The long grass was making a swishing sound when I was running through the meadow. I then waved my hand for couple farm workers when I passed the fields. Sun was setting and I really needed to hurry. Soon my shift in tower four would start and we all needed to go inside at the same time.

If I want to eat, I need to work. It’s as simple as that and I really need to eat. Otherwise I would die which is kind of obvious if you think it clearly. My feet are now hitting the hard pavement as I reached the living area and soon I would be at tower four. The street lights turned on just now and I really need to hurry, the last beams of daylight are disappearing from the sight.

My heart jumped to my throat when I saw the metallic door already closing in, I run faster and then I roll inside beneath the door before it slams shut. “I made it!” I cheered and everyone glanced at me. I coughed against my fist and my cheeks turned red from embarrassment. Gladly they all continued changing their clothes soon enough.

“Worker 1989,” I saw a middle aged woman coming towards me while holding a notebook. She was called Ms. Spank but she was the only one who didn’t know about her calling name. And why do we call her that? Well, she’s extremely strict and follows the instructions of Tower People literally. Some say that she wishes to be able to get inside the tower to live with acting like that.

“Yes Instructor 3497,” I greeted Ms. Spank and she sighed. “You barely made it,” she snapped and I nodded while standing straight in our official standing posture with my hands straight against my body. Her grayish hair was on tight bun and she placed the pen she was holding to behind her ear.

Then she smiled, with her narrow lips coming even narrower while she did it. “Soon you’ll miss your shift and you’ll be punished by Tower People,” she chirped and walked away. I let out the breath that I was holding inside me all this time. Then I glared at her and was about to say something smartass but then I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Not worth it,” Poppy said and she smiled warmly while handing me my working suit. I groaned with dissatisfaction as I grabbed the pure white overalls from her. “Dawn,” Poppy said strictly. Her expression caused me to chuckle, “Sorry, I’ll behave.” I promised to Poppy and she smiled while tying her long blonde curls into a ponytail.

“Worker 1989!” Ms.Spank shouted and I shrugged my shoulders to Poppy before I run to see our Instructor.

“Yes mam,” I said and stood straight again. She hummed and glares at me. “You’ll change your unit,” she told me and looked through papers.

“Why?” I whispered and she rolled her eyes. Again I realized that I asked a stupid question since the response was always the same, because ‘the Tower People said so’.

She handed me the papers and I checked out the plans for the new unit of mine to take care of. Night after night I should clean it and fill the food storages and who knows what else. I hope that the person in there wont be messy. “You have ten minutes to read it, then everyone goes inside the walls,” Ms. Spank said strictly and I nodded a response while I sat on the floor.

“New unit, huh? ” Poppy said when she kneeled next to me.

“Hush, doing homework,” I murmured and looked at the information. Apparently there’s a new person that moved in today from other tower. Probably the person works with science since it’s quite rare to have new people moving in from other towers.

After carefully reading through the paper I stuffed it inside my pocket. “Yeah, I’m done now. It’s just the regular stuff and only one floor lower than my old place,” I grinned and walked with Poppy towards the entrance to stairs.

“Really? Well I think that you can manage,” Poppy giggled and punched my shoulder playfully. We walked in the middle of a small crowd of workers and waited with them. Then we heard the electric buzzer and the door opened. Now it was our time to move inside.

“Gosh!” I gulped and glanced at Poppy. She looks at me like I’m gone crazy and I quickly bit my lower lip. “Listen, I have a huge favor to ask,” I said and she nodded her head. “Alright, don’t let them close the door yet! I was too busy reading the new instructions so I forgot to check what food I should take with me!” I said in panic and Poppy hurried me. I had noticed some workers carrying the food back bags so it reminded me. I sure hope that I won’t be too late.

I run quickly towards grocery room and grab the bag that was hanging from wall. “Okay so now, what am I supposed to bring? Please be a light eater,” I begged when I went to a screen that was popping out from the wall. I clicked my unit’s information and checked the list of what I should bring inside that persons fridge.

When the list printed out I ripped it and went to shelves. “Bacon, eggs, tomatoes, beef,” I muttered when I read the list. “Gosh he or she eats a lot!” I groaned when I grabbed everything I needed. I could only dream of something like that, meat especially.

Then I quickly threw the bag on my back and run back at the entrance. Poppy is chatting with the door user who seems rather pissed at the moment. I walked the rest of the way and Poppy’s expression was relieved when she saw me. “Alright, thank you so much for your time,” she thanked the door user who murmured something.

