Into the Pit

Chapter Four

"It's the cult!" Melina whispers.

"The what- oh you must be talking about the Supplists. I guess you could say they're in a cult of some sort," the boy says. "I'll handle this." He walks over to a closet and pulls out a silvery blue sword. He twirls it around, clearly trying to show off. "Get back." We don't ask questions. He blinks forcefully again and the door swings open, revealing the cloaked cult members. The boy leaps at them, sword flying. He fights with great skill, it's very impressive. He stabs each member in the chest, and they turn into smoke and fade away.

He finishes off the last of them with an epic flip and slice of his sword. He stands up straight and walks back into the room looking very proud. "You're welcome," he says tossing the sword to Misto. He fumbles to catch it. "Thanks, umm, what's your name?" Misto says, throwing it back into the closet.

"It's Calix. Who're all you guys? And where exactly did you come from?" he says walking closer towards us.

"I'm Ajax, and let me be the first to say that what you just did there was awesome," Ajax says, walking up to Calix to shake his hand.

"I'm Dylis, and this is Melina," she says tucking her hair behind her ear. Aw, that's cute, Dylis likes him. He is pretty attractive. He has floppy jet black hair that hangs down in front of his eyes. Not the goth kind of hair that are like side bangs, but thick and slightly wavy. I have an urge to sweep it out of his face; so I could look into his eyes...

Dylis elbows me, shoot I was staring! "I'm Liliya," I involuntarily giggle. Calix chuckles. Darn now he must think I'm stupid.

"I'm Misto," he mumbles.

"We're from... above. From the surface. Where's here?" Dylis says.

"Ah, from above ground. That's restricted for us down here. Right now you're in my room, which happens to be connected to the lake, which is the center of our little underground city. So basically this is the worst place to have a home. But this whole place-" he waves his arms in circles- "is called Alcibus. Named after our very own Tyran Alcibus. The city we're in is called Helix, named after...someone... But anyways, how old are you guys?"

"Fourteen," Dylis and I say simultaneously- and a bit awkwardly.

Calix chuckles again. "Great, me too! What a coincidence. So do you guys plan on staying?"

We all look at each other. We had to get back some time, maybe not today because Security is probably giving punishments left and right, trying to figure out who or what triggered the alarm; but they'd probably take note of who's absent tomorrow, because we can't leave the school unless we're outside the school's bubble. Then they'd come looking, and find the pit...

"Not for a long time, in fact we should probably leave soon," Misto says quickly. Well someone's eager to leave.

"Soon? What a shame. I could show you guys around, get settled somewhere, you have to at least stay for one night!" Calix pleads. Maybe he just wants a friend. We can't leave him here then, right?

"Maybe one night wouldn't hurt, we might get caught if we go back now," I say. I wouldn't mind staying. It's not like the surface had anything to offer me anyway. Besides, Calix seems really friendly, maybe we could stay down here for a while.

Misto looks at me funny. Then at Calix. "Can we have a group meeting, in private please?" he says a little too sternly.

Calix shrugs. "Sure. I'll be outside." He walks into the tunnel, and a the door swings shut behind him, without anyone touching it.

"I don't trust him," Misto says.

"What? Why? He saved us!" Dylis questions him.

"And Velotz!" Ajax points out.

"He made a door appear out of thin air and is begging us to stay; that doesn't seem suspicious to anybody else?!" Misto yells.

Melina speaks up. "Maybe that's what the people can do down here! We don't know anything about this place, let alone how to get out. He can help us! Why do you care so much? It's not like anything worse would happen to us up there than down here!"

"Let's take a vote," I say, begging them to stop arguing. "All in favor of staying, raise your hand."

Ajax, Dylis, Melina and I raise our hands. Misto grunts. "Ugh! Fine, but when everything goes wrong and we end up like that guy who got burned, don't say I didn't warn you!" He turns away.

I groan. Why is he so mad? I let it go. It doesn't mean anything to me. I open the door, where I see Calix fiddling with a leaf. He drops it as soon as he sees me. "So, are you staying?" he says with a hopeful smile.

"Yeah, I am. I mean- we are," I say.

He smirks. Then looks at my filthy shirt. "You have to tell me what you've been through, it looks like you've got some good stories."

I giggle. I must look like a wreck. My hair is completely matted, my clothes are all muddy, and I have no shoes. "Well, that might take a while."

He walks closer to me. "We have plenty of time," he says, flipping the hair out of his eyes. His eyes are beautiful. They're a deep aqua green, as vivid as the sea. They look so pure, so real. Like all of his emotions are swirling inside those little green gems and they're sitting right in front of me, nested in a beautiful face. I get lost just looking at them. I smile.

Someone yanks on the back of my shirt and pulls me back into the room. It's Misto. He just won't get out of this mood, will he? Calix walks back in his room and smiles. "Well, if I'm gonna show you guys around I'm gonna need to put some clothes on. So, just wait for me outside, 'kay?"

We nod, or I nod at least. We leave him to get dressed and wait for the tour to begin.