A New Era

Era Parker was only ten years old when she began sneaking past the guards in her community. They always found her, dragging her back to Ms. Marcer, her caretaker. She’d frown with deep indentations on her forehead.

Four years later, she had to be more careful. If anyone is caught, she’d end up in the Cellars. She cracked open the door to the kitchen. Empty. She ran to the far corner of the room, next to the garbage shoot. “Era, wait for me.” Her younger brother called out. She tripped on a bucket and Chess threw his hand over his mouth to muffle a giggle.

Era flashed him a look. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugged. I wanted to see what you were doing.”

“If Ms. Marker catches me again, I’ll be put in the shoot and set off with the garbage.”

He plugged his nose from the stench. “Then why do you keep doing this?”

She poked her head up to see if anyone was coming, then turned to the door next to the shoot. She flipped open a control panel and pulled out the blue pen light she stole from Ms. Marcer. She always used to after cleaning the kitchen, making sure everything was sanitized.

“I want to know the truth. They refuse to tell us why we can’t go outside.”

“The air’s not safe.”

“That’s what they tell us, but there are people out there. I know there are. Now keep watch while I try to figure out the code.” She shone the light on the panel.

The kitchen door swung open as two cook maids walked in chattering. Era shoved the light into her pocket and pressed her brother down, behind some stairs where they hid.

A closet door next to Chess was cracked open. Strange, she thought. They never leave doors unlocked.

Era pressed her index finger over her lips to shush Chess and moved to open the door. She waved him to follow her, and quietly shut the door behind them. The auto lock slid into place.

Inside, it was dark. Chess spoke a little loud. “Now what are we doing to do. We’re locked in.”

She shushed him again. “Whisper.” She felt around the wall. She nearly knocked over a mop, or broom and grabbed it swiftly and laid it back against the wall.

She continued to pat around searching.

“What are you doing?” His whisper was loud.

“We need a light.”

“What about your blue light?”

“Oh. Yeah.” She reached for it. It was just enough to see they were in a utility closet filled with tons of cleaning solutions.

A voice from the outside yelled, “Mitzy, grab some sponges from the utility closet. We’ll need to have everything ready to wash once we’ve finished prepping for supper.”

Era looked at Chess. “What are we going to do?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Find something to hide under?” He scrambled low while Era pressed her back to the corner. Her hand hit something smooth and cold along the wall. She shone her light on it. A thin metal clamp stuck out. It was loose. She lifted it up slightly and dim rays of light streamed in as a door slid open.

“Chess,” she hissed. “Come. Quick.” The footsteps were on the other side. Someone was entering a code. Just as the door clicked, Era slid the door shut.

They were in a hallway of some kind. Low lights hung on the bare wooden walls. Chess stopped his sister. “That door didn’t have a lock. Every door has a lock, doesn't it?”

She continued down the hall cautiously with Chess close behind. “I don't know. But I think we need to be really quiet. In case someone else is in here.”

They rounded a corner, and the hallway was long, going on and on, as if there was no end. Chess and Era ducked cobwebs and stumbled over loose boards until they came to a door. It was labeled, Banquet Room.

Chess ran his finger over the door plate. “Is this where we eat?”

“I think so,” Era replied. “But, I don’t think we should to through this one.” The room was often occupied by groups eating, or playing games. "People are probably in there. If they catch us, we'll probably end up in the Cellars." He agreed and they continued on.

They passed the washrooms, gyms and pool room until they came to individual compartment where family units lived. They passed several compartments until the doors were labeled with their neighbors names. Smiths, Adkins, Thomas and finally, their own. Parker.

They stood outside the door when Chess spoke. “I don’t remember seeing an extra door in our compartment, do you?”

“Chess, I don’t think we can see the doors once inside the room. There hidden.”

“Should we go in? I mean, if people think we’re missing and find us in our compartment, they can’t be surprised by that, can they? And then, we won’t get in trouble.”

Era admitted to herself that he had a point. But she wondered if Ms. Marker might be in the sitting room, reading. “We’d better not. Ms. Marker is usually in the room this time. What if we open the door and she’s sitting there. She’d sent me to the Cellar for sure. Maybe you too.”

“What do you think we should do then?”

She looked down the hall, visually remembering who lived in the Compartments nearby. A noise came from behind them. Era realized there might be someone in the hall around the corner. She had an idea. “Come on. Follow me.”

Several doors down was labeled Jankins. “This is the one. We should enter here.”

Chess took a step back in disbelief. “You’re kidding. Mr. Jankins is crazy and old. He stares blankly at everyone, drooling.”