We stepped inside the dark staircase and the door slammed shut. It was now just us inside the darkness. “Gosh Dawn! I literally would have needed to kiss that guy next! He was almost ready to throw me inside and close the door,” Poppy preached to me and I laughed nervously.

“I’m so sorry but I needed the stuff. You know how much a worker needs her job?” I said with apologizing voice and she sighed. My eyes were slowly getting used to the darkness and we were moving up. The corridors inside the walls were narrow and circling around the tower buildings. There was enough room for only two people walk next to each other on the stairs. Person with claustrophobia would have screamed from horror if they needed to move inside this dark space. Gladly I’m not one of them because a girl needs to eat and that’s why I really need this job even though I don’t like it that much.

Poppy touched my shoulder suddenly and I turn around. “Dawn, maybe we could see your grandfather tomorrow?” She asked curiously. She loved my grandfather’s stories of the old times. From the time when people were still equal and we didn’t need to live inside these towers.

I chuckled , “Sure we can. He loves to tell stories, you know that.” Step by step we went up inside the tower walls. Her floor was lower than mine so she reached her destination faster. Poppy sighed deeply when we reached her units floor.

Poppy wished me a good night at work. Well, after mumbling something about how her units people stay up late and she has to wait until they go to sleep. I feel her on that one, I remember how the teenage girl in my older unit stayed up late and I had like only one hour to clean up their home and deliver the food.

My heart was beating faster when I was getting upper and upper. It would be nice if my unit wouldn’t be this high up, it’s exhausting to climb up the stairs with heavy grocery bag on your back. When I was almost up I saw one worker coming down the stairs. We all know him and he waved his hand to me as he passed me. His unit is ideal since the people inside are old and go to sleep early and they’re clean people. Yeah, it’s a pain to clean up after a family with small kids or teenagers. Imagine the mess! He had the sweet life and he could do his job fast, oh how do I envy him.

“Yes I made it!” I cheered when I got to my floor and I did a fist pump in the air. Then my cheeks blushed and I look around me, gladly no one was there witnessing my random moment. My fingers tapped my leg as I tried to figure out where to go next. Soon I would be familiar with the correct path to my new unit but now I’m lost.

Then I had to admit that I needed my headlamp for a moment so I took it out from my pocket. I gritted my teeth together when I pressed the light on. Yeah, it kinda hurts to use it because the battery usage is taken from the payment of my work. That’s why I needed to do my thing fast and I quickly folded out the map that was in the information of the unit.

“Alright, so first straight forward on that corridor and then sharp left. Yup, now I got it,” I said and turned off the lamp. I glance at my wrist which has a wrist clock kind of device that says the amount of resources every person uses. Gladly I used the headlamp for two minutes only, for my relief not more.

When I got on the first corridor I hear some people chatting on the other side of the wall. I stopped to listen for a while and I smiled to myself when I heard some kid getting preaching for bad grades. This makes me happy, that even the Tower people have their troubles when they are more fortunate than any of us from the Ground Pack.

The bag on my back was feeling heavy and I corrected its position on my back. “Alright and now the sharp turn to left,” I whispered when I got in the end of the corridor. “One, two, three… four,” I counted as I passed the units. Now I’m standing in front of my new unit and I bit my lower lip. I just can’t mess this up.

I press my ear against the wall and I listen if there are any sounds of someone moving inside. This is important, we cannot be seen by them. I close my eyes and I focus all that I can. There’s only one person living in here so it’s a challenge. It always is a challenge when you need to learn new unit’s habits or if there are serious changes in lifestyle, like the people inside having a baby. Trust me, then their night habits change a lot!

A smirk came to my face, I couldn’t hear a thing. I press my hand against the marked spot and the wall slides open. My eyes scan around the room and it seems safe. “So let’s see what kind of person you are,” I whispered as I sneaked inside. Slowly I closed the wall behind of me and I noticed that I came inside from living room. Behind of me is now a wall that’s covered by bookshelves. In my previous unit I used to come inside from kitchen and there was a stove which I had to move. Only we know these routes to the inside, so the Tower people won’t do anything stupid.

Really, I heard a story of a boy who worked in a unit. He screwed up, big time. Some teenagers found his passage and used it to get out. They thought that it was cool. Well, things got bad when it was night time and the teenagers saw a couple of workers. The workers were executed because of his mistake of leaving the doorway slightly open. That moron! The teenagers were blind after seeing the workers. I won’t do a mistake like that. He was also punished and they say that he was banished behind the walls, in the area of the Against All Humanity people.

I pressed the working lights on and some minor lights were lighting up. They were little led lights that were like stars on the ceiling. It was really pretty in my mind even though the light from those wasn’t that great. My hand reached for the crumbled instruction paper and I quickly learned the plan of the apartment. First I went into kitchen and filled the fridge with the food that was ordered to be brought in here.

