Project ELE Read Online Free PDF Page B

heads.
    “Good,” she continues. “Well, if you need anything, and I mean anything at all, just look for the hospitality officials dressed in green. Feel free to ask for me personally. My name is Mary and I’m always here to help.” She gives us a huge smile as my dad and I struggle to return it.
    It's strange how the world keeps going even when your life is crumbling down around you. Mary's smile seems so out of place in my world. Doesn't she realize that we are still mourning what just happened moments before? Lord only knows how long it will take us to come to terms with everything, if we even can.
    My dad puts his hand lightly on my back and ushers me away from Mary-smiles-a-lot. The tunnel we were in opens up into a large cavernous room. I look back at the tunnel exit and see two large steel enforced doors standing open. I wonder if they plan on locking us in here once the final entrants are accepted. The room looks to be the eating quarters due to the small salt and pepper shakers scattered about. My dad and I sit at one of the tables to examine the pamphlet. I quickly scan through mine but find the boring legalities of what is written far too complicated for me. I’ll ask dad for the cliff notes version later. Instead I find the map and begin scanning all of the different amenities. I have a photographic memory, which allows me to memorize the layout quickly. It looks like they threw together a library, a cinema room, a cafeteria, a pool and a bowling alley. I find where they placed the rooms and it seems they are relatively scattered amongst the entire mountain. I scan down to find that there is an entire level, almost as big on the map as the level we are on and the level above us combined, that is under where we are sitting. The map points out locations like a garden, livestock, a chemistry laboratory, and nurse/doctor stations. The garden and livestock areas take up an entire floor. I guess that answers where our food will be coming from. Below this section is another level that is marked: Storage.
    “So dad, where do you think we should find a room?” I watch him scan his portion of the map.
    “Well,” he says pointing to the map. “The lady said we were in the Blue wing which is located here." He points to a spot on the map that is thankfully color coded. "I believe if we follow this hallway we should run right into it." He attempts to give me a small smile but it falls just as quickly as it started. We get up from the tables with maps in hand and head off to explore.
    As we browse through the rooms in the Blue wing we find that they seem to be identical. There are two bunks, a dresser, a tiny couch, an end table and a small bathroom. There couldn’t be more than three hundred square feet of space total.
    We end up choosing a room near the elevators and my dad writes our names on the small board on the door.
    “Can I have top bunk?” I ask my dad.
    “Well, of course. I would rather have the bottom any day. These old legs aren’t what they used to be.”
    "Then I guess I better take the bottom two dresser drawers since we don't want to risk those knees giving out when you bend to get your undies." I don't know where the joke comes from but it does lighten the air just a bit.
    "Deal." My dad says.
    I climb onto the bed and test the mattress. Not a Tempurpedic, but not bad either. I lay down staring at the ceiling. Oh how I wish I had some glow in the dark star stickers to affix to it like I used to have in my room. I close my eyes and pretend that I am lying in my bed back at home. If I try hard enough I can even hear my mom playing the piano softly in the study. The imaginary sound fades away and I open my eyes a few moments later to find the stark white ceiling staring back at me. I take a deep breath and my chest hurts. ‘But this is my home now, remember?’ I say to myself.
    “Well,” my dad begins rubbing his hands together. “My watch says it’s fifteen till six and dinner is at seven, so