Ascent: (Book 1) The Ladder Read Online Free PDF

the edges of the stone. The water clears away mud and reveals a larger rock attached to the stone.
                Joe stabs his shovel into the mud next to the rock and tries to pry it out. “Help me with it.”
                Lauren unclamps the straps of the water pack and takes it off. “Don’t mess with it, Marvin,” She warns the young Sifter.
                She grabs part of the shovel handle and she and Joe push up, trying to dislodge the rock. It starts to give. They push at it even harder, forcing the rock down through the muddy wall and into the puddle of water below it.
                Joe leans down to roll it over and expose the stone. He scoops up water and hand rinses it. Marvin and Lauren both join Joe crouched down at the rock.
                “Don’t think I’ve seen one like this before,” Lauren whispers.
                “Marvin, shine the light on it.”
                Marvin turns on his hard hat light and lowers his head enough to illuminate the stone. It reflects the light in a blinding way. All three of themhave to shield their eyes.
                Joe peers at the stone through squinted eyes and slightly parted fingers. “It looks like the buildings.”
                “That’s enough Marvin,” Lauren tells him.
                Marvin turns off his light.
                “What buildings?” she asks Joe.
                Joe looks around, making sure that no one is listening. “I had a dream last night. That I was on the surface. And there were these buildings. Like a city. And there was this bright light in the sky. And it reflected off the buildings just like on this stone.”
                “You had a dream about a stone city?” Lauren asks, confused.
                “No…I don’t know what it was made of but it was on the surface. There was grass and trees and clear water running through the grass. Just like in the pages we have.”
                Each kid, once they reach a certain age, is given a set of pages. A small collection of images from the Surface. They show how things look up above. Some of these show beaches. Some show woods and parks. Others show cities. Every kid has a different idea of what the Surface looks like, based on their pages.
                “You’ve been staring at your pages too long,” Lauren says.
                “I haven’t looked at them in forever. This was different. Almost like something I remember. Like I’ve been there before—”
                A splashing sound startles the three of them as Scraggle hops into the puddles in their cut-out.
                “You’ve seen it. You’ve seen the Surface.” Scraggle points a finger at Joe.
                Lauren grabs Marvin to get out of the way.
                “You’ve seen the shining spires.”
                “Me? I’ve never seen the Surface,” Joe tells him.
                “Not with your own eyes. But in your dreams,” Scraggle explains. “I heard you. Heard your dream. It’s you. You are the Dreamer. The one to lead us up the Ladder and to freedom. It is your fate.”
                “I’m pretty sure our fate is to sling mud, Scraggle.” Lauren tells him. “Get out of here before the Boss tries to give us strikes for the Ban.”
                “I don’t want to go to the Ban, Joe.” Marvin looks at Joe whose eyes rest on Scraggle.
                “Lead us, Dreamer. Lead us to the Surface,” Scraggle pleads with Joe.
                A bell rings out through the Mud Hall, interrupting the newly tense moment. All work in the Mud Hall stops as shovels splash in the water and water packs are gently laid to rest on the steel walkway. Some of the kids opt to rinse their hands under the hose of the water pack. Some rinse off in the