“Which is exactly why his room is the best. He’ll never know we’re there. We’ll slip in and slip out. No worries.”

He hesitated. “I guess.”

She slide the door open to Mr. Jankins Compartment.

Chess gasped. Era’s legs felt weighted. She struggled to step forward.

The room was filled with shelves of boxes. Old pictures hung all over the walls, overlapping. Some were in frames, some tacked up or taped on. It was a mess.

Era closed the door behind them and slid the small metal clamp, clicking it into place.

Chess followed her around the room. She popped a corner of a box, flipping through medical papers, boring stuff. Pictures on the walls had groups of people, various ages, hugging, or making silly faces. They looked like they were having fun.

There were tons on model cars and other nicknacks scattered around the room. Chess picked one up. “What are these.”

Era shook her head. “I don’t know. Put it down. It’s forbidden to have this stuff." He did what she said. "It looks like a collect of life before the Arrid War.”

A noise came from another room. Mr. Jankins called out. “Someone here? Hello.”

“We need to hide.” They ducked behind a some boxes in a corner. Mr. Jankins entered the room. “Hello? Mr. Wallace, is that you?”

Era wondered if he was referring to our Community leader, Mr. Wallace. But he couldn’t have been. Mr. Jankins was senile. Why would the leader come here?

Mr. Jankins wobbled on a cane coming closer. Era motioned for Chess to duck down further. When she attempted to duck down herself, her foot slipped and she knocked into a table. Something on top of it wobbled, then fell over.

Mr. Jankins came at full speed with his cane pointed at them. “You, kids. What are you doing here?”

The scrambled to their feet and ran to the other side of the room. He followed. “Wait. Stop.”

He was getting closer and they ran straight into a dead end. He stood on the other side, blocking the exit. They had no where to go now. Era had considered climbing the shelves. They didn’t look so high up. But Chess might not make it.

“Please. Stop. Wait. I’m not going to hurt you. Why don’t you come out of there?” He waved for them to follow.

Chess looked at Era. She shrugged and followed Mr. Jankins. She figured she didn’t have much choice. It was him or the Cellars.

He lead them out of the room, opening a door into his compartment, a single unit with all the basic furniture. This was what she was expecting to see when they first slid the door open.

He motioned to the couch. “Have a seat. I’ll get you some juice.”

As soon as they sat, she looked at her watch, nervously. “Ah, no trouble. We need to get back.”

He laughed, put his cane in the corner. “It’s no trouble. I haven’t had guests in such a long time. I’m not allowed.”

Era seen him in the community rooms before, but he was always alone. He seemed different now. Less insane.

He disappeared into the kitchen and came back, handing them each a cup. “It’s lemonade.”

“What’s lemonade?” Chess took a sip before Era could stop him, in case it was poisoned. “Mmm. Era, it’s sweet, and sour.”

Era took a sip. Chess was right. It was the best thing she’d ever tasted. Her tongue tingled.

Mr. Jankins sat across from them. His silvery hair went past his ears, unlike the current style the men had to wear, which was much shorter. He leaned forward, his fingers laced into each other. “I recognize you. You belong to the Parker Unit, down the hall.”

“I’m Era.”

“And I’m Chesterfeld. But everyone calls me Chess.”

“Well, it is very nice to meet you Era, Chess," he said with a polite nod. "I’m Viticus Jankins. You can call me Vic, for short. When I was younger, your age, that’s what my family and friends would call me.”

Era put her cup on the table in front of them. “Sir? Mr. Vic. We’re sorry to disturb you, but we should get back now.”

He stood up. Somehow, he seemed taller. Especially without his cane. “Wait. I have something for you. He disappeared in to strange room and emerged with a small cloth bag with a draw string. He handed it to Era.

She was confused. “What’s this?”

“A gift. It belongs to you.”

She pulled apart the strings snd a small heart shaped locked slipped into her hand. “What a strange necklace.”

“It has a clasp here that opens.” She felt the snap and it opened to a picture of a woman holding a baby.” She never seen a picture like this before. It was similar to the ones on the walls in his mystery room.

“The older woman is your grandmother. And she’s holding your mother.”

“My what?” Era was stunned. She kind of knew what a mother was. Kids talk.

A noise came from the other room. Mr. Jankins looked fearfully at the door. “Okay. You kids have to go now.” He pressed his hands to their backs, guiding them out.

“And remember Ms. Parker, do not show that locket to anyone. No one can know about it. Understand?”

She nodded, slipping it into her pocket as he closed the door behind them.