Chapter 39

What Devin didn't know was that Rebecca had always been a light sleeper and his first gasp upon waking had awakened her too. She laid there wondering if he would call for her and was disappointed when he didn't. Knowing that he hadn't gone back to sleep because of the tone of his breathing, she got up from her cot and softly asked, "Devin would you like some tea?"

"Oh Rebecca I didn't mean to wake you! I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, I don't mind at all. Now I'm going to make tea. Shall I make it for one or two?"

He grinned at her, thankful she was such an understanding friend. "Two please," he replied and watched as she worked.

They talked as they drank their tea and something she said about her earliest memories of the tunnels led him to ask, "I know you weren't born here, but I guess I was just too young to care about details of such things. How did you come to the tunnels?"

"You can hardly be blamed for that Devin! You were only nine when I was brought Below. I really don't remember much about my life Above. I was just five when that life ended abruptly."

"What do you mean Rebecca?"

"My parents and I were walking through Central Park when a mugger jumped out from behind some bushes. He was robbing my parents when something went wrong and his mask came off. I guess he was afraid my parents would tell the police so he stabbed them. He left me alone. Maybe he thought I was too young…I'll never know." She paused for breath and Devin just waited. He could see how hard remembering this was for her and thought about stopping her from telling him, but he felt that he really needed to know this about her so he could better understand her.

"I was sitting there crying over my parents, having no idea what to do when William came out of the drainage tunnel. He had been going to pick wild raspberries that grew in the park near the carousel, but he heard me and came to find out what was going on. He was the one that brought me Below. He took me to Father right away and I remember I was terrified of him at first! He had dark hair and a pointed beard, he reminded me of a picture of the devil I had seen in a book."

Rebecca paused for breath at that point and Devin just couldn't resist saying, "You know I am going to torment the old man with that the first chance I get!"

She sighed and said, "It was a very long time ago Devin, he won't be bothered by something like that now."

"Oh you never know! I bring up the things I used to do when I was a kid and still get quite a reaction out of him! But anyway, what happened when you met him?"

"He explained about the community and told me the rules about keeping the place a secret. I was okay with all that except when he asked my name, I stuttered out Bbbecky and he asked if I meant Rebecca. When I nodded that it was my full name that was what he called me from then on and told everyone else that was my name."

Devin sighed, "Leave it to the old man to make even a five year old be as formal as possible! Do you miss being called Becky?"

She gave it a minute's thought and replied, "I don't really know. The only ones I ever remember calling me Becky were my parents. The rest of my memories from that time in my life are all so vague."

"Well I am going to start calling you Becky then and if you like it then I will keep it up, but if not then I can go to Rebecca. How does that sound?"

Rebecca loved the idea that Devin would have a special name for her that no one else used. She was very sure she would never tell him to go back to Rebecca. It would be a pet name like dear or darling! She was sure she was going to love that. Seeing that he was still waiting for an answer she eagerly nodded her agreement. "So if you're going to call me Becky should I start calling you Dev?" she asked with a shy smile and light blush.

To be continued…..