Prompt: someone living in the cave systems under america about a century after nuclear disaster created an apocalypse and a solar flare wiped out all electronics a few years after the initial disaster, sends a letter out into the ether.
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I’m going to assume I’m talking to someone because if I’m not then this isn’t being read.
That means I'm talking to you because you're reading this. Hi! I’m Tak. I won’t tell you my last name because Wyatt says it’s dangerous. He’s kinda like my older brother. Or friend. I don’t know. If you want to respond you can put your response in Te Ess comms tube 5. Write that it’s for a “wee groundling.” One of my friends calls me that so he’ll know it’s for me - that way I don’t have to tell you my last name.
I’m writing this because maybe someone can tell me about the Above. It’s the direction no one’s allowed to build in. We can go down, and if we dig to the side sometimes we find new caves. But we’re not allowed to go up. Apparently if you go far enough there’s no more rock. Wyatt told me it’s not a cave but it sounds like a cave so I think he’s lying to me.
I promise he’s not mean.
Anyway, enough about Wyatt. If you’re reading this, I hope it’s cause you’re somewhere in the Above, and I have questions.
Can you hear us? Like when we’re moving around can you press your ear to the walls of the Above and just hear us going about our life? (it would be really cool if you did cause then you could tell me about what the grownups are saying in their grownup meetings, but maybe you won’t even if you know because that would be breaking the rules. Are you a rule follower? I try to be but it’s really hard) If the Above is so big, how much algae does it take to light it up? Some of our big caves are really dark cause the scientists haven’t figured out how to make them glow brighter. Did you know that one time their glow couldn’t be used as an actual light source? All my teachers agree on that but that makes me wonder: did everyone just live in deep black? That sounds lonely.
OH! Wyatt says I’m not allowed so I’m going to do it when he’s not looking, but if you put your hand on the wall, all the algae sticks to it and then you can make glow-prints on things. I’ll put one on the letter. I know you probably have your own algae but maybe mine is a different color? Nevermind. Can you see the top of the Above? Is it gross? Some of our caves are kinda dirty because they’re hard to get up to, but the grownups say that as long as it’s not getting dirt on us it doesn’t matter. Do your grownups say that about the Above?
Anyway, can you answer my questions? I gotta know.
Your new best friend,
Tak
