Secrets Beneath the Surface

When I started looking for Denhaven, people thought I was crazy. And I suppose I was. I had no idea what I would find on my journey to better understand the magic and why it was fading. In my wildest dreams, I never expected to find a vast and complex society right below our feet.

We packed quickly. Brandon had booked our passage on the Underground Line all the way to Seahaven. He said we would have to make a transfer once we got to the station. My heart fluttered as I surveyed my meager belongings and wondered what I might need on a journey I couldn’t anticipate. Kelly watched over our preparations with a creased forehead and an uncharacteristic frown, all while preparing travel food for us to take.

“You don’t think this is a good idea,” I said, watching Kelly fill a small pack with hard cheeses, crackers, and dried fruit.

“I didn’t say that,” Kelly said, lips tight.

“You didn’t have to,” Brandon said, sweeping into the kitchen and depositing a suitcase on the floor by the table.

Kelly paused, one hand on a bag of dried apricots.

“It’s just risky,” Kelly sighed. “That’s all.”

“Of course, it’s risky,” Brandon said, irritation lacing his normally calm exterior. “I’ve taken the necessary precautions.”

He glanced at me and then back at Kelly, who had resumed stuffing the sack full of food. I wasn’t sure where we were going, but surely there was food there, too? That bag could feed the two of us for a week, a fact I did not mention.

“Kelly,” Brandon said, putting one hand on the rabbit’s back. “You know how important this is.”

Kelly looked at Brandon, and a meter of wordless dialogue passed between them. I felt, not for the first time, like I was on the outside of an exclusive club. I had been so excited to see a new part of the underground that I hadn’t thought too deeply about why we were going.

“I packed you some food,” Kelly said, holding the bulging knapsack like a lumpy shield. “Just in case you get hungry. Who knows what they’ll try to feed you on the UL.  Long-distance travel can be so unpredictable.”

I nodded and took the bag.

“You have your charm?” Brandon asked, running his eyes over my travel pack as I lashed the knapsack to the side of it.

“Yes,” I said, tapping my breast pocket where the little amulet hummed against my skin. “Should I put it on now?”

Brandon nodded and turned back to Kelly.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll take good care of our friend here.”

Kelly nodded and mustered a smile.

“You look out for each other,” Kelly called after us as we hoisted our bags and climbed the stairs. “I expect you both back here in tip-top condition, understand?”

We waved behind us as the heavy door gave way to bright sunlight and concrete. It was exhilarating. The breeze tickled my nose, and I had to remind myself that it was all simulated. The sunshine and the weather were all created to make this underground society seem less buried and more like home. We walked in companionable silence, each thinking our own thoughts about the journey ahead of us. As we descended the stairs into the warm breath of the Underground Line, I felt an unexpected twang of sadness for what I was leaving behind.

The platform was busy, more crowded than I’d seen before. Animals of all shapes and sizes bustled this way and that, buying tickets from the machine, looking for their platform, or milling around, waiting for their train. Brandon already had our tickets and directed me to platform four, where a pair of moles sat across from the boarding gate. Brandon waved me to their bench, and I sat down, grateful to have the pack off my back for a few minutes.

“Waiting for the number four?” The mole next to me tipped his nose up and smiled.

My heart leaped into my throat, and I grasped the amulet reflexively. It buzzed warmly in my hand, for all appearances doing what it was supposed to.

“Nervous about traveling?” The mole asked, his forehead creasing. “Is it your first time on the UL?”

“Grandpa,” The smaller mole beside him interrupted, tugging at his sleeve. “Not everyone wants to talk to strangers while waiting for the train.”

I looked around the platform, searching for another eye that had landed on me, some look of shock that would tell me my charm was defunct. But things were as I would expect. Eyes slid over and past me as if I were no more interesting than the bench I was sitting on.

“And Plenty do, little one,” the mole replied, patting the well-meaning hand of his progeny and tipping his face up to me once again. “Where are you headed?”

