Revolution in the Underground Read Online Free Page A

over to the waterfall.  He let the water pound on his body and bury him beneath its surface.  When he popped his head back out of the water, he saw the girls walking together across the bridge.
                  “There they are!” one of the guys shouted. 
                  “What’cha all doing?” one of the more confident girls yelled, presumably speaking on behalf of her group.
                  “Come on in! The water’s great!”
                  Ember dipped his mouth below the water.  He enjoyed the feeling of its surface against his upper lips.
                  “But we didn’t bring our bathing suits!” the same girl replied, again speaking for the group.
                  “Oh, that’s okay!” one of the older guys responded, thinking he was clever.  A few of the girls put their fingers over their lips—actions that succeeded more in seducing than in expressing shock. 
    Coquettish playfulness was the norm for young adults.  In fact, behaviorally speaking, most Erosans never really matured.  For the average Erosan, life is composed of three phases: pre-pubescence, adolescence, and near-death.  Once the insecurity and angst of the early teenage years passed, the average Erosan would settle into a care-free and jovial manner that would change little throughout the rest of his or her life.  Erosans didn’t seem to age until they reached their mid-sixties, at which point they seemed to age all at once.  The maturation process occurred discretely as opposed to gradually: after one takes on the responsibility of a job, and after one reproduces.  Nonetheless, it was not uncommon to see a married man, or a married woman with children, harmlessly flirting with other people.  For Erosans, even the older ones, life was a game meant to be enjoyed.  Only the Elders and Ember adopted serious airs.
                  Ember scanned the flirtatious crowd for his sister.   He knew that she was there.  Maggie was always there.  Any time there was anything worth doing or talking about, she was close by.
                  “We had other plans,” a girl said coyly. 
    “We were thinking that maybe we could include you guys in them,” the confident girl said again.
    One-by-one the guys left to join the girls.  Only Onyx asked Ember whether or not it was okay if he left.  Other than a few exchanges of pleasantries and a couple departing “Good luck’s,” all was quiet.  Ember watched as the guys and girls walked across the bridge. 
     
                 
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 2: Not My Paradise
     
     
     
                  Maggie pushed her way past the girls who were running in the opposite direction.  The boys, in hot-pursuit, bottle-necked at the entrance of the bridge.  A few of the girls ran further up ahead, while others remained behind to watch the spectacle.  Some of the boys stammered clumsily over the wooden rungs.  One of the younger boys fell and was nearly stampeded.  Maggie hugged the rope railing and slowly sidestepped her way through the mass of boys.
                  Amongst all the chaos and confusion, none of the guys noticed her.  Owing in no small part to her beauty, playful personality, and general knowledge of Erosan happenings, Maggie was easily one of the most popular girls in Erosa, and had the guys noticed her passing, many would’ve stopped dead in their tracks and followed her.  Maggie was glad no one followed her because today she wasn’t interested in little games; she was interested in her brother.
                  She walked over to the water and scanned it for signs of life.  Near the waterfall she spotted a nose just above the water and instantly recognized it as Ember’s.
                  “Ember, get up!  You know I can see you!” she shouted.  At first there were no movements, but slowly the water started