Next mission was to find the cleaning closet that I found easily. There was a bucket that I filled with warm water and put some soap in it. “Gosh it reeks,” I muttered and hold my nose before checking the label. “Seriously ‘Ari’s floor cleaner for men. Manly, strong and tough’? Who on this earth would use this type of poison that will reek in home for weeks,” I muttered.

“The person in here is definitely a guy,” I sighed as I closed the closet when I had all of my cleaning equipment with me. First I started out with broom to take all the bread crumbles from the floor in the kitchen. The silence was almost touchable which suited for me.

There was something on the kitchen counter and I go to see it. My eyes started to glow, “Yeah! He listens to music!” I whispered with excitement when I took the thumb sized music player from the table. My old unit’s kids were using these all the time and sometimes they forgot them laying around. It was a perfect opportunity for me to borrow one and listen to music while I’m doing my job.

He seems to use big headset for listening so I put the device on my head. My ears were left under the earpiece and I stuffed the player in my jumpsuits front pocket. The music was beautiful and I hummed the tone. Then I had an idea and I took the mob and started to wipe the floors while dancing with the music playing from headphones.

Then I stopped my actions when I went in front of a new door. Quickly I took out the information paper again and checked it out. It was actually the bedroom as I thought. I inhaled deeply and put down the mob. Slowly I opened the door and tiptoed inside. The room was dark and I saw the bed. The unit’s owner was deep in his sleep and I passed the bed and got inside the bathroom.

After cleaning the bathroom and taking the trash with me I went outside from the bedroom. He seems to be a heavy sleeper for my relief. When I had thrown the garbage down from the garbage hatch I went back to my other work. I dusted the book shelves and continued listening to music.

I closed my eyes for a moment as I heard a familiar song playing, it was a classic that my father used to sing to me often when I was a child. A sudden beam of light caught my attention and my eyes flash open. I turn around quickly and I see how a fridge door closes in the kitchen.

My heart is beating wildly, I just messed up. He turns around and lifts a glass to his lips. Then I see in slow motion how the glass drops from his hand and falls to floor. The glass shatters and milk is flying everywhere. I open and close my mouth like a fish in shock. What do I do now?

He keeps standing there in shock like I am, my hands are sweating and I quickly turn around. My fingers are searching for the way to open the doorway so I can escape inside the wall. I get frustrated and I throw a couple books to floor, my heart is racing and I’m shaking. I don’t want to be killed for this.

Then I found the spot and press it, the door opens and I try to go out. Suddenly I see a hand on the edge of the door and I feel how the door is being pulled back to closed again. I glance to my side and I see a pair of grayish blue eyes with a few strands of blonde hair hanging in front of them. No.

I backed up quickly and I hit on the living room table, a vase fell to floor and shattered like the milk glass before. The guy mouthed something but I can only hear some rock music playing. He rolled his eyes and points at his ears and then at me. With my heart beating so fast that it might pop out from my chest I take the headphones off.

“Finally,” he exhaled and then grinned. “So what are you doing at my home?” He crossed his arms and stares straight at me. I was holding my breath and trying to figure out solutions for this unfortunate situation.

He raised his eyebrow and I stood up straight. “Worker 1989,” I said quickly and my shoulders rose a bit as I got more nervous. He startled when I said my status. Then he started to laugh and I joined in his laughter.

Suddenly he paused with his laughter and seemed serious. “No you’re not,” he said with strict voice that gave me goosebumps.

“Yeah I am!” I said while being a bit annoyed. He was looking me from tip to toe and then rubbing his neck. I could see him biting his lip and seeming confused.

“What?” I snapped and went to pick up the shattered pieces of glass.

“You don’t look like a mole,” he said and then sighed. “And I didn’t lose my sight. So, how could you be a worker?” He demanded and I stood up straight.

“A mole?” I repeated and placed my hands on my hips. “Do I look like a freaking –mole!” I practically yelled and he hushed me.

He chuckled, “Well, that’s what they tell us while we grow up. Worker’s being moles that work only during night. However I find this interesting.” He glanced at me again like I was something rare.

His stare was making me uncomfortable and I covered my upper body by crossing my arms. “Now what?” I muttered and he grinned while sitting on his sofa.

“So here’s the deal, first sit down worker,” he said and patted the seat next to him. I sat on an arm chair instead of going next to him. I didn’t say a thing and then he rolled his eyes.

“Well, worker, apparently you’re bad at what you do since I saw you just now,” he smiled mischievously and leaned his chin to his hand.

