Surface Level
As Margo looked up at the ocean's surface, she heard a boom. She couldn't quite place what it was. All she knew was that it was loud. Too loud. This memory stayed in her head for years, never being able to forget it. Now she was 15 and more curious than ever. She looked at her surroundings. The eerie decaying buildings looked like massive creatures peering down at her. For as long as Margo could remember, this was her world: a life underwater, with no explanation for how and why they ended up there. All she knew was that it was too dangerous to go to the surface. No one ever explained why. Maybe they didn't know, or perhaps they were hiding something.
Margo had been planning her escape for some time but never went through with it. She had Lilith, her 10-year-old sister. Margo loved her more than anything, and after her parent's disappearance two years ago, they had become closer than ever. She heard another boom as she walked past an old office building filled with living things growing inside. At this point, Margo expected at least three booms every week. It shook the buildings surrounding her. She didn't even flinch. However, Lilith shrieked and ran to her arms.
"You're going to have to get used to those," Margo explained bluntly, "They won't stop until they finish whatever they're doing up there."
As they continued walking, Margo thought about her parents. She had to find out what happened to them and felt it had something to do with whatever was happening above the surface.
"Okay, you're going to stay home for a few days. I'm going to go get mom and dad back," Margo said.
"Why can't I come with you?!" Lilith exclaimed. She was furious. Her parents had already left her, and now her sister?
"It's too dangerous, and I care too much about you. But, don't worry, it won't take more than two days, and you'll see mom and dad again!"
After much convincing, Margo was on her way. She left in the middle of the night. She felt a shiver go down her spine once she fully grasped what she was about to do. The water felt colder than usual, and the buildings looked scarier than ever. The smell of must filled her nose and a feeling of disgust surrounded her like a dark cloud over her head. How had she put up with this for so long?
She took a deep breath as she sneaked around her neighborhood towards the forbidden "NO ENTRY BEYOND THIS POINT" sign. Margo had gotten to this point several times but always ran back home. Stories were told that those who went beyond the sign never returned.
"Just do it! Don't think about it." She thought to herself. "You made a promise to Lilith, and you can't break it" She quietly walked past the sign and ran as fast as she could, fearing for her life. So far, no one had noticed her. She continued running, her breath shortening by the minute while her surroundings became eerier and eerier. Finally, she stopped for a quick break and realized she had no idea where she was. All she could see was the dark ocean. She almost missed the rotting buildings. She could feel panic rising in her chest, but she quickly pushed it down and continued. About 20 minutes later, something huge appeared, unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was like a huge mass of dark energy in what looked like a cyclone. It circled its way up to the surface. Where for the first time ever, she saw pure sunlight. It was beautiful, warming her heart. Is this what she had been missing her whole life? She ran towards the tornado without fear, just hoping to see more of that golden light. She ran without a thought in her head and twirled violently upwards. Surprisingly, she wasn't hurt. It was almost fun. This monster was not as bad as it appeared. Little did she know, the real monster was beyond the surface.
After five minutes of twirling around and trying to make her way up, she flew out of the water. The light blinded her, and the warmth of the sun was overwhelming. It filled her entire being as she flew through the air. She landed back in the water with a loud splash.
"What the hell are they doing up here?" She whispered to herself. She swam over and hid behind some big machinery and started making a plan. "Okay, calm down, everything is fine. First, try your best to figure out what is going on up here. Try not to get caught. Look for mom and dad, then try not to die." She thought to herself. "Okay, I got this."
As she looked around some more another huge boom went off. "Two in a day? That can't be good." She thought. Everything rumbled, and she almost fell off the structure. She looked around some more. Nothing, just mysterious machinery. Suddenly, she saw him. All of the warmth the sun had soaked into her body stripped away, the air felt cold again, and her heart started pounding. Stefan. She never thought she would see him in person. He had a slim figure for such a tall man. His hollow dark eyes and black hair made him almost look dead, like a rotting zombie walking around giving orders. Stefan was the leader of their society. He was why she had lived under the surface her whole life, and he was probably why her parents had disappeared.
While she was petrified in fear, she didn't notice she was in plain sight. With his deep raspy voice, Stefan saw her and ordered to his guards, "Seize her!" Margo jumped off the structure and swam for her life, heading towards another large structure to hide. It had a room she could lock herself in. She ran and locked the door. As she was collecting herself, she turned around, and what she saw shocked her to her very core. Standing right in front of her was her mom and dad, and they looked the same as they did the day they disappeared, except for the lifeless look in their eyes. They all ran to each other, and hugged and cried. Margo was in awe.
Out of nowhere, her mother said, "You have to go. You can't stay. They'll kill you. Do you want to know why we're up here? We're one of the only scientists who know how to make nuclear weapons and help build spaceships. They told us they would kill you and Lilith if we didn't or had any contact with you. You have to go. Now!"
Margo was in disbelief. How could Stefan do this to them? She stood there for a few seconds, soaking in everything her mother had told her. Then, finally, she said fine. But I'm coming back here with Lilith, and we're all getting out of here." At this very moment, they all came to the same conclusion: the real fight had only just begun.