The Cellar: A Post-Apocalyptic Novella

The Cellar: A Post-Apocalyptic Novella by Richard Dela Cruz Read Free Book Online Page A

Book: The Cellar: A Post-Apocalyptic Novella by Richard Dela Cruz Read Free Book Online
Authors: Richard Dela Cruz
found it.”
    “And how can those lamps work?” Daren pointed above him. “I’ve seen the same things when I visited the Great City ruins, but none of them ever turned on.”
    “I have no idea.” She looked up at the ceiling. “The other ceiling lamps in the bunker don’t work except for the ones in this room.”
    “This is amazing!” Daren felt a surge of excitement. “All this food! My mind is blown!”
    Lara gave him a knowing smile, relishing his astonishment. It looked like she had another surprise up her sleeve.
    “Ever wondered how I do the floating trick?”
    “I’ve been dying to know,” Daren replied.
    “Stay here.” She pointed her finger to the floor. “I’ll be right back.”
    Daren watched as Lara walked to the back of the room. Somewhere in the far end, there was a space between the end of the shelving and the wall. Lara stepped into the space and disappeared from his line of sight.
    “No peeking!” Her voice echoed back.
    “I’m staying here. Just like you asked me to.”
    Lara appeared again but this time she was standing on a small platform with two wheels. A pole extended from the platform. Attached to the pole were handlebars, which she held on to. She fiddled with a few controls and turned the vehicle to face him. She propelled the vehicle forward and slowly made her way from the back of the room until she stopped right in front of him.
    “Whoah!” He backed away from the contraption.
    “Voila!” Lara stretched out her arms to her sides. “The secret to my magic trick.”
    “What is it?” Daren leaned forward to touch the vehicle’s pole.
    “Again, I have no idea.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I found it here and taught myself how to ride it.”
    “So this is what you used to seem like you were floating.”
    “I use it when I need to transport food.” She stepped down from the vehicle. “I wear a long enough robe so it covers the wheels. But not so long that the hem will get caught under them.”
    “And the glowing?” Daren asked.
    Without a word she reached into her pocket and pulled out several translucent tubes. She grasped them with both hands and bent them until there was a slight cracking noise. He looked on in amazement as the tubes filled with a greenish light. She handed them over to him.
    “What’s causing the glow?” He examined the tubes closely.
    “Some sort of chemical inside. Not sure what it is or how it works.”
    “I need my arm pinched and my face slapped.” Daren shook his head. “I think I hit my head way too hard.”
    “By the way,” Lara said, placing a serrated hunting knife in his hand. “I noticed your sheath was empty so I thought you might like this.”
    Daren looked at the blade and touched the sharp edge. It was in excellent condition. Probably the best knife he’d ever had. He imagined Logan would drool buckets if he saw it.
    “Thanks.” He grinned widely. “This is an awesome gift.”
    He wondered if she gave it to him because she was just being a thoughtful friend or if she was taking a shine to him. The latter wouldn’t be too bad in his opinion.
    “There’s one last thing I need to show you,” Lara said. “This is going to take mind-blowing to a whole new level.”
    “I seriously doubt anything can top what I’ve just seen.”
    “Oh, you haven’t seen the best part yet.”
    She walked back to the store room’s entrance and stepped out the door. She then turned around to look at him.
    “Take anything out of the shelves.”
    “What?”
    “I said take anything. Preferably something big and noticeable.”
    Daren frowned at her strange request but chose to play along. His eyes darted around the food items to see what he could take. Should he pick a can with a picture of fruit in it, one of those shiny foil packets, or a jug of water? He stood for a few seconds while he decided on what to take.
    “Come on!” Lara sounded impatient. “You’re not choosing a girlfriend.”
    Her remark made the blood rush to

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