“I could turn you in,” he whispered and my eyes widened.

I gasped, “No! You cannot do that! They will kill me.” My heart was beating faster and faster. My hands squeezed the glass shards that I was holding and warm blood was dripping down from between my fingers.

He seemed a bit surprised now and glanced at my hands. “Alright so.. I have a suggestion,” he smiled and stood up.  I follow him with my gaze and he goes to a closet and takes a small towel which he throws to me. I wiped the floor clean from my blood with the towel quickly and he sighed.

“I meant that for your hands,” he muttered and without saying anything I pressed it on my hands. He was still walking around his living room, circling around me.

“So what’s your suggestion?” I whispered and tried to stay calm. Who knows what this jerk might have on his mind. It could be something dirty and definitely something to destroy my life.

“My name is Marko, what’s yours?” He said for my surprise and kneeled in front of me. His grayish blue eyes were like drilling inside of my soul and seeking for truth. I turned my head away.

“I have no name, I’m worker 1989,” I said to him. I cannot tell him how friends are calling me, this might be a set up -  a trap. The Tower people might have planned this and are searching for a reason to get rid of me.

He hummed, “Alright worker 1989. So my suggestion is that I can chat with you every night and study you. I’m a scientist so analyzing worker’s behavior and physics would be a great deal.”

I stare at him. Am I some sort of labrat to him? I mean, this is even worse than him calling me a mole. “S-sure,” I said quietly and stood up. My hands were shaking when I continued cleaning the mess that was caused when at first he dropped his glass and then I stumbled on a vase.

“Stop,” he ordered me and I startled. “I will clean the mess but I expect to see you here tomorrow night,” he told me and I nodded my head.

He pulled the doorway open and I saw the dark corridor inside the wall. “You stay quiet and I’ll stay quiet. Remember that worker 1989,” he grinned and stood on the doorway. I took my empty bag from the floor and took the music player from my pocket.

“Here,” I said and handed the music player to him. Instead of taking it he shook his head. “Keep it, I can have a new one ,” he flashed a smile. “Consider it as an apology for that wound on your hand,” he whispered.

He closed the door after me. I glance over to my shoulder and I unzipped my jumpsuit and stuffed the music player inside my pants pocket. He changed the large headset into smaller ones before I left. As I walked to the staircase I kept on wondering by myself of who does he think he is.

I turned on my headlamp and took out the information paper. I couldn’t give a damn now if I spent some of my resources for this. My heart jumped to my throat when I got to the part about his habits. I cursed when I didn’t have noticed the fact that he usually wakes up at three am to have a glass of milk. I glance at my clock and it shows the time being four am. Great, just great. This is apparently how you’re being punished of being late. Oh if I would’ve been on time I would have got more time to actually read this information and avoid this all.

My body was still shaking when they opened the door and I got in the basement of the tower. Poppy was waiting me like she always is. “Hey! It took you long enough!” She grinned and helped me to take my white jumpsuit off. She glanced at my hand that I quickly hid beneath my other arm. I mouthed, ‘I’ll tell you later’ and she nodded her head. Her golden blonde locks waved in the pace of her nod.

She was anxious when they lifted the heavy metal doors up and let the workers out. Morning sun was already rising and everyone wished each other good night. We headed towards the hills without saying anything. Her way to move was much faster than mine and she reached the top faster.

“Alright, so what’s up?” She asked and crossed her arms. “I just broke a glass and got cuts,” I said quietly. I realized on our way that I can’t endanger her with telling of me being seen by one of the tower people. I just need to tell her only the necessary things.

“Really?” She said and raised her voice. I nodded my head and then I stretched out. She yawned too and we ended up laughing. “Beware of the contagious yawn!” She said with threat in her voice as she spoke. We laughed some more and then we yawned again.

When I smiled to her she smiled back to me. “I guess it’s time to head for bed, huh?” She laughed and I nodded my head. “See ya at my grandfather’s signature place in ten hours?” I grinned and she nodded her head.

We went to our separate ways and I got in my dorms and even though my bed wasn’t the most comfortable kind I still felt relieved to get in it. I pulled the cover over my body and before falling asleep I still felt a bit stunned about what happened today. I just hope that this won’t be a countdown to my end.

A/N:

I really hope that you guys are enjoying this one. I'm creating characters and places and it's exciting! YAY!

Some of you might know that I'm from Finland and Marko is a Finnish boys name. I wanted to give him well known Scandinavian charasteristics with his blonde hair and grayish blue eyes. Like I have grayish blue eyes myself but my hair is like.. umm.. weird shade of light brown. Lol.