Chapter 9. The Other Side

They had no where to go. Their doorstep was most likely already taken by some other poor being and if not, it was still too dangerous. They'd be recognised instantly. With no plan, they kept running to the edge of the city.

The city was surrounded by the dirt walls of the underground but at the very back, there was flat dirt before a wall. The flat dirt was created to be solid ground to build more buildings but the idea was scrapped before one building could be placed on the site.

Everyone knew to avoid this site as much as possible. There was no where to hide and it was the favourite spot for the disgusting people who dare call themselves soldiers meet up. If one person stood on the plain, they'll be shot on site.

Once an old begged man came onto the plain, desperate for help. He no longer wanted to suffer. Good news is, he no longer does, bad news, it was in the way he didn't expect. His brains splattered out. The pig soldiers forced others like him to clean up his remains as an example of what happens to those who step out.

"Big brother what do we do?" Isabel panted, right behind him.

Levi didn't answer. He was concentrating on where to go and what to do. Farlan picked this up, eyeing their friend before facing forwards again. Isabel caught on and drooped her head low, following onwards with no more questions.

That's when Isabel saw it! While running to to edge of city where the wall was, she saw the dirt wall at the very end of the plain. It had a huge crack in it. Without thinking, she raced off to the right towards it.

"Isabel!" Farlan yelled watching her flee in the wrong direction. "Levi!"

Just like that, Levi was following Isabel to drag her ass back.


They were not in a safe place yet!

she didn't know why, but she just kept running. She had no idea what time of day it was but the soldiers were not out on the plain. It was empty. All Isabel knew was she had to go towards the crack in the dirt wall.

She always wondered what the outside looks like. Levi and Farlan use to go up top, dodging on the guards in the street to get clean water, mostly for Levi's sake than Farlan's. The guards then began to start taking on the steps towards the outside, increasing stops over time till it was physically impossible to get out of the dirt hole.

Levi saw her heading to the plains. "Isabel!" He called out sternly. She could not hear him. He had to pick up his speed.

There was no reason for this crack to make Isabel interested. She just was. She didn't even think about the plain. Her foot planted firmly into it's dirt without a second thought. However, Farlan stopped to stare at this.

She's finally lost her mind!

He began running again.

Levi's eyes darkened in fury and worry. He now sprinted, faster than he's ever gone before in his life till his feet touched the plain. Farlan stopped before the plain and watched his two friends run across. He looked side to side in case there were soldiers.

Isabel finally reached the crack and touched it. That's when she felt it. A breeze came out from it.

"Wow!"

"ISABEL!"

She winced at the hardness of her big brother's voice. She turned and just as she did, Levi came crashing into her. She fell down to the ground and her back hit the bottom of the crack creating a small hole.

"What the hell are you thinking you stinking piece of shit!?" Levi hissed.

"Big Brother..."

He grabbed her but the scruff and pulled her up off her feet.

"have you gone fucking mad! This is the plain! No one goes onto the plain you idiot!"

"But Big Brother..."

"You're not just putting your own life in danger, you're putting ours in danger too!"

"-but big bro-"

"The reason why we're in this shitty mess is because you're a little fucking brat!

"BIG BROTHER LOOK!"

Levi stopped yelling and widen his eyes just a tiny bit so it was no longer a death glare but still an angry stare. He looked down to where Isabel was pointing. He let her down gently before bending down to the hole and looked through. He got onto all fours, much to his hatred, and crawled through the dirt to the other side. Without waiting for his signal, Isabel crawled in after.

Farlan couldn't believe what he was seeing. Looking both ways, he made his way across to his friends.

Crawling into the hole he said: "what's the big I-" he stopped.

He looked up at the view of a little paradise for them. Fresh water fallen from the sky over the years has made a pool in rocks, a natural like springs idea is the best he could describe it. There wasn't much of a sky to be seen. Just a tiny little gap in the surface. Not big enough for anyone to crawl through, not that it was possible to climb to it. It was vastly empty except for the rocks that covered the walls.

"THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!" Isabel yelled.

Her yells bounced of the walls, echoing all over.

"Ssshhhh!" Farlan covered her mouth with his hand. "People can still hear us."

They both looked up to Levi only to discover they lost the site of him. They both looked side to side wondering where he went. They heard a loud scratching noise behind them. They turned to see Levi push a not so heavy rock in the entrance way. There to make it hidden, but not heavy so it's easy to get into.


