LITERATURE
what he was doing; it felt wrong to him, but it was all he ever knew since the training.
He continued to inch his way to the roof of the building, and after a slow descent, made contact. He was satisfied with this. A female voice notified him of his landing. He looked outside the front window, observing his surroundings. Lao wondered what could be out there, and once again felt something he couldn’t describe.
The first thing that always interested Lao every time he was in the city was the darkness. Though many sections were illuminated with bright lamps, the entirety of the city was dark. Several areas were being consumed by the inky blackness, and nothing could stop that. The city perplexed Lao, yet endlessly interested him. He had only heard about it from others, but it was never explained to him as he had wanted.
At one point, Lao had asked of the world below - any information he could get, he memorized it. He was informed about a few things, particularly by Sanda, of this world no one knew much about. He remembered Sanda explaining how the cloud’s density blocked all manners of sunlight from entering the city due to causes several years ago, though she did not know much of that as well. Now that he sees it, he thought perhaps they were the result of nature, considering the overgrowth of grass along the streets. But that wouldn’t explain who constructed the buildings, or why. These were not answered, for no one truly knew. During these times of thought, Lao could never articulate what he was thinking to anyone. He had accepted it and brushed it off, simply stating to himself: “That is just me”.
As for the expeditions into the city, it was not until much later that Lao was briefed as to why the need for explorations. To the council members, it was about time that this world only briefly seen needed to be researched more. Sanda, having the most knowledge of the city prior, headed these exploratio-
-ns and chose members fit for the job. It was because of these explorations that prompted those on the SELENE to construct the several light sources throughout the different sections. The building Lao landed atop was within a darker area, without many lights built at the time of his observation. Although he did not think much of it, he was still careful of what could happen within his searches.
After scoping out the area with the small screen, displaying a map of the city, scanning for any movement, Lao stood and grabbed his bag. He took out the binoculars before opening the door to the outside. Due to the pressure, the door slightly hissed and emitted a thick steam that stuck to the area for a few minutes before vanishing.
It was then that he felt something again. A paralysing feeling. One where he simply could not move, nor think, even if he wished to. For that short time, he could not do anything, simply staring out the door he’s walked through in several expeditions. He knows what he must do...
This is the first chapter of a multi-part sci-fi novella to be exclusively published throigh THE MOVER.
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Lucas is an 18 year old high school student who loves anything relating to movies (both in watching and making). Despite his very apparent shyness and awkward interactions, he’s really trying to communicate better. He sits at home most days, writing screenplays that might not see the light of day.
TIFFANY SAWAKI is a spontaneous person, always somehow ready for anything and everything. She loves coming up with ideas and showing them to the world. She has a strong passion for learning and helping others be the best version of themselves.