Behind the Last Window

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room.

She came to his room via a myriad of tunnels. These tunnels were her world and all she knew. She was apprehensive. This emotion was also unknown to her.

She loved him. She knew that much but, that didn’t curb the apprehension. Could she really trust him? After all, they had only known each other for a few months.

This view was so far removed from what she had ever seen. Or was it? She couldn’t really comprehend it. Her life was underground and that was her normal. The colours of nature displayed through the window were a vision only in her dreams. Never real.

He was right beside her, hopeful and in love with her too. And the expression on his face was one of determination. He brought his finger to his mouth to indicate to be quiet.

They slowly approach the window as if there was something terribly bad outside but there was nothing bad - it was their freedom but she certainly didn’t know that.

He knew the outside world well. He had visited it many-a-time. He was called a Facilitator. His job was to collect news of the outside world and food.

This was his role and he was sworn to secrecy or be punished. He had a tracking device. They always knew where he was. If, for any reason, he deviated from the task-at-hand he would be punished.

But he could not foresee falling in love. Suddenly he wanted freedom for his love and himself.

His name is Ty. Her name is Leah. They had both lived underground for 10 years. They were young adults who had been robbed of their prime, being locked away in this concrete, cold artificial world.

The war had driven them down there. The rebels had devised a plan to keep them safe since this population of people did not fit into mainstream society at the time.

The plan - the original plan, was to save these people at a time they had become targets but it eventually went pear-shaped and this dystopian underground world was now one huge crime scene which the powers-that-be knew they could not leave.

The Offenders were the Rebel leaders and the doctors who performed the hypnosis. While once they were saviours, now they are criminals.

Shortly after entering the tunnels indefinitely, into hiding, the population began to show signs of ‘cabin fever’ and this was a serious threat to their well-being and survival whilst in isolation. To prevent insanity, hypnosis appeared the only solution. But, this method to save them, became their demise.

Their world inside the tunnels was a world lived in archaic ways. There was ritual, routine, structure and obedience. Everywhere you looked, if you understood the system, were triggers to maintain the hypnotic state of the individuals living here. They were just existing.

Living underground for a decade would take its toll and it was evident all around. Many-a-crime was committed in human desperation such as theft, rape and paedophilia – this was not the utopia Leah thought it was. She had not been a victim of traditional crime - just deception. She was oblivious to the truth but Ty knew differently.

Ty was desperate to help Leah escape – to both escape. He had thought it through, he had a plan. He had made contact with someone in the outside world to remove his tracking device – first port of call after they escape. From there, there would be people to assist them both disappear for a period.

Ironically, his plan involved telling Leah more lies but he couldn’t see another way to free them when she was oblivious to the truths of the world - both the underground world and the free world.

So, he knows he has limited time to hatch their escape as the population was accounted for several times a day. He wondered how he could relieve them from this process. Then, he came up with the idea.

Ty had convinced Leah that her family needed her to get secret supplies of which he only knew the location. He had told her the supplies were limited and only available for select few. They were medical supplies.

But this conversation was not before his brilliant idea to get her to the infirmary. He had to convince her she didn’t look well as she was still under the influence of hypnosis. Once in the infirmary, Ty knew he had a period of reprieve to convince Leah of her family’s false needs. No hypnotic triggers existed within the sick bay.

During the several days isolated from the general population, Ty used the time to gradually turn Leah in her thinking and they hatched a time to make their move. She understood it had to be in secret, although she still didn’t know of Ty's intention for her permanent escape to the outside world or she may not have been willing. Ty knew she would not leave her family behind. But, he hoped, one day, she would forgive him.

Hypnosis generally kept the population subdued and obliging and this hypnotic state was maintained via sound and light triggers. Temporarily, Leah was free from this state and now driven by her love for her family and for Ty.

Upon leaving the infirmary they made their move stealthily and strategically to the location Ty used hundreds of times to enter the outside world – his own bedroom.

For Leah it seemed the longest distance she had ever travelled but it was only a hop, skip and jump for Ty.

They entered the room slowly and cautiously and Leah immediately noticed the sunlight. Ty held her hand and led her into the room whilst watching her face. He slowly and quietly shut the door behind them. Leah showed some anxiety - an emotion she wasn’t familiar with. Ty held her hand even more tightly as he directed her slowly to the window.

“This is home” Ty said softly as they gazed beyond the window. He kissed her gently on the cheek.

As Leah’s face changed from an expression of anxiety to warmth and hope they heard a noise from outside the room. It was footsteps - very hurried footsteps.

Ty’s expression changed from love to fear. The plan had failed.