High Pressure System: First Season Underground by K.D. Kinney Read Free Book Online

washed my hands real quick. Drying them on my sweatpants, I took a deep breath before turning the handle. I did a quick mental block so I didn’t think too hard about my shirt. I probably needed to change it, but I was already opening the door.
    “Oh, hi.” My face flushed something fierce even though I was trying to act as if I didn’t really care that it was him at my door.
    “Umm.” Brandon looked at the floor. He almost met my gaze but examined the trim instead. “Everyone is worried about you. You’ve been in hiding since the storm disaster the other day. I must owe you an apology or something.”
    He was so uncomfortable, I almost started squirming for him.
    “Has it been that long? I couldn’t tell. I
am
having a hard time. But it’s not all your fault. An apology won’t help.” I let the dogs run out into the hall again. Then I could look at them and not him. “I mean, you sealed the lid on this underground tin can after I almost killed myself and possibly everyone else. That’s all me. I’m sure you let everyone know it’s my fault, not yours.”
    “This bunker is made of concrete, not metal.” He looked at me all confused. Brandon had to be one of those uber smart people that lacked social skills, or lacked imagination and didn’t understand sarcasm. “I was going to close off the lobby anyway. I made sure everyone understood that.”
    “Telling people you always had that plan might sound like you took responsibility, but I don’t think you get how people still judge. Timing is everything. I got caught in the lobby leaving doors open to rescue cats and dogs. We were locked down tight after that. Everyone talks, they all know, they will all judge me. It doesn’t matter if it almost sucked the life out of me. Everyone knows the dumb college girl tried to get the dorm supervisor’s attention any way she could and wound up costing everyone their freedom. Did you need something other than asking me to come out of my self-imposed exile? I don’t mind it really.”
    “This isn’t a dorm, what are you talking about? I am trying to create a community here. I need you to come and act like you’re a part of it before I have a mutiny on my hands.” Brandon’s voice changed and he wasn’t demanding. His eyes were wide as if his life depended on his plea.
    “Mutiny happens on pirate ships.” I could play literal games too.
    “Well, we are stuck in a bunker in the desert like you would be on a ship out on the sea. Mutiny can apply here too.” Brandon’s hands started to tremble. He glanced down the hall as if someone might see him. He pushed my door open the rest of the way and stood in the center of my apartment. Brandon obviously had more to say, nearly working himself up into a panic attack before he even said a word. He had always been so ignorant of everyone’s distress that it was a huge change to see him unsettled.
    I called the dogs in. He wrung his hands and waited for me to close the door. His nervousness made me wonder if leaving the door open would make
me
feel more comfortable. I shut it anyway.
    Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. “I’ve been having nightmares since the other day. That’s not new, I’ve had nightmares for months that the bunkers would fail, and I’m always the only one that survives the storm attack while I watch all the evacuees die. Now I’m not dreaming about the storms anymore. It is about the people wanting to kill me for locking them in. When I’m awake, I hear the murmuring when I’m around them. The chatter always comes back to you. I dreamed that you died and they blamed me. I dreamed that you led everyone to come and kill me.” His face flushed before he went on. “I also dreamed that you wanted to be with me, you know, like a girlfriend, but everyone was afraid I wouldn’t protect them if I liked you back and they killed you. Every nightmare has something to do with you. All the murmuring I hear in the daytime has to do with concern for