[wolfie]

UnderHaven - #8

"I know you have stuff to do, and you have the whole of the UnderHaven to look after, but you also have to look after yourself, too." The look in Beth’s eyes is so full of insistence and concern that I can’t help but stop what I am doing to consider her words. "Beth," I start to say, but she cuts me off. "No, Zayn. There is no arguing with this. You need a break." I sigh. "I do have stuff to do, and if I don’t, everyone will suffer for it." I know it is pointless. Beth doesn’t give up easily, and the truth is, I do need a break. "I’m sure the UnderHaven won’t explode if you are away for one day. "A day?" I splutter, but she has already snatched up the documents and letters I had been working on and has marched over to my open-face fire, one of the few allowed in the UnderHaven. I mean, there have to be a few perks to leading. "Yes, a whole day." She dangles the papers over the flames; a few of them slip from her fingers and start to burn. The sight gives me unbelievable stress, and I lurch to my feet in protest. "Hey, you don’t know how important those could be!"
She raises a black eyebrow and lets another few papers fall. I slump back down in defeat. "Good!" Beth smiles, "I’ll arrange for some packed food. Find yourself a nice spot in the sun and relax. I don’t want to see you back down here until the sun is setting and some of that tension is out of your shoulders. Trust me, once you get over the initial shock, you’ll enjoy it." Now it is my turn to raise an eyebrow, though she doesn’t see it as she has already spun around and left the room, papers still in her hand. I sigh again and shake my head; get up to change into some more outdoors-appropriate clothes.
I navigate quickly through the underground maze of the UnderHaven.
When at last I step outside, (whose great idea was it to make the entrance so far from my office?) I have to stop and let my eyes adjust to the brightness before I continue. I make straight for a clearing at the top of a somewhat distant hill, one that I have visited many times before. Upon arriving, I settle down, snack on my packed food, read a bit of a book that Beth so thoughtfully gave me, snooze. She was right. I am enjoying my little holiday. It is relaxing, exactly what I needed. Not for a while have I even thought of the UnderHaven and all its work, all the tiring and mind-numbing tasks. The day drifts by, the sound of the bugs and wildlife and the rustling of leaves in the trees filling my ears and my head, blocking out all thought of anything. The day progresses, the sun starts to sink on the horizon, and I am lying still on my back, gazing at the sky. I don’t even want to leave. As my eyes begin to slide closed, I can hear voices softly murmuring things too quiet to hear. Then I fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.