It was then that it struck me. Moles are blind. His eyes squinted up at me, mere slits in his smiling round face. He couldn’t see me. He didn’t need to. He could sense me. The charm was a visual interrupter, a sense this mole didn’t rely on.

“We’re headed to Seahaven,” I said, my heart resettling itself in the proper place in my chest. “And it is my first time on the UL.”

As much as it was disconcerting, it was overwhelmingly joyful to have someone new to talk to. I wouldn’t say I’m the most social creature, but the time spent in hiding really helped me understand how much I missed the little interactions I’d taken for granted.

“Seahaven?” the mole snorted. “You’re on the wrong line. There’s a direct train from Grand Central just a few blocks over.”

He leaned forward and waved toward the stairs we came down.

“The four will take you all the way around the outskirts of Denhaven,” he made a sweeping circle with his arm. “A long ways out of the way if Seahaven is your goal.”

“Grandpa,” the smaller mole covered their face with one hand. “I’m sure they know where they’re going.”

“I’m not sure they do,” the mole said, ignoring the discomfort. “Now listen, if you head south four blocks, you can pick up the Seahaven Express right from the main terminal.”

I looked in the direction he pointed and caught a glimpse of Brandon standing by the boarding gate and hiding a smile. No, he wasn’t smiling; he was laughing. I tried to catch his eye and then remembered the charm. Frustrated, I gestured for him to come save me from this well-meaning advisor.

“Not that way,” the mole said, clearly interpreting my arm waving as further evidence of my lack of good directional sense. “Grand Central is that way.”

“We’re headed to South Gate first,” Brandon said, strolling over to the bench and reshuffling his expression to bemused joviality. “A little pit stop before we head to Seahaven.”

The mole lifted his face to Brandon and nodded.

“You should have said so to begin with,” he said, turning back to me and smiling. “You’re in the right place after all.  South Gate is the end of the number four line.”

Before I could respond, a tone sounded and animals stood and formed a line in front of the boarding gate, a rounded archway that looked like a cross between a metal detector and a keyhole portal. As the train whispered to a stop on the other side, the gate flicked to life, its expanse covered with a glittering veil.

“It was nice meeting you,” I said to the mole as Brandon gestured for me to join him and the throng of animals waiting to board. “I hope you have a nice trip.”

“And yourself as well,” the mole said, getting to his feet and tipping his hat to me. “Enjoy the view. I hear the City Circular is fantastic.”

“Thank you,” I called over my shoulder as Brandon pulled me into the line.

“This is where we find out if your charm is compatible with travel security,” Brandon said under his breath, smiling at the gate attendant who swept past us to the front of the line.

“You’re not sure?” I asked, nerves suddenly crackling up my neck.

“I’m pretty sure it will be fine,” Brandon said. “They’re not looking for magic.”

“What are they looking for?” I asked, the gate ahead of us suddenly looking sinister.

“Weapons,” Brandon said simply.

I thought of the Chaos goons that had chased me to this station and shivered.

“It should be fine,” Brandon said as the line started shuffling forward. “Just walk confidently.”

The gate loomed in front of me, the shimmering veil ready to decide whether we would be going on an adventure or heading back to Order HQ for more questioning. Each time an animal stepped through, the veil flashed white, and the attendant waved the next animal forward. When it was his turn, Brandon smiled at the attendant and strolled through. Then it was my turn. I took a deep breath and stepped forward, hesitating slightly before stumbling across the threshold. It tingled all over for just a split second, and then I was through. No flashing alarms or angry officers appeared. I took a deep breath.

“Come on,” Brandon hissed right next to me.

Animals skirted around me, looking slightly annoyed.

“What did I tell you?” Brandon asked, pulling me out of the way and directing me to car nineteen. “Totally fine.”

As I stepped into the train car, I paused and looked back over my shoulder. The mole family was making their way toward the front. I waved, immediately feeling silly. They couldn’t see me. And even if they could, they wouldn’t see me. I took a breath of the warm, oily air and ducked into the train. Step one was a success; we were on the train. Now that my heart had settled, I’d have to ask Brandon about step two.

-JPS