The three of them made the little gap between the wall their new. No one ever found them and it was safe as safe could be. They had clean water to drink and water to bathe in. They often bathed together until Levi and Farlan reached eleven and Isabel nine. Despite their age, they still looked younger due to lack of this and that for their bodies to grow properly.

Isabel's hair grew to her waist eventually but they cut it to shoulder length unevenly with blades as it's a disadvantage fighting when they're out wanting supplies. With her hair, Farlan sold it for money. They had quite a bit saved up already.

Life seemed better for them now that they were living in paradise. Soon the years passed. Levi and Farlan became fourteen and Isabel was eleven. They made the best of what they had and with each other.

"Isabel?" Farlan whispered into the hole while Levi stood watch. There was no answer. She was under water completely naked. Enjoying watching her hair dance around her. She then took to the top and floated about, water still in her ears. She also wasn't listening for the boys and was in her own world.

"Dammit, she's not answering."

"doesn't matter, we have to go now! They're coming." Levi bluntly answered.

Behind, they could see the soldiers arriving. Without another thought, Farlan pushed the rock and slid under, Levi following.

"Isabel?" They called quietly, but still no answer. They stood up from crawling and walked over to the water to see her floating at the top with her hair all over the place, eyes closed, and naked. The full view of her made Farlan blush and while Levi didn't even flinch.

"Isabel!" Farlan's voice cracked.

She had floated close towads them to hear. She opened her eyes and saw the glare down at her.

"Ah!" She shrieked before going under water nearly, fluffing about. She came up to the top to catch her breath. "What in the world-"

Levi cut her off with his hand and they all listened to the soldiers outside talking and whining like the pigs they are.

Isabel shamelessly stood up showing all and Farlan turned away, handing over a clean rag to dry herself with. She took and wrapped herself in it and sat at the edge of the pool, turning her hair to get the water out.

Levi got their last weeks clothes and Isabel's close from today and took them to the water to scrub clean.

Farlan hande Isabel this week's clean clothes. They three had two outfits they had stolen. They wear one one week, then wear the second while the first one is getting clean then wear that one the following week while the second one got scrubbed.

"I think I need new clothes." Isabel whispered. "These are getting a bit small on me."

"Should give them to Levi then." Joked Farlan.

Levi's reply was a rock throw at him and the middle finger. Isabel giggled at the two.

"Serves you right for making fun of big brother." She whispered.

She began to dress when Farlan noticed how long her hair was. It was beautiful long. If they lived up top, she'd be belle of the ball. But they don't and being pretty and young as she is can only make the object of what men want, also the whole fighting thing and the money.

"Isabel, your hair is getting long again."

"Really? You think?"

After the clothes were left to dry as well as Isbael's hair, Levi got his blade out trying to cut her hair eve ally unlike Farlan's sloppy job last time.

"Well I didn't think it needed to be even. No one cares anyway."

"I'm still a girl and want to look my best."

"Need more than a haircut for that to happen." Joked Farlan.

"HEY!"

Levi tugged her hair to signal her to be quiet. The boy then proceeded to cut the girl's hair equally till it was shoulder length. Isabel brought two pieces of string out and divided her hair to tie up into two pigtails.

Levi gathered the red hair and tied together with an extra piece of string and handed it to Farlan.

Farlan nodded and tied it to his waist for when he leaves later on. Isabel threw over an orange they stole to the other two before biting into it herself.

Her face distorted from the unbearable taste of the orange and spat it out. Levi stared at the orange, not daring to bite into like Isabel. Farlan however, knew how to eat one. Once his dad got a hold of the delicacy. He made the same mistake Isabel made at first until he learned how to peel.

Levi watched Farlan and began to copy his moves in peeling it. Isabel looked from one boy to the other,catching on and together the three enjoyed their segments of orange pieces.

Levi found it very sweet and tangy. The juice dribbled from his lips and he lapped it up. Knowing this will probably be his last meal of the day, he savoured it and was very slow eating it.

Isabel was the opposite. As soon as the tip of her tongue got the juice of the orange,bit was gone in one. Farlan wanted to yell at her for being an animal but he ry had to hold back, knowing very well the soldiers could hear them front the outside.

It was mostly male military police soldiers in around for a brothel. At times, there were male and female miliary soldiers for dirty work of the black market.

They always brought a loaded gun down with them. It was as if they just wanted to kill. Sometimes, because there are laws at the top, soldiers would come down and slaughter people because there isn't enough action for them.

"Just trying to put these people out of their misery and stop the growing population."

This was a common excuse the three heard them use to justify their monster ways. Levi vowed someday he'd kill at least one of them somehow, some way.