The Versatile
Chapter 23

The rain has not stopped since last afternoon. It stopped for an hour and then started coming back down. It was almost two in the morning when Hazel began to feel the cold air. Hazel got up and went to the kitchen. If she wakes up in the early hours of the morning, Hazel will never be able to sleep again. Usually he takes a cup of cereal and eats it even though it is not time for breakfast.

Hazel wants to turn on the television, but she's not feeling good to watch. Hazel went around the kitchen, then to the glass room she found at the time. The mirrors reflected the image of her standing self. Hazel's not sure what she's doing here. But there's something interesting about staying here.

Hazel went around the place, circled around a few times and found nothing. Tired of leaning on one side of the glass. Inadvertently Hazel felt a strong urge. He turned and backed away from the glass. These glasses make a sound and everything is spinning.

“Great! my father made a storage place for weapons and advanced tools.”

All the weapons are displayed behind the mirrors, as well as other tools that Hazel does not know their function. Hazel gaped as she saw everything.

“This will be a big surprise for Hamish and Josh,”, Hazel said. And ran straight to Hamish's room. He didn't want to wake them up but it wasn't fair if they had to wait for him until morning.

Hazel knocks on Hamish's door, but there is no reply. Hazel tries to open the door and gets Hamish who is asleep without her shirt. Hazel quickly closed the door to Hamish's room and ran to her room. His heart beats very fast. He never went into a man's room, much less when he was asleep.

Hazel laid her body down and covered her. He kept remembering things that had just happened. Now she's not sure if she likes Spencer and Hamish either.

***

Staying up here is not easy. After the rich decided to stay down there, they took a lot of their supplies. The land up here is more fertile than down there. Of course due to the eruption they have experienced.

The government of the lower earth planted the plants here and set a boundary by erecting iron walls around their soil.

The people up here just resigned and use the resources that exist. Even their clothes were taken from the remnants of clothes left behind in the houses. But what is unique about them is their closeness to other people who live here from various countries.

“Are you going to stay here?” ask Nissa who saw Spencer daydreaming.

“Maybe for a few days. I'm not a hassle, am I?” ask Spencer.

“No, just till when? Is it until you find a way to get back down there?” his face was a bit sad.

“The road goes down there, I may have found it. But unsolved puzzles are still many.”

It's getting late in the afternoon, maybe a walk around here can calm his mind. “You want to walk?” spencer asked Nissa.

“If it's fun why not?”

The two of them slowly followed the path. Dust flying. People don't care about civilization anymore. They only care about their food and the necessities of life. No jewelry, not even luxury items. They use their vehicles together without paying. The food was only potluck, but they shared with each other.

“You think if the people down there knew they were living underground how did they react?” nissa asked as she walked in Spencer's footsteps.

“I think they will be shocked and try to find a way out of the underground,” Spencer stopped for a while. It was Nissa's slightly slow path.

“Yes. It's a shame if for the rest of their lives they can't see the real sky,” Spencer added. They walked quite far from the settlement.

They were increasingly walking towards a place that was once definitely very crowded. Shops are everywhere. There are even shops that still put a lid sign in front of their glass. There was a towering building that looked like it used to be a mall.

“What was this once mall?” spencer asked when they were in front of the building.

Nissa turned her head to ask. “Mall? What is it?”

Spencer looked at her with a strange look. “OK, it's like a place to shop.”

“Oh. Yeah, it's a shopping place. A lot of stuff is still left there. We use it for needs. But maybe now his stuff is gone because many took it.”

Spencer just nodded in understanding. They continue their journey. Nissa walked to the middle of the road. Although it is very rare for vehicles to pass, considering that not everyone has a vehicle. But Spencer still decided to walk on the sidelines.

“How does it feel to live up there huh? With all its luxuries?” nissa asked as she circled around in the middle of the road.

Spencer did not answer. “What they have a lot of nice clothes. My mother said, people used to dress fancy even until their clothes were dragged on the floor,” Nissa imagined all the luxury.

Nissa never told me about her mother, she didn't even see her parents when she was in their house. Maybe they're gone, so Spencer doesn't want to ask. Afraid that Nissa will remember the memories with her parents.

“Yes, those clothes are worn when a woman is about to get married or a big party,” Spencer explained.

“Really?” again Nissa imagined all the luxuries she could not possibly get.

Spencer just kept quiet and pondered how unfortunate the fate of the people up there was. They say they have achieved equality, but in fact there are still people up here who are lacking and in need. Of course, achieving equality, everyone living down there has an ancestor who has a lot of money to live down there.

The wind blows hard. They both went home relaxed. The sun started to slowly set. Questions began to come up again from Spencer's mind. This time it's not about the top of the earth, but the bottom. Can they see the sun setting every day? Remembering them underground. And has the government really lied to those who live down there.

First they manipulate food that makes the function of the teeth work is not working. Both of them manipulate the weather, but have they never felt an earthquake? Of course, if it is underground, the earthquake will feel louder. Even if they use something anti-earthquake.

And the three people down there don't have the nature of caring for others. They're like zombies doing their job and caring about themselves.

This must stop, the people of the underworld must know that they are not living alone. These people had survived too long with bad circumstances. Spencer has to figure out how to get in and meet Hazel.