons.”
“That’s terrible!" I exclaimed, full of horror.
She looked sympathetic and said “It really is horrible. That’s why I’ve come to get you. I’m a part of a group called RUSP and we take some of your citizens and tell them what I’m telling you now. We offer them a life above ground working with RUSP and most of them agree. Our goal is to bring all of you above ground and destroy the Demidemons but right now our numbers are too low. We can only take a limited amount lest the leaders find out. So now knowing all of this, will you come with me above ground?”
“You’re asking a lot of me right now,” I replied, still shaken up. “How do I know
you’re not lying or that you won’t take me anyways even if I say no?”
“I realize that and rest assured we never take anyone against their will,” she
explained calmly.
“How about I take you above ground now so you’ll know I’m not lying.”
“Okay,” I agreed, “under one condition.”
“What?” she asked. “I get to bring my parents with me if I decide to go. Simon, they
might not want to go.”
“Will you at least let me try?” She relented, “fine but you can’t tell them anything I
told you today. I can’t risk them not going with you and revealing RUSP.”
We shook hands and it was set. She led me to an area I’d never been before, there was a huge rock in front of what seemed like a big dirt wall. However, to my amazement, she pushed on the rock and it moved easily to reveal a gaping tunnel.
Sierra smiled smugly, “Hollow. Come one.” The tunnel went straight until we came to stairs. After what seemed like decades, we reached the top where there was a trapdoor that Sierra unlocked. She swung the trapdoor open and I gasped. I’d never seen the night sky before. In fact, I’d never seen any sky before. One of the many cons of living underground. At that moment though, when I saw the starry night sky, I knew for sure I’d be going with Sierra, if only to be able to see the sky again.
“Lovely, isn’t it?” Sierra whispered, her voice mirroring the awe that I felt.
“It’s amazing,” I assured her.
“Wait until you see the sunrises and sunsets, those are beautiful and what they look
like changes every day. The sky during the day is an amazing blue with clouds and no words can encapsulate how astonishing it is.”
“It all sounds amazing Sierra. What if I got my parents now? We could leave right
now!”
“Okay, I’ll lead you back down and wait for you at the entrance. You don’t have to
bring anything, that can either be retrieved later or replaced once we get above ground. Now go! Hurry!” She opened the trapdoor for me and I ran down the stairs, through the tunnel, and pushed open the rock.
As quickly and quietly as I could I ran back home and I woke up my parents.
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