The Dark Inside (A Human Element) Read Free Page A

think about it though?"
    "I'm sorry, Caleb. The team overseeing the launch has decided to draw a lottery to take more travelers. A mix of male and female."
    Dizziness engulfed Caleb as he fantasized about two of them being him and Serah. "If I got my name in the lottery I'd still have a chance."
    "Our family cannot participate in the lottery, as Manta and I are already going. I'm truly sorry."
    Caleb's cheeks burned. How could he impress Serah now and escape this world? It was hopeless. He swallowed his frustration and anger. It wasn't his uncle's fault. "Why isn't Aunt Manta helping you get ready?"
    "She's at the main laboratory. We have weeks of preparation ahead. She left me in charge of readying our equipment here for the ship. She knows it's my area. Hers is directing."
    "And mine is helping. Can I take a tour of the ship?"
    "We'll see."
    "I don't want you to go, Uncle Brahm."
    "You'll be the first one I send a message to when we arrive and I'll watch over you from afar."
    Caleb nodded. Unlike my dad, up close.
    "Come, Caleb. No time for sadness. For now, we must work! And you must read me some new poetry while we do."
    Caleb pulled his notepad out, eager to share his words with another poet. If he couldn't share it with Serah, he could share it here.
    And the following day his uncle's presence helped soothe the hurt of her rejection. When Serah asked if he had gotten accepted to the mission he had to tell her the truth. He hoped she would feel sorry for him and date him anyways, but when he told her he wasn't going she questioned if he ever had the chance to go. He tried to tell her it wasn't a lie (it wasn't, right? He had wanted to go). But she didn't believe it, said he just wanted a piece of her like all the other boys. He grabbed her hand eager to convince her otherwise–glimpsed her pure soul within and desired her even more–but she shoved him off and walked away. He watched her go, taking his love and self-respect with her. She remained unattainable.
    All he had to look forward to now each day was readying his uncle's mission and sharing his poetry, the comforting bond that drew them close. They continued this way all week, as Caleb spent hours after school with his uncle amongst machinery and manuals. When his uncle needed to free his mind to figure out a mechanical problem, he would tend to his roses in his greenhouse while Caleb's poems floated in the air. They were special roses his uncle had bred to grow in low light, pale, and sweet smelling. They seemed of another world, not this one Caleb was forced to suffer on. He didn't want to go home. Each day he stayed longer and longer, living in his uncle's world. A world he wanted. He daydreamed about his mother and Uncle Brahm being together. What a perfect family they would be. All kindred souls.
    Every night he returned home a faint rose scent permeated the house. It must have clung to him from his uncle's rose bushes. It drifted around him like a sweet song that these walls had never known. Each day he hoped to see his mother bustling about in the kitchen. Instead, the house was dark and the fire out. His father already in bed resting between his double shifts–for that he was glad. He ate cold dinners at the table, wishing away the energy rationing so his mother could call on the receiver to talk.
    The fourth day he knocked on Uncle Brahm's door but was met with a note that his uncle needed to travel to another town for ship supplies and wouldn't be able to work with him today. Disappointment fell on Caleb. He wanted to go. Why hadn't his uncle waited for him? He slowly walked home then it occurred to him that his mother might have returned. He ran the rest of the way and barged in the door. The kitchen was empty as usual.
    He dropped his bag on the floor and was about to grab a snack when a cry pierced the air. He stopped, unsure if he imagined it or not. Then it called again.
    And a moan. A thwack followed with a shriek. It came from above. Goosebumps